Arrow: Betrayal

Pairing: Olicity

Side Pairings: Roy/Thea, Diggle/Lyla.

Notes/Warnings: Oliver is a part of the LOA in this. Anything in italics surrounded by quotation marks is in another language, if not then they are meant as thoughts. People are not as old as they are in the show. Last thing so far, Al Saher is not Malcolm Merlyn. I will leave you to figure out who he is until the next chapter.(as if the names in the character list didn't give it away)

Summary: Ancient Desert AU. Surrounding the indoor city of Nanda Parbat is a desert spanning thousands of miles in every direction. Said desert is the land claim of a particular tribe of people called the League of Assassins. However, with such a tremendous country to rule, the age old leader of the country divided the nation into five pieces; two for his sons, two for his daughters, and the final controlling piece for him to keep in the center. As time lapsed, the sons who once were never to be separated distanced themselves from each other, almost never speaking, and when communication did occur, it was usually not done so without the raising of voices or violence. The eldest son has since pushed himself further away from his family and become cold towards everyone but his father and his newly betrothed. Something is not right, and everyone can feel it, so when the two people who perhaps knew and know the prince best come together, what will be uncovered?

Part 1 – The Youngest Prince

Felicity sat under the shade of a special parasol that had been made for her out of straw to keep the blisteringly intense sun off of her blonde and therefore easily burnt scalp. Handmaidens clad entirely in black were waving large fans made of palm fronds at her to keep her cool. She had told them repeatedly that it wasn't necessary for the sake of their health, but they had insisted telling her that they would be beheaded by either the King or the Prince if she were to get heat stroke. Felicity made a mental note to speak to her betrothed when they returned to his father's castle.

That was why she was here in the first place. She was the daughter of the lord of another clan in another country. She had been taught about the deal as soon as she was old enough to understand. Nearly two hundred years before, the King of the Assassins had made a deal with her own ancestor. The King had allowed his youngest and most beloved daughter to marry the oldest prince of her family's territory, as a peace treaty and for love. However, the King of Assassins struck a deal and said that once conditions were right once more, the pact would be enacted again and the Lord of Starling would be forced give his youngest daughter to the son of the King of Assassins in order to keep the peace between the two lands.

And never had the conditions merited the actions as much as they had at that time. A terrible threat had just been vanquished in Starling, leaving the nation in the throes of chaos and a food shortage. It was no time to start a war. So she had been handed over to the Assassins.

Admittedly, they took the utmost care of her, giving her everything she could have ever wanted for and more; as did Al Saher, her betrothed. While he could be distant and cruel at times, he was exceedingly gentle with her, even if it was a bit forced. He wore a bright smile whenever he saw her, speaking to her in a soft and kind voice. He had yet to be unkind to or hit her and Felicity found herself wondering if perhaps this was what was best, not just for her people, but for herself as well. She had a man who cared for her, a people who would adore her, and perhaps the largest store of knowledge in the history of man directly at her fingertips.

She sighed as she watched her betrothed play a game of desert polo with some of the other assassins who knew how. He rode a beautiful and graceful black Arabian stallion with a small regal head and long legs which carried him far and swiftly during battle as well as during a game. His two sisters, Talia and Nyssa watched on as he swung his pole around and batted the ball towards the goal. The blue tails of the sash around his waist whipped around in the dry desert breeze as he evaded the other players.

Suddenly, Felicity felt a strange vibrating in her ears. She frowned, her now perfectly threaded eyebrows scrunching downward, and looked around. It sounded like thunder, but the sky was a clear bright blue. What could the noise be though? She heard one of her handmaidens on her right gasp, not in fright, but in excitement. She looked over to see that the girl had finally stopped fanning and was covering her mouth with her hand, brown eyes wide. The other handmaidens quickly seemed to pick up on what she saw, but Felicity remained in the dark about it.

