Work Text:
Breeched Walls
He wasn't a prince.
At least not in spirit.
No, in spirit he was a warrior, his hands twitched for a bow, his body for the brutal training that was unacceptable for a prince's venerated body. The bruises and marks that would distinguish an able warrior, to his mother, were an offense to his sanctity as the prince of the empire.
But that never really seemed to stop him.
"What are you doing here, your highness?" John Diggle's grunted words came from a dark crossing where Oliver could see he was nursing a wounded arm, his dark uniform deepened by the blood surging from the slash on his arm.
"Well, Diggle, it seems that I will be saving your life today"
his eyes roamed the darkened tower of watch that guarded their target, surely the warriors of the holy city were well trained to have impaired his best soldier.
"Those walls are impossible to breach, your majesty" his words were muffled as he bit down hard in pain, his body caving forward at his injury.
Royal eyes continued to analyze the invasion that had been set forth by his father after his advisor's spies discovered weapons in the city.
His eyes came to a halt when he spotted the break in the formation of the army.
"you really need to find a new definition of impossible, Diggle" he smirked at the annoyed look on the hardened soldier's face. Pulling an arrow from his bundle he scrutinized its intended path into the chest of an opposing soldier before he let it fly form his extended bow. The soft grunt of a fallen enemy indicated success.
"One down, one hundred to go" he mumbled as he tore a piece of the tunic under his armor to tie it around the gash on his soldier's arm
The two men nodded in acknowledgment and in an unspoken reassurance.
"Your idea of saving really needs some re-defining, your highness"
"Do not call me that, Diggle" he managed to mutter before their captors gave him a swift blow to the stomach, shouting at him in a language he did not understand
"Of corse, my prince"
"It reeks of death and shit in here" the prince's nose contorted in distress- seeking air that didn't make him want to gag
"It is a dungeon after all, your highness" He narrowed his eyes at the agile solider currently chained next to him not appreciating the obvious sarcasm coloring his voice. He let the title slide for his thoughts were otherwise engaged
"You know, it is said that the Princess of the Holy city is a beauty without equal"
an unexpected snort came from beside him, even in the scarcely lit prison, only illuminated by sparse torches on the brick walls, could he practically see Diggle rolling his eyes
"Please do not tell me that is why you crashed my mission-"
"Seemed pretty crashed before I got there" he murmured under his breath feeling Diggle's glare immediately. Evidently choosing to ignore the young prince's retort, he continued
"I am sure your other conquests at home keep you busy enough, my prince"
"Just trying to look on the bright side here, Diggle"
The answering humph was not very optimistic
"It is said, her brain, too, has never been bested"
Distant footsteps and the rattling of the chain that confined the heavy door to the dungeon told them they were about to find out.
The temple was magnificently built, gold and tapestries everywhere he looked- The room they were being pushed into was fogged over, smelling strongly of incense.
He spotted her then, crouched over on her knees before a shrine, her white robe pooled around where she rested, head bowed in respect.
The guard called out again in the native tongue, informing her of their presence
She turned, her face mostly confined behind the embroidered edge of her hood, the golden hair resting on her shoulder matching perfectly with the golden accents that adorned the temple
"Your city is really quite beautiful" he remarked, grinning to assure the compliment was understood by the foreign princess "There had been stories of its splendor, but in person- it's quite breathtaking, really-"
"Why thank you, you should have seen it before your horde of Foul-smelling illiterates descended upon it" she spoke clearly, with conviction- in a perfect english accent
Diggle did his best to stifle his snicker from beside the gaping prince.
She chose that moment to slowly remove the hood from her head, revealing the celestial image of her clear blue eyes. There were beads woven into her strands of sun yellow hair that reached down to her back, her eyes were lined with black kohl that made them perfectly striking.
Her skin was lightly freckled from the persian sun- golden in a way that made her look as Holy as the city she ruled.
"Now why, if I may ask, Did your armies attempt, albeit unsuccessfully, to breech my walls?"