Chapter 377 - The Ending and a New Beginning (2) (unedited)

I practically fell asleep in Regaleon's arms after the battle. When I woke up, I was inside a very familiar room in Duke Destia's estate.

"L-Leon…" I instinctively called out to him.

"I am here my love." Regaleon was right by my side in an instant. He was cradling one of the twins in his arms. "How was your sleep?" He asked.

"Good, I guess. How long was I asleep?" I asked out of curiosity. When I looked outside, it was clearly mid day.

"You were asleep for fifteen hours." Regaleon replied while putting the sleeping baby back to the cradle that was located at our bed side. "The doctor said your body was weak after childbirth and it just needed rest. Anatalia said the same. How are you feeling?" He planted a kiss on my forehead.

"I feel a bit sore but overall, I think I am fine." I replied honestly.

"You must be hungry." Regaleon said. "I will call Tricia to get you something light to eat."

"How about the babies? How did you feed them when I was asleep?" I asked, worried that my babies were not able to get fed.

"Do not worry, they have been bottle fed when you were asleep." Regaleon re-assured me. "In fact, they finished their bottle just before you woke up."

I heaved a sigh of relief.

"Do not worry too much." Regaleon bend down on the bed in front of me, our faces are in line with each other. "Of course, I will not let our children go hungry." He smiled teasingly and planted a kiss on my lips.

I felt my cheeks heat up with the sudden kiss and Regaleon smiled teasingly seeing my reaction. After that, he walked towards the bed side table and rang the bell. Not long there was a knock on the door.

*KNOCK KNOCK*

"Come in." Regaleon said.

The door opened and Tricia came in.

"You called your majesty." Tricia said with a lowered head. When she looked up, she saw me with a surprised expression on her face. Tears started to fall from the rim of her eyes. "A-Ali… I mean her majesty. You are awake at last." I can see her feelings etched on her face.

"It is good to see you again Tricia." I said, giving her a warm smile. "Come here." I opened my arms, wanting to hug her.

Tricia came running towards me and embraced me as tightly as she can.

"I was so worried your highness. *sob*" Tricia said while sobbing. "Just the thought of you giving birth out there made me terrified. I was not even by your side in your most important time. I am so sorry."

"It is not your fault Tricia." I patted her back to comfort her. "It was inevitable. I am thankful that at least Leon was with me when I gave birth to the twins. You must have been so worried that I was gone for the whole nine months of my pregnancy."

"His majesty has not told you?" Tricia pulled back and looked at me with surprise.

"What did he not tell me?" I asked and looked at Regaleon questioningly.

"She just woke up." Regaleon explained. "Tricia, can you get Alicia something light to eat first. I am sure she is hungry."

"I-I understand…" Tricia got fl.u.s.tered. "I will be right back."

I looked confused with what Tricia meant.

"I will explain while you are waiting for food." Regaleon smiled.

Regaleon started to tell me everything that happened when I was under the sea. Apparently, not much time has passed by when I was there. My precnancy came into full term in just weeks since the first day the Almighty One took me there.

He also told me about how they hastened their journey to get the other key fragments, how they met the lycans along the way, and how some of the people in our group lost their lives in the journey.

Regaleon told me about the operation against Patricia's group, how the sirens and the lycans came to help them, how the Alvannians worked side by side with Atlantians and the ancient beasts.

Hearing his story made me hopeful for the future of this continent. I can imagine how the others can now accept Atlantians once again. Now that Atlantia had resurfaced, there would be a much bigger responsibility to govern the entire empire. And now knowing that some ancient beasts had survived, having to live side by side with them is something that we need to plan in the future.

I also learned that Dimitri was my mother's half brother, making him my uncle.

"Who would have thought that Dimitri is my uncle?" I said with a surprised expression. "But I am happy that he now has living blood relatives. I should greet him after I am well rested." I smiled.

"I am also happy for Dimitri. I know that he had treated me and my mother as family, but knowing that he has a family that are still alive is something he is very happy to know. He is currently recovering from his wound. I think he would be happy if you and the twins come and visit him one of these days." He smiled.

"I will surely visit." I replied. "Is mother and father alright?" I asked.

"Yes, they are currently taking a stroll now by the beach. I will let them know you are awake after a little while." Regaleon said. "Oh, and mother in law asked about the names of the twins. Have you thought of their names?"

