A candle flickered in the stain glass window of the royal bedchamber. The queen was sitting in her chair with a lap loom weaving and humming to herself. It had now been three years since the birth of her son and in that time span her little boy had grown quickly from a squealing infant into a rambunctious little boy whom often got into mischief. She couldn't help but smile at the memory of him being carried with great difficulty by a maid to the bathhouse after raiding the garden. His hands and mouth stained red from eating strawberries as he cried that he didn't want a bath. But despite his mischief he was also a very sweet boy. He adored his older sister whom would help her stepmother watch him. They would often play games together or on rainy days she would read him stories. Joseph had insisted that his wife and daughter know how to read as 'An intelligent woman is more engaging than one whom is not.' Svetlana had been a fast learner and was now beginning to teach her younger brother his alphabet and so far her teaching methods where quite effective. Sofya, yawning, set the loom aside and, picking up the candle, went to check on the children before heading to bed. She walked down the dark hall towards Ivan's room where she heard him speaking.
"Who are you sir?"
There was silence but then she heard him ask another question
"A Domovoi? What's that?"
Ivan asked looking up at the tall man with long silvery hair and beard. He had cool grey eyes and was dressed in a simple high collared tunic with puffy sleeves and simple pants stuffed into black boots.
"I am the guardian of the house young one."
He answered in a hollow yet gravely voice.
"Oh."
The child said trailing off before asking
"What does a Domovoi do?"
"I keep the house in order and protect the family as long as they pay me respect."
He explained as he sat on the child's bed. Ivan just stared up at him wide eyed.
"Mama told me about spirits. Are you one of those?"
"Da I am little one."
"Then you must be really old! Like a hundred!"
He said in amazement. The Domovoi chuckled.
"I am far older than that little one. I was here when this palace of yours was first built back in the 1090."
The child's eyes where now as wide as dinner plates.
"Wow! Mama said that spirits are old but i never thought they would be that old!"
He exclaimed then added.
"Mama says spirits are very wise and have magic powers."
"We do indeed little one but right now I think it would be best if you slept."
"Aww! But I wanna see magic!"
He pouted.
"How about I make a deal with you. If you go to sleep I promise to show you magic tomorrow."
The child smiled at this.
"Ok!"
He exclaimed as he lay down and held his favorite stuffed rabbit close. The Domovoi smiled down at the young prince.
"Sleep well little one."
With that he vanished and that's when Ivan heard the door creek. He sat up then and saw his mother coming in. Beaming, he jumped out of bed and ran over to her.
"Mama! Mama! I saw the Domovoi!"
He exclaimed as he tugged on her nightgown.
"I heard moy podsolnukh."
She said smiling as she picked him up and cared him back to bed as he told her all about him.
"He promised to show me magic tomorrow!"
He exclaimed joyfully.
"That sounds exciting!"
She told him as she tucked him in. He yawned as he felt sleep taking him
"Da. Mama?"
"Da moy podsolnukh?"
"Will you sing to me?"
He asked. She smiled and kissed the tip of his nose.
"Of course moy podsolnukh."
She began to sing and Ivan felt himself being carried into the ream of dreams. Once he was sleeping she gave him a kiss on the cheek
"Sweet dreams moy podsolnukh."
She said before leaving her son to rest. After checking her children she returned to her room where her dearest husband was waiting for her to join him. He smiled at her as she entered.
"How are the children moya roza?"
He asked her as she crawled into bed with him and he took her in her arms and kissed her. She smiled.
"There all sleeping soundly my love."
"khorosho." (1)
She blew out the light and kisses could be heard in the dark.
—
Ivan was awoken by the colored light beaming through his stain glass window of his bedroom. He sat up, stretched, and rubbed his eyes before getting out of bed. He went to the bedroom door and opened it as he did he saw his late night visitor. The Domovoi smiled down at the young prince and picked him up.
"I see that you slept well little one."
Ivan nodded and yawned again.
"Da. Where is mama and papa?"
He asked.
"There still sleeping little one but they will be up soon."
The spirit said as he began to head down the hall with the sleepy prince.
"Where are we going?"
He asked.
"To the kitchen to get you something to eat."
The Domovoi said as they passed a maid whom dropped her tray in shock at the sight of the floating prince. She then ran to her masters room where she began banging on the door.
"Your majesties! Please wake up it's an emergency!"
The door opened to reveal the Tsar his eyes still bleary with sleep.
"What is it?"
He asked drowsily.
"It's the prince!"
This not only woke Joseph completely but also his wife joined him her eyes filled with fear for her only son.
"What is it!? What happened?! Is my baby ok?!"
She asked frantically
—
Moments later the three of them where watching the prince eat a blini(2) as he sat on a stool by the kitchen fire. Nearby the cook was making more for the prince and his invisible companion. Ivan saw his mother and father standing in the doorway and smiled crumbs on his face.
"Dobroye utro, mama i papa!" (2)
He said between bites. Sofya came over and, taking a napkin, wiped the crumbs off her sons face and smiled.
"Dobroye utro, moy podsolnukh."
She cooed.
"Mr. Domovoi brought me here!"
He said excitedly
"We heard little one."
Joseph said coming over and ruffling his sons hair. Ivan giggled.
"He's going to show me magic today papa!"
"Is he now?"
"Da! He says I have magic too!"
Ivan said as he bounced on his stool all the more excited by the prospect.
"Well moy podsolnukh before you go learn magic you must get your morning bath."
