If you are reading this notice, I want you to know that the story is being updated and rewritten in parallel, all of this to better serve some future plans that I have. The epilogues are coming and it will be really cool. Leave your feedback so I know if the translation is better or not, please, of course don't forget to be kind, I'm doing the best I can.
[NV]
________________________________________________________
The Wang Kingdom was in its tenth dynasty and had lived in prosperity for over 500 years.
A prosperous country that named itself after the family that helped bring about the revolution and independence long ago.
The current queen is the omega Wang Zheng and she was also the sole heir to the throne, but she was still unmarried after 29 years and was also the last of the royal lineage to live.
But there was growing concern among the nobles of the kingdom and supporters of the Wang lineage.
The noble elders were a little worried, perhaps a little more than 'little', after all, the queen was getting older and showed no signs of wanting to start a family.
The second to bear the dignified name Wang Zheng and the first to cause so many headaches.
The Queen's audacity in remaining unmarried for so long is easily seen by all the most influential people in that government as a problem for maintaining the country's national security.
Bloody Spring was called for the first time three centuries ago and once again now.
The elders had no greater power than the queen; but it was understood that because of their wisdom and experience they were the people best able to advise the royalty and the supreme crown to make the best choices, but their only sovereign power as a council was to request urgency and consequently sanction Bloody Spring.
Bloody Spring is a great festival where the whole country prepares to enjoy the youth and prosperity of the royal family, while waiting anxiously to find out who will be chosen to be the queen's lover and the future father or mother of the kingdom who will welcome the subjects on their journey.
Wang Zheng was not particularly happy about this situation, she had already decided many years ago to live alone and leave no heirs, although she knew that this would have the consequence of leaving the throne without a King.
Perhaps she had been a little innocent in thinking that everything would turn out the way she had imagined, but with the routine of everyday life she had forgotten the small detail that was 'Bloody Spring'. Yes, she had probably been innocent and perhaps she had also been stupid.
He sighed slightly as he read some papers between appointments.
She was resting, but she still had to work, the work never ended, whether in the office or in the bedroom, she was always working.
The male voice sounded in the room, gently breaking the silence of the place and moving the queen's attention a little and taking her away from all that work.
"Your Majesty, would you like anything else?"
Put the papers on the table and try to oxygenate your brain a little.
But she would only do that to deal with more problems. So it really was something to think about whether it was worth the effort. "... How are the spring preparations going?"
The man was slightly pensive, but the answer was relatively easy: almost all the guests had already arrived and those who hadn't were on their way and would soon be joining them.
The biggest issue was the logistics of keeping so many different and strange people inside the palace with their pheromones without any control or modesty.
"Four countries are sending their candidates. So far we have a beta, two alphas and an omega, but we haven't received confirmation from Martana yet..."
The queen understood that many sent heirs only with the intention of honoring the queen.
It was a festival and that was also diplomacy and politics.
Since Bloody Spring was called and Wang Zheng was an omega, it was understood that an alpha would be chosen, but not all the allies had alphas available, so betas and omegas would also be present out of pure formality.
Even if you're not getting married, formalities are important to keep up appearances and maintain a peaceful atmosphere.
"I understand, make sure that only the best rooms are prepared to receive our guests, everyone should feel comfortable and at home... It's also important to make it clear that they are in the midst of a tradition and some things need to be followed, so don't forget to send official notices that no inhibitors or suppressants are allowed during spring."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
She calmly watched her secretary leave; he was an immature young man who had barely had time to distinguish himself as alpha. But he was a good man.
Sometimes a bit silly, but that was the fun of being young.
She sighed contentedly.
The young man was her best friend's son and was as efficient as he was when it came to working for her.
From her armchair, she could see the sunset through the window. The days passed quickly when you had so many things to do. She still had a huge amount of paperwork to review... The days were exhausting.
One day after the other, always doing the same things and working hard to have some kind of peace with herself and with the legacy she had built with her ancestors.
