Okab rushed towards Lerna to expose her with a raised sword. Rigel growled at him and darted to protect his mate. He stood in front of her and snarled, his lips peeling. "Touch her and you will die by my hands!"
Eltanin too jumped out of the chariot and stood in front of his sister. He crossed his arms across his chest and in a cold voice said, "If you lay a finger on my sister, I promise to chop you into so many pieces right here, right now that your dear fiancée won't be able to count them. And I will do that with my fangs and claws.
Cold sweat broke on his forehead and Okab gulped. "Okay!" he swallowed thickly and said, "Then let her rub it. I know that such tattoo art can be removed!" He barked at the guards, "Bring a mug of oil!"
The guards rushed to bring the oil. Meissa crossed her arms across her chest as she looked at them. She smiled internally at Okab's cleverness. The oil would completely remove the tattoo. And even if Lerna got a tattoo over her Hydra tattoo, anyone would be able to see the hidden Hydra tattoo easily. "Look father," she scoffed. "Look nicely. This is the level Rigel can stoop to get his mate in the kingdom. Once her tattoo is gone, her true identity will be revealed and then you have to throw her in the dungeons and eliminate her!"
Eltanin shouted, "The spirit of Draka has accepted Lerna. Now that it is proved that Princess Lerna is my sister, if anyone dares to challenge her, then remember, you will be challenging me!"
Meissa was frozen in her spot. She looked from Rigel to Lerna. Her mind was numb. All her plans of becoming the Crown Princess were washed in the past fifteen minutes. Her whole world came crashing down. She had made plans and schemes and then some more all these months. And it was so perfect. So what was it that she overlooked? What was it that she didn't plan properly? What was the loophole? Nothing came to her mind. Her gaze locked with her brother's who was smiling. He had now curled his arm around her waist and was kissing her temple.
She was amazed that Rigel played her so well that she couldn't guess that he was actually holding the trump card. He led her to believe that she was playing him all the time, which in turn boosted her confidence, when in reality he played her for once and all. She turned her head over her shoulder to see her father, who seemed like he had seen a ghost. He was pale and because of her had invited Eltanin's wrath. Mintaka was going to do everything to amend the broken relationship. In fact he wouldn't wait a minute now.
Mintaka's fists balled as he walked out of the podium and towards the center of the field where all of them were standing.
"Father, no. Don't do this!" Meissa cried.
But Mintaka didn't acknowledge her. As soon as he reached them, he looked at Lerna and her tattoo. Under his gaze, the tattoo moved slightly and then settled. That was all the proof he needed. He turned to see his people and in a loud voice announced, "I reject Princess Meissa's challenge to Prince Rigel. And at the same time, I welcome Princess Lerna as my son's mate."
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