The eyes of the King and Queen of Cresta remained on their son who is humming happily for quite a while now. He's been unexpectedly happy ever since he came back from the Dark Forest.

They have visitors that will be coming over today, hence, the Crowned Prince must be present. Often, Roger will do anything to get out of this situation like he always does and if left with no choice but to attend, he will sulk all the time which could come as rudeness to their guests.

At this moment he is neither sulky nor grumpy. He's happy as if something happened to him earlier.

"Is everything alright, son?" His father asks.

"Hmm? Yes, everything is fine." Roger smiles at his father before leaving, humming as he did so. This just left the King and Queen even more curious at their son's behavior.

Throughout the pleasantries, Roger's been well-behaved, accomodating questions with answers that are fitting of his position. He is never like this and his behavior only raises questions in his parents' minds. What happened to their son?

The next morning, Roger left the Palace hurriedly. Not out of irritation that the guests usually give to him, but with excitement that they have never seen before.

Roger finds himself in the same spot as yesterday, eyes surveying the area in hopes of finding the woman he met. It was odd to feel excited upon seeing the person he does not even know. This is the first time that this happened.

The Dark Forest is eerily quiet, void of any humans in sight but he is still hopeful to see her again.

"You're here again..." The voice startled Roger.

"I'm here again..." He said as soon as he turned around, smiling as his eyes landed on the beautiful woman. He can stare at her for a long time without getting tired of it. She's like a drug that he can't get enough of. "I want to see you."

When Rouge smiled, it feels like Roger's soul is being sucked out of his body towards a neverending dreamland. He dreams of her last night. He dreams of her warm smile and her eyes that could stare deep into his soul.

"People don't usually venture into this area. But you do. Why is that?"

"I am not most people." He answers, still staring at her. "And you? Why are you in this area?"

"Just like you. I am not most people." The mystery surrounding her is intoxicating, making Roger want to know more.

There's a comfortable silence between them. Their eyes are drinking the sight of the person in front of them.

Rouge never expected to meet this man yesterday when she decided to survey the Dark Forest. Years of being in the Valley of Xavaria made her long for the outside world.

For years, she lost hope of meeting her fated mate. Even though she thinks about it from time to time, she still thinks that it will never come true. The fantasies she used to have are often swift at the back of her mind in favor of thinking about their situation.

Centuries of being in the portal do not mean that Rouge is forgetting why they are there in the first place. She knows her responsibilities and she has been waiting for them all this time.

As soon as she laid her eyes at this man, she instantly knew who he is and what he is to her. Who could have thought that her mate is a human?

Their meetings became frequent, often talking about things that interest them the most. Roger never asked anything about her identity nor did he care. All he wants is to be with her all the time.

"Are you not going to ask why I am always in the Dark Forest?" Rouge asked one time while the two are sitting on a rock near the river.

"I am curious why, but if I ask, I feel like I won't be seeing you again." Roger's sincerity warmed Rouge's heart.

"Shall I show you why?"

"If you want..."

With a nod, Rouge removed her robe making the man blush. A smile crept into her lips as she removes the spell to reveal her true form in front of him. Her ears became pointed and her wings sprouted out of her back.

Roger's eyes widened upon seeing her transformation. For a moment, Rouge became afraid that he will be afraid of her. Was it too hasty of her to reveal her true form to Roger?

"Beautiful..." Roger muttered, startling her. His eyes changed from being shocked to a mesmerized one. He cannot take his eyes off the beauty in front of him. It was as if a goddess descended from heaven and grace her presence in front of a plebeian like him. Was it too much if he prostrates himself in front of her? Maybe so... And if she asks for the world, he will not hesitate to give it even if it means laying his life.

"You're not afraid. I thought you would be."

"Why would I be?" His hands hesitantly reach her cheeks, caging her beautiful face in it. Without thinking, he leans in closer to her and she leans forward, meeting his lips midway.

It was surreal. The kiss is unlike anything he'd felt before. It sends shivers down his spine, spreading across his body like energy that he can't properly explain. And he does not want to for he is occupied with savoring this moment.

Right there and then, Roger knows that he's found the person he wants to be with forever...

"I want to be with you..." He whispers.

"So do I... But I am an Otherworldly."

