I reincarnated as an elf .......and married the yandere villainess.-Chapter 56:A mother’s mistake

Back at the Sunblade family home, Atheline’s parents sat on their bed each lost in thought.

Atheline’s mother unconsciously pulled at her nightdress as she glanced outside the full moon mocking her hesitation.

His father sighed heavily and turned to look at her.

"You shouldn’t have suggested that," he reprimanded his wife.

She turned, sharply glaring at him. He didn’t back down from their eye contact.

"You promised me you would never force him into anything, you know very well that this isn’t consensual," She took a heavy resigned breath," Since your service to the crown exceeds that to your family, I had to find a way to save my son."

"You know that ritual was stopped since it’s permanent and they cannot separate, " he said angrily," if it passes you would have basically tied him to her forever."

She scoffed.

"She planned their own ritual which is basically the same," she said," at least with this, there is a chance their union might be rejected."

"This is madness Arthena, I thought you had accepted the marriage during the engagement, " his father said harshly," Don’t you trust your own son, I thought you said he took after you in brains."

She scoffed.

"My son is too young for marriage, " she said, " how old were we when we got married?"

She looked at her husband pointedly.

"Fifty..."

"He’s twenty, Helmer, twenty, I haven’t even finished teaching him everything about the wind," he said, his voice lowered, " she’s way older than him, more than a hundred years older...do you know what that means?"

Lord Helmer rubbed the bridge of his nose then ran a hand through his hair. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

"Atheline isn’t as easily manipulated as you think he might be," he said quietly, " just trust your son and stop interfering in his marriage unless you want to create a bridge between him and us."

"He’s not that cruel."

Lord Helmer chuckled.

"I wouldn’t put it past him."

"I’m just worried about that all."

She really didn’t want her son to go through that ritual since it’s dangerous but she had brought it up in a moment of weakness and the elven queen had accepted it and insisted on doing it.

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The path to the world tree began at dawn.

Tomorrow they will wed but today, the world tree was meant to decide if the marriage was acceptable.

This was a tradition that had been sealed due to how many rejections people faced.

Rejection from the world tree was fatal.

Mist clung low as they walked down the spiraling staircase around the world tree trunk.

Dense roots larger than any of them could touch clung to the walls around as they intertwined around each other.

A collasol of age. The area was under the palace grounds, a place only the priests would enter to take care of the tree.

The deeper they went, the more raw aether concentration in the air intensified.

They came to a stop at the end of the spiral their gaze fixed on the monster before them. At the heart of the room stood the world tree. Its trunk was vast beyond measure and it was etched with aether veins going to the surface where they would become invisible as they released some of the world’s aether into the elven lands.

Atheline felt something brush against him to his right.

He turned to see his mother’s pale face as she walked beside him her fear and unease visible.

Atheline sighed.

He knew she had been the one to initiate this ritual and planted it into Lily’s mind.

’Let’s hope nothing goes wrong’

His father walked at the front with the king and Lord Dusk, who had insisted on coming a smug smile painted on his face.

’I’m pretty sure this didn’t happen in the original’

Behind him followed Prince Solaris and a handful of priests who had come to witness the confirming.

This ritual was a secret only known to those present since most of the high elves did not approve of it.

Beside him, an unbothered lilth walked her unimpressed gaze moving to the world tree then to the room before she turned to look at him.

"This decides your unions," she asked quietly.

The ritual was only a secret known to nobles and since it had been abolished it became a thing of the past until his mother brought it up.

"It confirms them," he said and glanced at the tree," or denies them."

She paused for a moment then smiled.

"How fascinating."

The closer they got to the tree, the harder it was to walk. The Aether had thickened so much that it felt tangible.

Only those with a strong lineage could walk there. Even the priest who took care of the tree had slowed their breathing and walked more slowly.

Atheline and his family walked well without being affected. Unsurprisingly Lilith walked just as carefree unaffected by the high concentration of aether.

At last, they reached the heart of the room. Beneath the hundred roots that sank into the ground was a small room where a single root rose from the ground.

Unlike the other rooms that looked like normal tree roots, this was covered by light with aether fully concentrated on it.

Atheline took a deep breath. This was where everything happened. There would be no going back the moment they touched the root.

The high priest stepped forward.

"Place your hand upon the root," he instructed, " offer your Aether. Speak your intent. The world tree will judge your sincerity."

Lilith stepped forward before the priest could finish his speech.

His mother’s hand tightened briefly around his sleeve. Atheline stopped and turned to look at her with a smile on his face.

"You don’t have to worry mother," he said softly, " everything will be fine."

She was clearly regretting her impulsive decision. Atheline glanced towards his father who nodded to him and pulled his mother to him.

Atheline didn’t really have any complications with the ritual since he didn’t have anything against Lilith.

He stepped forward following behind Lilith.

Lilith reached the tree and stared at it before looking at the high priest who was avoiding her gaze.

"Is there a procedure or should I just release my aether on this?"

She pointed at the root. The priest nodded.

"Just touch the root and release your aether."

She stepped next to the root and placed her hand on it before releasing her aether.

Dark aether filled the room like dark ink almost competing with the raw aether from the world tree.

Then it happened. The light on the root surged towards the place of contact and tried to push back against her shadows.

The chamber felt as though it was trembling as the two light and darkness competed.

A sharp intake of breath filled the room from the priests.

"It’s rejecting her," one of the priests whispered or tried to.

"No.." the high priest corrected, " it’s resisting her Aethers entry."

Lilth didn’t seem fazed by the supposed resistance. She was determined to get her aether inside the world tree even if it meant using force.

She increased her release. It was so strong that it felt choking to the onlookers but the tree held on despite the assault.

Seeing this Atheline stepped forward and placed his hand beside hers on the root.