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Set during
Dragonwatch-ish
⟢ Kendra/Ronodin ⟣
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Ronodin uses his new found powers to call Kendra to the Fairy Kingdom. However, he wouldn't have done it if he knew there was going to be a radius tying her to him.

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Rated Teen for Explicit Language.

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The healthy dose of cognitive dissonance that held Ronodin's reality together didn't seem all that bad until it was violently ripped to shreds in front of him.

Ronodin didn't have anyone to fault for that, either. He had called Kendra here himself.

Having the handmaiden under his beck and call had seemed like a positive to usurping the Fairy Queen. Now, Ronodin was close to putting it in his cons list. Pretty hard to maintain his whole hero thing when one of his victims was yelling at him all the time. Of course, that didn't mean that he didn't maintain it—just that it was hard.

"Kendra!" He barked.

"What? You called me here, away from my family. You get to listen."

Now, normally he would just throw her in the dungeon. Three problems.

The Fairy Kingdom didn't have a dungeon. The only rooms were residential—it wasn't like he could throw her in a castle bedroom and lock the door.

The second problem hinged on the magic he was using to keep Kendra here. He was able to call the handmaiden but the radius in which the magic kept her here was quite small. And he was the node.

Three: imprisoning the handmaiden wouldn't go over too well with the populace if they found out. Not that he cared particularly, of course.

"I will gag you." His pen broke under his teeth and the ink spilled down his chin.

"Looks like you need a napkin."

"You are infuriating. Will you let me explain my cause?"

"Your cause was tainted the second you kidnapped my brother, murdered people I love, imprisoned people I love, and imprisoned me with you."

"It's starting to feel like I'm the one stuck with you." He grabbed a napkin from the fairy queen's desk and wiped his face. Well, from his desk, now. It's funny how the writing utensils the former Fairy Queen had used to sign his banishment were the same ones sitting in his desk's pen cup. "The ends justify the means."

"No, they do not."

"What, did you expect me to usher in a revolution with hugs and kisses?"

"A little less bloodshed."

"It has been little!" Poison dripped off his words. He shifted as he tried to contain himself. Kendra tested his nerves. "It is nothing compared to the savagery inflicted between you humans."

"A war? Are you talking about a war? No one wants them for a reason. And you are initiating one."

"It's been boiling for a while."

"You didn't need to boil it over! You could've at least waited until I was dead."

"We could speed that death up if you'd like."

"Why'd you call me here if you were just going to threaten me?" Kendra stopped pacing.

Ronodin clenched his jaw. He would not deliver a convenient little monologue. How she'd ever think he'd lay his reasons out plainly was beyond him. "I enjoy your company."

"Is that why you kidnapped my brother, too?"

Ronodin didn't have an easy temper. He didn't. But, god, did hours of this do something to his demeanor. "I have work to do."

"I bet."

He stood from his seat. "Guards!"

Kendra's lips twitched and he realized his mistake.

"Never mind!" Ronodin crossed to the door and yelled through the wood. "Do not come in!"

Forgot about the whole handmaiden commanding fairies things. Of course, his order was supposed to be supreme over hers—but even allowing her the option to try was too much.

"How do I un-handmaiden you?"

"Not allowed."

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"He was my cousin, but we were born in the same mortal season." Ronodin waved his hand. The letter on his desk had barely been started before he got pulled into a conversation. "So he's more like my brother."

"You and Bracken were that close, huh? This must hurt." Instead of the usual harsh tone, Kendra lost the barbs but kept the dryness.

"Your empathy constrains you," Ronodin admonished. At the same time, he could feel himself yearning for more. "Don't you have to go to sleep sometime?"

"Don't worry, I'll be sure to stay up if it means you have to deal with me. I wonder how many more pens we can break."

Ronodin rubbed his temples. "Your brother was so much more quiet."

He glanced over at his handmaiden's uncharacteristic silence. He could practically feel the vitriol from her glare.

Oh boy. What now?

She crossed her arms. "He was only thirteen."

"Yeah, well he was already a prison warden," Ronodin muttered, pen poised to write a few more words of his speech.

"We had to become caretakers! You didn't have to kidnap my brother!" Kendra splayed her hands out before tucking them back across her chest. "You're a villain."

"You'll see."

"How many more people's lives have to be ruined before you get what you want?"

"Get what I want? I'm doing this for the liberation of the dragons. I am not a dragon."

