The next morning, Arthur was already awake and noticed that Merlin wasn't there. He looked around and noticed Merlin standing on one of the watch platforms, made of wood. He decided to walk towards Merlin and climbed the platform before standing next to him.
"Morning." Merlin said.
"Morning." Arthur answered. They stared at each other in silent. Merlin couldn't help it and looked down at Arthur's lips that were curled up into a smile, but quickly became a flirtatious grin when Arthur noticed it.
"So... we are both a prince now, we can be friends." Merlin finally said, trying to break the awkward silence.
"Yeah." Arthur nodded.
'More than friends.' Arthur and Merlin both thought.
"Do you want me to teach some words from your language?" Merlin nodded and started to think.
'Maybe I can make my first move, it isn't hard.... I hope.'
"Alright, let's start with an easy one. Nǐ hǎo."
"What does that mean?"
"It means, hello. Now you."
"Nǐ how?" Arthur tried and Merlin burst out in laughter.
"Almost."
"Nǐ hǎo." Arthur tried again, this time Merlin nodded.
"That was one of the easiest words."
"Wǒ de míngzì shì." Merlin then said.
"Wǒ de míngzì shì?" Arthur again tried, he was just repeating after Merlin, watching his lips move. Those lips he just wanted to kiss.
"It means, 'my name is'." Arthur nodded.
"Nǐ hěn měilì. Nín de jīnfā rúhé bǔzhuō yángguāng bìng kàn qǐlái fāguāng, jiù xiàng zhōuwéi de guānghuán. Dāng wǒ shuō huò zuò mǒu shì yúchǔn shí, nǐ xiào de fāngshì. Lán yǎnjīng zài wǒ yǎnzhōng de yàngzi. Wǒ ài nǐ, wǒ yǒngyuǎn dūhuì. Yīnwèi zài shénhuà bān de shídài hé chōngmǎn mólì de shídài, yǒu ài. Zhǐyào wǒ huózhe, wǒ jiù huì ài nǐ." Merlin suddenly blurted out.
"What?" Arthur asked.
"It means 'You are beautiful. How your blond hair catches the sun and looks to glow, like a halo around you. The way you laugh when I say or do something stupid. The way your blue eyes look right in mine. I love you, and I always will. Because in a land of myth and a time of magic, there was love. And.... ' an attack!' Merlin translated, but cut off when he noticed Morgana's troops.
"And... what?" Arthur asked, not noticing the troops because he was still looking in Merlin's blue eyes, drowning into them.
He got cut out of his thoughts when an arrow nearly hit him, thanks to Merlin who pushed him out the way just in time.