Merlin's magic (Oneshots) 1

The investigation (part 2)

A.N.:// art by Changelink23 on Instagram. (This is me. I have my permission to publish my own works, lmao.)

Naw, I am excited for this. Let's goooo :D

There are moments in our lives where we are so far into our own heads that we do not realize what is happening around us.
It can be a sentence, a moment, a simple object that catches our attention and distracts us for just long enough to forget what we were doing or where we even are.
It's like we only exist in our own head spaces, cut off from reality.
And spiraling in thoughts of our own creation.

Arthur was currently experiencing such a moment.

"Why would Cendred kill Caerlon?"

What an excellent question.

But of course, Merlin, the doctor, whose alibi for the time of the murder Arthur had checked thoroughly, as he was practicing his job when he was searching for him, which was namely saving lives, this Merlin could not have any idea what had truly happened.

He was caught in as a witness on a whim, after all. His only connection to the case being a one time encounter with Cendred that some random person had seen and Gwen's hunch that there was more to the guy, because of absolutely unrelated letters that had been send 70 years ago.

There were no tax frauds, no police records, nothing that made him in any way suspicious of any crimes.

Except of course, Gwaine's strange belief that people simply forgot why they ever wanted to talk to the guy.
Which now, in retrospect, sounded kind of... off.

"Because I told him to."

The way Merlin said it was nonchalant. Uncaring.
He stated it so casually, that Arthur felt his mind be ripped from his body to spiral out of control.

And not for the obvious reason, to Arthur's terror.
No.
It was his own response that caught Arthur off guard.

'Guess I'm getting married to a murderer.'

It wasn't even clear if Merlin had done the murder. Giving an order to murder someone and doing the murder yourself were completely different things, though similar in nature and just as illegal.
This could be an easy misunderstanding.
Like a joke or something.
Maybe Merlin had made a dumb comment to Cendred about killing Caerlon and then it was pure coincidence that Cendred actually did this.
In that case, Merlin ought to be afraid though.
If he were blaming himself, there should be some kind of remorse in his voice or posture. Yet, there was none.

Merlin stated it very clearly, judging by his shrug, his uncaring expression and the almost amusement in his eyes, that he wasn't above it.
Perhaps he had been in a situation like this before. Perhaps he had killed before. Or planned murder before. Or had helped out with a murder before.

Whether it was true or not.... Arthur accepted the possibility. Could imagine it. Almost actually believed it being true.

And yet!

And yet...

Arthur was still going to marry him.

He should question this, obviously. Should maybe question why he agreed to the whole thing in the first place. They had just met, what was he thinking?

And then Arthur looked at Merlin's strangely old eyes and felt the weight of a debt on his own shoulder.
The weight of a longing, long forgotten and buried somewhere deep within his soul, reaching out for this man he had just met.
The weight of regret. A wrong that could never be corrected.

'Merlin deserves happiness.'

Arthur's heart tried to remind him of memories he didn't have.

'I deserved a happy ending. '