"What is it Jannali? What do you see?" she asked the girl, turning and craning her neck to see past the fence and cliff barriers that had been set up as a viewing box for the soon to be princess. All she saw was sand.

"Milady, forgive me. The last prince has arrived with his entourage," she replied, bowing her head in respect. Felicity stood from the seat given her and stepped over to the rail so she could see, waving her handmaidens over.

"You are free to speak as you may wish," she said so transfixed on the nearing cloud of dust and dark figures in front of it that the sound of her handmaidens babbling excitedly like schoolgirls became mere background noise. It was obviously a small caravan of horses and riders galloping at top speed to their location. Soon, they were no longer just shadows on the horizon, but they grew into distinct figures and soon, they were passing below her, never slowing down. At last, one bay stallion of undetermined breed shot forward with a sudden burst of speed. Over the thunder of pounding hooves, she heard his masked rider urging him forward with loud shouts of "SI SI SI!"

From off the side of his saddle, he pulled a silver and black polo staff of his own and spun it in a circle a few times before he swung it low in the goal and hit the ball with a loud smack. It flew through the air, whizzing past the muzzle of her betrothed's stallion, causing it to rear back and neigh in surprise.

The man on the bay stallion laughed as he passed by Al Saher. Felicity could see all the weapons he was laden with. A sword was in a scabbard on his back, an arrow was slung around his body, and a quiver hung from both his back above the scabbard and from the saddle of his horse. With one hand gripping the reins tightly, he swung at the polo ball again, trying to make it across the playing area while everyone was still shocked at his entrance.

The only one who did not remain stagnant was Al Saher. He reined his horse into shape and then shot off in the direction of the challenging man. Though her betrothed was wearing a mask as well, she did not have to see his face to know that he was angry. The way he kicked his horse, urged it on, constantly telling it to go faster and asking for 210%, she knew he was furious. Al Saher was never like that under normal circumstances. But then again, she had never seen him inside his throne room.

Wanting to get a closer look, she charged through the gate that blocked her way out of the viewing box and down the cliff path that led to where he two sisters in law stood. They watched with no small amount of worry written on their faces. Nyssa, the younger of the two, was the first to spot Felicity. Her eyes were wide in surprise and worry.

"Felicity, you should not be here, my sister," she said, putting a hand on her shoulder. Felicity turned to look at the slightly older woman. The words were warm, but sounded harsh when said in Nyssa's chilled voice. She knew that over the months, she had earned a place in each member of the royal family's hearts, so it was not meant as a warning or threat. Talia was next to speak up.

"They are fighting again. It is hard to remember a time when those two were not at odds," she said quietly, a saddened look on her face. Talia, though older, was perhaps the kinder of the two. She was a mother and a wife to a loyal son and husband whom Felicity had had the honor of meeting several months back.

"I agree, sister. Though that time is long past, they should not fight on the grounds of Nanda Parbat. Father will be displeased if they start a fight at what is to be a peaceful occasion," Nyssa added, turning to her sister. Talia bit her lower lip for a moment before turning to one of the guards on her left.

"Al Owal, go and tell Father that his Hands fight with one another," she ordered. The man nodded and hurried up the Cliffside to reach the large structure serving as a palace and city to those living there. Felicity and Nyssa watched him go while Talia worriedly watched as Al Saher began to catch up to the offender.

"No one challenges the Demon," she said quietly. Felicity knew that Talia and Nyssa's father-Ra's Al Ghul- was nearly two hundred years old and looked not a day over fifty. He was also the most dangerous and feared man to walk the Earth. Even more so than his father before him. And now he had sons and daughters. However, only one would be worthy enough to succeed him. So far it seemed that Al Saher was to be the worthy one.

She turned her head and watched as her betrothed caught up to the man on the bay horse who was lining up his final shot into the goal. Her beloved let go of the reins on his horse and launched himself from the saddle into the man on his left with a roar. The man grunted, dropping his polo stick, and the two tumbled to the ground. Two guards watching the whole exchange turned their horses and chased after the spooked ones still running side by side.