"Awwwwww! I don't wanna bath!"
He whined.
"There is no way to avoid it my son. Little boys must be clean especially princes."
Ivan pouted, he didn't like baths all that much. Not until he got in that is. After eating his breakfast his mother took him with her to the bathhouse for his bath. The servants filled a wooden tub with heated water. Once the tub was full she placed her son in the tub and began to wash his hair while he played with the bubbles. As he played another woman came in wrapped in a towel like the Tsarina was but she was no typical woman. Her long hair was a luscious deep crimson that tumbled down her head like a waterfall. Her skin was pearly white with a dusting of freckles on her face with aqua blue eyes. She was the rusalka of the nearby pond and it was because of her that the Queen's garden was always bountiful as she insured that the plants got enough water. She came over to the child who smiled up at her.
"Dobroye utro rybka." (3)
She told him
"Dobroye utro!"
He exclaimed happily.
"Dobroye utro Galina. How are you doing?"
Sofya asked.
"Very well! This summer promises to be a bountiful one!"
"khorosho!"
The Tsarina said with gladness in her heart. The two women where very close as Galina had helped her feel more at home when she had first joined the muscovite court all those years ago. Sofya had never seen the woman of course because she was a spirit. However she was able to hear her thanks to a childhood run in with a Leshy. She had only been 4 years old at the time and had been traveling through the forest with her family when they stopped to water the horses and rest. She had wandered around picking flowers and had gotten lost. Frightened by her predicament she had begun to cry out for her parents when a majestic stag had appeared before her. He was unlike any stag she had ever seen with his leafy green fur and bark underbelly and antlers. It looked down at her with its deep forest green eyes and she heard a voice like the rustling of leaves in the wind.
"Are you lost myshka?" (4)
He asked. She nodded sniffing.
"Can you help me get back?"
She asked tearfully.
"Da, come."
He kneeled down so that she could ride on his back. Once she was settled he rose up and had carried her back. With that simple touch her ears had been opened to the spirit realm.
Her son however was able to see her and had told his mother what she looked like or what she was doing which had helped the women grow closer. After he was adequately cleaned Galina placed the prince into her lap and began to comb his hair with her magic comb. As she did so he told her all about his encounter with the Domovoi and his excitement about having magic. By the time she was done Sofya had finished her shower and thanked her dear friend for watching her son.
"Oh it's no trouble at all Sofya Mikalovna."
She smiled
"Good luck with your magic rybka."
She told the prince.
"What do you say Ivan?"
Sofya asked him
"Spasibo Galina!"
He said and waved goodbye as his mother took him into the changing room to get dressed.
"I have something for you moy podsolnukh."
She said as she helped him pull his red tunic over his head and tied a purple belt around his waist. His eyes twinkled with excitement at the prospect of a gift.
"Close your eyes."
She told him and he squeezed his eyes shut. She chuckled at his expression before taking the red scarf she had made for him and wrapping it around his neck before tying it in a bow behind his head.
"Ok now open."
Ivan opened his eyes to look in the dressing room mirror to see the beautifully woven scarf around his neck. He then looked down at it and taking it in his hands pressed his adorable oversized nose into it. It smelled of sunflowers and roses and most of all his mother whom he loved so dearly. He then turned to his kneeling mother and embraced her.
"Spasibo Mama!"
"pozhaluysta moy podsolnukh."
She told him stroking his hair and giving him a tender kiss.
"Now run along little one. You mustn't keep the Domovoi waiting."
He nodded and he ran off to the garden where the spirit was waiting for him.
—-
"Hold out your hands little one."
The Domovoi instructed. Ivan held out his tiny hands looking at them with curiosity
"Now I want you to think of the winter."
"The winter?"
Ivan asked with a curious expression on his face.
"Da. The ice and snow."
Ivan closed his eyes and imagined the beautiful snow covered earth. He felt his body growing cold despite the hot summer day. He opened his eyes to see ethereal snowflakes fluttering down around his outstretched hands and a tiny pile of snow around his feet. He jumped up in down with excitement
"I USED MAGIC!"
He exclaimed. The Domovoi smiled down at him
"Da you did little one but this is only the beginning of the power you possess."
"Really?!"
"Da but you must be careful. Ice and snow can be beautiful."
He plucked a wildflower from the ground and Ivan watched as frost coated it and made it wither away before his eyes.
"But it's also deadly."
Ivan look down at the remains of the flower and felt a deep sorrow within him.
"I don't think I like magic now."
He said timidly. That's when he felt a pair of arms embrace him.
"It's alright little one magic isn't to be feared just respected. And I'm sure that with your gentle heart it will bring you far more joy than sorrow."
Ivan returned the embrace with a joyful smile before they parted and a stone was placed in the child's hand.
"First we will start with your ice breath."
"Ice breath?"
Ivan gave the Domovoi a questioning look.
"You see little one your power depends on the water around you. There is water in your breath and as such your breath can be used to turn things into ice."
Ivan looked at the stone in wonder.
"Breath in and out slowly little one."
He did so taking in deep breaths and then letting them go.
"Now think of the cold winds of winter, how they make the body shiver, cut it like a blade with frigid fingers."
Ivan breathed out and as he did a thin layer of ice formed on the stone. He smiled at the result.
'You will go far little one.'
The Domovoi thought.
'Someday you will be great.'
khorosho-good or well
Dobroye utro, mama i papa!- good morning mama and papa
Dobroye utro rybka- good morning little fish
myshka-little mouse