Tsaritsa Milica was the wife of prince Lazar of Serbia. Besides her role in history, she is also recorded several folktales. However, this version of her stems from a different version of her legend.
Milica is famously involved in the folktale concerning her and the dragon of Yastrebatz. The tsarina was such a great beauty that she caught the eye of a
living near Yastrebatz. Every night for more than a year, the Zmaj visited her bedchamber. Eventually Lazar realized what was going on. Confronting Milica, he demanded that his wife find out the dragon’s weakness. Milica must also have been angry at the deception, for she agreed with her husband’s request.
When the Zmaj returned to her, the tsarina pretended to be concerned for his safety. She asked if he feared anyone other than God, or if some hero might even be superior to him. The unsuspecting Zmaj replied that there was just one threat to his well-being — Vook, a Zmaj-Despot. Upon learning of this, Lazar sent his people out to search the countryside. Eventually he learned that Vook lived near a village called Koopinova on the plains of Sirmia.
Lazar promptly sent a message to Vook, complaining of his subject’s behavior. Vook arrived in a fury — and that is the last thing the story tells us about the Zmaj of Yastrebatz.
In the case of this version of Milica, however, the love between her and the dragon was mutual. It may have been impossible to keep her lover from punishment, but it appears that Vook received a substantial reward for his deed in slaying the dragon. One wonders at the reputed abilities of Dragon Kind, among them shapeshifting, and the strange frequency with which Vook used to entertain Milica after his victory...