Title: Bitter Pills in Sugar Coating
Author: Janine
Fandom: Legend of the Seeker (TV)
Pairing: Denna/Jennsen
Rating: R
Warning: Humiliation, slight dub-con
Disclaimer: I don't own them.
Notes: Takes place during episode 1x16 "Bloodlines".

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"I give you bitter pills in sugar coating. The pills are harmless: the poison is in the sugar."
- Stanislaw Lee

Denna closed her eyes and breathed in and out deeply in an attempt to soothe her irritation with Jennsen who had begun to lag behind once more. They were not out for an evening stroll, and Jennsen's inability to doing something as simple as walking was wearing out Denna's last nerve.

"Jennsen … dear," Denna began calmly, turning around to face the girl. "I've noticed that you've begun to lag behind … once again," Denna drawled conversationally as she made her way towards Jennsen. "Is it some intentional act of defiance?" Denna inquired. Her voice dropped menacingly, and as she came to stop in front of Jennsen and she saw the girl shiver. "Or is there something wrong?"

"I'm not … I'm not trying to be difficult, I just …" Jennsen began, but as she spoke her face became increasingly flushed, and finally she was unable to keep looking at Denna and she angled her face away in embarrassment.

"You just …" Denna prompted. As she spoke she moved her hand to handle of her Agiel, knowing that even with her head bowed Jennsen would register the movement. "Believe me, Jennsen. It would be better for everyone, especially your mother, if you finish that sentence."

Tendrils of red-hair fell fetchingly over Jenssen's shoulder as she turned her head to look at her mother. She knew that Denna meant to use her Agiel on her mother again if she didn't tell Denna what was slowing her down. She couldn't let that happen. The reason for her slow pace was embarrassing, but she would not let her modesty hurt her mother.

"I … have to go," Jennsen whispered, leaning closer to Denna so that the blonde would be able to hear her soft words.

Jennsen waited for a moment for a response from her captor, but Denna simply stared at her blankly.

"You know Jennsen," Denna began a few seconds later in her disconcerting monotone, "I'm beginning to wonder if you even like your mother. I give you warning after warning but you keep on doing things to hurt her. Do you want me to hurt her? Is that it?"

Denna's hand moved towards her Agiel again.

"No, don't!" Jennsen cried, reaching out for Denna with her bound hands. "Please don't hurt her," the girl begged. "I have to go pee," she whispered lowering her eyes. "I'm not trying to walk slowly. I don't want to upset you. I just …have to go."

Denna's hand slipped away from her Agiel, and Jennsen's body relaxed.

"Very well," Denna murmured.

A moment later, Jennsen felt one of Denna's gloved hands rest on the small of her back, and then she found herself being roughly shoved off of the trail and into the trees.

---

"Stop."

Jennsen immediately came to a halt.

"Go," Denna commanded brusquely.

Jennsen turned her head in the direction that they had come from. She couldn't see the road anymore. For all that her eyes could detect, she and Denna were the only people in the entire world.

"I can't," Jennsen said softly, lifting her eyes to look in Denna's direction. "My hands …" she continued trailing off as she pointedly looked down at her hands – which were still bound to the third box of Orden – before she lifted her eyes to regard Denna once more.

Denna was still for a moment after Jennsen spoke, considering the girl impassively as the sun shone down on her lighting up her golden hair.

Denna started to walk towards Jennsen and the girl sighed with relief and held out her hands to the Mord'Sith, but Denna paid no attention to her. Instead of reaching for the rope binding her, Denna bent at the waist and took the bottom of Jennsen's dress between her fingers. Denna then straightened up, taking the bottom of Jennsen's dress up with her until she stood tall before Jennsen once more and Jennsen stood exposed from the waist down.

Aghast, Jennsen stared up at Denna with wide-eyes.

"Well, it's not as if I can untie your hands Jennsen," Denna responded, lips quirking slightly in amusement. "You've proved yourself to be unworthy of my trust. You acted rashly and thoughtlessly when you threw the box away earlier. Now you must deal with the consequences of your foolish behavior."

"But …"

"Go."

