Erik nods. "The bathtub fire should have died down by now. The water ought to be hot and ready."

Dumitra gives a slight nod of acknowledgment before turning to place four wooden trenchers on the table. She ladles out portions of the hearty stew into each one, the aroma of herbs and meat making my mouth water.

"Four trenchers?" Erik asks, furrowing his brow. "Why so many?"

"Two are for the girl," Dumitra replies, eyeing me speculatively. "She'll be eating double portions from now on."

My eyes go wide at that proclamation. "But I can't eat that much!" I protest in my best childish whine.

Dumitra simply arches one perfect brow. "You will eat, little one. Or else..." She lets the ominous threat hang in the air.

I gulp audibly, feeling a shiver run down my spine. Dumitra's burning crimson gaze is utterly uncompromising. Reluctantly, I nod my acquiescence.

The vampiress smiles, revealing a flash of wickedly sharp fangs, before gliding over to take a seat beside me. Without preamble, she grasps the first trencher and begins feeding me spoonful after spoonful of the thick, savory stew.

It's delicious, of course - Dumitra is an exceptional cook. But my childish stomach soon begins protesting the sheer volume of food being crammed into it. By the time I've drained the last dregs, I'm groaning softly and clutching my distended belly.

"I'm full," I mumble pathetically, leaning back in my chair.

But Dumitra simply tsks and shakes her head. "You most certainly are not," she chides, fixing me with a stern look.

I open my mouth to protest further, but Erik cuts me off. "Perhaps the girl should be allowed a brief respite first?" he suggests mildly. "She is still quite small. Let the food settle before forcing more into her tender belly."

For a moment, I think Dumitra might actually listen to reason. But then that wicked grin curves her full crimson lips once more.

"Lile's stomach needs to stretch and grow larger," she declares blithely. "The only way to accomplish that is by eating in excess, again and again, until her body adjusts to accommodating such gluttonous portions. Only then will she begin fattening up properly."

My eyes widen at her words, even as a strange fluttering sensation blooms in the pit of my stomach. Get fat? As in, massively obese? The thought is equal parts horrifying and...thrilling, in a bizarre way.

Erik lets out a rumbling chuckle. "And just what do you intend to make of the girl, hmm?" he asks, eyeing Dumitra with clear amusement. "Stuff her like a prize sow until she can barely waddle?"

"Precisely," Dumitra purrs, turning that smoldering gaze on me once more. "By the time Lile reaches her seventh summer, I intend for her to be plump and puffy as any overfed noble's brat. A veritable vision of indolent luxury, with rolls of succulent flesh to grab and knead at will!"

My jaw drops at her graphic description, even as fresh heat blossoms in my cheeks. The mental image of my petite form grotesquely distended, every inch covered in quivering mounds of soft fat...it's utterly obscene! And yet, the extra nutrition would definitely help me grow up nicely.

Dumitra seems to sense my reaction, for she lets out a rich peal of laughter before scooping up the second trencher. "Open wide, girlie!" she commands in a mockingly sweet tone.

I hesitate for the barest moment before obediently parting my lips. Dumitra immediately begins shoveling stew into my mouth, each bite a struggle to chew and swallow before the next arrives.

It isn't long before my stomach is screaming in protest once more. "I...I can't eat anymore," I mumble around a mouthful of half-chewed meat and broth.

But Dumitra simply tsks again, utterly unmoved by my plight. "One more bite," she insists, already lifting another laden spoonful.

I shake my head frantically, clamping my mouth shut. But Dumitra's gaze turns steely, her ruby eyes glittering with menace.

"One. More," she growls, the words laced with quiet threat.

Reluctantly, I give up and open my mouth once more. The final bite slides in, and I nearly gag trying to force it down my overstuffed gullet.

Dumitra drains the last of the stew herself before setting the empty trencher aside. "Good girl," she praises, reaching out to pat my head condescendingly. "You did very well today, eating one and a half portions like a greedy little piglet."

