Little Tsaritsa

Nadezsha stepped out of the shower, her skin tingling from the hot water, and the body wash she'd luxuriated in. A small gasp escaped her lips as she saw Arkady standing there, sans any sort of covering on the upper half of his body.

"Were you waiting for the shower?" she asked innocently. She'd left him asleep when she climbed out of his bed to perform her morning ablutions.

"I enjoyed watching while I waited," he replied in a purr. The panels that enclosed the shower had lightly frosted glass; exact details could not be seen but one could see enough to enjoy the show.

"I don't think I need t ask you if you liked what you saw," she replied breezily as she looked up at him, drops of water glistening on her skin. She moved forward, cupping his groin aggressively and feeling him flinch forward in response. She massaged his flesh, feeling the flex of his muscles as he wrapped his arm around her, pressing her even closer. The blond curls scattered lightly along his solar plexus tickled her cheek.

"How about you bend me over the counter and fuck me?" she asked as she looked up at him.

"We should save that energy for tonight," he responded. Keeping her gaze steady, she massaged him more firmly.

"Do you really want to wait for tonight to feel me around you?"

He was silent for a moment before a slow grin spread across his lips, and Nadezsha found her hair in the firm grip of his hand as he bent her over the marble counter, forcing her to place her hands on either side of the mirror for leverage. Nadezsha took note of the blush in her cheeks as Arkady leered down at her, pounding into her from behind.

"These years, I've had an appetite for you. It appears that your own appetite is coming to rival mine." His fingers dug into her hips as his flesh drove forward, and she let out a soft gasp.

"Fuck me," she demanded. She was in no mood for anything slow. She just wanted to feel that thick flesh ram itself into her, filling her again and again, claiming her as his. He lifted her away from the counter and pressed her against the wall, wrapping an arm around her middle as the other one pulled her hair back, leaving her neck and the side of her face open to an assault of kisses.

After he came, he pushed into her with several more fierce thrusts.

Arkady drew back before draping a towel over her shoulders. "There are groceries in the kitchen, would you please make us some breakfast?" he asked.

"I thought the bargain was for a lover, not a cook," she quipped as she looked over her shoulder. He smirked as he tugged his pants the rest of the way off, standing before her naked.

"I ask of it as a personal favor. One which shall be repaid... generously." His eyes gleamed down at her.

"Well, since you asked so nicely, sure."

As he showered, Nadezsha explored the kitchen, finding food that looked like it'd been purchased the day before. She recalled that Arkady sometimes had his maid do the shopping and stocking, and Katya's efficient organization allowed Nadezsha to find all that she needed for a good breakfast. After weighing her options, she decided to make waffles and pork sausage. By the time Arkady had completed his morning routine, she had several waffles ready to eat.

He looked nice in a suit, but she gave a slight frown. "I thought you didn't have to do any work today?" she inquired as he poured some syrup onto his waffles.

"I do have a couple of personal errands to run. In the meantime, you can shopping for something for tonight." He pulled out his wallet, retrieving a credit card from it. She stared down at it, well-aware of its shiny gray surface as he held it out to her.

"Jeez, you actually trust me with your credit card?" She looked down at it. It was a Platinum, which she didn't know the exact terms of, but in her old lifestyle, would have been so out of her reach she might as well try to catch a star.

Her old life was over, she reminded herself. So much had changed in the last couple of weeks, she was still processing things. It even had a bit of a fairy-tale feel to it, with him calling her his tsaritsa.

"Do I have a reason to not trust you?" he asked evenly. She blinked and shook her head in a negative response.

"That's what I thought."

o0o

After he left, she took the elevator down to the second level of the building, which housed an elegant boutique. It held a collection of beautifully-made traditional clothing, but also held an array of fashionable clothing for various occasions, and seeing a mannequin dressed in a fine suit made her wonder if Arkady and his friends did at least some of their shopping here.

The saleswoman that approached her had obviously been alerted to her arrival, and Nadezsha was guided through the store, offered some champagne as various dresses were shown to her.

"Mr. Suvorin has asked me to help you shop for some evening and formal wear," the older woman said with a solicitous air.

"I... only needed one dress," Nadezsha protested weakly. "And maybe a pair of shoes?"