Jennsen closed her eyes and hung her head. She had to relieve herself, but she didn't think that she could do it in front of Denna. It was too embarrassing. Just standing with her private parts exposed to the Mord'Sith was bad enough. To have to … it was too humiliating to contemplate.

"Jennsen, this offer of relative privacy can and will expire. Go now or we will return to the road and you can just wet yourself where you stand, like one of your little goats, when your bladder finally gives out. Honestly, it makes no difference to me," Denna declared impatiently, eyeing the red-head with narrowed eyes.

Jennsen blinked a few times in despair, and then closed her eyes. She knew that Denna was not joking. She knew that Denna would leave her to ruin herself in front of her mother and the blonde's men.

"Open your eyes."

Though she didn't want to, Jennsen obeyed and opened her eyes to find Denna staring directly at her.

"Go."

Jennsen started to close her eyes again, but Denna's expression changed subtly and the red-head knew that it was a warning. Denna wanted her eyes open. Denna wanted to see her mortification and humiliation. Denna was trying to embarrass her.

Jennsen blinked and twin trails of tears escaped from the corners of her eyes as she relaxed her bladder and obeyed Denna's command.

More tears escaped from her eyes as she relieved herself, and Jennsen's vision blurred for which she was grateful because it freed her from having to watch Denna study her.

When the stream from between her legs finally stopped, Jennsen was shaking, and her chest and the neckline of her dress were damp with her tears.

Denna lifted her free hand and cupped Jennsen's cheek. Jennsen jerked away from the hand, startled by the touch. Denna made a soft, soothing sound in her throat and reached for Jennsen again, using her thumb to gently wipe Jennsen's face.

"You don't need to cry," Denna said, her voice suddenly tender and full of compassion as she moved her hand to wipe away the tears wetting the other side of Jennsen's face. "There is nothing to be ashamed of," the blonde continued, brushing a few stray strands of red hair to the side. "I didn't want to upset you, but I had no choice. You must see that," Denna went on, carefully tucking Jennsen's hair behind her ear.

Denna sighed softly, a tired, weary sound, and she angled her face away from Jennsen's for a moment to stare pensively out into the woods around them.

"I don't want to hurt you or your mother, Jennsen," Denna said a minute later, turning back around to meet the girl's eyes. "I'm not unfeeling. I'm not a monster, as your mother would have you believe. Every time I use the Agiel it causes me physical pain," Denna related, her eyes going distant for a moment at the memory of the Agiel agonizing kiss. "And every time your mother cries out in anguish, it hurts my heart to know I am the cause of it.

"But I do it because I must, because you leave me no choice. I know I must be strong, and that I must carry out my mission, even if it hurts. I remember the feel of the Seeker's blade slicing through my flesh and the hatred in his eyes as my blood covered his hands, and I know that I am doing something noble and righteous serving Lord Rahl, and this knowledge gives me the strength to carry on."

Denna leaned forward, pressing her body flush against Jennsen's as she moved her lips to the shell of the redhead's ear.

"Please, Jennsen. Be good. Be wise. Behave," Denna whispered beseechingly. "Do not make me have to hurt you or anyone else again in order to stop the Seeker's campaign of death and destruction."

The blonde pulled away from Jennsen then, drawing her face back far enough that she could see the entirely of Jennsen's face and so that Jennsen could see the entirety of hers. She held Jennsen's blue eyes with her own, gazing into them deeply, allowing Jennsen to study her own eyes and gage the truthfulness of her words. Then, when Denna was sure that Jennsen was convinced of her sincerity her gloved hand stroked Jennsen's face once before she leaned in and pressed her lips sweetly to Jennsen's cheek.

"I like you Jennsen. You're brave, and kind and strong in ways I was never allowed to be and now never can be."

Jennsen felt Denna's other hand shift against her, and blinked. She had almost forgotten that the Mord'Sith's hand was still under her dress holding the material away from her so that it didn't get wet.

"I think that if you gave me a chance," Denna continued, moving her hand further under Jennsen's dress until the backs of her fingers were brushing against the soft flesh of Jennsen's inner-thigh. "That if I could show you what was in my heart, that you could forgive me, and maybe," Denna paused and dropped her eyes from Jennsen's. "Maybe," the blonde repeated, "you could like me too."