"Yes." I nodded. "I am thinking of naming our little boy Alphonse and out little girl Aerith."

"Alphonse and Aerith..." Regaleon repeated. "That sounds good. How did you come up with them?" He asked.

"It just popped out of my mind." I looked at my two little angels sleeping peacefully in their cribs. "I just thought that it would suit them."

"Then Alphonse and Aerith it is." Regaleon replied with a happy smile.

And as if the twins already knew their names, they woke up and reacted. Regaleon took Alphonse from his crib and handed him gently over to me while he took Aerith and cradled her in his arms.

"My little Al." I said while poking his cheek.

My little Alphonse smiled sweetly at me and my heart melted instantly after seeing it.

"Little Aerith wants to join you two." Regaleon carefully placed her in my other arm. The two of them were so little and was a good fit in my arms.

"My little angels." I said with a smile. I can feel warmth in my chest that was spreading all over my body. I knew that this was the feeling of love.

Regaleon sat down beside me and wrapped his arms around us lovingly. This was my little family, the family that me and Regaleon started. I felt bliss at this moment.

**

"Your highnesses…" A young male knight was running around the palace ground while panting hard. "Where are you?"

*GIGGLING*

Soft giggles can be heard in the vicinity.

"I know you are here. I can hear you both." The young male knight replied.

The giggles can be heard behind the bushes. The young male knight walked towards the bushes carefully.

"Gotcha!" The young male knight quickly pushed back the bushes but there was no one there. "Huh, I was sure that I heard it from here." He scratched his head with confusion.

Then wind blew through his ear and the sound of giggles came along with it.

"Ohhhh… so you are using your magic huh." The young male knight said. "I will find you in no time."  He said teasingly.

The young male knight conjured little golems using the earth. The earth golems quickly darted all over the place in search. After some time, a golem had found something behind the trees and informed the young male knight.

"So, you are there." The young male knight smiled and went to inspect the tree the earth golem mentioned.

The young male knight treaded carefully towards the tree and when he was just standing right below it, a magic circle started to light up from under him.

"A magic trap!" The young male knight was surprised, and his feet started to freeze through his waist. "Ahhh… I surrender. You got me." He sighed in defeat.

"Hahahaha…" Two giggling voices was heard melodiously.

From up the tree jumped down a young boy with black hair and silver eyes, while a young girl with long silver hair and blue eyes came out from behind the tree.

"Gotcha Philip." The little girl said while giggling.

"You got me Princess Aerith. The magic traps that your uncle Jack has been teaching you paid off. I just hope you will not use me as a test target in the future." The young male knight named Philip replied. "Now can you please melt the ice around me. It is getting a little cold." He smiled.

"You cannot even dispel the ice Aerith made?" The young boy asked with a smirk. "How can you be our personal bodyguard if you are that weak?" He said jokingly.

"Your highness Prince Alphonse, I am still an apprentice knight in training as you know." Philip said with an irritated smile. "I am only sixteen now and is still under the tutelage of Captain Dimitri. And your father the emperor is personally teaching me swordsmanship. At least I can still beat you at that." He smiled to Alphonse with pride.

"Tsk, I know you still are above me at that." Alphonse replied. "But just you wait, I will get to your level and beat you, and move above you after." He then used his fire magic to melt the ice around Philip's body.

"I am sure you will your highness." Philip replied. "Even though you are just twelve years old now, your skill in the sword is more advance than your peers. Oh, speaking of age, your mother the empress is looking for you two. It is both your twelfth birthday today and you need to prepare for the banquet later."

"Mother is looking for us?" Alphonse replied with surprise.

"Oh no, we are in trouble." Aerith said with a scared expression. "What are we going to do brother? Our clothes are…" She looked at her brother with worry. Their clothes are both dirty.

"Do not worry, I will fix it once we go back." Alphonse said with a determined look. "Come on, before mother sees us like this." He took his sisters hand and started to run to the direction of the palace.

"Your cousins have arrived as well." Philip shouted to the twin's direction. "I am sure they are waiting for you."

"Thanks…" Alphonse waved his hand to Philip without looking back. Philip sighed and shook his head but then smiled. "To think that the future of the empire and the world are in his highnesses shoulders. But I still promise to get even stronger, to support both of you in the future." He said with a look of determination.

Philip saw the receding figures of the prince and the princess of the empire, the hope of the world in the future.