Hidden prince

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Arthur looked around, everything looked identical. The same trees, the same leaves, everything the same. He looked at Merlin who looked to know the way, also the other knights of Imardin knew the way, they made up their camp and Merlin lit up the campfire. Merlin looked to be happier than ever and listened to their conversation in their own language. The Camelotian knights were also listening, trying to learn catch up something they understand.

"Shuí réngrán zhōngyú wǒmen?" (Who is still loyal to us?) Merlin asked.

"Cūnmín zhōng de měi gèrén réngrán zhōngyú nín, xiànzài zhǐyǒu dà duōshù qíshì zhōngyú pàntú. Zhōngshí de rén xiànzài duǒ zài zhè piàn sēnlín zhōng, míngtiān wǒmen jiāng hé tāmen zài yīqǐ." (everybody of the villagers are still loyal to you, only most of the knights are now loyal to the traitor. The loyal ones are now hiding in this forest, we will be with them tomorrow.) Answered Alatan, he then looked at Arthur and explained what they were saying.

"Gurekin prest egongo dira,pidgeonek gutuna ekarri die." (They will be ready for us, the pidgeon has brought them the letter.) Greg said. He then laughed when Arthur looked surprised at him.

'How many languages can they speak?' Arthur thought. He was surprised that Merlin still remembered them all. He shook his head and decided to concentrate instead.

"Ona, oraingoz atseden hartuko dugu eta bihar beraiengana joango gara. Han beste zer egin behar dugu planifikatuko dugu." (Good, Good, we will rest for now and tomorrow we will go to them. There we will plan what else we have to do.) Merlin said, the knights nodding. Alatan again translated it. Arthur suddenly realized that Alatan had a thick accent after he spoke his normal language. It wasn't really that unpleasant anyway.

Merlin sighed, there was something he still wanted to ask, but be couldn't.

"Húlí oraindik ez da ezagutzen aita edo gurekin leiala den ala ez. Barkatu, Merlin, baina, ez dago ezer bere inguruan. Zu ikustean zer egingo duzun erabaki behar duzu, agian ez da neska berekoia eta jatorra. Badakizu nolako eragina izan zuen aitak beregan." (Húlí is still unknown if she is loyal to her father or us. I'm sorry, Merlin, but, there is nothing we can do about her. It is you who has to decide what you are gonna do about her when you see her, maybe she isn't that selfless, kind girl any more. You know how a bad influence her father on her had.) Alatan said, knowing exactly what Merlin is thinking about. He gives Merlin a comforting smile, before translating it to Arthur and the Camelotian knights.

"Who is Húlí?" Gwaine asked.

"Is that your girl?" Arthur looked to fume when he heard that.

'Merlin is mine.' Arthur thought, he then looked at Merlin who shook his head, and suddenly hope arised into Arthur.

"Then, who is it?" Arthur asked. Merlin didn't react, he started to remember the last time they saw each other.

***

Merlin was running away when the knights with him suddenly started to ask each other questions.

"What about Húlí? She is one of the best female knights after our elder of course."

"She has probably joined her father, after all, she always follows him. And the reason why she is a good knight she is as cunning as a fox. She is good in playing tricks and lying to us, she would probably say that she is loyal to us, but then, she would just kill the prince." Said another knight. He never liked the female knight, she always did what her father said, and it didn't make it any better that her father is now the traitor.

Merlin sighed, he too was thinking about that, they were best friends. But now, she had to choose. He remembered how she easily hurt somebody if she wanted to. She could easily betray them without showing any emotions. She even betrayed her brother who wanted to become a knight just like her. Merlin remembered how he saw her making her brother trip. He needed to stop because he was paralyzed after a fall down one of the mountains, how he survived, nobody knows. But the worst part was, that she needed to do that, her father told her to do that.

"Maybe you're right" Merlin finally said. "Maybe she is now a traitor."

"Is that what you think of me?" Cried a familiar voice out. Merlin turned around to see the girl with her sleek red hair and green eyes. She looked shocked at Merlin, but quickly turned back to her emotionless gaze.

"Hú-" Merlin tried.

"No! Do you think that I wanted this? I'm scared of my dad. You don't know what he does to me if I don't do what he want. Do you think I wanted to hurt my brother? To betray my friends? Maybe that Uther is right, maybe magic corrupts most of us. Maybe it is even corrupting me! You know what? If that is what you want, then I just follow him. I will die anyway, it is my destiny to die at your hands!" She yelled, interrupting him. She then ran off.

****
Merlin sighs, he still didn't know what she meant with that. He doesn't want to kill her. But he knows that he can't escape his destiny, so, she probably can't escape hers.

"Fùqīn?" (Sire?) Merlin suddenly heard. He felt hands shaking him.

"I'm fine" he grumbled.

"Let's all rest now" Arthur demanded and before anyone could say something, Merlin turned his back to them and fall asleep.

Arthur sighed and also falls asleep, soon the others were following him. Only Gwaine and Greg were still awake.

"How many languages can you actually speak?" Gwaine asked.

"We can speak the eight languages of our kingdom, but also languages from the other kingdoms." Greg quickly answered, without thinking as if he needed to answer that question everytime they get in a strange kingdom.

"And, how is your ale?"

"Better than everything you have ever tasted. Maybe when all of this is over we can go to the tavern and take your Percy with you."

"He isn't my Percy!" Gwaine looks offended to the other knight, his cheeks turning a bright red.

"Sure he isn't." Greg laughed.

"That kid has trouble sleeping" Gwaine suddenly said after some silence. He was looking at Léi who was shaking and moving in his sleep.

"That always happens. He gets nightmares from everything that happened, he's still a kid and the most knights train until they are 18 before they go on their first mission. This is his second. The last one didn't end well... we tried to kill Húlí, but she was too strong for us. She wasn't with her father and looked annoyed when we were sneaking towards her, then she just vanished." Greg closed his eyes and started to think, he then opened them and gave an apple to Gwaine.

They remained silent for a long time, looking at their sleeping friends.