The woman, who had her dark hair in a neat bob, smiled indulgently. "Mr. Suvorin insisted that I outfit you with a modest selection of clothing."

"... All right."

It was almost like the shopping trips she'd seen in movies, with the girl trying on this or that as she stood in front of a three-way mirror. However, Natasha was trusted by Arkady and not without reason, for Nadezsha ended up having several outfits that she actually liked. There was an elegant deep purple-gray suit, an off-the-shoulder evening gown, and what she'd intended to get in the first place, an elegant black cocktail dress. It ended halfway down her calves, with a modest decolletage, accompanied by an embroidered bolero. The black silk and velvet slid along her legs, and she felt like a princess.

However, Natasha's job apparently did not stop there, because she guided the young woman over to another store, this time a jewelry shop.

"The clothing will be delivered this afternoon. Have a nice day!" Natasha said before she returned to the boutique. The staff here was no less solicitous, and recognizing the thick Russian accent, she switched to Russian. This led to a lively conversation as Nadezsha looked at various pieces of jewelry and stones.

She gasped softly when he brought out a white gold necklace woven with an intricate pattern of metalwork which held diamonds and emeralds. The price tag on such an item surely would give even somebody like Arkady pause.

"It is beautiful," she acknowledged as Misha tilted the velvet board the necklace was mounted on, allowing the stones to glitter brightly under the jeweler's lamp.

"It is good you like it, Mr. Suvorin had this made specially for you."

She did not speak for several moments, and Misha tilted the board again. "It truly is a fine piece of work. My nephew and I worked together on this. Your benefactor must hold you in very high regard. Would you like to try it on?"

She nodded slowly as her gaze returned to the glitter of the jewels. High regard, indeed...

o0o

Nadezsha stared at herself in the mirror, having gotten the deliveries of her purchases from earlier. Or really, Arkady's purchases, since everything had been paid for with his platinum card. The diamonds and emeralds seemed to dance around her neck as the multiple lights from the bathroom mirror shone on them. Her nails were also freshly manicured this afternoon, and she'd even gotten a pedicure.

Arkady had said he would be gone until late afternoon, so she'd done some studying and looking up the courses she could take during the summer. Once that was out of the way... well, she was unable to resist trying the clothes again, this time with all the accessories she'd obtained. The decolletage of the black dress allowed her to display the necklace, and its matching earrings, in their glory. The high-heeled Gucci - apparently even Russians admired Italian fashion - gracefully hugged her feet and ankle with suede straps.

The very thought of the lifestyle that now awaited her made her head spin. It was one thing to get a check from him, but now she was clad in head to toe with some of the finest that money could buy. Perhaps it was her imagination, but she almost did not recognize herself in the mirror when she pinned her head up in a chignon, the emeralds dangling from her ears.

The television had been playing, so she did not hear Arkady come up from behind her, and was not aware of his presence until she saw his reflection in the mirror. She gasped softly and turned around, seeing him stare down at her in open admiration.

"This is how my tsaritsa should always dress... if she is not naked," Arkady said in a purr as he closed in on her. The back of her coif touched the mirror, and she looked up as his hands went to her sides.

"You are stunning. You will be the envy of every other woman tonight."

"I think it's you, not my jewelry, that they will hate me for," she replied.

"They would hate you even more if they knew what I intend to do to you later tonight..." His hands slid up to caress her breasts, thumb firmly massaging her nipples through the fabric of the dress.

"Who says you have to wait?" she challenged, wiggling against him. He chuckled softly, shaking his head.

"I am sorely tempted to push that skirt up and ravish you, but we will save that for after we get back..."

"Oh," came the playful pout. He smiled and ran his fingers along her jaw.

"Be assured that your enthusiasm is a heady aphrodisiac indeed." He lowered his lips to press them against her forehead. He regarded the mirror with a quick glance as he undid his tie before looking back at her.

"Have you talked to your family?" he queried in a casual tone.

"Only to let them know that I would not be coming in today. Uncle Boris is sick, so I'm going to wait a couple of days before I see him. I got a bunch of texts from my aunt and cousins, but I decided that there were better things to do than engage."

"Better things, indeed," he said, eyeing her figure.

