This is a try run, i hope you will like it, please post reviews what do you think about it.
"Lady Morgana, look, it's Arthur, he caught him!", exclaimed Morgana's handmaid, Guinevere. She never had to explain who was she talking about. Young, black haired, blue eyed, handsome thief was terrorizing the nobles across the lands. There was no vault safe enough. No lock he couldn't open. No lady, no wife and no daughter he wouldn't court. Nobles and knights were in panic, multiplying their guards, offering handsome bounties for captured and delivered thief. Yet no one was able to catch him. Until now. Young thief was beaten and in shackles, dragged after prince's horse, trying to keep up with it's speed.
Morgana glanced outside the window, curious. Merlin was news. He was so bold and outstanding that even the king almost forgot he was in the middle of the purge. And now king of Camelot, Uther Pendragon ordered a feast. The notorious thief was caught and would be hanged in public first thing tomorrow morning.
"He's kind of handsome", smiled Guinevere, following stumbling over his own legs beaten Merlin, who was binded and surrounded by Camelot soldiers, while being dragged to the castle.
"He's beaten and he is dragging his feet", smirked Morgana, not knowing what her handmaid was seeing in the dirty fellow beneath her windows. "You sure it's not legends that makes him handsome?", laughed young lady Morgana.
"My lady", her handmaid cleared her throat, "don't tell me you're not feeling excited. He's..."
"... soon not to be anymore", interrupted her mistress, putting her hand on Gwen's shoulder, chuckling. "Oh, Gwen, you can't fall for any famous prince, even if he is the prince of thieves, now please, help me prepare for tonight's feast, i want to look stunning."
xXx
"This time you're going to answer for your crimes", Arthur pushed young, slender man who had his hands in heavy, cold shackles to small cell with one inmate. Young prince closed the bars and walked away, leaving Merlin laying on the ground. Few guards stayed, watching Merlin, who turned to them.
"Greetings my brave warriors", young thief grinned to them. The soldiers glanced at him, unsure if they should talk to him, but in the end their curiosity prevailed. They moved closer to the bars, watching black haired boy.
"So they caught you at least", one of them smirked.
"Yes, unfortunately, your prince was too big of a match for me", smiled sadly Merlin, looking at the five Camelot's guards. "I underestimated Camelot and it's soldiers", Merlin complimented their country, watching them beam with confidence.
"Yeah, we're not dumb Mercians to be robbed of our king's crown and do nothin bout that", chuckled the biggest of the guards with rotten teeth and possible the stupidest.
"Certainly you are not, my lords", exclaimed Merlin, "i even heard you caught and imprisoned the dragon", he gave them excited look.
"Yea, king Uther locked it up, just like you in the lowest...", said the biggest of the guards before being shut up by others.
"And what it is to you, you damn thief?", asked another before his eyes widened in shock, seeing as Merlin just stood up leaving the shackles on the ground. His hand quickly slipped into his breaches and produced small ball he threw near guards feet. The slimy ball exploded and the guards inhaled, falling asleep.
"I always wanted to steal a dragon", Merlin's eyes glowed orange and the locks on the bars opened.
Merlin didn't had trouble finding the dragon's cave. He stripped one of the guards, taking his clothes and explored the dungeons, looking for the dragon until he found him two hours later. Great beast flew down to the rock watching young thief.
"So, i am here, as promised", smirked Merlin, looking at the great beast, "but i have to admit, speaking in my mind with a dragon was something new."
"Greeting, Merlin", dragon bowed his head, "thanks for coming to my aid."
"Let's talk business", interrupted him Merlin, waiting.
"Merlin, i am ashamed, bu i have tricked you into coming here. I don't have anything to offer to you but my gratitude. Also, i need to tell you of a prophecy, you are the promised one, who will help Arthur Pendragon to unite all the lands and the magic to return."
"So...", Merlin glanced at him in disbelief, "no riches then?"
"No, unfortunately..."
"Oh, ok, bye then", Merlin lifted his hand and walked out of the cave.
"WAIT! Where are you going?", roared dragon, when Merlin turned his back to him. "Merlin!", roared dragon. "Merlin! Come back here! Merlin!"
xXx
"How it's possible that Merlin escaped!", roared furiously Uther. "Lady Helen of Mora is coming to today's feast and Merlin escaped my prison! I will be the laugh of all, like the Mercia when Merlin robbed their king of his own crown!", shouted the king, terrified that he would share similar fate in the future.
Lady Morgana was following the king with her icy blue eyes, smiling to herself. Being confined in castle premises was boring. Because Uther didn't have the queen the court lacked ladies. Even those ladies who were present were mostly shallow or focused on the much more pressing matters that consisted entirely of looking for future husbands and flirting with the knights.
But Morgana wanted more. She learned how to ride and how to use a sword. She even beat Arthur once who was a future crowned prince and a possible future king. She smiled to herself. Now something interesting was happening. Guards running around in panic. Four soldiers who were guarding Merlin were in stocks due to their incompetence.
Morgana excused herself and quietly removed herself from the coronation room. She wanted adventure and right now the thief was roaming through the castle. She would be the one to catch him and no one was going to take that pleasure from her. She quickly changed to her travelling clothes, put the parts of the armor, the sword and a cloak over herself, so no one would see what she was wearing under. She sprinted from her room, only to rush past slim, blue eyed, black haired guard, who tripped her. She fell to the ground with loud grunt. The guard who made her fall apprehended her quickly from behind, forcing her to the ground.
