Thanks to everyone who favourited, story-alerted and reviewed! You guys are great, I've never got so many story alerts for just the first chapter before :D I wish I could have had this up sooner and I would love to be able to update every day, but this school year is a horribly important one, so work has to come first :( *sigh* I'm going to try and update every few days; at least once a week anyway!

Also, thanks to my unofficial Beta Naomily4EVA! :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin, otherwise I would make him magic all my homework away so I could update faster ;)

Chapter Two - Taken

Merlin continued to stare in bewilderment at the space where Uther's body should have been. A last breeze rolled in through the windows; passing silently over their stunned faces and ruffling their hair lightly. As Merlin felt it fan over him, a message only for him whispered in his ear; 'We shall meet again soon, young warlock.' The voice from before was now joined by other masculine voices, and he didn't doubt that they were powerful magic-users. Who else could create a sight like that he'd just seen?

The first (present) voice to break the silence was Gwaine's, as he swore lightly. Merlin whirled around to see the knights for the first time. His friends Gwaine, Lancelot and Percival were standing at the forefront of the group, swords out and all looking equally shocked. Fear gripped him as he wondered how long they'd been there.

'Merlin!' Lancelot exclaimed in surprise. He frowned, and his expression turned suspicious. 'What are you doing here?'

'Same as us, most likely,' Gwaine replied wryly, nodding towards the empty bed.

Fortunately he was saved from having to answer by Arthur's arrival. The Crown Prince burst into the room followed by Sir Leon and a few more knights. 'Father!' he cried, then stopped upon seeing the empty bed. 'Where is he?' he demanded, holding his blade out before him as he whirled to face the men. Only a few had their armour on, most were wearing nightclothes or hastily thrown on shirts and cloaks, some were bare-chested and they were all terrified at the sight of an angry, desperate Prince.

'We don't know my Lord,' one spoke up from the back, bowing his head humbly. 'He's not in his bed.'

'I can see that,' Arthur snapped, glaring around at them. 'What happened?'

'There was a great vortex of air, sir, surrounding them when we entered,' Percival replied directly. 'We couldn't see through it, and it disappeared almost as soon as we arrived with a blinding white light. When we could open our eyes again, it was gone.'

'Is this true?' he demanded. They all hurried to agree with Percival, nodding vigorously. A great weight seemed to fall on Arthur's shoulders. 'It's magic, then.'

At his words Lancelot's eyes flickered over to Merlin, looking worried and fearful.

'Fetch Gaius, he might know something about this,' Arthur ordered. 'And don't tell anyone else of what has happened - not yet, anyway. We can't have the whole kingdom panicking.'

'Yes, sire.' A few knights exited the room, leaving the majority still with Arthur.

'My lord, the boy - your servant - might know something,' one of Arthur's longest-standing knights suggested, his eyes glinting dangerously at Merlin. 'He was here before us.'

Merlin inwardly cursed as Arthur turned his gaze upon him. Due to the rumours of his closeness to Arthur - and the trust the future King was said to put in him - most of the knights of Camelot disliked and were jealous of him. Merlin found this ridiculous; who would actually want to do all Arthur's dirty work? The knights were obviously as thick as he'd once said - excepting those of the Round Table, of course.

'Merlin?' Arthur asked in disbelief, and then began to laugh. 'Sir Ryner, do you honestly think that Merlin had something to do with this?'

'I do not know, sir,' Sir Ryner replied, bowing quickly to Arthur. 'But he arrived here before us - and just before we entered, I remember hearing someone call out. It could be a spell, sir.'

'Now you're being ridiculous,' Arthur said, becoming serious. 'There's no way Merlin of all people is a sorcerer.' He missed the hidden smiles in both Merlin and Lancelot's eyes. 'Although,' he turned back to Merlin now, frowning. 'What were you doing here?'

'The - the wind,' Merlin said quickly. 'It woke me up, and I came to see if the King was all right.'

'As did we, my lord,' Gwaine added. 'We were all woken by that strong wind, with a sense of foreboding about our King's safety.'

'I see,' Arthur nodded. 'Well you should all be proud of yourselves - it's only a pity the sorcerer got away.' He was about to continue when he caught sight of the girl huddled against the wall behind Merlin, still unconscious. 'Wait, who's that?'

