Merlin Oneshots

21. Dopplegänger (part 3)

[This chapter sort of evolved into a half crack!fic and there is a shit-ton of swearing. This is because it's 2am and that's when my crackhead energy peaks and my mind no longer filters the expletives out as much. ( not that I do that much any way but you can tell which parts of my fics were written in the middle of the night because I no longer give a flying fuck about my language. Try to enjoy but I'm sorry in advance 🥴😂]

"Why is it you grow weaker?" Cain sneered as he stood over Merlin's slender figure, the boy was paler than he had been before, a thin layer of sweat coated his forehead and he seemed to be losing weight, despite having been fed rather generous amounts of food.

"I must've caught something." Merlin lied; he had been in the cuffs for four days and he knew if he stayed there any longer the results would be catastrophic in ways he couldn't even imagine. He held his sleeves down to hide the black veins that were beginning to protrude from around the burns.

"Hmm." Cain was sceptical but seemed to find it a plausible answer and brandished the same impossibly shiny dagger from before, "People are beginning to question your well-being, I shall have to make my move soon." He muttered a few words in the tongue of the old religion as his eyes flashed gold, the impossible dagger glowed blindingly for a moment before returning to its original state.

Merlin bit back the urge to scream in frustration; if suspicions were growing then surely they could figure it out before something horrible happens... right? He fucking hoped so because he really didn't want to have to deal with this shit.

***

"Merlin!" Arthur called down the corridor after seeing said servant rushing from Gaius' chambers.

"Your Majesty?" Cain acknowledged with a slight bow of his head.

"Er... yes, I need to speak with you." Arthur frowned.

"Is something wrong, my Lord?" Cain asked, cocking his head to the side.

"You are the only one I can trust with such a matter, and is therefore something that must be spoken about in private," Arthur continued his voice lowered, "To my chambers."

"Of course, my Lord." Cain said evenly, repressing the urge to smirk. This was the perfect opportunity.

Arthur led Cain to his chambers, closing the door behind him. As his back was turned, Cain took this opportunity to unsheathe his dagger and lunge at the King. He would have succeeded in reaching him if it weren't for Percival and Elyan leaping out of their hiding spots to restrain him. Arthur turned back around with a grimace as the rest of the round table knights, as well as Gwen, crawled out of hiding. Elyan managed to take the dagger from him while Percival bound him in iron shackles.

"Merlin?" Arthur said uncertainly, "Why are you trying to kill me?" Not-Merlin just sneered in reply.

"Perhaps he's enchanted?" Gwen suggested, equally as uncertain.

"Surely you can't enchant Merlin to act so... un-Merlin." Gwaine frowned.

"Gwaine's right, even when you're enchanted there's still some similarities in mannerisms but he's... he's all wrong." Percival shook his head, watching as Merlin glared daggers into each of them.

"Possessed then?" Elyan cocked his head.

"Hang on... I think I know what's wrong with him." Leon spoke up, stepping towards the growling manservant.

"You do?" Arthur asked, surprised.

"Yes, Merlin never wears necklaces." Leon pulled the string of the necklace from not-Merlin's neck and everyone watched as he morphed into a man with decently long blonde hair, a round face and weasely brown eyes.