I can only groan weakly in response, utterly miserable yet perversely satisfied at having endured her torment. Dumitra seems to take my reaction as a positive, for she turns to Erik with a self-satisfied smirk.

"You'll need to continue this regimen whenever I'm not present to supervise," she informs him bluntly. "The girl must be stuffed to bursting at every meal, with no exceptions. Only then will she begin packing on the pounds properly."

But Erik simply shakes his head, his expression hardening. "I'll not force-feed the child against her will," he rumbles, tone laced with quiet menace. "That's a step too far, even for my aims."

Dumitra's full lips curve in a mocking pout. "Is that so?" she murmurs silkily. "Well then, I suppose you'll leave me no choice but to...persuade you otherwise."

The unspoken threat hangs heavy in the air. Erik's thick throat works convulsively as he swallows hard. For a long moment, the two stare at each other in a silent battle of wills.

Finally, it's Erik who looks away first, jaw clenched tightly. Dumitra throws back her head with a rich peal of laughter, clearly savoring her victory.

I can only giggle weakly at the display, my amusement tinged with a strange sense of anticipation. Just what fresh torments does the vampiress have in store for poor Erik, I wonder?

The thought is utterly delicious. Unable to resist a bit of playful mischief, I let out a loud belch that seems to reverberate through the cottage.

Dumitra arches one sleek brow at me, but I simply grin back unrepentantly. If I'm to be fattened up like a prized sow, I may as well start embracing my inner glutton, eh?

Dumitra stands up gracefully from the table and begins gathering the empty wooden trenchers. Her lithe movements are hypnotic as she sways over to the washbasin.

"Erik," she calls out in that rich, melodious tone. "I wish to speak with you regarding the girl."

Erik tenses visibly at her words, his thick brows drawing together in a scowl. "What is it you want from me now, woman?" he demands gruffly.

Dumitra lets out an exaggerated sigh, rolling her crimson eyes dramatically. "When do you intend to impregnate little Lile and depart for your homeland?" she asks, arching one sleek brow.

A muscle twitches in Erik's jaw as he grinds out, "The lass will be sixteen summers before I take her to wife and plant my seed. Only then shall we quit this dismal backwater for Norway."

Dumitra lets out a low whistle at that. "Eleven more years is an eternity for a mere mortal to wait for a tight quim, is it not?" she taunts with a wicked grin.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

But Erik simply shakes his head, his expression hardening. "I've no choice but to abide my father's decree regarding the prophecy. Gullveig must be conceived and birthed according to the ancient rites."

As Dumitra finishes cleaning the last trencher, she sashays back over and reclaims her spot in the armchair, fixing Erik with an expectant look. I can't resist letting out another loud belch, delighting in her disapproving glare.

"Then why did you not simply seek out a suitable bride elsewhere?" the vampiress demands, waving one elegant hand dismissively. "Surely there are other maidens with Gullveig's fabled golden tresses and luminous eyes to be found?"

Erik's shoulders slump slightly as he lets out a weary sigh. "I've scoured the nearby villages during my travels, but found no other maid matching the prophecy's requirements. Not after sneaking away from this wretched Baile Rois time and again."

My eyes widen at that admission. So the big brute has been slipping away from the village without my knowledge? I hadn't even considered that possibility before now - I'd simply assumed Erik was too bound by duty and obligation to ever stray far from this festering backwater.

The thought is...unsettling, to say the least. If he's capable of such furtive movements, who knows what other secrets he's been keeping? I'll need to stay extra vigilant from now on.

Dumitra lets out a rich peal of laughter at Erik's words. "Is that so? Well then, perhaps I shall take it upon myself to scour the whole of Ireland if need be!" she declares with evident relish. "Surely one of the Emerald Isle's maidens must possess Gullveig's fabled radiance."

But Erik simply shakes his head again, his expression one of grim determination. "Your efforts would be for naught, Dumitra. For even were you to locate another suitable candidate, I've no interest in any maid save Lile herself."

