A Mate To Three Alpha Heirs-Chapter 209: Founders Day Banquet

{Third Person}

~**^**~

Alpha Cyprus sat tall, expression etched with unmistakable pride. "That girl," he murmured, "is Kathryn’s daughter indeed."

Luna Gwenith’s jaw tightened. Her smile was thin as paper. "Too bright," she muttered under her breath. "Far too bright."

Her eyes flicked toward her sons and the deepening interest on their faces, and something darkened behind her gaze.

Meanwhile, Beta Marc swelled with pride. His eyes gleamed, his expression openly joyful.

"That is my family’s blood," he whispered, awe-struck. "Look at her."

But Lady Maren... Her breathing hitched sharply as her mask cracked. Her polished smile faltered entirely as she stared at Elira with disbelieving fury.

"She wasn’t supposed to rise," she hissed under her breath. "Not beyond my daughter." Her fingers dug into her skirts.

And then there was Regina, still seated among the Student Council members, but hollowed out, stunned, trembling with rage and disbelief.

Elira. Elira Shaw. Her cousin. Her shadow. Now standing in the centre of the arena, basking in glory, chosen to give Kaelis’s speech...?

The humiliation burned her throat.

Just then, the two agents she planted in the stands looked at her expectantly, awaiting instructions—

But Regina didn’t signal yet. Her mind whirred, venom swirling dangerously.

"She really didn’t have a taste of the snacks," she whispered. "That’s why she fought like that and won."

Her breath shook. But then, slowly, a smile curled across her lips out of cold, lethal calculation.

’Fine,’ she thought. ’If poison in the snacks failed... then poison in the banquet food will not.’

Elira was now the centre of attention. The banquet hall, the food, the wine—so many opportunities, so many ways to ruin her in a single, devastating moment.

The kind of moment Kaelis would never forgive.

Regina leaned back in her seat, the gears of her plan clicking dangerously into place.

"Enjoy your victory, Elira," she whispered venomously. "Tonight, you choke on it."

---

The sun dipped behind the silver towers of ESA, casting warm golden light over the grand outdoor banquet pavilion. M

oonstone lanterns floated in the air, illuminating long tables arranged in crescents around a glittering stage.

Soft music drifted from enchanted instruments, and servants in their uniforms moved gracefully between tables.

The atmosphere was radiant—festive, charged with the exhilaration of Elira’s historic victory.

Elira walked with her friends through the entrance arch, the crowd parting instinctively around her.

Her red hair was no longer in a combat bun but styled elegantly to fall around her shoulders. She looked breathtaking.

Just then, a waiter approached with a tray of crystal goblets.

"Congratulations, Miss Shaw," he said warmly. "Would you like a celebratory drink?"

Elira hesitated just a second, then gently accepted a single glass. "Thank you."

Her friends reached out to grasp the remaining glass on the tray, seemingly interested in the wine. Then, they headed towards one of the round tables reserved for the top-ten finalists. Elira sat down, followed by her friends, their buzz of excitement evident.

Nari squeezed her hand. "Elira, I swear my heart is about to burst. You’re really giving the speech tonight!"

Juniper fanned herself. "I still can’t believe the Vice Chancellor chose you."

Cambria smiled knowingly. "We always knew you’d shine."

Elira smiled faintly, but beneath that calm, her nerves thrummed. She sipped her drink, just enough to moisten her lips, then set it down.

Selene rumbled quietly inside her. "You really have to be careful. I can sense danger."

Though Elira was confused by that sudden message of danger, her attention was drawn away by her friends.

---

Several moments later, drums rolled.

The chatter faded as the King settled down, regal and commanding. Princess Kaelis sat beside him, yet visibly tense.

Her eyes, sharp as daggers, slid to Elira. The resentment there could have killed a mortal.

Behind her, the Student Council members shifted uneasily. None more than Regina, who sat stiff, expression poised yet trembling beneath the surface.