The knights looked at each other uncertainly. 'I've never seen her before in my life, sir,' Sir Leon said, looking puzzled as he stepped closer to look at her.

'Neither have I, and I know most of the girls in Camelot,' Gwaine put in, grinning.

'I saw her earlier today,' Merlin finally spoke up uncomfortably, and every eye in the room turned upon him once again. 'She was entering the castle then. And tonight, she was already here when I arrived - I think she tried to get past the vortex, and was blown backwards by it.'

'If it was to save the King, then she was very brave,' Arthur replied. 'I'll have Gaius take a look at her - she'll be honoured for that.'

'I - I don't think she was trying to save him, Arthur,' Merlin said quietly, his mouth suddenly dry. Feeling like a betrayer, he bent to pick up the silver dagger and handed it to him. Silence fell over the room as the Crown Prince turned the dagger over in his hands, looking at it and the girl closely. Even Gwaine looked genuinely worried.

At last the Prince looked up. 'The dagger bears no mark of the Pendragon family, nor that of any of the noble families loyal to us. It belongs to an enemy. Sir Ryner; Sir Ladrian; take her to Gaius' chambers - I will speak with her when she's conscious. The rest of you, search this room for anything else that might belong to her, anything suspicious or foreign, and search the castle for my Father. Remember, no one must be told about this.' His voice was controlled and commanding, but his servant heard the underlying anger and fear. Before Merlin could speak to him further, Gaius arrived.

'You sent for me, my lord?' he asked, bowing slightly. His gaze went to the empty bed, the knights ransacking the room, Sir Ryner carrying the unconscious girl out of the room, the silver dagger held in Arthur's hand and lastly to Merlin, as his eyebrow slid higher and higher up his forehead. 'Sire, what happened?'

'Come outside, I'll give you a full account of it,' Arthur said briskly, and he and Gaius disappeared outside, the latter casting a suspicious look at Merlin.

He had barely begun to help with the search when Lancelot grabbed him and pulled him into a corner, out of earshot of the others. Anger, fear, worry and - unfairly, Merlin couldn't help thinking - more suspicion warred in his eyes as he inwardly wrestled with himself. Finally he blurted it out. 'Merlin, tell me the truth. Was it you who did this?'

Merlin looked at him in horror. 'No! Of course it wasn't ! I mean, how - why would you think that?'

Lancelot sighed in relief, and his shoulders slumped as he visibly relaxed. 'I'm sorry Merlin, but you heard Arthur, it was magic. And you were here before any of us. I have to make sure; it is my duty as a knight of Camelot. But you are also my friend, and I don't believe that you would lie to me. If you swear to me that you had nothing, nothing at all to do with this, then I will believe you.'

'I swear on my life that I had nothing to do with the conjuring up of the vortex, or the disappearance of the King!'

'Not good enough.' Lancelot shook his head, a small smile forming. 'I've seen you risk your life for others too many times.'

Merlin rolled his eyes. 'Fine, I swear on Arthur's life. Happy?'

'Much better,' Lancelot grinned. 'I know you would never endanger his life in an oath.'

'Never,' Merlin admitted. 'I've saved his royal pratness too many times to risk it with a lie.'

'So what did happen?' Lancelot asked curiously. 'Was it the girl?'

'I don't think so. I know it sounds strange but…I think the vortex was on our side.'

'Why do you think that?'

'Lancelot, stop chattering to Merlin and make yourself useful,' Arthur ordered brusquely. 'Merlin, I need you.'

'Yes sire,' Merlin and Lancelot said together, and Lancelot bowed quickly to him. 'I'll tell you later,' Merlin just had time to whisper to his friend before he followed Arthur out of the room.

'It could be a trick,' Gaius said gravely, shaking his head.

'Why would they want to trick me?'

'You're Arthur's servant,' Lancelot joined him, looking serious. 'They can use you to get to him.'

'It doesn't make sense!' Merlin groaned. He glared at the disgustingly orange potion he was mixing for Gaius. 'Why would they help me save the King only to steal him away?'

'It's all very strange,' Gaius mused. 'I wonder where the girl comes into all of this.'

'I don't think she had anything to do with the vortex or the people controlling it,' Merlin decided, glancing over at the still unconscious girl laid out on the bed. He stirred the potion a little more vigorously as he spoke. 'She seemed confused and frightened by it too, and it did tell me to stop her.'