He pauses, shooting me a sidelong glance before continuing. "The girl is...unique, you see. Today's gemstone ritual merely confirmed what I've suspected all along - that she is as finely attuned to the flows of magic as a babe in the womb."

Dumitra lets out a thoughtful hum at that. "And this...attunement is vital to your plans, I take it?" she prompts silkily. "You seek to pass the child off as a true embodiment of Gullveig rather than a mere physical match, hmm?"

Erik nods curtly. "Aye, the prophecy speaks of Gullveig's coming heralding a new age of power and reckoning. For that to be believed, my bride must radiate an aura of preternatural might to awe the skeptics."

He shoots me another look, and I can't resist letting out one final, thunderous belch in response. Dumitra simply chuckles indulgently.

"Ah, but of course - who better to portray the mighty Gullveig than a wee spitfire such as Lile?" she purrs, eyeing me with evident amusement. "I shall endeavor to nurture her...talents accordingly in the years ahead."

Turning back to Erik, the vampiress arches one sleek brow. "And should the Tuatha lend their aid, you'll find no issues fleeing Norway once you've secured your prize, good sir."

Erik's brow furrows at that. "You would assist my escape from your homeland?" he asks, sounding genuinely surprised. "But why? Surely not out of fondness for the bastard that planted his seed in your belly?"

But Dumitra simply shakes her head, her ruby lips curving in a cold smile. "Your brats mean less than nothing to me, Viking."

Her smoldering gaze finds me once more, and I can't repress a shiver at the naked hunger blazing there.

"No, I shall aid your flight for one reason and one reason only - because that girl is destined to unleash utter devastation upon this world if left unchecked."

Erik lets out a bark of laughter at that. "The lass? A mere child?" He shakes his head in evident disbelief. "Pray tell, how could such a harmless little thing ever become a threat to anyone?"

Dumitra leans forward, her crimson lips curving into a wicked smile as she says, "Little mages aren't only dangerous when their gifts first awaken. But there's more to it than that."

She pauses, letting her burning gaze sweep over me before continuing. "Unawakened mages attract all sorts of supernatural creatures to them - goblins, drekars, banshees, any non-sentient being you can imagine."

Erik furrows his thick brows, looking skeptical. "And why is that, pray tell?"

"Because unawakened mages emanate their energies outward, like a beacon," Dumitra explains patiently. "But once a mage's gifts awaken, all that raw power becomes contained within their own body."

Erik lets out a heavy sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. "So you're telling me I should expect Baile Rois to be attacked at any moment, is that it?"

A rich chuckle escapes Dumitra's lips. "This village has already been attacked a few times in just the past four years alone. Far more than what's considered usual."

"I've been here three years and haven't seen anything of the sort happen," Erik counters gruffly.

Dumitra's smile widens, revealing a flash of wicked fangs. "You're welcome," she purrs.

"It's thanks to the Tuatha and the witch hunter guild that normal folk can live without fear of such threats," the vampiress continues. "But with Lile's presence here, I fear the village will be attacked even more frequently in the days to come."

She turns that smoldering crimson gaze on me once more. "Why, the entire village reeks of the child's scent. Like the perfume of death itself...of Gwenhwyfar's foul essence."

I can't resist a shudder at her ominous words, even as I struggle to maintain my childlike facade. Dumitra lets out another of those throaty chuckles.

"This girl is so powerful that if she were to die, all of Ireland would be doomed - invaded by sea creatures and foul beasts that even the mighty Tuatha could not hope to fend off."

Erik's eyes widen at that dire proclamation. "Then I must be extremely vigilant in guarding Lile," he rumbles, the words laced with grim determination.

But Dumitra simply tsks and shakes her head slowly. "I'm afraid your efforts alone will not suffice, good sir. No, I shall have to take up permanent residence here in this village to ensure nothing untoward befalls the child."

A sly smile curves her full crimson lips. "I'm also quite interested to see if Gwenhwyfar herself deigns to make an appearance. Surely she cannot sit idle while her newest plaything resides in this quaint little hamlet?"

