Petra smiled at her first victory. With Eri on her side, she felt more confident than ever. As such having three wives was so common amongst the kings that Petra knew her strategy would work. She just had to convince Lusitania that she had to ask her husband to marry them for strong alliances. She was sure that Lusitania would agree. Which wife didn't want to see her husband getting more powerful?
Petra discussed her plan with Eri. Eri was excited. When she had gone to ask her father about it, he was busy with the concubines. She was highly angered. She was sure that he hadn't asked about the marriage alliance. However, she came to know that her father had asked Eltanin about it, but Eltanin had said that the matter was between his parents. Now, if she went with Petra to talk to Lusitania also, her marriage to the Draka King would be final. Excitement bubbled in her chest. Who knew that she may get married to him before they leave?
"So when do we meet Lusitania?" she asked.
"We must meet her as soon as possible," Petra replied. "I am going to find out whether she is free or not and then we will go."
"Sounds good!" Eri exclaimed. "Just send me a message and we can go together."
"Sure!" Petra said with a smile. Things were going smoothly. So smooth that she was sure that by the end of her journey she would marry Eltanin. Once she was married to Eltanin, she would make sure that his fae mate was sent to the shadows. She would overpower her in all ways.
When she got up, Eri rose to her feet. She grabbed Petra's hands and then hugged her tightly. "Now we are sisters," she said softly. "And if this marriage comes through, I will make sure that the two of us stay together while the little fae is reduced to nothing."
Petra chuckled as she patted Eri's shoulders. They were both pretty excited.
Petra's maid came an hour later to inform Eri, "Princess Petra is asking you to meet her down the hall."
Eri was already waiting. She wasted no time in following the maid to where Petra was.
"She is resting in her room," Petra said quietly. "And the king is in his meeting room with certain kings. This is the perfect opportunity to talk to her."
Eri rubbed her hands. She nodded. "Yes! Let us go!"
The two princesses walked through the corridors, long halls and then finally through the breezeways of the east wing to reach the Draka King's bedchamber. As usual they were allowed because they had come earlier also and the guards were familiar with their faces.
They announced themselves and waited for Lusitania to meet them. The queen called them after making them wait for a good fifteen minutes. In that time, their anxieties rose to a new high.
When they entered the bedchamber, they saw that Lusitania was lying on the bed on her belly. Her right leg was dangling down and her left leg was up in the air, revealing her creamy skin. She was eating grapes from a bowl. Lusitania turned her face to gaze at them but she didn't even get up. Her wings were splayed behind her back.
Flora bowed to them and smiled. "M'ladies," she said. "Please take a seat." She directed them to a couch.
Petra and Eri were feeling angry with the way Lusitania was behaving with them but they swallowed the anger for the bigger purpose.
Lusitania rose from her place, slowly, lazily and drawled, "What brings two princesses together to my little bedchamber?" she said, waving at the opulence of her chamber.
"We have come to talk to you on a very important matter," said Petra, grabbing Eri's hands. The action wasn't missed by Lusitania.
Lusitania yawned and stretched her limbs. "Please could you hurry up with whatever you have to say. I am so tired."
"Yes, m'lady is very tired. She needs a massage on her body and she has to attend the evening function," Flora added, looking sympathetically at her lady. "If you like we can send masseuses to your rooms as well."
"We are going to be very brief," Petra said, again swallowing the humiliation.
"Yes, we will be very brief, Lusitania!" Eri added, supporting her newly formed friend.
"Speak," Lusitania replied, picking up a grape from her bowl. "And that is Queen Lusitania for you."
The two princesses gawked at her, but they gave her a thin smile of admission. Then they looked at Flora, trying to tell her silently to leave, but the shameless maid didn't leave. Instead, she went to the bathroom and came out with a bowl of scented oil. She came to sit in front of her lady, lifted her skirt up and applied oil to her legs.
"Well?" Lusitania asked again, getting irritated at the delay.
"Actually, we have come with a small proposal for Queen Lusitania," said Petra, mustering up every courage. It was a now or never situation. "Both Princess Eri and I are deeply interested in the alliance that our parents are forming with the Draka King. But do you know how an alliance can be stronger?"
Lusitania continued to give them blank looks. "Do elaborate," she said in a bored voice.
Petra squeezed Eri's hands for more courage. When Eri patted her, she continued, "The best way is marriage. A marriage seals the alliances forever. If King Eltanin was to marry both of us," Petra waved her hand at Eri and herself, "Then we will have very strong alliances of three kingdoms. Aquila, Eridanus and Draka."
"You have left Pegasii!" Eri interjected.
"Oh yes, Pegasii too!"
Lusitania gave them a sharp and disgusting look. She couldn't believe that these two were so shameless that they had come to talk to her directly about marrying her husband. Anger bubbled in her chest.
"I know that you are angry, but think about it, Queen Lusitania," Eri said. "My father has already talked to King Eltanin about the marriage between us!"
A spark from Lusitania's chest coiled out and--
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