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Felicity caught his eyes for an instant, and he saw that she was trying to hide her fear, as he noted that the two guards now closed the large doors. Two more had crossed to stand behind him and had pulled their swords. The panic was screaming in his head. Ra's knew he could take the pain, so what was his game? Why was Felicity here?

Ra's clasped his hands behind his back, shook his head and said, "No, my child, I could beat him all day, and he would simply . . . let me say, take it. However, I require that he learn from this lesson. So now that I have his attention. . . you are a different story." Ra's moved toward a small table against the wall. With great care, Ra's slowly removed his rings and placed them on the table, one by one, and it was Oliver not Al Sah-Him that felt real fear.

"You wouldn't dare. We had a deal." The words were out before he could stop them. His threat was clear, and Ra's spun on his heel and pointed a finger at him.

"Make one move to stop me, and she will not survive this, and this problem will be solved."

Then Ra's backhanded Felicity, and it was Oliver not Al Sah-Him who forced himself to stay on his knees, and who felt pride when she snapped her head back in time that the full force of his backhand was lost, though her glasses flew from her face to bounce across the floor.

Yes, Ra's had connected but barely.

"I see you have been training her, Al Sah-Him, but of course, you have. Bring her here," he ordered the guards.

"Enough!" The word exploded from Oliver's mouth. Heaven help him, Ra's was going to beat her in front of him, his heart was going to to explode in his chest. He made to rise before he could stop himself.

Ra's pointed at him. "Last warning, move from your knees, and I will run her through and you will never have to watch this again."

Ra's placed his hand on his sword, and Oliver in milliseconds could see Thea, soaked in her own blood, gutted by Ra's, could see the Drs and nurses reviving her. Never would he would see Felicity such, ever. No matter how much agony it was to stay on his knees, to be helpless and watch this, that reality would be far worse.

"I swear will NOT move," he spat the words at Ra's, as he threw his hands up in surrender and then hung his head.

Ra's shook his head and frowned then said, "See what love does to you? It weakens you. Al Sah-Him, you need to embrace your name. See why you must eliminate this love? Now, head up, Al Sah-Him. You will watch, and you will not look away." Ra's turned back to Felicity, his hand still on his sword and said, "Yes, unfortunately, Felicity, hitting him would teach him nothing but it would be torture him to make him watch me hit . . . you."

Oliver was the one that now jerked his head up. Al Sah-Him had been pushed away, the second Ra's had touched her in vain the game was over. It was Oliver who couldn't breathe and who made his voice low and controlled. "I will do what you will. What do you want? Do you want me to beg? I will do it, just don't touch her again."

"You know what I want." Ra's looked him over and then nodded said, "You hold a great power over him, Felicity. You see how easily he gives up his will when it comes to you? I have barely touched you and already he offers to beg. He has not been this pliable. . . ever."

"You're a monster," Felicity hissed the words at Ra's. "And I am not letting you turn Oliver into one too."

"Enough!" he said, "Stop this right now! My word, Ra's, I give you my word. I will obey. Just don't touch her."

His words were hard and clipped. He meant every syllable. His blood was boiling, his heart was racing, but he forced himself to stay put. To not move, so Ra's would not kill her, truly kill her because if he moved, she could be lost to him, even if Ra's restored her with the pit, Felicity and her love would be lost to him, lost to the madness. It was the hardest thing he had ever done in his life to just let Ra's hurt her, but he didn't move.

Ra's smiled and released his hand on his sword and said, "I see now that I should have started with her in Starling City. It would been faster. But sadly the lesson is not yet learned."

Felicity came back fighting against the two men who drug her back to Ra's. She screamed, "Don't you do it, Oliver. Whatever he wants, don't you dare do it! Not for me! Don't you let him use me against you!"

"Brave words, child. I understand why you chose her, Al Sah-Him, she has such fire. But three times you have defied me. Hold her."

He forced himself to breathe as his hate for Ra's almost overpowered him. He was back on the Gambit, drowning and powerless, as Ra's truly hit her this time, no doubt, blackening her eye. The sound of her crying out when Ra's backhand connected hard with her face sickened him and the sound seemed to echo in the room.

He had returned to helplessness, back to when Slade had killed his mother but this time he had no bonds to contain him, only his will to stay put. And his will was struggling to listen to him. Yet, he knew he was still not strong enough to take Ra's. The two of them had sparred and every time Ra's could take him. And, he understood now why Ra's had left on his knees for hours on end. It was to even the playing field, to handicap him, just in case Oliver's love for Felicity broke through, and he could get his hands on Ra's throat and snap his neck.

