Lucky Vasilisa

Rumors spread through the village that the dragon’s messenger had appeared.

They said a handsome man in a dark blue robe adorned with gold had appeared in the square like a gust of wind. As always, after half a century, the messenger demanded tribute.

Amidst the villagers’ hushed whispers, Vasilisa’s fate was discussed.

“It seems the Count will offer his daughter.”

“The previous Count offered a hundred gold coins and a jar of jewels. Is Vasilisa worth that much?”

“A gold mine was discovered after she arrived, so it’s true she’s incredibly lucky. And the dragon favors rare things.”

Vasilisa clutched a sack of flour she’d received from the mill, pretending not to hear.

No matter how much she pondered,she couldn’t answer. She had no right to question the Count’s agreement with the dragon’s messenger.

Emerging from the kitchen, Vasilisa strained to hear the Count’s voice echoing from the hall.

“He said he’d be grateful just to receive her, and now he wants the gifts returned? How preposterous! When did I ever promise marriage? These thieving kingdom nobles!”

Vasilisa hid behind a large oak pillar, peeking out cautiously.

Through the closing door, she glimpsed the messenger’s troubled face. Judging by his unfamiliar features and clothing, he was undoubtedly a suitor’s messenger. The Count, who had said he was going out, seemed to have encountered an unwelcome guest at the mansion gates.

“She was supposed to bring luck, but now she’s nothing but a nuisance!”

Clenching his pipe, the Count puffed out acrid smoke. Vasilisa, hands clasped together, quietly emerged from behind the pillar.

“F… Father.”

Startled by Vasilisa’s silent appearance, the Count frowned.

“Would it be alright if I met with the suitors? I’ll try to persuade them not to ask for their gifts back.”

Her voice, though slightly trembling, was clear and articulate. Her clear eyes, as if seeing through him, always seemed to grasp the Count’s intentions.

No matter how much he scolded or punished the child he had brought home as a baby, those bright eyes never wavered. The Count always disliked Vasilisa’s deep blue eyes. Their resilient vitality reminded him too much of her parents.

“…Go ahead and try. But if any problems arise, you’ll bear the full responsibility before you’re sent to the dragon.”

Despite the Count’s reluctant reply, Vasilisa’s face lit up with joy.

She was overjoyed that he was giving her, a mere drudge, this opportunity.

Reaching the laundry room, Vasilisa quickly changed out of her stained clothes and retrieved one of her few dresses suitable for leaving the house. The dress, which the Countess had worn in her youth, was somewhat old-fashioned, but thanks to Vasilisa’s diligent mending, it was presentable.

The yellow dress, reaching up to her neck, was made of fine fabric with an acanthus leaf pattern. Tying the waistband by herself was difficult, so she fastened one end to the doorknob to secure the knot. She braided her unruly hair and tied it with a matching ribbon.

“This should make me look like a proper noble lady.”

Vasilisa examined her reflection in the bronze mirror, self-consciously rubbing her flushed cheeks.

Her beauty had ripened over the years, like a luscious fruit, blossoming into full bloom like a peony. It wasn’t uncommon for travelers to settle in the village, captivated by Vasilisa’s beauty. From nobles to merchants, a string of suitors had presented her with gifts.

Yet, even after eight years since she had come of age, the Count and Countess hadn’t chosen a husband for her. They’d accepted gifts and bride prices from everyone, stringing them along and weighing their options, leaving themselves open to criticism.

“But now I have a good excuse to turn them away.”

Vasilisa’s eyes sparkled with hope.

The first person she visited was the second son of the kingdom’s Duke.

The young lord, the highest-ranking among her suitors, had purchased a house on the main road where Vasilisa often went to buy flour and other provisions. He was a remarkably courteous man, never making advances, content to simply admire her from afar.

“You are truly beautiful, Vasilisa. It pains me to lose you to the dragon. Had I known, I would have proposed to you directly, without waiting for the Count’s reply.”

Each of the young lord’s words was laced with regret. Vasilisa responded with a bright, untroubled smile.

“I, too, regret not meeting someone like you sooner. However, thanks to my becoming the dragon’s bride, you have been spared great hardship.”

The young lord’s face flushed crimson. He had waited all day, excited to hear that she was coming to see him. He had been hopeful that she was coming to apologize for the long wait for a response. But instead of an apology, she was thanking him, fueling his suppressed anger.

“What do you mean, Vasilisa? The gifts I sent to the Count were worth a fortune, and I boasted to my father for three years that I would bring home the most beautiful bride in the kingdom!”

