A/n: Had this idea for a really long time. While I do have another Oliver/Nyssa story in progress, this is one that heads towards a more relationship focused route.

Will be rated T for now, but shall transcend into M in the later potions of the story .

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Chapter: 1

"Do you understand the stated terms and conditions?"

Unlike usual business meetings, this particular one was not conducted in a conference room on the top level of Queen Consolidated. Instead of mahogany desks and expensive paintings, they stood beside a slab of stone that was fashioned into a desk, as hung torches spread their illumination from the side of the room. There were no papers to be signed, no written document needed for their planned agreement.

"Yes." She replied, her posture was straight, without any signs of visible weakness. "I have to live with you for an entire year. I cannot disobey, but shall comply with every single one of your commands, your demands." Her voice was firm, even amongst the lines and the indications of what he could unwillingly force her into, "and if I were to uphold my end of the agreement for the year, I shall return to Nanda Parbat, and claim my rightful throne."

"If I am insubordinate, if I were to violate the terms of our agreement, I shall be stripped of my title as heir to the demon." She paused for a moment, preparing herself before she lifted the ceremonial knife and pressed it to the underside of her thumb, "I, Nyssa al Ghul, accept your conditions."

A droplet of blood fell onto the slab of rock between them both, before she passed the knife over to him.

"And I, Oliver Queen, accept yours as well." He repeated her action, watching as their pooling blood formed in union. A single drop of red, perfectly round.

They remained quiet on their journey back to Starling City, she was seated across from him on his private jet, yet neither one of them spoke. He held a glass of wine in one arm, but it wasn't for a festive reason or to set the mood. He sought to distract himself, as she did the same, but with a different form of coping. Nyssa looked out of the window as she had for the last few hours, unmoving, still, almost like a predator in wait.

He knew she was deep in thought, yet her mind was inscrutable, her face held a vacant stare, almost like an immutable object, emotionless. He felt lost, not just in his position but of his own situation. Dozens of questions and scenarios flooded his mind, his paranoia in full swing. Yet at the end of the day, there was nothing he could do but to play along, to hope that Ra's would fulfill his end of the bargain. He had no cards on hand, they were just puppets, the two of them stringed from Ra's fingertips.

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A month ago...

"Do you understand what this does?" His tone was as impassive as his eyes, they were empty and apathetic, even as he held the lives of all those in Starling in his palm.

Oliver Queen understood exactly what the man held, even more so due to his own history with the Alpha-Omega virus. The thousands that General Shrieve killed as he unleashed it in upon Hong Kong all those years ago, it was an event he could not forget. The General had a single vial back then, Ra's held the detonator to a dozen. All strategically placed around Starling to ensure the most devastating outcome. It wasn't humanly possible to stop him, he couldn't be in twelve places at once, not even Barry Allen could.

All Ra's al Ghul had to do, was to press that one single button, and all that remained of Starling would be an infected graveyard of death. Hundreds of thousands dead, those that survived would be quickly put down by the government to prevent further contamination.

There was no known cure to the Alpha-Omega virus.

He couldn't let that happen, he gave it his all, his strength, his persistence, his will, but even with all of that, he was no match for a man like Ra's. So he pleaded, he begged for Ra's to spare his city, he would do anything, but there was nothing he could offer a man without mercy.

The clock tower sounded noisily, indicating the coming of midnight, the time of detonation. He closed his eyes, but all remained untouched, the noisy city backdrop continued, unaware of how close it came to death itself.

The detonator still sat in Ra's palm, but he no longer seemed intent on its activation. Instead, he walked towards his kneeling adversary, who was still wavering from their previous encounter.

"You said you were willing to give your life for Starling," Ra's spoke, "I applaud your sacrifice, but I only require something less." He paused for a moment, "while Starling remains a malignant tumor, a stain that deserves to be wiped from the face of Earth, there is something… something else a little bit more important to me."

"My daughter, my heir." His voice softened, "she thinks herself ready to take my throne."

"I know of her plots to rid of me, to take my place, to rule. I admire her strength and her ambition, but my child is far from ready." He stopped beside Oliver, "you must think me weak. But as a father, there is only so much I can do to my own child."

"You, on the other hand," he continued, "you will do anything for Starling. If you were willing to give your life for the continuation of your city, then I believe you will accept my offer."