"It doesn't matter."

"It is... Do you know about the Great War? The Rareborn Princess?"

"Of course. Cresta's Royalties are aware of the events that happened in the past."

"You refer to it as events, not myths?"

Roger scoffs for a moment, shaking his head. "No. We know they are not myths or legends or a story from books created to scare children. Granted, some of the stories told are fabricated with lies and exaggeration, but we know they are true. Do you want to know why?"

A frown appears on Rouge's face. "Why?"

"Because we are connected to them. This is part of Cresta's guarded secret passed from generation to another. There is a reason why my grandfather built the Palace right next to the Dark Forest. And I'll show you..."

Before Rouge can ask what it was that he wants to show her, he closed his eyes for a moment before opening it and that's when she felt the power. The invisible force originating from him resonated in the Dark Forest, startling animals in the vicinity and several of them lost consciousness in the process.

There's no doubt what that power was. It is Al Draig.

"H-How?"

"I told you that we are connected to the events that happened in the past. It is forbidden for me to use this power on the battlefield, or use it against humans." He explains.

"Are you a Halfborn?" Roger chuckles a little from that question.

"No. I can assure you that my parents or grandparents are humans, but the same can't be said for my ancestors. You are aware of how Xavaria's story unfolds, am I right?"

"Yes." Rouge can still remember when Alamir told her what happened to Xavaria. She died in the Valley of Xavaria along with her human lover. That is what she knew.

"When she sealed the Valley along with her lover, they lived there for quite some time, enough time for her to give birth to a baby boy. She died in that Valley after sending her lover and her son back to the Human Realm." Rouge gasped after hearing the words.

"Are you saying..."

"Yes." He answered knowingly. "The son lived, inheriting Al Draig and continued the legacy of her mother, passing the story from generation to generation. I do not know why, neither does my parents or grandparents, but for some reason, for every generation in our family, there's always one person who inherited it."

Rouge cannot believe it. Raftel never had someone who has Al Draig from one generation to the other despite having Ellisar's bloodline in them, yet, in Roger's case, it is the opposite. Was it because they descended from Xavaria's bloodline?

After revealing their secrets to each other, the bond between the two of them grew stronger as days passed by, often telling each other stories about themselves. Rouge often removes the spell that made her look like a human as Roger says he prefers to see her in her real form.

After a few months, Roger took the courage to tell her to meet his parents.

"Come with me to the Palace. You must meet my parents."

Before she could answer Roger dragged her towards the direction of the Human Realm leaving her no choice but to cast the spell so she will look more human.

Roger was grinning from ear to another while the horse gallops closer to Cresta's Palace. They entered the main gate of the Royal Capital which is relatively small as opposed to what Rouge was expecting. The Royal guards and the people around stared at the two of them.

The curious glances never stopped even when Roger willed the horse carrying them to gallop towards the Royal Palace.

Rouge can hear whispers from the people.

"Did the Prince kidnap someone?"

"Is that going to be his wife?"

"He's finally going to get married? Thank goodness!"

These are some of the whispers she can hear while they pass by.

"Come on!" Roger gets off the horse before grabbing her waist to place her on the ground. "Let's go."

The guards in the Royal Palace bowed before Roger before their eyes landed on Rouge.

"Your Highness. Welcome back."

"Where are my parents?"

"They should be in the garden."

"Okay, Thanks!" Roger pats the guard's back before dragging Rouge again. The palace is beautiful, filled with designs that are oddly familiar to her. Cresta's halls are filled with their insignia - Lion surrounded by orange colors resembling a sun. As she looked closely, she notices the resemblance of the insignia to Daerene's.

"Mother! Father!" Roger shouted the moment he opened the door towards the garden. This startled his parents who are enjoying their time drinking tea and conversing.

Standing before them, Rouge can't help but feel nervous, especially when their eyes landed on her. They must have a lot of questions in their minds at the sudden turn of events.

"Son..." The King muttered. "I see you brought a very beautiful guest."

"Yes. Father, Mother, I'd like you to meet Rouge. Rouge, these are my parents." Rouge curtsies to the Royalties expressing her honor in meeting them and they did the same.

