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softquietsteadylove · 3 months

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Hey. So for the gladiator AU how about a prince visits the kingdom of Ajak and Thena and wants a traditional gladiator fight between both kingdoms? The prince says both kingdom chooses 3 gladiator and Gil is one of them who gets picked!

"Gilgamesh."

He groaned, trying to get back to sleep before the back of a hand nudged his arm.

"Gil!"

It sounded like Thena. But it couldn't possibly be the princess in his room, whispering to him on the cusp of sleep. No, that would be madness, and also it was the middle of the night.

"Gilgamesh, please!"

He sighed up at his ceiling. Princess or not, he was not one easy to wake. "He's sleeping."

He heard her sigh. Thena had all the grace and poise expected of royalty, but she also had a slight impatience and impertinence. It was what dragged her to the side of his cot - now a luxurious palace bed - whenever she wanted.

Gil dragged himself up, first to his elbows then to his palms, his arms stretched behind him. He blinked up at her, although she crouched down next to him as soon as she saw he was awake. "Thena, what are you doing here?"

"Refuse to fight."

That was not what he had been expecting. He blinked a little more. It was dark, but there was at least some moonlight coming through the open columns lining the room. "What?"

"I know you were selected to fight against King Tiamut's selection of gladiators--a bunch of Deviants," she rifled off immediately. She was high in energy, probably just finished her many royal meetings and whatever else they demanded of her as the princess. "But you can refuse."

"Refuse?" he repeated, unable to do much else as his mind pulled itself awake. "Thena, I-"

"Gil, please," she pleaded, leaning forward. "I was in meetings all day. But as soon as I heard, I...you can refuse. You're not just a gladiator, you're the captain of them. I--we-"

His eyebrows rose at the near slip.

She cleared her throat. "We selected you to be Captain of the guard so you could retire from fighting after nearly giving your life."

Gil smiled. He had long suspected Thena's part in his promotion and change of station. But it was endearing all the same to have evidence of it (in not so many words). "I am still a gladiator, Thena. It's my job to fight for you, and your mother, and this kingdom. Captain or not, I can't refuse a formal selection."

She sighed again, more sharply this time. She was very well aware of that, had maybe even attempted to argue it already.

"And hey," he said more gently, leaning forward, drawing up his knees to rest against them. "I won't be alone, this time. I don't have to fight the gauntlet by myself, I'll have Kingo, and the new guy."

Kingo was at least an acceptable fighter, she knew, had even exchanged some words with he was sure. He didn't know much about the new guy--he was from some other kingdom. But he was an experienced gladiator.

Thena drew up her head, meeting his eye in a way that was almost defiant seeming. "Our kingdom has many fighters. There is no reason it has to be you."

She was right, in a way. He was the captain of their forces, if anything, he could have his pick of substitutes. And they would be a legitimate choice, picked from his own flock.

"No," he shook his head. She looked at him as he expected, like he had something sprouting from his neck. "I won't, Thena."

"Why not?" she asked of him, her voice growing higher in pitch, tight like a lyre's strings. Her eyes sparkled as a sheen came over them.

"Because I am your Champion." He had pride in that. He had honour in that. He didn't take it lightly that he was the best of the best--the best of their best. He was the one to fight a kingdom's worth of gladiators in the name of the princess.

She huffed, shaking her head at him, a few wisps floating around her sculpted cheeks. "Pride, Gilgamesh, truly?"

"Thena," he corrected. He turned enough to place his hand over her fidgeting ones. "I am your Champion. That means something to me."

Her eyes didn't become less glassy, but something else came over her. He wasn't sure what expression that really was, but he felt completely captivated by it. Her head drifted to the side. "Gil, please, I cannot watch you go through something like that again."

The time he had fought Kro and nearly found himself on death's door, she meant. In fairness, she was right, he had been all but eviscerated in that fight. He had recovered under the queen's watch for weeks, and even now he had scars that looked like traderoads spanning his entire body.

He looked down at their hands. It was unthinkable for him to behave like this with the princess. But it wasn't the first time they had found themselves in such close contact. Whatever relationship he had with Thena, it was more than just a foot soldier and the distant throne.