When the dust from the original fall cleared, more was kicked up as the men wrestled like a pair of vicious lions on the ground, throwing skilled punches at one another, avoiding the use of weapons. The bounced off of each other, like two moose locking horns and pushing each other away with about the same force. It almost looked like gravity had no hold on either of them and the whole ordeal was like a deadly dance. They would jump at one another, practically lunging for each other's throats, and one would swat the other back like a fly.

Both knew what they were doing, and both were equally matched. Finally, the fist fight reached a crescendo and they both went for their weapons of choice. Al Saher grabbing his swords and his challenger reaching for the intricate metal bow and an arrow. Felicity's mind was screaming at her to move, to rush forward, to stop them, to do something! But her feet remained planted in the sand where she stood and her eyes fixed on the two titans in front of her. Just as her beloved ran at the offender, another roar building, one word made him skid to a halt and look like a frightened dog with his proverbial tail between his legs.

"ENOUGH!"

Felicity jumped, still not used to her father-in-law's commanding and frightening voice. She looked up to see him standing above her in the green, blue, black, and gold robe. He had obviously been in the middle of preparing for the celebration that evening because his salt and pepper hair was still wet from having to get out of a bath. She, along everyone else present, dropped to one knee and crossed her arm over her chest, bowing her head in respect.

He made his way down the rest of the path until he stood between Felicity, Nyssa, and Talia, and the two men fighting on the polo grounds. She could tell that they were both sweating, and it wasn't because of the boiling sun. Ra's sighed, shaking his head and raising his eyes towards the sky.

"Why must my two sons fight on the day of the celebration of peace? A day with no responsibilities. You should all be happy, not quarreling like dogs over a piece of meat. Forget your past transgressions for 24 hours and you can two can go back to hating each other again tomorrow. This is a special day, and I do not wish to have it spoiled by two young men who simply do not like each other."

When Ra's was finished, the men nodded and bowed. Then they put their weapons away and trailed after Ra's as he came to speak with Felicity and his daughters.

"Ah, my girls. You have stayed away for far too long, all three of you!" he said, a happy side of Ra's making an appearance. "Unfortunately, one of you does not have a husband approving of much travel." Felicity smiled remembering that her future father-in-law was not just a cruel killer, as she had found out after staying with the family for a few weeks. They each had personalities and wide ranges of emotion. Ra's reached out and grabbed her in a head lock with one arm and pulled her to him. She found she was not the only one who couldn't breathe as he had also grabbed Talia and Nyssa. He released them after a moment and Felicity had to gather her breath. Immediately, she felt hands on her shoulders and a shadow fall over her.

"Felicity! Are you alright?" he asked. She looked up to see the tanned face, messy raven hair, and worried brown eyes of her betrothed. She gave a nod and a smile before a shadow fell over them both. It was the challenger from before. He wore a green sash around his waist with the golden crest of the 3rd city on his belt and shoulders. A green scarf was tied around his neck and the only visible parts of his body were his hands and eyes. His eyes which were narrowed down at her and, apparently, her betrothed. She felt the urge to get between them and she balled her fists in anger. But she remembered her place, as well as Ra's' rage if she started something and put her anger back in its place.

"Al Saheem!"

She saw Talia run over to the man who quickly jumped off of his stallion's back and ran to her, picking her up in a hug and twirling her around, a laugh erupting from both of them.

"Talia my sister, you are as beautiful as ever! Tell me again, does your husband know just how fortunate he is to have you for a wife? Speaking of which, where is Bruce?" he said spitting out pleasantries and sounding like quite a conversationalist. Talia giggled like a young girl and hugged him back.

"Bruce was feeling a bit ill after having to fight off a horde of bees that a traitor had placed in his quarters. He is alright and the traitor is dead by my blade, but he is unable to attend tonight," she replied happily. The man nodded.

