Alysia Flora's POV
As the sun dipped below the horizon, I knelt beside the fallen horned deer and offered a silent prayer.
"Return to our Mother as she guides your soul" I whispered before proceeding to slice its neck.
The creature, despite its terrifying transformation due to the dark mana, still bore the appearance of a once gentle and innocent animal.
'sigh'
Sighing, I pulled the arrow from the deer's side and then proceeded to dig a pit in the earth. Gently, I placed the lifeless creature into the pit and covered it, offering it a respectful burial.
With the day nearing its end, I contemplated the events of my hunt.
'All right, the sun is about to set, and I've managed to take down nearly a dozen of these infected beasts. I'm certain Mama must be worrying about me by now. I should return before she sets out to find me' I thought to myself as I made my way out of the dense forest.
Our home, the Flora continent, was located adjacent to the Fallen Continent, connected by the mysterious Fiend Forgotten Forest.
It was not uncommon for the dark mana to infect and drive the local wildlife to madness. Some pointed fingers at the Fallens, believing that their need for dark mana was the root cause.
But as Elves, we held a different perspective, choosing not to lay blame and instead seeing these incidents as a part of the natural order.
""Welcome, Your Highness""
Upon my return, the guards offered their respectful greetings.
I acknowledged their salutations with a simple nod before entering our dwelling.
Once inside, I faced my mother,
"...."
"...Mother?"
"...."
"sigh, Mama-" Sighing, I called her with a hint of frustration in my voice.
Before I could finish, she embraced me with a sudden and warm hug, "My dear!!"
After some mock irritation and fake scoldings, my mother and I sat down to share our evening meal.
As the night deepened, we retired to the bed, and my mother, as usual, made herself comfortable with me on top of her body, patting my back as she gazed at the moon.
I couldn't help but think, 'Tsk, She always treats me like a child' although deep down, I cherished the attention. -content
"Mama?" I hesitated for a moment before I raised a more serious matter.
"Hmm?" My mother, who had been lost in her thoughts as she observed the moon through the window, shifted her gaze to me.
I gathered my courage and decided to address what had been weighing on my mind for decades,
"It's been nearly 50 years since I last saw Father..." My voice trailed off as I hinted at what was on my mind.
She gazed into my eyes, her expression unreadable.
I was no longer a child, and her silence confirmed that she understood the depth of my inquiry.
A heavy silence hung in the room, and I could no longer contain my emotions.
I began to sob uncontrollably as I questioned, "I-Is it because of me? 'sob', 'sob', right? I a-am defective 'sob' prod---hmfff"
Before I could finish my sentence, my mother pulled me to her bosom, wrapping her arms around me in a comforting embrace....not understanding my struggle to breathe.
She held me tightly, her voice trembling as she reassured me, "N-No, my dear Alysia...you are not defective. My child is a genius among geniuses; there is no way my child is defective"
As I felt my consciousness slipping away, I thought, 'Oh, n-no I am going lose my consciousness....-ha-ha-ha' Just as I was about to fall unconscious, my mother gently pushed me with an apologetic expression.
"Mama!!" I shouted at her with frustration and,
'slap'
"Ouch"
My mother cried in pain when slapping those deadly Milkers.
During our sleeping hours, We, Elves typically didn't wear anything, leaving us essentially naked.
"Next..."
"Your Majesty!" The same male Elder raised his voice, his tone resolute, and directed at my mother.
I instinctively glared at him.
My mother frowned and asked, "What is it?".
"Just how long are you going to avoid this?" The male Elder questioned, unafraid of my mother.
"...I still love him" My mother said, indicating someone....none other than my father.
The Elder gritted his teeth, clearly frustrated, and continued, "If you still love him, then where is he?... Oh, I know where he is! What is he doing?... Fucking around other women--"
Before he could finish, a small wind sliced across his cheek, drawing blood.
I was eager to know what the Elder had been about to say, whether it was fortunate or unfortunate for me.
But he didn't seem scared. Instead, he pressed on, "....Your chosen husband has been sleeping with other women, and there have been 12 children born from his blood in the span of 20 years. Who knows how many more after he left us around 70 years ago?"
My mother maintained her composure and simply asked, "So?"
The Elder, undeterred, continued to speak, "Do you understand what I'm saying, Your Majesty? Every child he has fathered has become mortal, regardless of their origin race.....There are no exceptions, so, you understand what am I saying, right, Your Majesty?"
My mother didn't react as if she already knew about these revelations.
I was taken aback as I had always believed my father had passed away, especially since it had been 80 years since I'd last seen him. It turned out that everything was different from what I had expected.
In response to the discussion, others voiced their concerns,
"Yes, Your Majesty, you have a duty as the Queen."
"We cannot have an incompetent heir"
"We've already selected a few exceptional men that suit your taste, Your Majesty"
"All we want is a competent heir. You can choose any man you wish, and if you don't want to marry, you can take a concubine"
Their words had a profound impact on me.
'snap'
With a snap, my mother finally spoke, "Get out!"
The Elder Elves quickly left, leaving only me and my mother behind.
"I-I am s--"
My mother interrupted me and said, "My dear, you haven't done anything wrong" before embracing me.
As she hugged me, my body trembled, and...I couldn't sleep that night.
.....
After that incident, my mother's secret about my unawakened soul crystal somehow became public knowledge, and without a second thought, the citizens began criticizing her, claiming she wasn't acting like a Queen.
I was dumbfounded by this turn of events. Just because I hadn't awakened my soul crystal, they had changed their view of me.
Those who had once regarded me with warmth and gentleness now looked at me with displeasure and scorn.
Although it hurt me a little, I was fine with it as long as my mother continued to smile at me.
One night, I gathered my courage and asked her, "Mama, why don't you marry another man?"
She hesitated, saying, "...It's not eas--"
"Everyone is speaking ill of you because of me... It hurts me to see my mother being discriminated against by them" I interrupted her, voicing my concerns,
With a sigh, she replied, "I love him, that's all, Dear" to silence me.
"...And I love you too" she added, kissing my forehead.
...Those were the last and final words I heard from my mother.
The next day, something happened that shocked the entire Flora continent.
....The Elven Queen, Morgan Flora, had passed away.