"That's not all I did. I got homework done and started registration for summer classes."

He nodded approvingly. "You look all ready. Give me ten minutes, and I will be out." He retreated to his bedroom, where just seven minutes later, he emerged in a different suit, in a fine black with a deep red shirt and black and gold tie. She felt her stomach twist into pleasant flips as she regarded the man before her, and the pleasures he'd hinted at.

o0o

Arkady reclined in the comfortable seats, his hand resting lightly on Nadezsha's arm as they listened to the play.

It was based off the classic Russian tale of Vasilisa, and included a few lively song and dance numbers. The performance had been highly-rated, and Arkady was pleased to see the recommendation had not come to naught. So far, they had been fairly discreet in their relationship as he allowed her to become more used to what he had to offer her, but now it was time to immerse her further into his world. He had to admit, there was also a streak of male pride that prompted him for this night - to show off his lovely tsaritsa to the world.

Nadezsha had proven herself to be well worth the wait. He'd caught appraising - and approving glances - from several of the other opera house patrons. Their companions, a longtime friend of his family and the man's wife, seemed absorbed in the play, but earlier on, Vassily had whispered into his ear that it was 'about damn time' as his glance moved over to Nadezsha.

Despite his generally taciturn mien, Arkady's desire for Nadezsha was an open secret to certain close friends. The sad tale of her parents was well-known, as was her stubborn pride. In the eyes of men like Vassily - even if it might be considered old-fashioned by others - such a hard-working young woman needed a benefactor to keep her safe.

Old-fashioned, even archaic it might seem, Arkady found the arrangement a sensible one, and it was clear that Nadezsha was coming to understand that old ways were not always bad.

He smiled to himself as he saw how relaxed she was, her eyes sparkling as she watched the drama on the stage. The story of Vasilisa was a favorite in Russian folklore, and the writers, and actors had come together to put on a creative and spectacular performance.

The story centered around the daughter of a widowed merchant. Her mother had passed when she was a child, leaving behind a doll for her daughter. On her deathbed, the woman told Vasilisa that should she ever be in need, she should leave the doll some food and drink. When the woman died, the doll comforted Vasilisa after getting some bread and goat's milk, coming to life in the form of a particularly limber midget that did backflips across the stage. Arkady grinned to himself.

After a time, the merchant remarried, bringing home not only a new mother but two sisters for Vasilisa. She was sweet and charming to her husband and guests, but as one might expect of fairy tales, she was cruel to Vasilisa, besetting her with convoluted chores and impossible tasks.

The stepsisters were also cruel, but Vasilisa had her doll to comfort her and help her, albeit only when no others were watching. Infuriated at her stepdaughter's apparent ease at what should have been impossible, the stepmother also rejected all suitors who sought Vasilisa's hand, foisting her own homely daughters upon the would-be grooms.

This scene was performed with such comedy that Nadezsha laughed quietly, and Vassily chuckled while his wife tittered. Arkady smiled as he rubbed his thumb along Nadezsha's arm, giving it a gentle squeeze.

One day, the merchant had to embark on a journey. News came that he died, and needing to support the family, the stepmother sold what remained of her husband's goods and moved them to a gloomy house by the forest.

The fires in the house burned out while Vasilisa had been gathering wood and berries, and the sisters had been too lazy to tend to them during her absence, so Vasilisa came back to a cold and dark house. Angrily, the stepmother told her that this was her fault and she needed to go into the forest and bring home fire.

Vasilisa left the house with a lamp, her doll, and a bit of food. The doll advised her to go find Baba Yaga, and led her safely through the woods. He led her to water and berries, and bade her to sleep on a bed of moss. Near dawn, he woke her up, and off they went. A mysterious man clad in white rode past them on a white steed - although the horse in the play was an artful facsimile - and after a shimmering red disc rose in the background, denoting morning, another man rode past her, this one clad in red atop a fiery steed. By the time she found Baba Yaga's house, it was near dark, and a third horseman rode by, clad in all black.

The house stood on chicken legs and was fenced with human bones. As weary as she was after the day-long trek after a house that moved about, she still jumped back dramatically when the eyes of the skills glowed, and Baba Yaga came out in her flying mortar and pestle.

