Thank you so much to all who read the last chapter and who put this story on their story alerts and favorites! I wasn't expecting that at all, but it sure made a good start to the day to wake up and have a bunch of emails about how this story has been put on their story alerts and favorited. Special thank you to DramaQueen for the kind review. I'm glad you like the story! :)

Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize…no matter how much I wish I did.

Chapter 2: The Return of an Old Friend

Merlin didn't know how long he had been out, though his best guess was at least an hour. He groaned as his head pounded and he briefly wondered what had hit him, before deciding that who had hit him was more important than what. His eyes opened, before shutting quickly as the bright light blinded him, increasing the pounding in his head. Merlin bit back a groan as he opened his eyes slowly, letting them get use to the light.

Confusion set in as Merlin realized he wasn't in the small clearing in the woods anymore. Instead, he was at the edge of a large meadow that was surrounded by forest. It wasn't until then that Merlin realized he was standing up. Merlin looked down, trying to figure out why he wasn't laying on the ground, and was shocked to find himself tied to a tree.

'Good going, Merlin.' He chided silently as he struggled vainly against the ropes. 'Get knocked out and show up in a random meadow and be surprised to be tied up. Maybe you really are as stupid as Arthur says.'

Merlin shook his head, regretting it as the pounding became worse and his vision blurred slightly. He waited a few moments and was relieved when the pounding lessoned and his vision cleared quickly. Looking around slowly, Merlin noted that the meadow was one he had never been in before, which was strange considering how often he traipsed the woods with Arthur. He saw no one, which confused him even more. As far as he could tell, he was alone.

Merlin grinned slightly, glad for small miracles. He looked around again and, when he was sure he was alone, moved his hand so they were just barely touching the rope.

"Rhyddhau mi."

Merlin frowned when nothing happened.

"Rhyddhau mi." he repeated.

Still nothing happened. Merlin could feel his panic rising as he realized his magic wasn't responding.

"Torrwch y rhaffau!" he tried, his voice rising. "Rhyddhau i mi o'r bondiau!"

"Give it up, Merlin." A female voice laughed from somewhere behind him. "Your magic won't work. Those ropes have been enchanted to bind all magic except my own."

Merlin felt his blood grow cold as he recognized the voice.

"Morgana." His voice came out low, more of a breath than anything. "But how? You were dying!"

"Yes, I do seem to have a thing with escaping death, don't I?" Morgana said, her voice cold and angry. She stepped out from behind the tree and walked in front of her captive. "No thanks to you."

Merlin didn't say anything, knowing what she said was true. Morgana smirked, giving her beautiful face a cruel look. She took a step forward, her eyes full of hate, and ran her hand alongside Merlin's face. Merlin tried to pull away, but she just grabbed his chin and kept his face still.

"Who would have ever thought that you had magic?" Morgana commented, roughly tossing Merlin's head to the side.

"There are some who would say the same about you." Merlin replied, glaring at the woman he thought he knew.

Morgana's eyes narrowed and her hand came up, slapping Merlin across the face. Merlin's head snapped to the side and he could feel where one of her rings cut into his cheek. Moving his jaw slightly, Merlin turned his head back and looked his old friend in the eyes.

"You're a traitor, Merlin." Morgana hissed. "Not only to me, but to your own kind."

"You are the traitor, Morgana." Merlin replied, his eyes hard and cold. He had long since given up on helping Morgana turn back to the kind hearted soul she once had been. "You're the one who betrayed your friends."

"Oh, like you did?" Morgana laughed dryly. "Or does poisoning your friend and leaving her to die not count as betraying your friends?"

"I had no choice!" Merlin exclaimed, pain and regret in his voice. "What was I supposed to do? Let the people of Camelot die? I had no choice, Morgana! I didn't want to, but I had no choice!"

The last word had barely left his lips before Morgana's hand slapped him across the face, her ring cutting into his cheek once more. He could feel the blood trickling from the cut and knew it would leave a mark for several weeks.