The queen is surprised to see her son bring a woman in the palace and introduce her. All these years since the Crowned Prince came of age, they've been bombarded with questions as to who he will wed. He never showed any interest to the women he met. They were afraid that he will remain unwed for a long time.

Now, he comes home to introduce a stranger. Not that the Queen is against it. It does not matter if their son will marry a commoner so long as he will produce heirs to inherit the throne.

"We need to talk to the two of you and this place might not be the right venue."

"Is that so? We can go to the library - "

"We are here to talk about Cresta's history." Roger's voice turned stern. "Real history." The King and Queen's faces turned serious, catching the whiff of the meaning behind Roger's words.

"Very well. Follow me." The King said before leading the way inside the Palace. He brought them to the library but he did not sit on the chairs available. Instead, he walked towards the direction of one of the shelves and pressed a hidden button to open the walls behind the shelves which revealed a secret door.

He signaled them to follow him and they all did, entering the door. Rouge thought that this will be where they will talk, but she's wrong. The King pressed another hidden button that opens the floor a few feet from where they stand. It reveals a staircase.

Without a word, the King led the way downstairs followed by the Queen.

"Let's go." Roger said reassuringly before they followed the King and Queen.

Downstairs reveals a fairly large room with shelves of books. Not just any books, but these are ancient books from Daerene.

"What is it that you want to talk about, son?" The King asked, his voice is guarded against Rouge and that is understandable. After all, Cresta's real history is something no one must know outside of their family and the trusted allies. Only a few people know about this. Should it be publicly known, it will doom Cresta and its people.

"I told Rouge about my power as well as our history."

"You know damn well it is forbidden to tell anyone outside of our family about that secret and - "

"She is my mate." Roger interrupted his father. The word mate cannot easily be used by anyone at all. They know that this is only used by the Otherworldly.

Realization dawned on the King and Queen. They looked at Rouge expecting to confirm their assumptions.

Rouge understands what she must do. Without hesitation, she removed the spell and revealed her true form, shocking the King and Queen.

"My real name is Rauscher Veronica D. Verid." The King gasped upon hearing the name.

During the Great War, their ancestors kept themselves hidden, away from Sakazuki's eyes. They are afraid that he will come after them for their bloodline carries Al Draig, more so if he finds out that every generation has at least one person carrying that power.

Their ancestors heard of what happened in Raftel along with the name of the Rareborn princess.

"Your Highness!" The King and Queen bowed before Rouge, startling her by the actions. "It is an honor to meet you, Your Highness."

"No need to bow before me. Please." She pleaded.

The King and Queen heeded her pleas, staring at the mighty figure in front of them. They did not bow before her because of her status as High Princess of Raftel, but because she possesses Al Draig.

"For generations, we've been taught to bow before anyone who possesses Al Draig." Roger explained.

"For Xavaria's bloodline to live to this day is a miracle." Rouge said. Everyone in Raftel believed that Xavaria's bloodline is no more. Othorion's descendants are afraid that it will be their doom should she produce heirs that can possibly possess Al Draig. And they are right to do so.

None of Ellisar's bloodline in Raftel possesses Al Draig except for Rouge. It is considered a rarity for anyone to inherit it.

"It is indeed a miracle. But it is not a power we can let anyone know about, especially with Sakazuki still alive somewhere."

"If you don't mind me asking, Your Majesty, do you also possess it?" The King smiled and shook his head.

"No, Unfortunately not. It was my younger brother who possessed it but he died before he became King of Cresta. Right now, only Roger in our family possesses Al Draig."

"Only him?"

"At least, in this family. But there are others out there. Our bloodline is limited. I do not know if that is a curse or not but there has been no record of our family having more than two children. To have two children is already considered a miracle and there are only three records of that happening." The King explained while looking at the names written on the wall. At the end of the list is Roger's name.

"Siring children has been one of our problems for a long time. Not just in my generation, but for generations before my father." Rouge understands now. This is why the King and Queen are quite old already. They're in their 60's whereas Roger is still in his 20's.

"You remained hidden for years, away from Raftel. Why is it that your family chose to build a kingdom here? Right next to the Dark Forest?" This question has been lingering in Rouge's mind after hearing Roger's confession.

"My father felt that the right time is coming near. We can't hide forever after all." Rouge does not fully understand what he means, but she still nodded.

