The Beta Dominates Alphas

Chapter 241: The Grand Ceremony (1)

The news about the next ruler’s big crowning event was a total surprise; still, it was super important and serious. Every TV station in the Empire stopped their usual shows.

Each channel was showing stuff all about the big event. TV hosts were really into it, super pumped up, saying it was the Empire’s biggest party ever.

The excitement kept growing. The TV sometimes showed the Empire’s streets, all decorated with flowers and balloons, where people were getting emotional. All of them were saying thanks to the Tower and the Queen, happy that the Empire was going to be okay. freeweɓnovel.cøm

One guy walking on the street was also getting emotional. The guy, who was dressed really nice, wiped away his tears on TV and said, "The Empire is still awesome. Just knowing we’re safe and happy because of some higher power makes me want to cry. Hail to the Tower."

Rich folks were all dressed up in fancy clothes, sparkly stuff, and shiny extras, hanging out in the big room. The royal security alphas were standing on both sides in their official clothes, looking strong and ready. The betas from the academy wore all-white dresses and sang songs led by the head of the academy.

Everywhere in the Empire, whether in the rich areas, the poor places, or the hard-to-live spots, everyone was watching the event on either really nice or kinda broken TVs.

The castle at the top of the Tower, which is the Queen’s own special place and the coolest, most secret spot in the Empire, hardly ever got shown. But today, that important space was actually on TV.

While millions of people were watching, the huge ceiling, amazing wall art, and white stone columns showed up on everyone’s screens.

The big room had a really long red rug going from the entrance all the way to where the royal seat was, and the bright red really stood out against the room’s super clean white look.

Kestrel, wearing a fancy long dress, was kneeling on the red rug. On TV, two pale hands came down to put the crown, which means she was the next in line, on Kestrel’s head.

And just like that, the big event was done. Bells made noise, big guns went off, making it feel like everything was going great.

In a small, not-so-great fishing town, people were all around an old black-and-white TV, watching the pretty girl on the screen getting her crown.

"Is she gonna be the new Queen? She’s so pretty," a little kid asked his great-grandma.

"I guess that’s the plan, a truly beautiful royal," the old lady patted the little girl’s head gently.

For them, living far away from the Tower, the Queen and the next ruler felt like storybook characters, almost like they were from a fairytale.

The old lady squinted, deep in thought. She kinda remembered a scene like this from when she was a kid: a long red rug, super clean white walls, old hands, and a pretty future queen.

These days, not many people in the Empire get to be as old as her. Most people’s lives get cut short. Hardly anyone can remember an event from way back that looked a lot like what was happening now.

Even she couldn’t remember exactly what that future queen looked like back then, just that she was a pretty princess. The current queen was almost never seen; she was usually behind some cloth hiding her face.

The one thing the old lady knew for sure was that no matter who was in charge, life for people like her, the not-so-rich folks, wouldn’t get much better. The super high taxes and just getting by would still be really tough.

Bad areas called the Polluted Zones kept growing, and weird creatures called mutants showed up here and there, attacking people. Little kids kept getting sick and dying. There didn’t seem to be any hope; it was like being stuck in a small box, waiting for something bad to happen.

The lady sighed a little. Her great-granddaughter was jumping up and down, super excited.

"I think I’ve met her before," the little girl said, sure of herself. "She and a young guy came to our town once and gave me some candy."

The grown-ups didn’t really listen, but her friends totally believed her.

The girl went to find her buddies, who all agreed with her.

"Yeah, I remember her too. That was the first time I had candy that tasted so good."

"She wasn’t all dressed up like now, but it’s for sure the same lady."

"She even took Muros to some army place."

"What was her name again? Oh yeah, it was Kestrel."

Right then, over at the East Shore army spot, the alphas were all around a screen. Birdie and Muros couldn’t believe they were seeing Kestrel on TV.

"How can Kestrel be the next queen?"

"Man, Raymond’s at Imperial Nexus, and he didn’t tell us about this huge deal?"

"Look, Mom, Kestrel’s on TV!" yelled Parfit’s daughter. Parfit had gone off recently with Tegnell on some secret thing, leaving her and her mom at the army camp. But that was fine; she liked hanging out with Birdie.

Birdie closed her opticomputer, and looked up.

"I just talked to Raymond. He said he’s clueless. He just got back from the Polluted Zone with Kestrel a couple of days ago. No one had a clue this was gonna happen."

"Something’s not right. You think something bad’s gonna happen?" The soldiers started getting nervous.

All over the Empire, at different army spots, a lot of people knew who Kestrel was.

"I’ve seen her! She’s that beta!" someone yelled out.

"She’s pretty awesome. Went through lots of Polluted Zones all by herself. People talked about her a lot for a while."

"Yep, she’s the beta. Saved my life once in one of those bad zones. I’ve met her; she’s tough but also nice!"

"Wow, bragging about being saved by a girl beta, and you’re an alpha?"

"What’s wrong with that? When we’re out there fighting, it’s about who’s strong, not whether they’re a guy or a girl."

Two alphas started arguing and almost fighting right under a big screen that was showing the video on a street corner.

Back at the beta academy, Nicole got dragged over to the screen by some friends.

"Look, it’s Kestrel! It’s really her!"

"Wow. Is that Kestrel from our class?"

"Remember when some alpha didn’t want to marry her a long time ago?"

"Don’t even talk about that loser; his whole family’s probably at home crying right now."

In the Royal Guard’s alpha camp, a bunch of warriors stood up.

"That’s Kestrel, right?"

"I fought in so many battles just to get her attention."

"I even worked with her before. I always said the Queen really liked our Kestrel."