"No, but you're an outcast. Looking for some people to accept you? This won't do it."

Ronodin pushed away from his desk and faced the handmaiden. "Fuck off, Kendra. Now, where's that empathy gone?"

"I thought you didn't want it."

Ronodin sunk into his chair and straightened one specific finger. "Pass out, already, or I'm going to gag and blindfold you."

Kendra screwed her lips in a grimace. She blinked and turned away. "Fuck off."

"What, you can't even look at me?"

Kendra didn't answer.

Ronodin leaned forward in his chair and locked eyes on the back of her head. "Kendra. Look at me."

What was she doing?

"Fuck off," her voice warbled.

Oh. She was crying? No, Ronodin was sure crying was loud. Most of the time humans wailed around him.

She sat down on the futon and leaned her head against the bookshelf. She faced away from him, in the farthest corner. Kind of rude. "I'm going to sleep."

Ronodin snuck a glance and put his pen down. She hadn't seemed tired, but what did he know about humans?

"Okay."

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It wasn't long before Ronodin found himself quite bored without her insults to bounce off of. Who would've thought?

Crossing his legs on top of his desk, he mentally counted his to-do list.

Most of the work to be done was Celebrant's now. Ronodin just had to keep the Fairy Kingdom under his thumb. If not forever, at least until the revolution was cemented.

It should've been easy.

But as he studied the handmaiden in the corner, he realized it was going to be much, much harder.

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As per his magical DNA, he didn't need to sleep as much as the average mortal. The moon shined while the handmaiden slept in her corner.

He had stuff to do. He had meetings.

But, he had no idea how to keep Kendra imprisoned while doing all that.

He could lug her around with her mouth gagged. Then she couldn't issue commands to the fairies and she would stay within the circle of magic.

However, carrying her around like a hostage wouldn't do well for his reputation.

He was trying to spin the hero narrative. Ronodin had come in, dethroned a traitor, and saved the fairy kingdom from tyranny. That was all true of course, but carrying one of their prized handmaidens like a hostage could hurt that narrative.

They kind of liked Kendra. (Or, at least, loyal fairies were making her a last vestige of the old Fairy Queen.) They were wary of Ronodin.

So, no gags. No maiming.

But, no one said he couldn't wear ear muffs...but, no, he couldn't. He needed to keep his senses sharp at all times.

Oh, well.

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He had figured out a solution to the pesky little problem.

"Rise, citizens of the Fairy Realm!"

Only a few stragglers beneath their balcony rose. The others stayed seated in defiance.

Ronodin reached out with his power to force the entire crowd to their feet. If it seemed like he was a little harsh, well, he didn't like to repeat himself.

He stepped around an ornate box to get to the railing and gestured to the people below. "For centuries, you have been ruled by a fake. A unicorn who took power from the rightful fairy Queen. I'm not here to do that.

"I'm here to usher in a new age! With the true fairies throned, the magical world will be stronger than ever before.

"Please, humbly accept me as your interim king. Together, we will make a true fairy kingdom."

Once the speech was over, Ronodin walked back into the castle. He could hear yells. Confusion. Silence.

Perfect.

As long as the kingdom remained embroiled in their own troubles and kept out of the dragons', everything would be fine.

His guards deposited the ornate box back into his room. Mumbles from it caught his attention

"Dismissed."

Ronodin waited until the door shut and the guards' footsteps petered out before striding to the box and lifting the lid.

Strands of hair flew as Kendra angrily blew air out of her nose.

He knitted his eyebrows. "C'mon now, you weren't supposed to wake up yet."

He grabbed the duct tape off her face.

"You put me in a box?" She exclaimed.

"How else am I supposed to keep you in the circle of magic?"

Kendra blinked in incredulity. "Not like this!"

She used her legs and pushed herself up to standing, outstretching her arms. "Untie these."

Ronodin looked at them and the lock fell away.

Kendra stepped out of the box and rubbed at her wrists. "How dare you!"

"You'd rather me drag you around unconscious as I give my speeches?" Ronodin fell back into his chair and relaxed, ready for the familiar torrent of insults.

"You could've done that." Kendra got a glint in her eyes.

Ronodin shrugged. "That would've been easier.

"But you didn't."

"What can I say? I'm a gentleman."

"No, no, that's not it." Kendra sat on the futon. She looked up in realization. "You need me."

"I don't need anyone, much less a mortal."

"How else would you legitimize your ruling? Oh, this is great."