"Your people are still in the Valley, I presume?" The Queen asks.

"Yes. They will remain there until the right time comes. Until they will come."

After that meeting, it wasn't long before Cresta announced Roger's engagement to a woman named Portgas D. Rouge. They fabricated lies that she came from an island South where she and Roger met.

'It is fated that you met this man.' Alamir once told Rouge when she came back to the Valley to inform them of the events unfolding. The news that a possessor of Al Draig became shocking news to her people, but they still rejoiced, especially the Daerenians. 'You are not far from where we are. You deserve to be happy as well.'

Cresta's people celebrated their union. More so when it was announced that Rouge is pregnant, only a few months after their wedding. Even though they are happy, they also cannot help but be worried about their child.

"I will put a spell on them to keep our child humans, but only to a certain extent. I still do not know what powers they will have." Rouge told Roger as well as the current King and Queen. The succession of the throne was put on hold until Rouge has given birth, that is why they remained as Crowned Prince and Princess.

"To have two possessors of Al Draig have children, this has never happened before." The King said. "All we have to do is to wait."

"We're planning that I give birth in the Valley of Xavaria in case the child will inherit Verid's powers." Should the child inherit Verid's powers there could be accidents that will happen.

Weeks before she gave birth, she brought Roger to the Valley of Xavaria. She created a portal in Cresta's palace instead of using the one she created in the Dark Forest.

He was welcomed by the people as soon as he arrived, especially the Daerenians. They are not discriminating against him despite being a human, rather, they are amazed that he was able to possess the power despite generations passed.

One night, when the moon was full, Rouge felt pains in her stomach. It is time. The helpers staying nearby all hurriedly walked inside the manor where Roger and Rouge was.

With the assistance of her people, she was able to push the baby out.

"Be rejoiced. It is a girl!" The healer who helped her cleaned the baby before wrapping her with a white cloth. Rouge was about to celebrate when she felt another series of pains. This shocked everyone else but they reacted on time. "Another baby is coming!"

Roger was still holding Rouge's hand as she cried in pain to push the second baby out. It took another hour before the baby has finally come out with a cry.

"Another girl!"

The helpers placed the babies side by side, right next to Rouge. As soon as she saw them, she can't help but shed tears.

"Our babies." Roger planted a soft kiss on her head, thanking her for giving birth to such beautiful children. They were in bliss while staring at their children when the two cried at the same time. That's when it happened.

The clothes wrapped on the older twin suddenly burned along with the clothes surrounding it, including the cloth on her twin. Rouge was about to take the younger twin out of the way for fear that she might get burned but to her surprise, she did not. That's when she noticed a barrier surrounding her, protecting her from the fire.

Their cries became louder and this is when Roger and Rouge both felt it - a very familiar surge of power.

"A Blessing." The helpers all muttered as they felt it too. It was for an instance, but the felt their knees shake as soon as the power hit them. "Not one, but two."

The power that came from the twins was none other than Al Draig. The power resonated in the entirety of the place, shaking it to the ground, shocking everyone else.

What's more shocking is two altar stones lighting as soon as they arrived. Everyone can't express how shocked they were upon seeing it. The two altar stones belonged to Verid and Huidel.

While the older twin is still crying, a bright light suddenly appeared right in front of her until it takes the form into wings - the symbol of Verid. The fire wings are floating in the air before it slowly disappeared into the baby's body.

And it seems that more things are stirring. All are visibly shocked upon sensing a creature approaching them. There should be no other creatures in this Valley aside from them. Roger unsheath his sword, ready to defend his family if necessary.

He looked at the outside through the window where all of Rouge's people are waiting. All of them are staring at the creature who appeared before them.

A nine-tailed white fox. The elves kneeled before the majestic creature that has never been seen for millennia. The fox disappeared in a blink of an eye before it appeared inside the manor. This startled Roger as well as the people inside.

"No!" Rouge meekly shouted at her mate when he was about to attack the creature.

All of them remained silent while staring at the legendary creature. It is said that the first High Queen of Huidel used to have a nine-tailed white fox as its companion but the fox disappeared as soon as the High Queen died. No one knows what happened to it.

The fox walked closer to the younger twin, nudging its small hand before stepping back, slowly disappearing from their sight.