Her adult life was spent at the royal hospital, where she was a doctor and director, and in her office inside the palace, dealing with the official affairs of the kingdom.
The Wang kingdom was one of the most modern and evolved countries when it came to royalty and industry.
The country run by Wang Zheng is considered by many to be the best country for an omega to live in, and she agrees with that without any modesty.
It's the truth.
As long as omegas are devalued, she needs to be rigid in what she believes is right in order to set an example for something.
She dedicated many years of her life to providing the best for her subjects and for people like her.
She took the throne at a very young age; her father died when she was only 14 and, despite having been prepared all her life for this moment, when she took the throne she was still young and immature.
No one prepares you for war, let alone the early death of your father, and although she had studied for some time with the simple aim of reaching the throne and holding the crown firmly over her head, when the day finally arrived it was desperate.
But we can't say that she didn't do her best all those years; she's probably one of the most prosperous queens of the dynasty and she must have done much more for the kingdom than some other generations when put together in retrospect.
It's a country that borders on perfection, it's not perfect, and perhaps to say that it's so close to something perfect is bold and untrue, but Wang Zheng liked to think that she was getting closer every day to what she might one day consider the perfect place to live.
It's the best she can do when all this and all this prosperity requires a great sacrifice: the queen's love life.
Despite Your Majesty's benevolence and the unconditional love of your subjects, it is impossible to control the rumors that tend to emerge.
Well, many believe that Wang Zheng is actually a beta and doesn't even have glands.
Others believe that the queen is single because she prefers a more promiscuous lifestyle and sleeps with a distinguished alpha every night.
A rumor that sounds even more ridiculous every time Wang Zheng dares to think about it, she has no patience for wards and even less for facing one different from the other day after day.
Of course, these are just rumors, but they spread like a breeze and are difficult to control.
Wang Zheng always ends up knowing what they say about her behind her back and some people she dislikes intrinsically. It's hard not to know when you're the queen.
I looked out of the window once more, only to see that the sunset was barely visible and it was almost full night with a slight orange tinge on the horizon.
Wang Zheng was wearing a long navy blue dress, the fabric was light and her exposed shoulders showed off her soft, milky skin.
The thin, smooth fabric marked her beautiful curves and, despite her slim waist, she wasn't an extremely delicate omega; she had firm, well-distributed muscles, which gave her a strong, attractive profile.
She had a distinctive beauty.
Her long black hair gave her a more serious and elegant look.
Almost every night, before going to sleep, she made a point of writing in her diary while drinking tea.
Well, she tried to do it every day and she knew she had to in order to keep her head on straight.
She ran her fingers over the blank pages as she thought about what to write, until she heard a soft knock on her door.
At least it was a ritual she always remembered to do when she was very stressed, she needed to tell someone or something some of the thoughts that were running through her mind. It was either that or she would explode at any moment.
She wrote down half a dozen words and stared at them for a few moments, just stuck in her thoughts about everything she had been going through recently.
The friction with the other nobles was growing and she was losing what little patience she had left.
She scribbled softly, but after a moment she lost interest in continuing to think about what was going on inside her.
A little lazy and tired, she put the notebook down next to the papers she had dropped there some time ago.
She closed her eyes and leaned back gently in the armchair. Only to be interrupted by Huan Yang. "... Queen, the committee of elders is waiting for you."
Look once more at the tea, which had been steaming before and she had really lost any sense of time. The tea was iced.
She sighed boredly, she was a bit annoyed too, but it wasn't as if she could do much about it. "Let's go then."
The queen quickly covered her shoulders with a long, thick cloth as she made her way to her office.
The office was the place where people used to gather to air their grievances and make their cries, and where the queen used to lose what little patience she had.
She was a calm woman, but she wasn't patient and people who meddled too much in her personal affairs always got on her nerves.
After all, it's hard to accept that being a queen means that your personal life is also part of your job and your choices need to reflect that.
Huan Yang did the honors by announcing the queen's arrival... Not as if anyone was looking forward to it. Everyone seemed to be in that cubicle by force.