After hearing the girl's humble plea, Baba Yaga consented to let her take some fire in exchange for chores. She had to clean the house, do the witch's laundry, and cook her a meal. All were simple enough for a girl used to doing these things at home, but Baba Yaga came up with more difficult tasks and bade her to have them complete before the next nightfall.

Vasilisa had to separate grains of rotten corn from sound ones, and separate poppy seeds from pieces of soil. An ordinary girl would have despaired, but Vasilisa had her doll, and fed it as soon as Baba Yaga left for the day.

The three riders rode past in quick succession, and Baba Yaga returned to find her house spotless and all tasks accomplished and set aside neatly.

To reward the girl for her work, the witch permitted Vasilisa to ask her questions. Vasilisa inquired of the riders, and learned that they were Day, the Sun, and Night.

In turn, Baba Yaga had her own question to ask, as she was curious about the girl's success. Modestly, Vasilisa replied that she'd done the work with her mother's blessing.

The witch went into a fit over that, dancing across the stage in a mix of comedy and fury. She was a witch, and hated blessings, so she threw Vasilisa out of the house, but not before honoring their previou agreement and giving her a skull that contained hot coals.

Upon her return, Vasilisa discovered that her stepfamily had been unable to light any sort of fire, and coals or candles brought over from neighbors went dark once they crossed the threshold.

For their wickedness, the coals in the skill burned the evil women to ashes before the disembodied head instructed her to bury it.

Left with no wealth or family, Vasilisa had to start anew, but she had her doll, and more importantly, her skill. Her hard work secured her a position with a maker of cloth, and the fabrics she made were so fine that they drew the notice of the Tsar.

Vasilisa had her happy ending as the Tsar took her as his wife. The play ended in a rousing musical number, all the actors garbed splendidly in traditional Russian garb.

"Well done, well done!" Vassily said, smiling as he clapped his hands. Arkady nodded in agreement, watching idly as the performers took their final bow.

"I have always enjoy4ed this story since I was a boy. At least in the better variations. My mother was a hard worker, and so was Vasilisa. I knew since I was a boy that I wanted a woman who was as diligent as she was lovely," he said, the last couple of words uttered in a lighter tone.

"It's nice to know that all my hard work paid off," she replied just as lightly.

"Well, we've had our dinner and play. I suggest we move on to dessert," Arkady whispered with a warm growl after Vassily and his wife vacated the space and Nadezsha was pulling on her coat. He reached out, wrapping his arm around her hip and pulling her close. Her body was firm and warm against his own, and his hand slid down her stomach to rest on her outer thigh.

Seeing her so elegantly attired, enjoying the nice things that he'd given her was no small boost to his male ego. He knew she would have been happy with less, but she deserved a taste of the finer things in life. "And you will be wearing nothing but your jewelry. And perhaps shoes," he added, nibbling along her ear.

"Damnit, Arkady!" She twisted against him in an effort to pull back, and he chuckled into her ear before letting her go.

o0o

She felt her pulse racing within her throat as they walked into the foyer of Arkady's apartment. He slid his coat off, placing it nearly within the closet as she started to do the same. He took her jacket and put it away before turning towards her.

Nadezsha backed away from him before quickly turning around and making her way across the living room. Behind her, she heard him stalking, feet brushing across the carpet.

He was on her almost immediately the moment she stepped into his bedroom.

"So long I have fantasized about this," Arkady said as he turned her to face him. "To have and treat you as my queen." His hand lifted to cup the side of her face. She'd put on very little makeup, and his thumb ghosted along her gloss-covered lips.

"But now is the time to bow before your king." His tone, while velvety, had a steel edge to it. "Remove your dress."

She blinked before lifting her chin, reaching up to slide the garment down her shoulders. Once her arms were free, she pulled the black sheath over her head, and felt him tug it away. Relinquishing her grip, she heard his next command.

"Take off your underwear."

He stood there, her dress in his hands as he watched her, standing tall and proud, shoulders pulled back. He practically exuded power from every pore, and his confident stance told her that he was well aware of it. The fine suit he wore was an elegant veneer for an already formidable package, and it was not hard to see how one might be intimidated by him in business meetings.