"You lying traitor." Morgana snapped, stepping back from her captive. "You knew I had magic. You knew but you wouldn't help me. You're going to pay, Merlin."

"And how am I going to pay?" Merlin asked, trying to hide his nervousness.

Morgana didn't reply for a moment. Instead she stepped back a few steps and studied Merlin. She folded her arms across her chest and stood there thoughtfully for several minutes. Merlin couldn't help but feel nervous and slightly awkward as she studied him carefully. He looked down at the ground, uncomfortable under her unrelenting gaze.

'How do I get myself in these situations?' he asked silently.

He looked around and saw a large branch lying on the ground. He remembered what Morgana had said about the ropes, but he had to try. Concentrating harder than he ever had before, Merlin imagined the branch rising off the ground and hitting Morgana in the head. He waited for the familiar feeling of his eyes changing color and the feeling of his magic rising in him, but he felt nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Merlin looked back at Morgana who was still just standing there studying him. He didn't like this feeling. He didn't like being powerless, of being normal. All his life he had had his magic, and he didn't know what to do without it. He looked back at the branch and imagined the branch hitting Morgana once more. Nothing happened.

"You are going to help me kill Arthur." Morgana interrupted his concentration.

"Didn't we already go through this?" Merlin asked with a roll of his eyes. "You didn't succeed that time, why makes you think I'm going to kill Arthur now?"

"If it hadn't been for Emrys you would have killed him." Morgana barked, taking a step closer to Merlin.

"Who's Emrys?" Merlin asked, trying to hide the grin that threatened to spread across his face. At least that part of his secret was still safe. Otherwise, Morgana would have killed him by now.

"N…no one." Morgana stuttered. "But this time I won't fail. Or rather, you won't."

"I'm not going to kill Arthur." Merlin's voice was cold and confident.

"Of course not." Morgana replied with a laugh. "I want that pleasure for myself."

"You just said…" Merlin started, before Morgana cut him off.

"I said you were going to help me kill him." She smirked and unfolded her arms. "You are going to help me and my army take over Camelot."

"Never."

The smirk grew bigger.

"You say that as if you have a choice."

Merlin started to struggle against his bonds, but they were too tight. Without his magic, there was no way he could escape. He could only struggle vainly as Morgana covered the distance between them and stood just inches away from him.

"I won't let you hurt Camelot." Merlin exclaimed, stopping in his struggling.

"My, my, my." Morgana said, her eyebrows rising in amusement. "What a few little magic tricks can do to change a person. You never would be this brave otherwise."

"Let me go, Morgana." Merlin ordered, ignoring her comment about 'a few little magic tricks.'

"I don't think so." Morgana smirked. "I have use for you."

She raised her hands and placed them on Merlin's head, over his ears. She closed her eyes and when she opened them again they were gold.

"Gymryd drosodd meddwl y dyn hwn. Gadewch ei awydd dim ond i wasanaethu mi, i wneud fel y gorchymyn. Plygwch ei feddwl i fy ewyllys."

The gold in her eyes grew brighter as she chanted the spell. Merlin tried to fight back, but without his magic it was hopeless. He closed his eyes, trying to fight, but when he opened them again they were wide and blank. His body grew relaxed as he stared into Morgana's eyes. He could feel his mind growing blank and he blinked slowly. When his eyes opened, they flashed an electric red before fading back to blue.

Spell Translations:

Rhyddhau mi.—Release me.

Torrwch y rhaffau!—Cut these ropes!

Rhyddhau i mi o'r bondiau!—Free me from these bonds!

Gymryd drosodd meddwl y dyn hwn. Gadewch ei awydd dim ond i wasanaethu mi, i wneud fel y gorchymyn. Plygwch ei feddwl i fy ewyllys.-Take over this man's mind. Let his only desire be to serve me, to do as I command. Bend his mind to my will.