The family of four stayed within the Valley for the next few days to observe the twins.

The older one was named Ann while the younger one was named Sab.

Ann has a tuft of dark hair, fairly similar to her father's, but on a lighter side while Sab inherited Rouge's hair color. Ann's ears are slightly pointed, similar to an elf's. Sab, on the other hand, has fairly elongated and pointy ears just like an elf's.

There's no doubt, Ann inherited Verid's powers while Sab inherited Huidel's.

Rouge placed a spell on them to hide their true forms for they cannot bring them to the Human Realm.

When it is time to leave, the creatures in the Valley felt a deep sadness for their departure. Rouge promised them that they will come back.

The news that the Crowned Princess gave birth to twins brought sheer joy to everyone in Cresta especially the current King and Queen. They only expected a grandchild, but now, they have two.

Roger told them what happened during the birth of the twins and just like everyone else in the Valley, they are shocked when they found out that the two possess Al Draig.

With the twins' powers, Rouge has to constantly go back to the Valley to place a spell on them. It seems that the spell is being weakened by the twins' own powers. The spells Rouge placed on them not only modifies how they look like but also suppresses their powers.

She often has to spend hours casting it to ensure that it will not be easily broken by the twins.

When the twins turned two years old, the King and Queen of Cresta expressed their intent to pass the throne to Rouge and Roger which is inevitable. After all, they are quite old. Roger must take over the kingdom.

The date for the coronation has been set when they found out that Rouge is pregnant, once more.

"To be blessed with grandchildren... I am beyond happy." The King cried. This is the first time in their bloodline for someone to have more than two children. A blessing from heavens.

Unlike Rouge's pregnancy with the twins, this pregnancy gave her troubles. She is constantly weakened not just physically but in terms of magic powers. The baby inside is so active, kicking her all the time. The twins were never this hard on her, only this young one.

During her pregnancy, a lot of strange things are happening around the Kingdom. The waves are getting rougher for the fishermen. Earthquakes became frequent when there are no volcanoes near them.

Above all else, they heard several stories from people that they are seeing sea monsters lurking in the area.

Rouge does not believe in a mere coincidence. She can't help but feel as if these things are somewhat connected to the child inside her.

Just like the twins, the youngest child will be delivered inside the Valley. Roger has the twins with him while Rouge is screaming while pushing the baby out of her stomach.

It took her hours, almost draining her energy but the baby is safely delivered.

"Another princess!" The family smiled. None of them cared if they will have a boy or a girl. As long as the child is safe, that's all it matters.

When the helpers placed the child right next to Rouge, she is not surprised to see slightly pointed ears. What is surprising is the fact that she is not crying at all. She has her eyes opened as if she can see Rouge. Then she smiled.

A few minutes after she arrived, all of them felt the whole Valley shaking. When it stopped, the third altar stone lit up - the stone for Daerenians.

Roger and Rouge looked at each other before looking at their youngest who just disappeared.

"The baby!" The helpers shouted while looking at the empty space next to Rouge. When they looked up, the baby was floating in the air, sleeping soundly before it disappeared again only to appear right next to Roger.

The baby was sleeping when it was woken by the gurgling sounds coming from her stomach. She cried very loud. The more she cries the more the whole place is shaking and if that's not enough, they felt the same surge of power from her. The sensed a deja vu when the twins were born. And that's when they realized that not only one, but all of their children inherited Al Draig.

The youngest was named Luffia. She's easy to handle, only crying when she is hungry, but what's difficult to deal with are her powers. Sealing them is no easy task at all.

After a few days, they all returned to the Palace. That night, Rouge felt a very powerful creature approaching them. Luffia is sleeping soundly in her crib whereas the twins are on the smaller bed they placed in their chamber. Keeping their children with them, for now, will make it easier to keep an eye on them in case the spells get broken.

Just like Rouge, Roger can also sense the creature approaching them. They opened the balcony to see who it was. The strong flapping of wings can be heard above the palace until the huge creature landed on their balcony, half destroying it.

"Zoro?" Rouge muttered to herself. The green dragon looked at her, recognizing who she is. Before any of them can utter any words, Luffia cried.

"I am here to mark her." Zoro spoke after transforming himself into his demi-human form.