His hands fisted again and again. Three times, he told himself. Only one more. I can do this. The blood in his veins had turned to ice. Dark thoughts clouded his brain. He wants me to kill. So be it. I so promise I am so going to kill him. I so swear I will kill him for touching her.

Ra's turned and picked up a dagger from the table, and Oliver pleaded with him, "I will kill for you, just let her go. Send her home. I will kill them all for you. Just please, stop hurting her."

"I know you will." Ra's said smugly. "This lesson will be remembered by you both because my last mark will leave a scar. Which side of her face do you want it on, Al Sah-Him?" He used the blade to touch her face and turned her face from side to side. "The left or the right?" Heaven help him, it was the island again, the madman pointing the gun at Shado and Sara. Slade telling him choose between killing his mother and Thea.

"I will not choose. Please don't do this! I will defy you no more! You have made your point. I will follow your will without question. Your will is mine, I swear it."

But it was his brave Felicity who picked her head up, and he was so proud of her when she looked Ra's straight in the eye and said, "It is my scar and my choice. It will be over my heart because as I told you before Oliver or Al Sah-him, whatever you call him, HE BELONGS TO ME. My love makes him strong not weak. His heart is mine and my heart is his. Do your worst. I will wear his scar proudly, even if it is on my face."

Oliver didn't think he had ever loved her more. But then Ra's gave a laugh and said, "Again she shows courage. So be it then. Al Sah-Him, I release you from your knees. Whoever wins the fight to the death will possess the woman. Hurry, Al Sah-Him, if you kill quickly you can still save her," and then Ra's stabbed her in the chest.

She was falling to the floor even as Oliver jumped to his feet. He stumbled and caught himself. His knee was not going to hold him any length of time. He forced himself to push past the pain. Oliver's cold fury was like none he had ever known. Turning, he barely avoided the first man's sword. Punching the first man hard in the face, he forced the bad leg up to kick the blade from the startled man's hand. Catching the sword in midair, he turned, impaled the man and spun around in time to block the second man's sword. He made short work of the second man and dropped the man bleeding to the floor before the man had time to think.

The other two men were more wary and the clang of steel against steel filled the room. But there was no stopping him, even though he had to bear his weight on his good leg, he was ice, cold and relentless. Felicity had collapsed on the floor, but he blocked that thought from his mind. His hate fueled him, his bitterness was like acid burning his gut, and he pushed hard to quickly finish the two men, to reach her, before his leg gave out from under him, and she would belong to another.

Ra's applauded him as the last man died on his blade. Ra's then instructed him, "Stab the sword in the floor. It leaves the leave the message to their families that these men fought bravely."

Oliver wanted to stab the blade through Ra's heart but instead he stuck the blade hard into the floor and went to her. Felicity had backed herself against the wall and was pressing her hand against her chest. Desperately, he looked for blood. "Let me see," he demanded.

"I'm okay. It's barely bleeding." Felicity was shaking as she said the words but he had to see for himself.

"Just let me see." With hands that trembled, Oliver checked the wound and found a small cut. Ra's had faked him out, and he had never been so glad and so angry in his entire life.

Ra's said behind him. "It is a flesh wound, Al-Sah-Him. The scar will be small but it will serve you both to remember the lesson." Ra's walked to the table and started replacing his rings and said, "Al-Sah-him, if you force me to repeat this lesson, the next time, I WILL wear my rings. I WILL close my fist, and I WILL not stop at three. Do you understand me?"

Oliver understood perfectly.

The next time Ra's would really beat her, and he would really scar her face, and this time had really just been a warning. His voice was heavy as he answered, "Yes, Ra's. I understand. I vow there will never be another lesson."

"Good, my son. I will send her home when the morning sun rises on the third day from now. I leave you to say your FINAL goodbyes to her. I will send someone with something for your knee and her face. You should enjoy your last time together."

He wanted to carry her, but she would not allow it. Instead, she arose and picked her glasses up off the floor and helped him to limp slowly back to his chambers.

"You are still heavy. How long has Ra's had you on your knees?" She demanded on the way.

"Days," He spat the word out.

"He is breaking you, using your weakness, like me, against you."

He didn't argue with her but he knew what he had to do.

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