The Bee Keeper's Daughter. Kingdom of Meridian. Vol 1.

Maria had not considered the northern track she was on. It made sense that the weather in Neva would turn cold sooner. She had not imagined making the trip alone but understood it was her parents wish for her to get to safety.

«Horosho, I’ll be ready in the morning,» she said.

Sergei nodded and left the room.

Maria hoped she was making the right decision. She laid back in her bed and looked at the ceiling. The value of the distraction in the room next door faded as the sad reality of the journey ahead consumed her thoughts into the night.

From Those with the Least to Share

Maria felt the light from the window brushing her face as she woke up. Today she would travel to Neva to find her aunt and hopefully be reunited with her mother. She got out of bed and gathered her things. She took one of the linens from the wash stand, tied it by the corners and placed her belongings inside it. It looked awkward but gave her some convenience in moving about.

Noises emerged from the room next door as she prepared to leave. She ignored them at first but rushed to the hole in the wall to take one last look to see who might be there.

A giggling young woman entered the room, she was slender with brown painted eyes that looked intense and mysterious. Her chestnut hair was in a long braid that looked like a rope twisting down her back. A man followed her inside, pulling at her clothes with an eagerness that made the woman slightly protest.

«Careful!» she said, «You will tear it for sure!»

The man was tall with sandy blonde hair and blue eyes, his clothing looked foreign with Nordic designs on the cuffs and lapels. He gestured to the woman to remove her clothing as he sat on the bed. The woman skillfully turned a button, and her entire dress slipped to the ground.

«Like what you see Captain?» She teased.

The man smiled in silence then sucked his breath in a soft whistle, «Shoo» he said in agreement.

«It was so sweet of you to offer me breakfast, but as you can see I have something else in mind.» She said playfully as she walked toward him and began to take his clothes off. Maria marveled as she could see everything from her vantage point, but only the back of the woman’s bare body.

She watched intently as the woman slipped his pants off and began to caress his chest. Her hands slowly working lower until she was on her knees.

Maria could not see around the woman, and watched hoping to get a glimpse of the man’s body. It was as if they knew she was watching and did everything to block what she wanted to see most, but suddenly he turned into view as the woman climbed onto the bed. The man looked bigger than the last one. His manhood curved upward with a more defined tip. It was beautiful, erotic, inspiring….and Maria’s hands began to slide over her body as she felt the return of the warm sensation she had felt the night before.

The woman undid her braid, freeing her curly brown hair. Maria watched in astonishment as the woman took the man into her mouth and slid her fingers up and down his shaft. The man ran his fingers through her hair and moaned deeply as the woman took him into her mouth over and over.

Maria’s hand cupped her breasts as she looked on in hunger at the couple’s erotic exchange. The man seemed to be in a trance, unable to contain himself as the woman moved faster and took him deeper into her mouth. She had such power over him as if she was placing a spell on him, controlling him as he could only moan for more. The man began to whisper in a foreign language, but the woman ignored him and continued stroking him faster.

He reached and stroked her breasts, squeezing them firmly in his hands as he let out a deep moan and arched his back. The woman held his throbbing flesh in her hands and tilted her head back as his creamy juice began to pulse onto her neck. He moaned again as she squeezed him for more and praised him for giving her what she had worked for.

«That’s it, let it out.» She coaxed.

The man seemed to collapse onto the bed. Breathing heavily as if knocked down from a fight.

The woman stood up from the bed and went to the washstand, cleaning herself as the other woman had done. But then she returned to the bed and laid alongside the man. Her slim curvy body was so smooth and graceful in the morning light. She was more attentive and tender than the last woman, making him completely yielding to her will.

Maria felt a hunger growing inside her body, a new and powerful mystery of pleasure and intrigue. It was as if a seed had been planted that filled her womanly curiosity to see and experience more.

She felt jealous of the woman’s freedom to have a man and do such things as she had seen. She knew she needed to leave this unexpected place and continue her journey, but she felt her view on life, her body and men were awakening.

She took one last look at the couple lying in their bed, naked and draped in tossed sheets. They seemed so peaceful compared to their earlier intensity.