Even as the usually courteous young lord’s face turned red and then blue, Vasilisa maintained her calm smile.

“I received the tokens of your affection with joy and gratitude. Your devoted attention was also a great pleasure for someone as insignificant as myself. However, the dragon desires me, so what importance are the feelings of a mere mortal like myself?”

Her melancholic, smooth voice calmed the young lord’s agitation. He even entertained the fleeting delusion that Vasilisa, with her sorrowful expression, might have had feelings for him.

Shaking off the strange feeling, the young lord gritted his teeth.

“Even if I can’t get back the wasted time, I must have the gifts returned. How can I face my father empty-handed?”

Unfazed by his protest, Vasilisa continued calmly.

“You have gained honor more valuable than gold and jewels, so His Grace, the Duke, will not blame you. …Are you not a suitor worthy of comparison to a dragon? Brides more precious than I will flock to you from all over the kingdom.”

The young lord’s jaw dropped at Vasilisa’s words.

Who would criticize his loss if he had competed with a dragon for a bride? With that single sentence, the young lord puffed up his chest as if he had ascended to the same status as a dragon.

After that, everything went smoothly.

The eldest son of a marquis was satisfied to be considered a suitor on par with the Duke’s second son, and a traveling merchant was flattered to be compared to a kingdom noble. At the same time, each secretly reveled in the idea of being considered a rival to a dragon.

Thus, the suitors returned home, bearing honor more valuable than any treasure.

The Count was the most pleased with Vasilisa’s ingenuity.

“Vasilisa, you truly are a child of luck!”

As the worry faded from the Count’s face, Vasilisa smiled brightly.

Now that the suitors were dealt with, all that remained was to become the dragon’s bride. It was the final act of gratitude she, with nothing but her body to offer, could perform, and undoubtedly a more than fitting end for a lowly person like herself.

* * *

Shivering, Vasilisa curled up.

Her bedroom at the mansion was where the bolts of cloth were stored, so she could always find something to cover herself with.

Now, all she could feel was the cold clinking of metal.

With the memory of her distended belly, her lost consciousness slowly resurfaced.

“Achoo!”

Vasilisa sneezed, and a churning sensation rippled through her abdomen. An uncomfortable fullness settled over her, and she blinked her heavy eyelids. Her lower abdomen was noticeably distended.

“…Could I be… carrying the dragon’s child?”

A cool body pressed against her back as a large hand cupped her swollen belly.

“A human body cannot carry a dragon’s egg.”

“Koschei…”

She looked up to see Koschei casually embracing her.

His silken blue hair cascaded over her shoulders, as if their vigorous lovemaking had never happened.

“It’s not a child, it’s my seed. You’re of age, yet you don’t even know that?”

His mocking tone was laced with a competitive desire to assert his superiority.

Even if she were of age, who wouldn’t be shocked by this sight? Koschei looked over Vasilisa’s speechless form and her swollen belly. He asked softly,

“Is it uncomfortable?”

Startled by the unexpected tenderness in his voice, Vasilisa nodded dumbly. Koschei hummed softly and pressed his large hand against her lower abdomen.

“Hngh…!”

As he pressed down, a thick, whitish fluid gushed out from between her legs. Mortified, Vasilisa swayed, and Koschei caught her thigh with his other hand.

“Ahh…!”

With the gentle pressure on her belly, the seed gushed out, flowing down her shapely thighs. A flush spread across Vasilisa’s pale face at the sensation, akin to relieving herself. A considerable amount of fluid spilled onto the gold coins.

“I adjusted my size, but I didn’t consider the volume of my seed.”

Vasilisa felt her strength draining away as he languidly stroked her belly.

“You seem cold.”

“Hss…!”

He must have mistaken her trembling for shivering.

A strong arm wrapped around her waist. Before she could process the sensation, she was lifted into the air.

As the startled Vasilisa clung to Koschei’s arm, something massive shifted behind them, shaking the cave.

“Gasp…!”

Turning her head, Vasilisa’s eyes widened at the bizarre sight.

Below Koschei’s human torso was the lower body of a massive beast. It looked as if a lion’s head had been severed and replaced with a human’s.

The four-legged body beneath his human form was covered in overlapping scales of shimmering blue and gold, like armor. The smooth scales clinked with every movement.

And on his broad back, large enough to accommodate a house-sized saddle, sprouted massive wings that made the cave seem small.

The ground trembled when his enormous body stood up.

The sound of Koschei inhaling softly reached her ears. Then, a stream of fire erupted from his mouth. The red flames washed over the fluid-soaked gold coins.