"And who are you going to mark?" Roger's voice is dangerously low, glaring at the man in front of him.

Zoro did not speak, his eyes are staring at the baby in the crib who is surprisingly staring back at him. He started walking to where the baby is, reaching out to touch her small hands.

"You..." Roger growled protectively.

"My dear..." Rouge placed her hand on Roger's chest to stop him from doing anything. Any moment and he will spring into action. "Zoro." She called out to an old friend.

"I never knew you are mated to a human. I always thought that you will forever remain in the Valley of Xavaria." He said without looking at Rouge. His eyes remained to stare at the baby, smiling happily when she giggles.

"You said you are going to mark my daughter."

"Yes. She is my mate." Without waiting for her next words, Zoro released his aura to surround the baby. She cried for a moment upon feeling the foreign feeling creeping on her back. Her cries did not last long and this signals that Zoro is done placing his mark on her.

Rouge does not know what to think of this situation. The prophecy that Alamir spoke of is getting near and if her assumptions are correct, her daughters will play huge roles in the coming war.

Letting them be exposed to this world as early as now will not be beneficial to them. They do not know when Sakazuki and Teach will strike. For all they know, he might have planted some of his men as his spies in Raftel. Should the knowledge of Rouge being out of the Valley becomes available to everyone else, not only will it danger her but especially her children.

Should the worst thing happens, Roger will no doubt use his prowess to protect his family which will inevitably expose the guarded secret of Cresta.

She cannot allow this to happen.

With this conviction, she approached Zoro and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"What are you - " Zoro finds himself unable to move.

"You have to forgive me for what I will do."

"Rauscher!" Zoro shouted in warning.

"I cannot place my daughters in danger, Zoro. Not now. I will temporarily seal your memories as well as the mark in hers."

"What do you mean danger? I will not place her in danger! If you are worried that I will tell the Raftelians about your situation, then, fear not. They will hear nothing from me." Rouge knows that Zoro is sincere. There's no hatred in his eyes while looking at Rouge.

For a moment there, she hesitated if this is the right thing to do. Looking back at the events when her daughters were born, without anyone telling her, Rouge is aware that her daughters will be thrown in the middle of the biggest war in history.

It is unfair of her to do this to Zoro, but this is the best thing she can do in order to protect her daughters before the right time comes.

"Forgive me. When the time comes, your memories will return. For now, I will be sealing it." Rouge began to mutter an ancient language, taking a portion of Zoro's memories. He lost consciousness afterward.

"Rouge..." Roger called out. "Where are you going to seal that?" He pointed at the orb floating on Rouge's palm.

"Hold Luffia please." She said to her mate.

Roger did not ask any further. He already knows the answer to his question. He took the baby in his arms, the baby's back is facing his mate who is muttering an ancient language. The orb in her hands slowly transformed into that of pure light.

Rouge placed her palm directly on Luffia's back, sealing the mark that Zoro placed there. This also inevitably placed Luffia into a deep sleep.

"Let's return him to the Dark Forest." Rouge told her husband who just nodded.

Leaving Zoro alone with no memories of who his mate was or how he obtained the mark leaves nothing but guilt in Rouge's mind. As a mother, as the leader of her people, she must do what needs to be done.

Because her magical powers are mostly consumed by placing spells on her daughters, Rouge has to wait for a few years in order to do one of the most difficult spells in the history of Magic. That is to seal her children's powers.

Rouge wasted no time sealing her children's powers in the stone altars in the Valley of Xavaria, exhausting almost all of her powers. The twins were 5 years old at that time while Luffia is 2 years old. Even with the help of her people, it was no easy feat sealing three powers all at once.

It took them 3 days to completely seal it off, struggling in those days, but alas, they succeeded.

"Alamir." She called out to the seer.

'Yes, Your Highness.'

"Twenty years and I will have my children claim their powers. If we can't bring them here, I want you to guide my daughters to claim their sealed powers."

'I promise.'

Rouge planned to bring her daughters to Raftel when the twins reached the age of 25, but it seems that time has run out. All they can hope now is for the three princesses to find their ways back to Raftel.

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AN: Can't believe I'm in Chapter 27. WHOOO! Thanks to everyone who liked this story! Thanks for the your comments and reviews.