Oliver looked towards Ra's, still unsure of the man's plan, "I am no longer a killer, I will not –"

He was interrupted by laughter, as Ra's returned with an amused smile. "No, Oliver Queen, I do not wish for you to kill my daughter, if you even could."

"I want you to quash the fire within her, I want you to tame her, to subdue her into obedience. I want you to conquer, to break her."

"You will have a single year, to turn an unrestrained child into a woman worthy of marriage. We will tell her of my wishes to have you take my place, that the only way for my decision to become unhinged, would be for her to undergo my test, to spend a year with you. You will take that chance, that deception to play out your mission, however if you fail, the next time I am in Starling, will be my last."

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3 weeks ago...

She held herself back, restraining her strength. The first three kicks she dodged, the next slammed right into the side of her ribs. It hurt like hell, but it affected her opponent equally as much. It was tiring him, his nostrils flared with each heated breath he took. She noticed his shifting weight, his body cocking to repeat his previous action, she responded almost immediately.

As his leg rose off the ground, she darted forward and closed the distance between them. His knee drove into her side, but it was without the necessary speed and much momentum. She caught it with her arm, her feet sweeping the man's uneven stance from underneath him. As he fell, she pushed downwards the leg that she caught, increasing the force of his fall and allowing gravity to do the rest.

The second assassin came from her side, in full view of her peripherals. He managed to land his grip onto her arm, latching onto her clothing. He pulled her close, trying to restrict her movements, but Nyssa was already prepared for that scenario. She ducked as he leaned forward, his other arm granted only air. Using her own momentum, her left leg swung upwards into the air, almost like a graceful ballerina before crossing over the arm he had on her. It sent him stumbling forward, right into the hard of her palm. He reeled backwards, apparently concussed before collapsing onto the floor.

It was just then the doors behind them opened as Ra's stepped into the room. At that very instance, Nyssa reached towards one of the swords that hung beside her and launched herself towards her father, the blade slicing towards him with deadly intent. The older man raised the sheath of his weapon in response, parrying her blade to the side, before slamming the wooden grip of his weapon against her throat, sending her staggering backwards.

She couldn't breathe for a moment, her chest struggling to find even the tiniest of gasps. Her eyes flared with anger as she forced herself to regain composure, the weapon still held firmly in her hands.

"How could you!?" She roared as she picked herself up, the blade swung in his direction. But it was a feeble attempt. "I am heir!" The blade shot dangerously close to Ra's, but he did not even bother to return the attack, "not that man!"

He sidestepped her next thrust, his hand latching onto her unguarded shoulder. He squeezed the pressure points, sending her screaming as the blade fell uselessly to the ground. "Enough." He grip tightened further, as her knees gave out under her, crumpling her to the floor.

"It is simple, Nyssa. In a year, Oliver Queen will become the next Ra's al Ghul."

She hissed, but her body refused to comply, she couldn't move.

"Unless…"

Nyssa stopped struggling, her eyes darting towards her father.

"Unless you can survive a year with that man." Anger evaporated, but her gaze turned questioning. "A test," he continued, "for the both of you."

"For a year, you will live in Starling alongside him, you will become his woman. You will obey his every command and rule." He released his grip, "however, if you oppose, if you defy even the slightest of him, then there will be none who stands in the way of Oliver Queen as the next Ra's al Ghul."

"But if you can survive the year without violating our agreement. Then not only will you return as heir, ready for ascension, but I will head to Starling and kill Oliver Queen myself."

"I accept." She spoke without hesitation, the fire returning to her eyes.

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Present...

As the plane descended upon Starling, the uneasy silence remained, none knew of the other's thoughts, or even of Ra's deal to each. He made absolutely sure of it. They both remained in the darkness, each unsure of the other's actual motive.

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A/n: In short, none of them knew what was promised to the other.

To Oliver, Ra's promised to spare Starling, in exchange for taming his daughter. Oliver wouldn't tell her what Ra's required of him, the things Ra's wanted him to do to her.

To Nyssa, Ra's promised to have her ascend, in exchange for an entire year spent with Oliver, under the guise of a test for them both. She wouldn't tell him of Ra's decision to have him killed a year later, as she believed she was really being tested, that Ra's would turn Oliver into the next Demon's head if she were to fail.