Just then, the Vice Chancellor approached the stage once more.

"Students, honoured guests, and esteemed dignitaries... Tonight, we conclude this year’s Founders Day with the words of our Combat Champion."

The applause was immediate.

"Elira Shaw, the stage is yours," the vice chancellor finished.

Elira rose slowly, and her friends squeezed her hands. "Go," Nari whispered. "Show them."

Elira stepped up the stage steps. Her heartbeat thundered. The lanterns flickered overhead like stars greeting her ascent.

Zenon, Lennon, and Rennon watched her from their table, all three unable to hide their pride.

Elira reached the podium, exhaled softly, and began. Her voice, calm but resonant, carried across the entire pavilion.

"Good evening... I am Elira Shaw, a proud first-year student of the prestigious Elite Supernatural Academy... Founders Day is not only a celebration of strength, but of survival of stories... of legacy."

She scanned the crowd, thousands of faces, warm lantern light, the sweep of moonlight across polished tiles.

"When I first entered ESA, I did not expect to make it here," she continued. "Some of you may know my name, but many of you may not know my story."

The crowd leaned in. Regina stiffened violently.

Elira inhaled, steadying herself. "My mother walked these grounds long before I did. She fought on this very day, and her name still echoes in the history of this academy."

A shift of anticipation rippled through the crowd.

Then Elira raised her chin. "My mother... was Kathryn Morgan."

Instantly, time stopped. Then suddenly, gasps shot through the air like arrows.

The dignitaries froze. Students recoiled in shock, and Professors stared wide-eyed.

Alpha Cyprus’s face softened with profound sadness and pride. Luna Gwenith’s head snapped toward him, outrage building.

Beta Marc lifted a hand to his chest, eyes filling with emotion. Lady Maren went rigid, her lips parting in horror. But the loudest reactions came from the Student Council.

Nyra’s jaw dropped.

Caleb whispered, "Impossible..."

Thorne mouthed, "But that means... Regina—"

And Princess Kaelis turned to Regina with slow, lethal clarity. "You knew," she whispered.

Regina’s entire body trembled.

Kaelis’s voice sharpened into a blade. "You LIED to me. To ALL of us."

The members looked between them, realization dawning fast:

If Elira is Kathryn Morgan’s daughter... Then, Regina, bearing the same surname, is Elira’s cousin. Meaning Regina lied about her lineage and deliberately misled the Academy.

Kaelis’s fury was volcanic. But she held it in because the spotlight was on Elira, but her father’s attention was still on her.

Back on the stage, Elira finished softly, "I stand here today not because of my birth, nor my blood... but because I refused to let where I began define where I would end."

The crowd erupted into applause. Everyone showed different emotions, with most of them feeling proud and excited to learn this very truth about Elira, being the daughter of one of ESA’s greatest.

But then, something was wrong.

Elira blinked as her fingers suddenly trembled around the podium. A cold sweat broke over her skin.

The lantern lights flickered strangely.

Her throat tightened painfully as her stomach twisted.

Right then, Selene roared, "Elira—POISON! We have been poisoned!"

Elira’s breath hitched. Her vision blurred, and the podium tilted. And suddenly, the cheers warped into an echo.

Down below, Regina watched with eyes gleaming in triumph.

Kaelis leaned forward, alarmed. "Is she—?"

Elira’s knees buckled. Her hand flew to her mouth, but the next moment, blood splattered across the podium.

Screams burst from every direction.

"Elira!"

"Elira Shaw!"

"Oh, moons—someone help her!"

The triplet brothers shot up simultaneously, their faces draining of colour.

Zenon vaulted over a table, sprinting. Lennon and Rennon were seconds behind.

Elira collapsed, her body striking the wooden stage with a hollow thud.

Her friends screamed from the crowd.

The King stood abruptly. Professors rushed forward. Guards surged toward the stage in panic.

But Regina sat still, smiling. Because finally, Elira Shaw’s light was dimming. And she, Regina, had won.