She gathered her things and made her way towards the door. She took one last look around the room wondering if she would ever return here again. After such an ordeal, this room had become the first comfort she had known, and the beginning of a journey not only to Neva but within herself.

Maria walked down the halls remembering her first impression of the tavern and how different everything seemed now. The smells and chemistry of the tavern lit fires of curiosity as she passed each door. She descended the staircase and was able to see the rest of the building which was dark in the early morning hours. There were several small tables and chairs in the center of the room. Large barrels of mead and ale set in the corner where dozens of tankards were cleaned and neatly stacked. She imagined how it must look in the evening full of sailors and working women. She remembered a similar place in Rostov, but she never saw the inside of it. Somehow it seemed so dark and mysterious from the outside, but now she saw it in a very different way. These were not evil beings, conspiring to corrupt anyone who dared come through the door. They were simple people, probably lonely, who were willing to exchange money for companionship, and the women working there had likewise reconciled the act of affection as a service for hire.

After seeing the last couple, she wondered, «Do they ever find love here? Is it possible?»

She walked towards the back of the Tavern, following the sounds that only a kitchen would create. As she entered the room, she saw Oxana cooking some eggs as she spoke with another woman. The relationship of the women intrigued Maria, they seemed to share a sisterhood of sorts with faceless men passing through their lives.

In the corner, there was a small table and three small children waiting for breakfast. A boy and two girls with innocent faces. As she looked around the rest of the room, she heard a voice say, «Kushet budish?»

She looked and realized Oksana had asked if she was hungry. Maria smiled and nodded in agreement, «Da! But please let me make it, I’ve imposed enough on you.»

Oksana was pleased with Maria’s response, and said, «You are welcome to whatever we have, dear. This is Tanya by the way, she helps me run the place.»

Tanya was an older woman, she was heavier in shape than Oxana with a modest appearance and clothing. She looked like she had lived a rough life and now stared into the distance rather than at people’s faces.

«Can I help you ladies finish cooking?» Maria asked.

«Da, you can make the oats for the children.» Said Tanya.

«Yes, of course, I’ll get some water,» Maria said as she quickly made herself at home in the kitchen.

Maria felt an excitement and energy in the air, it was as if there was no time to think of dark events, she needed to focus on what she was doing to make her life better. All of her thoughts rushed to the positive goal of traveling to Neva and being reunited with her mother.

She set a pot of water on the stove and put the oatmeal in once it boiled. She stirred quickly to keep it smooth and noticed the children were watching her every move.

«Hungry?» She asked with a smile.

The children didn’t respond, they were quiet and looked at each other for assurances on not speaking.

Maria felt drawn to them, their innocence and bright eyes full of curiosity. She took the pot to their table and began filling their bowls with oatmeal. «Kak tebya zovut? She asked the little girl.

The children remained shy and did not respond to her. They began eating and kept their eyes on their food. Each of them started to blow on their spoonful’s waiting for it to cool.

«Oh!» Maria said realizing it was too hot. «Do you have milk or butter?» she said, walking to the stove to look for it.

Oxana pointed her in the direction of the milk and eggs. Maria brought both back to the table and added them to the bowls. «Does anyone here like cinnamon?» She asked in a voice that reminded her of her mother’s.

Maria looked toward Oksana curiously as if she may have done something wrong. «They are shy with strangers and so many coming and going around here,» Oksana said with a glance of understanding as she handed Maria a small roll of cinnamon bark.

One of the boys pushed his bowl toward her and waited as he watched her. Maria felt excited, it was the first sign of communicating with them. She reached for a knife and scraped the cinnamon flakes into the bowl.

«Spacibo,» he said softly as he began to eat again.

«Pozhalysta,» Maria giggled as she brushed her hand over his head.

Maria stood and remembered she had not put any honey in the oatmeal. She looked around the kitchen and spotted a small ceramic pot sitting by the stove. She returned to the children’s table and taunted them playfully, «I don’t suppose anyone here likes honey?» she said.

All three children stopped eating and pushed their bowls forward immediately.