'Well I don't think she was just a girl in the wrong place at the wrong time,' Gaius said firmly, his right eyebrow raised sceptically. 'The two are connected somehow.'

'I guess we'll find out when she wakes up,' Merlin sighed.

'Shouldn't she have woken up by now?' Lancelot asked worriedly. 'It's been over twelve hours!'

'Yes, I know,' Gaius replied, brow furrowed. 'She should wake up soon. Here Merlin, give me that before you over-mix it.' Merlin reluctantly handed over the bowl. It had felt good having something to do. He sat down at the table opposite Lancelot, and began to drum his fingers restlessly on the table.

'How am I meant to tell Arthur any of this?' the young warlock suddenly burst out, rising from his chair and pacing around the room. Gaius watched him with mild interest, while Lancelot looked on in concern. 'How do I tell him that the thing that took his father also helped to save him? That I think its going to return? That although its obviously magic, it might be good? That it told me all of this through magic? How -'

'Maybe you're not meant to,' Lancelot cut him off gently.

'Or maybe you should wait until after the girl is awake to worry about telling him,' Gaius said bluntly. 'In the meantime, look through your spell book and see if there's anything on conjuring vortexes there.'

Merlin sighed again but did as Gaius said, his anger dissolving quickly.

'Is there anything I can do to help?' Lancelot asked politely as Merlin disappeared up the stairs into his bedroom. His services as a knight of Camelot weren't needed that day, because of the King's disappearance the night before. Arthur had ordered that all knights continue to search for anything that might show where his father had gone; so Lancelot had volunteered to stay with the girl, and Merlin.

'You could continue reading through that book from where I left off,' Gaius indicated the faded leather-bound manuscript lying open next to the orange potion, which was now bubbling unpleasantly. 'Tell me if you find anything relating to vortexes, or even long distance spells. Thank you Lancelot, that would be very helpful.'

Ten minutes later, Merlin clattered noisily back down the stairs. 'Got it!' he cried excitedly, setting his book on the table with a thump.

'How many times have I told you; don't bring that in here!' Gaius cried irritably.

Ignoring him, Merlin flipped to the page he wanted, and laid a long finger on the third paragraph down. 'Look; there.'

The old physician bent over, holding his glasses firmly and began to read the passage aloud. Lancelot joined them at the table, looking over Merlin's shoulder curiously. ' "Conjuring up a vortex of air and wind using magic requires great strength and skill, and can be very dangerous for the sorcerer involved. It was often used by priests and priestesses of the Old Religion…A properly constructed spell will transport the sorcerer or sorceress over large distances with almost no time lost between the two destinations." '

'Merlin, that's exactly it!' Lancelot exclaimed.

'Read on, there's more…'

Gaius adjusted his glasses and continued. ' "This spell can also be used to transport others over large distances with a few alterations made to the wording. The closer the spell-caster is to the victim" - meaning the person who will be transported, I'm sure - "the easier the spell will be. Skilled sorcerers have been known to group together and merge their power to transport people and objects very far from them across great distances, and it can be used as a way to summon others. In most kingdoms it is strictly forbidden in battle"…oh dear…"If the sorcerer's power is not sufficient for the spell created then it will feed off him until he dies." '

'So it must be a very powerful sorcerer who has done this,' Lancelot said, breaking the silence that had followed the last sentence.

'More likely a group,' Gaius said grimly. 'And a very far away group at that…Merlin, what are you doing?'

'Nothing,' Merlin replied quickly, too quickly, snatching his hand away from the book where it had been tracing the runes of the spell. 'I'd say it was a group too, that explains the different voices - '

'Don't even think about it,' his mentor warned, cutting him off. 'It's much too complex and dangerous to attempt.'

'But Gaius, think how useful the spell would be!' Merlin exclaimed, eyes shining.

'I forbid it,' Gaius growled. 'When you have more experience, then you can attempt it.'

'I think Gaius is right,' Lancelot added unwillingly. 'It sounds dangerous, and I don't doubt that we'll need you to get the King back. That they spoke directly to you is proof enough of that.'

