Chapter 1. Lyudmila

Thirty arose before my eyes, as if it had grown out of the ground.

Without witchcraft here, obviously, not done!

We drove up to a tall fence of logs in three arms and a guard, after seeing and recognizing Zabava from afar, opened the gate.

The sun was already setting and, as soon as we entered, the gates closed behind us.

Fun dismounted, jumped off (learned, however) and I'm with my rider.

The fun gave the reins to the guard and, glancing at me, asked - Prince, will you rest out of the way or will you immediately go to the reception with your uncle?

- I thought we were welcome guests.

- Yes, they waited for us, waited ..

She did not finish.

- Perhaps, that you are right. Zabava: in the bathhouse, yes, to have supper, and to sleep as a consequence; and then tomorrow and at receptions.

Fun smiled - That's nice.

The royal palace, a timbered house with turrets, consisted of several choirs: the royal hut was the largest, with a high porch and with railings, and with a veranda covered around the perimeter, and with a gable roof, and with a cockerel on the ridge of the roof.

But the cockerel, I looked closer, not wooden, but alive, everything turns, and on the sides everything looks out - it guards the royal peace.

- Serko, the guard in the stable will lead, give him the reins.

I gave the reason to the guard, leading the stallion of Fun - And where is the stable?

- Yes, there she is - Zabava waved her hand somewhere to the right - I looked and saw a vast barn with an opening without doors.

The fun came to the guest house: beautiful, all carved and painted, like Tula gingerbread, like a toy.

There was a woman in a sundress embroidered with runes on a low porch: brown-haired, with a slanting to the waist, green eyes, black-browed, with lips sensual and juicy, but already at the age - on the neck and in the corners of the eyes wrinkles ran down.

- Hello, Lyudmila - the woman smiled and shook her head - take the guest dear, take care of him, and I will go to my uncle, report back.

- Well, is not Ruslanova Lyudmila? I asked, without addressing anyone.

- She is the most - answered Lyudmila, going down from the porch

- And where is Ruslan?

Fun answered, already going to the royal hut - Uncle Ruslan, with her uncle - she turned around on the move - they, like two boots - a pair, can not be poured with water.

Lyudmila took me by the arm - Well, let's go, the prince, wash your bath in the bathhouse, take a steam bath, wash away the road dust and sweat - she wrinkled her nose and led them - and then from you, as from a stallion.

Bathhouse is small, apparently for guests from the road, not for comfort playful.

Lyudmila didn’t go in - They'll wash you up and wash you with a broom. Ports clean in the waiting room on the bench are, and leave your dirty, dusty and sweaty here; I wash afterwards.

“Well — she freed her hand and gently pushed me — go, stare at someone else’s wife — and smiled mischievously, squinting down eyes — what affectionate is that!

I was thrown into heat - a member was sticking out with might and main, sticking out a knot of tights.

- Well, won't you come with me, Lyudmila?

- Yes, I can not with a man in the bath then: a bannik can boil water with boiling water. Come now, wash yourself, the prince - she again gently nudged me, smiling and dropping her eyes - and I will go to the table set for dinner.

Throwing off my clothes in the dressing room, I opened the door and went inside.

The bathhouse is neat, clean, with a window for lighting in the afternoon, but by evening it is of little use to it. It was, however, not very dark, and I saw, shelves and a gang on it with water, and a bast, and a birch broom and a soapworm in a dipper.

- Well, come on in, Che stood on the threshold then? - a voice sounded, and I saw the speaker.

A naked old man peeking out from under the regiment was bald, with a long beard and a bast wrapped around his waist.

- Bannik?

- He's the one, climb on the shelves, and lie down, rub your back on you - he jumped on the shelves, put the washcloth in a dipper with soapy water and looked at me - yes you don't think chevo, I won't indulge, you are a guest in the state, and the guest is honored and respect. Get in and lie down - and he slapped his hand on the shelf.

I climbed onto his shelves and lay down, and he, immediately dousing me with water from a gang, began to rub my back and sides, sniffing and mumbling something under my breath.

He washed me thoroughly and ordered water over the water. Now lie down on my back, I will wash you from the front.

I rolled over and he, too, thoroughly washed my stomach and chest and legs, doused it with hot water from a gang - Well, you will wash your head and causal place.

He jumped off the regiment and, taking a broom, lowered it into another gang - And I will soak the broom.

He succumbed to the park, so that his ears were burning, he whipped me with a broom, but he said - leave fatigue, do not bother me ...

He flogged me, he himself and poured cold water - Well, how are you, Prince?

I sat down and jumped to the floor - fatigue disappeared like a hand, and the spirit was invigorating, as if I had entered - And well, bannik! Thank you.

I went to the waiting room and, sitting down on a bench to dry off, asked him - Did I not see a bannik in the Tridead?

He groaned and, leaning out from under the regiment, replied - There Marya da Vassa, one sorceress, another witch. Bannik there was my older brother. He loved to pry as women wash. Well, once and peeped: on Maria. She noticed and turned him into a chamber pot - Now - I said - you see a shameful one!

- How did you find out about this? - I was surprised

- So after all, I was there a bannik, just did not spy. Fear suffered, and ran away here.

- Well, thanks again for the bathhouse - I got dressed, shod in lapotochki and went out into the street.

The sun went down beyond the horizon, but it was still light: that time of day, when the shadows begin to dissolve in the gathering twilight. And then my attention was attracted by the windows of the royal log hut: it seemed to me that light was emanating from the windows, as if from electric lighting. I turned around and looked at the sunset - the sun was no longer and the horizon was dark - “What the hell?” - I turned again to the windows of the royal house: there was no doubt that whitish light flowed from the windows and the birches standing under the windows cast a shadow on the grass.

- Do you like it ?! - Lyudmila stood next to me.

I looked away from the windows - Yes, thanks for the bath, Lyudmila.

- Then let's go to the hut - dine.

We climbed on the porch, she opened the door, passing me and went after her.

On the walls there were lamps in the lights and it was, in general, quite light. The hut had two rooms, not counting the entrance hall: the kitchen and the upper room, which was the bedroom at the same time.

She took me to the kitchen where the table was set: salted mushrooms, honey in a dipper, beer in another, and fish baked. I remembered the tablecloth, but I didn’t want to go behind it, and Lyudmila attracted my attention more and more: she dismissed the braid, instead of a sundress she was wearing a swoop tied under her chest, and when she bent, her chest swayed, sticking out shirt fabric.

I was excited and, unable to resist lustful desire, approached her from behind and wrapped my arms around her waist.

Lyudmila froze and, having carefully lifted her shoulders and, freeing herself from my hands, turned around - Everything had its time - smiled, and added - let's have dinner, sit down at the table.

I quenched my thirst after the bath, beer - sweet cranberry drink with honey. Then he poured himself and Lyudmila, in glasses, honey and we drank to health. Honey was strong and surprisingly good! Immediately, a lustful desire for a woman sitting next to her, flared up with a new force.

Ludmila's eyes gleamed, she moved her hand over the table - Taste the prince, my treat.

I suddenly felt that I was very hungry and was eating fish greedily, biting with salted fungi. We drank another cup of honey, Lyudmila almost did not eat, only broke off a piece of fish, and bit it with a fungus.

I watched her: she was drunk and looked at me, not embarrassed at all. And as soon as I wiped my lips with a towel, I got up and, taking me by the hand, silently led me into the upper room and, leading me to the bed, nudged playfully and rudely - Lie down!

I lay down on the bed and she, kneeling down, untied ...