Maria giggled as she removed the top of the jar and lifted the wooden comb spoon inside as the honey dripped slowly from the combs. «Oh look how dark it is, this is the best honey!» She said as she drizzled some on each child’s oatmeal.

The children smiled and happily began mixing the honey into their oatmeal, continuing to devour it.

Maria reached for a bowl and set with the children while she ate her breakfast. She began to realize these children were probably born in this Tavern, not knowing who their father might be. It was such a different existence than what she had known growing up on a farm. She could not imagine what her life would have been like without her father. And at that moment she felt the cold reality sweeping over, that now she would be as these children were now, facing a life without the protection and care she had lost in Rostov. She looked at their innocent faces and quickly wiped her tears away, repeating to herself to focus on moving forward.

There was a knock at the front door as Tanya went to see who it was. She returned with Sergei, who looked like he was in a hurry to leave. His eyes were wide, and he stood as near the door as possible.

The ladies offered him breakfast, but he refused quickly.

«Are we going to miss the boat?» asked Maria as she stood, preparing to leave.

«Net, we have enough time, but if any of my wife’s friends see me here, I will be a dead man in the morning,» Sergei said in a nervous tone.

Oksana and Tanya burst into laughter as Maria smiled and turned to say goodbye.

«Thank you for your hospitality and kindness, I appreciate everything you have done for me,» Maria said as she picked up her things.

Oxana noticed her linen wrapped around Maria’s things. «Wait, I have a sack here…» she said sifting through her potato bin, «It’s not fancy, but it’s clean.»

Maria smiled, delighted to have the white linen sack to carry her belongings in. Everything fit perfectly, and the cinch cord made it easier to carry.

«Poka detii,» she said sweetly to the children as they looked up at her, not understanding why she was leaving so soon.

Maria and Sergei walked towards the door as Oxana followed them.

«Oksana will you please tell my cousin Dima that I have left for Neva and will wait for my mother there?» Maria asked.

«Of course, he should be here at the same time next week,» Oksana replied.

«Meanwhile, he handed me this before he left. I believe it’s for… the unexpected» Oksana whispered without Sergei hearing as she placed a bag of coins in Maria’s hand. «No reason for anyone to know you have that, dear.»

Maria smiled and nodded, understanding Oksana’s advice as she carefully hid the bag of coins in the potato sack.

Dima opened the door and walked outside onto the porch as Maria followed. Suddenly the little boy she had given the cinnamon to ran onto the porch and wrapped his arms around Maria’s waist. He did not say a word, he only held her tightly for a moment then ran back inside. Maria only had a moment to pat his head before he was gone. She looked toward Oksana in astonishment.

«They don’t get treated very kindly in this town, thank you for making them feel special,» Oksana said with a quivering voice.

Maria hugged Oxana and felt the warmth of her heart.

«You know, there is a place like this in my town, and I thought the people there were so…» Maria began.

Oxana stopped her and smiled, «Nothing in life is as it seems dear. God speed you on your way.»

Oksana turned and quickly walked inside, clearly feeling the emotions of the moment.

Maria watched as the door closed, and she realized how much she had learned about life, people and even herself in this unassuming little tavern. She wished she could have stayed longer but accepted that her journey must continue.

Maria continued with Sergei down the street where a carriage was waiting.

«We have to board a ship on the other side of the harbor where the Tatars control the ships. It’s likely they are looking for you from what I was told, so… put this on, you’re my wife if anyone asks.» Sergei said as he handed Maria a kerchief while they climbed aboard the carriage.

The streets of Yaroslavl were quite different from Rostov. Maria admired the larger buildings and smooth streets. The energy was different in the city, there seems to be more possibility for a future life. She began to imagine how Neva must be even more impressive and have even more to offer.

Sergei handed Maria a small bag of coins, «Dima said these are for expenses.»

Maria nodded in confusion. Why would he give money to Sergei and Oxana for the same reason? Then she remembered when her cousin had paid Oxana for her stay in the Tavern. She realized Oksana had chosen to give the money to her instead. She remembered back in the tavern, and how Oxana had taken risks to help her. In a world where the rich exploited the innocent, she had experienced generosity and kindness from those with the least to share and most to lose.