Merlin opened his mouth to protest, but a movement from the bed interrupted him. Argument forgotten, Gaius hurried to the girl's side while Merlin and Lancelot stood back. Her eyes flickered open and she moaned slightly as the bright light hit them. Slowly, cautiously, they opened again, and she stared at Gaius' kind face in confusion. 'Who-who…' she struggled to speak.

'I'm Gaius, the court physician,' he gently reassured her. 'Don't worry, I'm here to help you. How do you feel?'

'Sore,' she admitted, pushing herself upright. She winced as she noticed the bandages on her head and back, which had been scraped and bruised during her fall. 'My back and my head hurt…what happened? How did I get here?'

'I was told that you were thrown against a wall,' Gaius told her, his expression carefully neutral. 'You were found unconscious in the King's room and a knight brought you here, to be healed.'

She frowned, before her grey eyes opened wide and she visibly paled. 'No,' she whispered, then her voice increased in volume as she threw herself back onto the bed, ignoring the pain. 'No, no, no!'

'Hold her down before she does any further injury to herself,' Gaius instructed as the girl turned onto her side and began to cry. Merlin and Lancelot nodded and warily came forward. As they reached her side, the only thing they could make out through her broken sobs was one repeated phrase; 'I failed… I failed…' As Merlin touched her shoulder gently, trying to ease her onto her back again, she started and jumped back, away from him.

'You,' she hissed, eyes burning with anger. 'Get off me!' she shrieked, and proceeded to thrash even more violently. Lancelot refused to let go of her though and Gaius took Merlin's place at her other side, while the warlock stood back and looked on, feeling ashamed of himself. At last she calmed down and sank back onto the bed, now sobbing quietly. Finally her tears dried, and she pulled herself together to speak again. 'I'm under arrest, aren't I?'

'The Prince wants to speak with you first,' Gaius told her.

'Does he know I tried to kill the King?'

'I would not speak so openly of it if I was you.'

'What difference does it make now? I won't pretend I didn't try; had I succeeded, I would have been proud.' She lifted her chin a little higher as she said this, but Merlin thought he identified a flicker of fear in them. They weren't as clear and merciless as Morgana's had been, that was for sure.

Gaius sighed. 'He found the dagger and he suspects you of it, but he does not know for sure, yet.'

'What about my necklace?'

'What necklace?' Lancelot asked quickly.

She looked like she wanted to kick herself.

'What necklace?' Merlin repeated, taking a step closer.

She shot him a venomous look, but stayed mutinously silent.

'Was it important?' he pressed.

'Like I would tell you!' she snapped, eyes flashing dangerously.

'Was it magic?' Gaius asked matter-of-factly. Her silence provided the answer.

'If they find it…' Lancelot's voice trailed off. She's doomed.

'Is that how you got in?' Gaius questioned her.

She nodded miserably, then finally whispered; 'It was my mother's.'

'She did magic?'

Another nod.

'Is that why you tried to kill him? For vengeance?' Merlin couldn't help asking her.

Her eyes flashed with a deep hatred. 'He murdered my mother and sister…and so many others. He's a cruel, heartless tyrant!'

'That doesn't give you the right to the power over life and death.'

'He deserved it!'

'If you had killed him then you would have become a murderer and as bad as him. Thereafter, someone could say that you deserve death.' His words were sharp, but the intent behind them was kind. Vividly he was remembering the time when he had almost taken the Dragon's advice and let the King die by Morgana's hand. He had had Gwen and Gaius to talk sense into him back then; this girl had no one and he pitied her.

A small tear rose in her eye and she brushed it away quickly, avoiding his gaze. Gaius broke the tense silence, cautioning Merlin with his eyes. 'Did you conjure the vortex with your magic?'

She blinked in surprise. 'No! It just - appeared. Out of nowhere. I thought he might have cast it.' Merlin's heart sunk as he realised she remembered his magic.

'When did it appear, exactly?' Lancelot asked with a frown.

'When I was just about to….um…my dagger was barely an inch from…when it…appeared. Before I saw him, I assumed it was some kind of protective spell set in place around the King.' She paused, seeing their grim expressions. 'Wasn't it?'

'We don't know,' Gaius answered thoughtfully. 'It protected him from you, at any rate.'

'But it took the King,' Merlin told her, ignoring her scowl.

'Merlin!' Lancelot and Gaius cried together.

'She's going to find out soon anyway!' he replied defensively.

