Batboys Lemons

{The king's chamber} Damian Al Ghul X Clever Reader {Part 1}

Based on the story of 'Clever Maria' a fairytale from Portugal as recorded in the crimson fairy book by Andrew Lang.

https://ia800608.us.archive.org/25/items/crimsonfairybook_1112_librivox/crimsonfairybook_35_lang.mp3

Disclaimer: This story was not written with any bitter feelings towards environmentally safe toothbrush salesman and I hope nothing is taken seriously that is said about them.

There once lived a merchant a small ways off from where the League of Assassins were situated and thus naturally (because of the convenience of proximity) became the league's main supplier of toothbrushes. They'd been buying from him since Talia was a child and it was even said that Ra's had let him take a dip in his Lazarus pit to not lose the current discount that was far superior to all other offers they'd received.
No matter where they looked they couldn't find a better price for environmentally safe toothbrushes. Not even fear-mongering extortion and threats could get the others to drop lower than a dollar per toothbrush (salesmen of environmentally safe toothbrushes are notoriously fiercely loyal to their profit.) Buying less than a ton a year was simply out of the question. And as they weren't a legitimate business they couldn't buy directly from any suppliers.

It was also rumored that the man had three beautiful daughters he was keeping hidden as he didn't wish Ra's to see them and think of marrying his heir to one of them in hopes of getting an even better bargain.

He had had this fear ever since Damian had been born since his first daughter was only two years older than him. When his second child was born a month after him and was found to be a very beautiful girl his fears doubled. But when his last daughter was born he cried not only because he lost his wife, but because she was the most beautiful baby he had ever seen and he knew she would be taken even without the bargain if he ever laid eyes on her.
He thought of moving but Ra's begged him not to. He sent him many fine gifts to make his house more comfortable and offered to enlarge the house to fit his growing family.

Even after Ra's had died, his fear grew as Y\N, his youngest grew and became the loveliest and most clever girl he had ever met. Finally, he decided she couldn't be risked to be seen, so if she wished to go to town, she and her sisters must take the long way around. Unwilling to walk fifteen extra miles, he decided to have them wear wedding bands so they would be left alone. However, he feared if Y\N was thought to be wed, Damian might kill her husband to take her for himself.

After much thought, he decided that if she must go past, she had to do it with a thick satchel over her head as to not even show the form of her face. She hated it because it was very hard to breathe like this and impossible to see. But she loved her father dearly, so she submitted to his will and wore it. But she would always place it on her head and then run past. She had gotten very good at this and rarely ever hit trees anymore.

One day while she was running she hit into someone and fell. Before she could try to get up she felt a blade against her neck.

"You insolent fool!" A man shouted, pressing the tip of his sword to her throat. "Why are you running with a bag over your head!?"

Y\N knew she could not tell him the truth so she backed away and fell on her face, and cried, "please sire, do not be angry with me! I'm blind and my milky eyes scare children, so I wear this bag over my face to cover them. I was running because on my way to town to buy barley for the soup of my ailing mother, I was attacked by wolves now I've lost my way and am quite lost."

Damian, who was the man she'd bumped into, could not help but be touched by this story. Putting away his sword, he helped her to her feet. He led her to town and bought the barley, then insisted on helping her find her way home.

Since she knew if he took her to her real home, her identity would be revealed, she had him drop her off at a neighbor's house where she greeted the woman at the door with a hug crying, "oh dearest sister, I feared I'd never see you again!"

The woman, not knowing what was happening or who the man was with, felt Y\N (for she had seen her put on the satchel and thus knew it could only be her) might be in grave danger and felt it in her best interest to play along.

She hugged her as well and welcomed her in, thanking Damian. Then barring the door.

Y\N came home with the barley, but to the great disappointment of the whole family, hadn't placed the order of 10,000 toothbrushes as she feared that might have blown her cover.

A few days later, he returned to inquire about the health of their mother. But this time the woman's husband answered and told him no one lived there but himself his wife and their daughter who was not yet old enough to speak.

Now it came to pass that their father's normal supplier had gone out of business for unethical practices and to keep the prices low he would have to learn the art himself. So with a heavy heart, he had to leave his beloved daughters for an undetermined amount of time and charged them strictly not to let anyone in.

They all swore to him nothing would happen in his absence and to insure they kept their word, he gave them each a plant of magic basil saying, "if you let anyone in it'll die, so I'll know if you disobey."

They weren't magic, but he knew they were young and if too many leaves were cut off they'd die. And every time his daughters had company they always made basil lemonade.

And with that, he was off.

That same night Damian heard the news and having never seen any of these stunning daughters he had heard so much about, wanted to go to learn what beauty was so great it must be hidden.
So he took with him two trusted guards who also desperately wished to know what they looked like and went to the man's house.

Y\N was the one to go to the door. She looked out and saw Damian with his guards. She didn't recognize his face since she had a satchel on her head, however, she knew his voice and feet, for he wore very fancy boots. Of course, she couldn't see his shoes at this time, but she still knew the voice.
He asked to come in but she knew she shouldn't let him in, so she told him to stay there and that she and her sisters would fetch some wine from the cellar. She would carry the candle, (her father had long ago forbidden the use of candles from the rest after several instances which left him no other options.) The eldest would take the key and the last would carry the bottle.

But Damian knew her voice as well and immediately knew there was trickery afoot since no one used candles in the modern day and it was very unlikely they wouldn't have a light installed in their wine cellar. And even if that was true why weren't they using a flashlight? So he said not to trouble since they weren't thirsty.

Y\N had since been shoved from the door by her sisters who seeing handsome men at the door were eager to let them in. Y\N called that she'd just fetch the wine anyways and grabbing her plant, ran out the back door.

Going to her neighbors she said, "I've been fighting with my sisters and not wishing to continue I have left, please allow me to stay the night." So her neighbor let her in and allowed her to stay the night.

Damian, knowing he'd been had a second time was filled with anger but had to remain civil with the two sisters who didn't seem nearly as beautiful as they ought to be when all the precautions to keep them hidden were taken into account.

The next morning, she when home to find her sister's basil plants stripped of every leaf.

"I'm sure they'll recover before he has returned." They said to one another.

Y\N however, did not share in their delusions.

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