Kupala

The carriage slowed to a stop as it pulled alongside a large single sail ship, tied to the dock in Yaroslavl. There were pockets in the sides where boat oars could be extended, and each board of the vessel was glued together with an acrid black tar. The ship was taking on cargo, as barrel after barrel was rolled up a plank on the side. The name Kupala was carved into the forward side and across the back in large letters. Maria recognized the name from mythical stories she had heard as a child. Each summer there were festivals where maidens engaged in rituals with flowers and water celebrating traditions in the name of Kupala, but Maria’s parents were Christian and forbid her from taking part in such things.

Maria exited the carriage and looked up to admire the overwhelming size of the Volga River. It seemed more like a sea compared to the river she knew in her small town. With each day since her escape from Rostov, the world had become a much larger place, and she was both terrified and intrigued to discover more.

Sergei boarded the ship and spoke with the quartermaster about their travel arrangements. From the dock, Maria could hear some shouting and arguments, but this was typical negotiation tactics in Russia. As she looked around taking in all of the sites, a large group of men walked by her to board the ship. They were poorly dressed and smelled of alcohol but walked like kings of their own world inside an entourage of sweat and muscle.

Sergei returned with a discouraged face that he tried to hide as he explained the situation to Maria. «There is not enough for both of us to take this trip, so you will have to go without me.» He said in a slight whisper, keeping his back to the ship. «I told this man that you knew your way around the ship and would be okay without an escort. Can you go alone?»

Maria’s hand slid towards her pocket, thinking to offer the money Oksana had given her earlier. But something in the back of her mind told her to go on without Sergei.

«As long as this ship will take me to Neva, I will be fine,» Maria said as she reached for her sack of belongings.

Sergei seemed very relieved, «The quartermaster is a good man, he will keep an eye on you. Meanwhile, I’ll explain everything to your brother when he returns next week.» He said with a smile.

As they walked towards the gangplank, Sergei’s voice lowered once again as he whispered, «There are all sorts of people on these ships, criminals, slaves even spies. Do not trust anyone, and sleep with this in your hand.» He said cautiously as he placed a palm-sized knife between her fingers.

Maria quickly hid the knife in her pocket and thanked Sergei for his help. «I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, now go and be with your dear wife, she is lucky to have such a devoted man,» Maria said as she began to board the ship.

Sergei watched as Maria found her place on the deck. He marveled at her maturity and character as he was accustomed to the cavalier and insatiable personalities of city women, but this young farm girl seemed wise beyond her years. With intense regret he turned back to the carriage, watching this charming lady fend for herself on an unknown journey.

Maria looked around, taking a long silent view of the Volga River; the view was breathtaking in the morning air. She felt the boards beneath her feet creaking and bumping as men below worked and prepared the ship to get underway. She recognized the boisterous language and tone of the workers who had passed her earlier on the dock. These were the oarsmen who would row the ship to its destination. She found it hard to imagine such an existence and wondered how anyone could live such a life.

A few more passengers boarded the ship as the ropes were being untied. The ship gently floated away from the dock as the creak and splash of the oars began their rhythm to and fro taking the vessel northward. Soon the dock was a small detail on the rear horizon as scenes along the river rolled by. A cold breeze blew from the South filling the large square sail entirely until it whistled at the edges.

The cold air quickly chilled Maria’s body as it blew through the open weave of her dress. She saw a portal inside and decided to seek warmth inside of the ship. Her curiosity was peaked, she wanted to explore rest of the ship and find where she would be spending her nights. She had never slept in a cabin on a ship, and her mind began to imagine a spacious room with a window and comfortable bed. She saw the quartermaster directing everyone in different directions; each person seemed to be going the wrong way or had a complaint about their assigned place.

«Excuse me, sir, can you tell me where I will be sleeping tonight,» Maria said gently.