'I don't understand, why would it take him?' the girl asked, addressing Merlin. 'The vortex kept me away from him well enough.' A note of bitterness echoed in her voice.

'For ransom, perhaps?' he shrugged. 'Or maybe they wanted to dispose of him themselves.'

'Or they could be after the throne,' Lancelot suggested. 'If they tortured him enough, do you think he would give it up?'

'No,' Gaius shook his head decisively. 'They won't be able to break him - unless they threaten Arthur, that is.'

'Do you think they'll take Arthur next?' Merlin asked, worried.

'They might. Speaking of Arthur, shouldn't you get him?'

'Oh yeah, right. I'll go now.'

'I'll come with you,' Lancelot volunteered.

'Put away the books first,' Gaius ordered sharply. Merlin quickly did so, ignoring his sudden reluctance to alert Arthur to the girl's awakening. By the time the book of spells was safely beneath his floorboards, Lancelot was waiting impatiently by the door and the girl was sitting up, staring pensively into space. He hesitated beside her, unsure what to say.

'What's your name?' he finally asked.

She looked at him in surprise, before answering hesitantly. 'Lias.'

'I'm Merlin.' He offered his hand, and after a slight hesitation, she shook it. 'Can I ask you to do something for me, Lias? It's important.'

'What is it?' she asked suspiciously, drawing her dark green cloak closer around herself as a breeze blew in through the open window.

'Arthur doesn't know I have magic - no one here does, except for Lancelot and Gaius. Can you promise me to keep it that way?'

'You mean, not tell him?' Merlin nodded, and held his breath as his blue eyes filled with sincere worry. Lias regarded him coolly. 'From one magic-user to another?'

The corner of his mouth quirked into a smile. 'Yes. I won't tell him about you if you don't tell him about me.'

Gratitude showed in her eyes, before she turned away to look at the opposite wall. 'I'll think about it…Merlin.'

Realising he wasn't going to get any more confirmation from her, he nodded and continued over to the door, pausing before he followed Lancelot out. 'Thank you, Lias.' She made no visible response, but as he exited the room he felt the cold pit of worry and fear resting in his stomach ease a little. The last thing he and Lancelot heard before they were out of earshot of Gaius' chambers was the physician giving the nasty orange potion to the girl, and telling her it would do her good. Both Merlin and Lancelot grimaced simultaneously, and neither wanted to be in her place right then. Lancelot didn't speak out loud to him until they were halfway to the council room.

'You can't save her,' he suddenly spoke up. His warm brown eyes, filled with concern, met Merlin's. 'So don't get too attached.'

'What?' Merlin spluttered. 'I'm not - '

'I know you, Merlin,' his friend continued, with a sad smile. 'You try to save everyone, but you can't. She's guilty of two crimes already; treason and magic! There's no room for pardon with those crimes, and you heard her back there, she's not going to deny it.'

'Arthur might give her another chance,' Merlin persisted stubbornly. 'Her death isn't certain.'

'Yes, it is. She knew what she was doing, and she went ahead with it anyway.'

'She's practically still a child!'

Lancelot shook his head. 'That's no excuse. Remember what you told me about Mordred; the King was going to execute him despite his age.'

'But this is Arthur - '

'Uther is still King, and Arthur is unlikely to pardon the girl who tried to kill his father and who could be responsible for his disappearance.'

Merlin didn't reply, as he wrestled with himself. He hated the thought of condemning someone to die, even if they did do wrong. That was one reason why he was a terrible fighter. But he couldn't ignore Lancelot's kindly-meant words, that she was guilty. It wasn't love, or attraction, or anything like that that made him want to fight for Lias' freedom - it was a sense of kinship, one that he found with all other non-evil, simple magic users that were simply trying to achieve a better life for themselves and for others. How could he stand by and let them be punished for something he himself had once considered? He felt Lancelot lay a hand on his shoulder, and he realised they had reached the council room. He took a deep breath and gave his friend a weak smile, answering his unspoken question. Lancelot smiled back, then turned to the guards who dutifully let him through. Merlin followed, eyes immediately searching amongst the crowd inside for Arthur to keep his mind off his former thoughts. It was true that he couldn't save everyone. Freya had died, and Morgana had been corrupted by her magic and her half-sister. It looked like he wasn't going to be able to save Lias either.

:)