"And little Damian? He must be, what, four? Five? By now?"

"He's making the climb!"

"The climb?! Talia that is news! I shall pray for his success!"

Felicity couldn't believe what was happening in front of her. The man who had appeared so vicious and frightening one moment was suddenly acting like a stiff child. He moved to Nyssa, the youngest of the four siblings from what Felicity could gather, and the pair did something resembling a secret handshake which involved a few fist bumps, punches, and a headlock.

For the first time since she had been introduced to Nyssa as her brother's betrothed, Nyssa smiled. A real, genuine smile.

"And how is my youngest sister?"

"Your youngest sister is well. You can rest well knowing that I still live."

"You make it sound like a bad thing."

If she put Al Saher out of the picture, it looked like a happy family reunion. But when she looked back at her beloved, his features were set into a deep and stony frown, his hands were clenched into fists, and he seemed to be generally as furious as before. She reached out and took his hand giving him a reassuring smile and nod. His frown gave way and he smiled a bit. The guard that had retrieved his horse rode up to them and offered him the reins. Al Saher took them and helped Felicity onto the creature's back. Then he climbed up in front of her and turned the horse around.

"Father, I suggest we enter Nanda Parbat. The crowds will have assembled for our arrival by now, and it would be best if you led us in," Al Saher suggested. Ra's turned to them and gave a nod.

"I thought that you would want something of that accord. Al Owal has arrived with my horse. We shall ride. Inform your entourages that we will be leaving," Ra's replied with a nod.

Everyone present besides Felicity nodded and she was soon riding off with Al Saher to speak to the Assassins who had accompanied them to Nanda Parbat. Though her mind drifted and her gaze wandered over to where Ra's' other son was speaking to his compatriots. There were three men and two women with him. One man was alone, slightly away from the group, but near enough to be a part of it. Another was an archer, and one of the women-the younger looking one-was on his arm it seemed. The other was an older man, large but fit, and the other woman seemed to be with him. That meant that the second prince had no princess yet. Or it just meant that he had left her at his home. Peace celebrations were being held everywhere.

She didn't even know his name.

It was true that Talia had called him something, but she wasn't entirely sure what. She would have to ask later, as well as why she never heard about this man. No one, not Talia, not Nyssa, definitely not Al Saher, and not even Ra's had mentioned a word about him other than another son existed.

Suddenly, they were on their way. She wrapped her arms around her betrothed's chest and rested her head on his shoulder. She knew they were trailing behind Ra's, but she didn't know right away that the other son was riding mere meters away from her. When she did realize who was riding beside her, she watched him while he wasn't looking by pretending to be asleep. If she had learned anything, it was that an assassin heir to Ra's Al Ghul had eyes everywhere. He probably knew that she wasn't actually asleep and that she was watching him.

However, he paid no mind as they rode into the city streets of Nanda Parbat. Music was playing and people were cheering and clapping excitedly as the royal family came through. The music began to crescendo when they reached the palace and dancers began to wave ribbons about in the air as they flipped and spun through their routines.

When the entire family reached the steps to the throne, they dismounted their horses and each climbed the steps. Felicity followed her betrothed and he held her close to him, his arm around her shoulders. She looked to see the other son, still masked, standing across from her. Ra's strode up between his children and stopped at the throne sitting at the head of the stairs. He turned around in a flourish of his robe and raised his hands to silence the cheering crowd.

"Let the Celebration of Peace begin!"

The crowds once again roared with excitement. Felicity fought the urge to cover her ears from the sound. Even in Starling, no one had ever been this enthusiastic about the Day of Peace. She was under the impression that this was because the Assassins never got a break until today. Today was as Ra's said, "a day with no responsibilities." All the high-ranking assassins were present in Nanda Parbat, and during the celebration, all weapons made a disappearing act until the following morning.

It promised to be the most interesting party she had ever attended.