Ronodin frowned. "I don't need you."

"It would hurt your whole legitimacy if you harmed the appointed handmaiden."

"I'm a gentleman," Ronodin ground out. The self-satisfied smile on her face annoyed him.

"I have the power here."

Ronodin stood and Kendra stepped back. The temperature dropped several degrees. "You most certainly do not."

Kendra glared, but also hunched in on herself.

Ronodin pinched the bridge of his nose and sat back down. "Just...don't bother me. I have work to do."

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Over his letters, he could see Kendra make her way to the bookshelf. He almost told her that they were only in fairy languages before he remembered her proficiency.

Back to the letters at hand. He didn't particularly like conversing through written word as his charm didn't always make it through. However, it wasn't like he was going to have sensitive meetings with the handmaiden right there.

Ronodin looked up at the handmaiden in question.

The book in her hand immediately grabbed his attention. Oh wait—oh no. It was a handmade book with pink frills on the front. Fuck.

His eyes stayed frozen on the book until she looked up.

She turned the book around and pointed to a portrait of a young boy with dark hair. "Is this you?"

Ronodin couldn't answer. Aunt Molea had kept portraits of him even after he was exiled? No, not Aunt Molea. The Fairy Queen. The traitor.

His eyes strayed to the other objects tacked to the page. A flower and a note.

He remembered that day. It had been the Fairy Queen's birthday and that had been his present.

He cleared his throat and tried to force himself to turn back to his work but his body didn't comply. "No."

"Really? It says your name right here. 'Love, Ronodin.'" Her finger was on the note.

Ronodin shuffled his papers and stood from his seat. "Put that away."

"It's interesting." Kendra stuck her nose back into the book. "Is this Bracken?"

Ronodin's hands closed the book and tugged it from her grasp.

"Hey!"

Ronodin shoved it back on the shelf. Maybe he'd burn it later. Kindling for some s'mores. "That's not for you."

"If it's in my grasp..." Kendra rose and reached for the book.

Ronodin's hands closed around her wrist. "It won't be in your grasp if I break your wrist."

Kendra stretched her fingers without touching the book's spine. "I have another arm."

He tightened.

"Okay! Fine. I'll pick another book. Let go."

Ronodin released her wrist and left her for the balcony.

He ran his fingers through his hair and stared out at the vast expanse of rolling hills and flowers.

What the fuck. He was on the easy part. He had already done the hard part. He had conquered the fairy kingdom and slayed the Fairy Queen. Why did this feel so difficult?

It was giving him a pounding headache.

The balcony wrapped around his office and connected suite. He had only gotten about 20 feet from the dreaded door, when said door opened to  let his problem onto the balcony.

"Kendra," he growled.

"I was feeling a tug. I wasn't about to be in pain on a magical leash for your comfort."

Come to think of it, the pounding headache lessened as she stepped forward.

"I'm in hell," he muttered. The moon shine highlighted the river tracing through the kingdom. Ronodin could see everything from here.

"You're in hell? I was the one kidnapped."

"I didn't know you were going to be on a leash." He held his head in his hands.

"You can always let me go!"

"No I can't. You're too important." Maybe it was the psychological torture of being stuck with Kendra, but his silver tongue had become a little loose. Gained a little rust, if you will.

"Yeah?" Her voice crept up on him.

"Fuck off."

"What would I do if you let me go? See my family? Comfort my loved ones? How terrible."

"If only we had some of that darling human drug that knocked people out. What's it called again?"

"I'm not a med student."

"A what?"

"A med student."

"I know what you said. I don't know the meaning. Probably some dumb human word."

"Whatever you say." Kendra leaned up onto the railing.

Ronodin rubbed his head. "They specialize in knocking people out?"

"Kind of."

"Sounds useful for a war. I would send them ahead and knock off the high ranking officials."

"I think you misconstrued the meaning. Med student. Medical."

"Why would a medical student knock someone out?"

"Do you know what anesthesia is?"

Ronodin connected the dots and cursed his tired brain. "Fuck you."

"You asked."

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It was a normal day. A good day, even. The sun was shining. Everything was good.

Except for the worry in the back of his mind..he felt like he was forgetting something.

Ronodin scanned his office. All his letters were on his desk. The unicorn Advil too, that he had taken when staring at words had given him a headache. Everything was orderly and quiet.

Quiet...it was quiet. Ronodin cursed.

Kendra was gone.

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the end