"I found the thief, i have found Merlin, quickly, come!", his hands forced the cloak on her head to wrap around her face, blocking the air, strangling her, so she wasn't able to breath.
Few other soldiers arrived, helping the one behind her.
Merlin let them kick her ribs and after she stopped struggling he swiftly dispatched himself, allowing the rest of the guards to drag the cloaked person to the king.
Xxx
Gaius looked at beaten up Morgana who was laying at her bed, paining. Thanks to her armor her ribs weren't broken, but they still hurt badly. Her face was saved because of the person who was strangling her. His hands were wrapped around his head, not allowing her to scream and in the same time defending her beautiful face from the rest of the guards. Still, her legs and her arms were in bruises and she was pissed.
"That... ugh... bastard", hissed with her teeth clenched Morgana, feeling excruciating pain with every breath she took.
"Shh... don't talk Morgana, your ribs were nearly broken", Gaius tried to calm her down, but without much luck. Morgana wasn't caring so much for her body as for her pride. She was humiliated in public, when the guards dragged her before the king and showed her face. She was ridiculed before the court, before Arthur and her own handmaid, who were looking at her with wide open eyes. Uther was furious. He almost executed his own guards on the spot. If not for Arthur, who restrained him, the king would massacre fooled guards as they were standing with his own hands.
"Leave... me...", hissed Morgana, whispering. When they tried to oppose she glared at them and they left, leaving her alone. She exhaled, feeling the pain coming from her chest, as her ribs moved.
"I thought they would never leave", Merlin came from his hiding behind one of the curtain, stretching his back. Morgana's eyes widened, as he walked to her bed, smiling. "Good thing i protected your face, you're really beautiful." He sat nonchalantly on her bed, watching her with mischievous grin.
"Guards...", whispered Morgana, feeling her ribs exploding with pain. She tried to shout again, but Merlin lifted his hand and she swallowed, watching him anxiously.
"You see, your ribs hurts too much for you to properly scream", he smiled, looking at her with his blue, deep, warm eyes.
"You... bas... tard...", whispered Morgana, furious, trying to get up.
"No no, lay down my beautiful", Merlin's hand pushed her down and she grunted with pain. "It seems that stealing the most beautiful gem from this country will be much harder then i thought", he winked to her, getting up, still wearing guard's clothes.
"You...", she hissed and stopped, watching him with wide eyes when he produced some sort of vial and forced her to breath the flavour coming from it. His hands struggled for a moment with hers before she gave up, breathing in. She didn't smell anything, but she felt her body relax and her eyes close.
xXx
Merlin changed his attire so now he was resembling a simple servant. He moved near the prince and the king, trying to not be seen. Most of the people never met him and didn't know how he looked like. Unfortunately for him Arthur have seen him. But Uther never did. The guards who saw him were now looking for him outside the castle or guarding lady Morgana's room.
Merlin, listen to me!, roared dragon's voice inside his head. Merlin sighed. He didn't know how to block his voice. At least not yet. He ignored dragon's callings and moved near the pillar, watching for good occasion. He knew the party will make people relaxed and then he will be able to snatch the two things he needed for his grand collection.
Melrin wasn't usual thief. He had magic, but he worked very hard to hide that. He knew that people would underestimate him, not knowing he had actual magical powers and would treat him as a very talented thief. Nothing more. He smiled to himself. If only the guards would knew that he used his magic to open the shackles. And if only everyone would know the real reason why he came to this kingdom. As a thief, Merlin was bored. He practiced so hard, that even without his magical powers there would be only a few as skilled rogues as him. So he made a bet with his friends, as to who would steal more crowns. Right now, each of them had about three. Merlin had four crowns already. And today, he would have two more.
Strange song interrupted his thoughts. He looked around and saw the singer, beautiful middle aged woman singing and moving towards the king. He felt his magic buzzing, protecting him from the magical enchantment, realizing that everyone beside him and the singer has fallen asleep. He watched the singer unsheath her long knife, raelizing what was about to happen. He walked from behind the pillar, crossing her way.
"I'm sorry, m'lady, but no killing today", he winked to her, standing between her and Arthur. "You see, i want to steal their crowns and i can't steal them if they are dead. That would be plundering the graves. So... whoa!", he felt her power throwing him at the wall behind the prince. Her old looks returned, as she wasn't able to hold this many spells at once.
"Wow, you're ugly", Merlin stood up and his eyes glowed gold, pulling heavy chandelier above her down, slamming her to the ground. She screamed and her song stopped, releasing everyone from the spell. Uther momentarily stood up, watching the wretched creature, who lifted it's hand.
"Feel the pain of losing your only child!", screamed old woman. Her eyes glowed gold and her knife plunged from the ground, shooting itself in the prince's direction.
Merlin's eyes glowed gold, as he slowed time's flow and he grabbed Arthur, pulling him to his left. Arthur grunted, falling loudly to the ground, as the knife plunged into the wooden chair.
"Thank... Merlin!", shouted Arthur, still confused.
Uther stopped in half step to his son, eyeing his son's saviour, confused.
"My crown!", squealed Arthur when Merlin sprinted out of the room, leaving everyone behind, holding Arthur's crown in his right hand.
So what do you think, does this have any potential to attract readers? Merlin is much more mischievous and dark, but he is also much smarter and used to his powers. Also i like that he is much cooler then in the TV show. I will also add romance between the Merlin and Morgana.