But this was an emergency meeting and it was an official meeting, formalities had to be followed and the queen and the council had to be present.
"Please rise and greet the royal presence, the second of her name and queen of the country of Wang: Wang Zheng."
Hastily, several men stood up at the sight of Wang Zheng entering the place and, in a matter of moments, already felt the strong scent of pineapple enter their nostrils and permeate the entire room. Extremely uncomfortable.
Sour.
The queen glared at some of the men and felt a little unhappier.
Most of those people were despicable and wanted to dictate the rules inside the royal palace, and she hated it. Many were her father's enemies or pretended to be, and when he died she just watched them act like starving animals desperate for power.
Fortunately, she was still queen and still had the people; even when her father died, she had no choice but to accept that the throne belonged to her.
But there were always disagreements, especially with those who supported the other lineages that might succeed after the end of the Wang family dynasty.
"Sit down... What's the reason for the meeting?"
"Yes, we've seen the confirmed list for Bloody Spring and the two alphas look pretty good..."
"Good. I'll take my leave then."
Wang Zheng got out of her armchair and headed for the door, she didn't even sit there for a minute, she had no interest in listening to the guesswork of who she should choose to marry.
While some were already relieved that the pheromone would soon dissipate, others were dissatisfied with the queen's stance.
You may not value the power you have, but I do... So they thought.
"Queen, take our advice seriously; the priests have warned us: immense glory in a kingdom without heirs is a sign of bad omen, fate will demand a high price."
The man speaking was Hui Xu and Wang Zheng could only think that this man would always be a problem no matter what happened. He was like a burden.
She turned her face just to refer to the man, but don't bother too much, it's not like he's worth much effort.
"High price... Elder, I think you've forgotten who I am... I accept Bloody Spring out of respect for your advice. But it's like you said yourself: it's just advice, maybe I should just ignore it."
She left in quick steps without looking back.
After that moment, the palace became still and silent, the staff working quietly to ensure that the event went perfectly and Huan Yang in particular was very busy.
It was always necessary to think about all the smallest details when so many different people were crowding into one place.
Conflicts could happen, so avoid them at all costs.
Some time passed before Bloody Spring was finally approaching, with only a few days left until its start.
The queen, who was a little more convinced that she could simply escape the wedding, was occupying her mind with ways to be in the competition as her own choice.
If there's no one better than me... I can only make everyone accept that only I am worthy of myself.
Of course, it's a selfish and snobbish thought, but she didn't mind too much considering that when she died she probably wouldn't have any worries about the future.
It won't be her problem.
She looked at herself in the mirror as she finished touching up her makeup for another normal day at work.
Huan Yang, despite all his busyness, was helping with her schedule and appointments. "Most of the guests have already arrived and are waiting for the queen's presence."
"Okay. Are the guards already in place?"
She nodded in satisfaction, she knew that everything should be up to her standards, she would welcome her guests and ensure a safe and comfortable place for everyone.
"Yes... Every room has at least two betas to avoid major problems with pheromones."
It was still early afternoon and the weather was pleasant. The royal garden was full of flowers and trees.
Next to some century-old trees, there was a large pergola covering a table for twelve. Most of the Bloody Spring participants were waiting for Your Majesty.
One of the guards, seeing the Queen approach, bowed. "Please rise and greet Her Royal Majesty, the second of her names, Wang Zheng."
Everyone stood up and answered in unison. "Long live the Queen..."
Although it was a round table, everyone knew that if there was a center, the Queen should be there. So an empty chair was already waiting for her.
She walked to her seat with a friendly smile and joined the others. "Make yourselves comfortable. I apologize for not welcoming you properly when you arrived, I've been very busy lately."
Everyone watched the queen's movements with anticipation. Her beauty surpassed all expectations and left everyone in awe, especially the alphas who, at that moment, were trying hard not to release their pheromones.
They couldn't, but they wanted to.
It was a bit instinctive, but it was outdated to believe that everything came down to the instinct to mark and procreate, at least in Wang Country it didn't work that way and they had to behave.