Thena let him collect her hands into his and bring them to his lips. Her lip trembled, but he held her fingers to his skin. "Thena, I swear to you, I'll win this fight."

She blinked her tears away, although they collected in her long eyelashes like stars stuck on the glittering sea. "I don't want you to promise me that. I want you to swear that you won't put yourself at risk for me."

He kissed her hand again before setting them both down on the bed. "I took an oath to do exactly that. But that doesn't mean I'll risk my life. What did I tell you before I fought Kro?"

She sighed.

But he raised a brow at her expectantly. If he was going to be awakened at this hour then he could at least enjoy his time with her.

Her eyes flitted as she searched her mind. But she peeked at him almost coquettishly. "That you wouldn't let that happen?"

"Close," he promised, entirely too soft on the blonde vision in front of him. He patted her hand again. "You are not the prize--the prize is to see your smile another day."

And there it was, showing itself like the sun through the clouds. She laughed faintly. "That is not a prize."

But it was, and she had no idea how much he treasured it. "To me, it is."

She sighed, but it had lost its tense, sharp edges, coming out more soft and breezy, like the cloth billowing around the columns. "We could make you a diplomat. That would make you completely ineligible for the fight."

He chuckled as well, leaning back again. He really was tired, and he had a fight to start training for at first light. "I'm afraid I'd make a terrible diplomat, my Lady--way too biased."

She laughed more, light and cute. Her eyes drifted downward, and he knew she was tracing the scar that stretched over his chest and down across his body. "Does it hurt?"

He shrugged, even running his fingers over it lightly. "Sometimes when it rains, oddly enough."

She managed a whisper of a smile, but her eyes dimmed. "I remember waiting for you to awaken, much like this. I truly did fear you would never open your eyes again."

He shrugged again, forcing her to look at him. "But I did."

"Gil-"

"Thena," he pressed. "I will be fine. You have my word."

He had also given her his word that he would win the fight against Kro--which he did! Although he did make it more by the skin of his teeth than maybe he wanted.

She seemed to accept it, though, nodding and leaning away from the bed's edge. Her hands dragged away from the white linens as if her fingers yearned for him. "Very well, but if you are injured by the time the training has concluded, I reserve the right to alter our choice."

"Fine," he grinned. He tilted his head at her, "that is your right, my Lady."

Thena snorted as she stood, adjusting the white muslin wrapped around her robes for modesty's sake. "There is no need for 'my Lady' here, Gil. I realise I should not have come without your permission. But I had to speak with you before tomorrow."

"I know," he excused easily, easily dismissing his unhappiness with being woken up in the first place. He dashed his eyes down his naked front. "If anything, I'm the indecent one, here."

Thena blinked, staring at his scars once again. Although, it seemed for the first time that she was noticing that seeing his scars had to also mean seeing his bare chest as well. Her jaw bobbed before colour rose in her face to contrast against the blue of the moonlight. "Th-That's--y-you--I-!"

She turned on her heel, walking away with swift steps, although her feet made no sound on the floors.

Gil laid back down once she was gone. He felt completely wide awake, heart pounding, senses screaming. He didn't really have to make that last joke to embarrass the poor lady. But he had to admit, the sight of her cheeks rouged made him feel....alive. He felt that living to see tomorrow was worth any price.

#Thenamesh Gladiator AU #thank you so much!!!#a little rendevouz #Thena isn't that entitled princess #until she has to speak to Gil then she's like yeah I know it's late but this couldn't wait #Gil half asleep: of course not #he starts training the next day #he chats with Kingo a bit #Kingo says he looks a little tired #Gil gets the biggest grin on his face and just says...yeah #Kingo's like okay sure man #they train they work #they break for the afternoon #The queen and princess are on their way from one meeting to the next #The princess sheepishly chances a glance at them and waves a little #Gil freely grins and waves back at her #Kingo sees the whole thing and goes: ah #right in front of my salad #meanwhile Ajak is asking Thena if she's thought about her marriage #and poor Thena's brain is full of inappropriate dreams of a shirtless Gilgamesh gleaming under the sun

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