Erik lets out another weary sigh, but I pipe up before he can respond further.

"I gotta go potty!" I announce in my best imitation of a childish whine, clutching my distended belly. "My tummy's all full from eating so much!"

Quick as a striking viper, Dumitra rises from the armchair and scoops me up in her deceptively strong arms. "Up we go then, to the poop bucket!" she declares with a wicked grin.

I can't resist a delighted giggle at her words, playing along with the charade. For now, at least, I'm content to bask in the vampiress's dark amusement.

Dumitra scoops me up in her slender yet deceptively strong arms and carries me to the washroom. The spacious chamber is tiled in smooth stone, dominated by a massive copper bathtub. Dumitra sets me down on a small wooden bucket in the corner.

"Do your needs here, little one," she purrs in that rich, melodious tone.

I obediently hitch up my dress and squat over the bucket, relieving myself with a sigh of relief. Dumitra watches with an indulgent smile, then cleans me up with a damp cloth once I'm finished.

"There now, all fresh and clean!" she declares, patting my bottom affectionately.

I can't help but giggle at being pampered like a child, reminded of when grandma used to wipe my little bottom after I made a mess. Dumitra seems amused by my delight.

"Bath time next, poppet," she announces, already moving to fill the massive copper tub with steaming water from the hearth.

As she works, I study her exotic appearance curiously. "Lady Dumitra, why do you dress so different from everyone else?" I ask in my best childlike lilt.

Dumitra pauses, glancing down at her clinging nightgown with a wry smile. "Why, 'tis because I am always far too warm, even in the depths of winter," she explains patiently. "My flesh perspires heavily no matter the season."

She leans in conspiratorially, those ruby lips curving. "In truth, I dislike wearing undergarments at all - the sweat and stickiness becomes most unpleasant after a time."

I can't resist a shocked little giggle at her candid words, imagining how utterly miserable the summer months must be for vampires with their elevated body temperatures. No wonder Dumitra prefers to remain scantily clad!

Once the tub is filled with steaming water, Dumitra turns her smoldering gaze on me once more. "Off with those fine clothes now, poppet. You'll want to be unclad for our bath."

I obediently begin stripping off my luxurious garments - the sapphire dress, crimson boots, silk stockings and lacy underthings all quickly puddling at my feet. Dumitra watches me undress with an inscrutable expression, then shrugs out of her own burgundy nightgown in one sinuous motion.

We're both nude as newborns now. I can't resist sneaking admiring glances at Dumitra's flawless, voluptuous form, my gaze lingering on the swell of her full breasts and the juncture of her thighs. The vampiress is absolute perfection given flesh!

Dumitra scoops me up again and lowers us both into the steaming copper bath. She settles back with a contented sigh, spreading her legs to cradle me against her body. I find myself nestled snugly in the vee of her thighs, my back pressed to the soft warmth of her belly.

One elegant hand comes up to pat my head affectionately as Dumitra leans in, her crimson lips brushing my ear.

"One last time I shall ask you this, little one," she murmurs, her tone taking on a serious edge. "Now that we are quite alone..."

I tense, my breath catching in my throat as she pauses meaningfully.

"Have you ever encountered a pale woman with long white hair?"

I shake my head mutely, but Dumitra tsks and suddenly pinches one of my nipples hard between her fingernails. I yelp in shock and pain, tears springing to my eyes.

"No more silent responses," she chides sternly. "I expect only verbal answers from you now on, child. Any further refusal to speak and I shall punish you most severely. Do you understand?"

"Y-Yes, I understand!" I stammer, my voice trembling. "I've never met any pale lady with white hair before, I swear it!"

Dumitra studies me a moment longer, then nods slowly. "Very well," she murmurs, sounding almost disappointed.

She begins bathing me properly then, those wicked hands gliding over my slick skin as she lathers me from my nether regions up. I try not to squirm at the intimate contact, my face flushing hotly.[...]