The quartermaster turned to answer her as if he were annoyed by yet another question, but he saw the innocence of her big grey eyes and hesitated to answer. His demeanor changed as he smiled, «Young miss, you’ll be sharing the forward cabin with our cook. We’ve no steerage for young ladies, and I can’t put you on the deck with the crew. Just walk straight down this way to the door at the end». He said.

«And may I also have a room, kind sir?» Teased an oarsman, faking a woman’s voice

The quartermaster quickly returned to his coarse nature and barked at the man, «Get your gear stowed below and get to your post! He said as he pushed the man to the stairwell.

Maria giggled quietly, enjoying the kind attention she had not expected. She walked toward the cabin, keeping her hands along the walls to balance as the ship rocked from left to right. It was an unpleasant almost sickening sensation to have such sway in each step. The massive Volga was clearly not as gentle as the river she had just traveled the day before.

As she reached for the door she feared for the worst of characters, she imagined a fat old man keeping her awake all night with snoring. «Why would they put me in a room with a man?» She wondered in protest.

She took her hand away from the doorknob and decided to knock softly before opening the door. Hearing no response, she felt relieved and opened the door, trying to keep from stumbling in as she made an effort to walk and enter as the ship swayed sharply to one side. At the corner of the room, a naked petite woman stood bent over a wash pan with her hair dipped in the water. She was wrapping her hair in a towel and quickly looked up, sensing the open door and shouted at Maria,

«Close the door!» the woman snapped.

Maria stepped inside and immediately closed the door. «Sorry! I’m looking for the cook’s cabin.» Maria said awkwardly. «He said it was this way, and I must’ve opened the wrong door.»

The woman fixed the towel over her head and comfortably walked about the cabin as the light from the forward window cast a shadow on her nude figure. She had a slim hourglass figure with full breasts, warm brown eyes, and long chestnut hair. She moved in a hurried pace as if she had to be somewhere else at any moment.

«Relax, you’re in the right place, I’m the cook, Svetlana Nikolayevna.» She said, extending her hand generously.

Maria hesitated to extend her hand and tried to avert her eyes feeling embarrassed by Svetlana’s nude body.

Svetlana’s brown eyes looked down and realized her appearance, «Oh, sorry, not used to having guests on voyages. Most of the crew prefer me this way.» She said with a loud laugh. Sveta’s bright smile was contagious, her teeth looked almost childlike, white and perfectly straight.

Maria smiled and continued to look down at the floor, «It’s pleasant to meet you Sveta, I am Maria Alexandrova.»

The two made brief eye contact and stood in the middle of the room with awkward silence around them.

«Right,» said Sveta, as she reached for her dress. She turned her back to Maria as she pulled it over her head.

Maria’s eyes quickly looked noticing how different Sveta’s body looked compared to her own. As the dress cascaded down Sveta’s back, the curves of her body intrigued Maria. The graceful way her body curved sinuously inward to her waist, then extend outward to her hips. Her skin was smooth and toned with tan and white where her clothing had been. She had bruises and scratches that seemed to tell a story of her hard life as a cook on a ship. Maria felt an awkward interest to see the rest of Sveta’s body in more detail but looked away before Sveta turned around.

«I thought the cooks were men on these ships?» Maria asked politely.

«They usually are, but my father died with debts to the ship’s captain so it was either take his place or watch them put my mother and me on the street,» Sveta replied in a neutral tone. «Besides a kholops life isn’t so terrible compared to the nunnery!»

Maria quickly understood the situation and stopped asking questions. She pointed to an empty bunk and waited for Sveta to nod in agreement that she could sleep there. Sveta nodded and continued preparing herself.

Maria moved to sit on the bunk and fell onto it as the ship rocked more intensely with the wind and waves.

«That wind is a blessing and a curse on the river; it speeds up the ship then shakes you all about,» Sveta said as she finished dressing and walked toward the door. «I’ve got to go get started on lunch. Welcome aboard Maria!» Sveta said while closing the door behind her.

Maria looked around the cabin as she sat on the bed. It was very different than she imagined but it was warm, safe and moving toward Neva. She noticed Sveta did not have many dresses or personal things, some of the clothing scattered around the room looked like it belonged to a man rather than a woman.