One of the palace maids approached to serve the Queen's tea, and others did the same for each guest.
"Anyway, thank you all for being here and for agreeing to take part in Bloody Spring... The event was given its name because of a little mess that happened three centuries ago...
King Wang Zan, also an omega and well known for always walking around with roses stuck in his hair, was almost marked by one of the alphas taking part. Fortunately, he only had a strong estrus, but ended up being overwhelmed by intense emotions and ordered that the punishment for that alpha who tried to use force to get what he wanted was to have 1000 roses stuck to his skin for three nights..."
You could hear the whispers of the guests.
They were completely surprised by the penalty chosen by the King. "... That was a long time ago, it became just history. In the end, the alpha returned home completely healthy, but the friendly relations between the two nations didn't last and the alpha became sterile.
For pheromone reasons, the guards inside the palace are all betas, they are allowed to act in any circumstance that they feel is out of control and that they need to act with force... They have the real power to act like this inside the palace if the intention is to protect me. So, I hope you can understand, in the event of punishment, I won't be as romantic as Wang Zan."
Everyone there knew about the country's tradition with its omegas. After all, it was the country with the lowest rate of violence against omegas. The alphas felt the pressure on their shoulders; they had to behave satisfactorily.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Wang Zheng's movements were delicate and light; even cutting a small piece of cake seemed like a gesture of wisdom. "Well, as you know, the Bloody Spring has three stages; the first is a meeting between me and the candidate. You must choose something you want to do with me or somewhere near the palace you want to go with me."
"Good. The second is a stage of skills and aptitudes, show what you can do best... It's the ideal time to show off."
"Finally. The third phase is an intimate evening, but don't confuse an intimate evening with sexual intercourse, it's a question of trust and compatibility between the pheromones... Well, any questions?"
The guests looked at each other and seemed satisfied with the explanation, but one of them raised his hand asking for permission to speak.
Wang Zheng, from her experience, knew that the person in question was a beta, there were no pheromones emanating from him and he had most likely been sent without any great pretense from his country.
But since she didn't want to get married, she thought about the option of being with a beta or an omega, but there wouldn't be many good options as far as she could tell.
She could tell very well which scent belonged to her, and some were much better than others.
The beta was a man in his thirties with reddish hair. "Only alphas get a chance to share the throne with Your Majesty, right?!"
He didn't ask; it was a statement.
Wang Zheng was amused by the inappropriate behavior of the man in front of him, he was just deducing that she would marry one of the two options in front of her.
With a bit of luck and effort, she'd come out as single as she went in.
But she wasn't surprised, as she already knew who it was.
The beta was the second prince in his country's line of succession, he was an important judge.
"Why do you think that, Your Excellency?"
He smiled at the queen a little wryly and a little amusedly, believing that the whole thing was a big waste of time.
In his mind it was all too obvious that an omega was looking for an alpha, it was only natural, right?!
"That's what the elders would advise."
"Do you think I'll follow what they say?!"
She stopped drinking her tea and asked for her cup to be refilled. There was tension in the air, it was true that they didn't know how she would react to certain confrontations.
The man said nothing and just nodded a little dismissively.
It was interesting for Wang Zheng to be confronted like that, he was at least brave or crazy.
"Well, I'm the queen and my decision is the last word and I can even choose a little beta like you... You just have to bring out the best in yourself and the rest is up to me..."
"I understand."
The man seemed satisfied with the answer and somewhat surprised.
Maybe he could risk something and get a good marriage. It sounded like a good deal.
The queen then, a little bored, wanted to add. "In fact, everyone has an equal chance, whether alpha or omega and even beta..."
The Queen looked closely at her small wristwatch, which was usually hidden by the sleeve of her blouse.
She needed to get back to her duties.
She stood up delicately and was followed by everyone around the table who also stood to pay their respects to the queen.
She bowed her head slightly to the remaining guests and walked slowly towards the palace, being immediately accompanied by Huan Yang, who updated her on the appointments for the rest of the day.
She would have a busy day.