Denna's hand moved higher under Jennsen's skirt and before the girl could even register what was happening, the rough leather of Denna's glove was touching Jennsen's most intimate flesh.

Jennsen gasped and stared up at Denna – who was watching her again – with large, surprised eyes.

"Perhaps, one day, we might even find a way … to be friends," Denna breathed out hopefully as she brushed the tip of her index finger against Jennsen's clit and began to circle the nub gently.

"Wha …" Jennsen began blinking rapidly as she tried unsuccessfully to move away from Denna's touch.

"Ssh, it's okay," Denna cooed into Jennsen's ear as she wrapped her arm around Jennsen's waist, holding her firmly but not painfully so. "This too is natural," Denna breathed out, low and breathy as her fingers continued to stroke between Jennsen's legs.

Despite her confusion, Jennsen's body was beginning to respond to Denna's touch, and the blonde was able to stroke her more firmly and quickly as Jennsen's arousal wet her glove.

"There's no reason to be scared," Denna murmured, pressing another kiss to Jennsen's cheek. "Let me apologize to you," she went on, drawing her lips away from Jennsen's face so that the redhead wouldn't feel the smile that spread across her face as Jennsen's hips arched towards Denna's body, seeking out her touch. "Let me bring you pleasure instead of pain."

Denna pressed her lips to Jennsen's cheek once more, and then pressed a kiss to her jaw, and her neck before finally pressing her lips against Jennsen's. Jennsen angled her head away, breaking the kiss almost as soon as it started, but Denna was undeterred, and continued to kiss what she could of Jennsen's flesh as her fingers moved with more purpose between the girls legs.

Soon, soft sounds, pleasurable sounds began to escape from Jennsen's throat. Her hips were arching compulsively into Denna's touch, and the next time Denna pressed her lips to Jennsen's, the girl kissed her back and moaned into her mouth.

Jennsen's breathing became increasingly labored, and the expression in her eyes resembled panic as the feelings Denna was drawing from her continued to intensify. Jennsen's lips parted, and tears escaped from corners of her eyes once again as 'oh, oh, oh' fell from her lips.

Denna knew that Jennsen was on the cusp of orgasm and drew her lips towards her ear.

"Let go," Denna commanded.

Jennsen's eyes met Denna's, her breath hitched and she obeyed.

---

When Jennsen regained her senses, she discovered that she was sitting on the ground a few meters from where she had been standing before while Denna cradled her gently from behind.

Warm lips brushed against her neck, and Jennsen sighed softly and tilted her head back so that she could see Denna's face. The blonde smiled at her, and then leaned in and pressed her lips against Jennsen's kissing her tenderly.

"There's so much of the world you haven't seen," Denna breathed out, wrapping her arms around Jennsen more tightly as she began to help the girl to her feet. "So many things you've never done or even dreamed of," she continued, brushing at Jennsen's dress with her hand to knock off the dirt and leaves that had clung to it when she was seated. "Help me get the box to the People's Palace and I will show the world to you Jennsen. Help me and I will take you from this shabby, insignificant state of existence and teach you how to live. Would you like that Jennsen?"

Jennsen nodded entranced by Denna's smooth, strong voice and the post-orgasmic bliss that still suffused her body.

Denna's hand moved to rest on the small of Jennsen's back again, but unlike before, she used it to gently guide and support the girl instead of roughly shoving her as she had on their walk away from the road.

"Watch your step," Denna said, gently maneuvering Jennsen away from a rock.

"Thank you," Jennsen breathed out, looking over at the blonde gratefully as a sweet, adoring smile touched her lips.

"You're welcome," Denna replied kindly, stroking Jennsen's back soothingly.

On the way down Denna would have let the girl trip over rock, but the blonde's feelings had softened during the alone time they spent together. Jennsen had gotten the box for her after all, and when Lord Rahl saw Jennsen's new admiration for her, Denna was sure that he would give Jennsen to her to train.

She had failed Lord Rahl with the Seeker, but she would not fail with the pristinely ungifted one. Jennsen was her redemption. Jennsen was her way back to the temple and her sisters. She would not fail this time. She could not. Jennsen would be broken.

The End