Irene was among those that survived but she refused to return back to the Empire. She felt that she had no reason to go back and she knew that as an enemy of Fiore she wouldn't be accepted back into her former homeland.

To top that off, she had lost her children, Juliet and Hynhe. They had both been defeated and Irene had lost their blades because August had intervened when she began to avenge them. As for her biological daughter, Erza she was kind of hurt emotionally when Erza refused to accept that she was her mother. As for Ninehart, he served under her but he feared her too much for her to show any sort of affection for him. In some cases she knew why but in others she honestly wished otherwise.

Irene shuddered as she walked through a dark forest as she felt the same feeling she got when she lost her dragon guardian Belserion, when her very own husband rejected her, when her own people turned on her and how her life turned for the worst as she was in prison.

All those times the only thing Irene had felt was loneliness.

Irene was alone.

As Irene kept walking alone but then she arrived to a large manor estate. When she got there she went straight to the master chambers.

She sat on her bed and began to think to herself deeply on what it was that she longed for.

Was it because she was sad?

Was it because she was alone?

Did she want someone to be with her?

In truth, Irene admitted it.

She was sad, she was alone and she wanted someone to be with her.

Did she want a lover, not really.

Did she want someone to love?

Yes, but not as a lover.

More like Irene wanted to show an affection and love that only a mother could give her child.

So far she only had a small feeling to give a mother's love. She protected her only blood daughter, Erza while she was in her womb. She had to force herself to give Erza up so that Erza wouldn't grow up fearing her.

Shortly after giving birth to Erza and leaving her in Rosemary village Irene had went back to the Alvarez Empire only to be given a student boy named Ninehart.

At first Irene did make the attempt to show affection to Ninehart who was a mere boy at the time but he was only focused on being a strong member of the Spriggan 12 so Irene had been strict with him.

Not long after that, the urge to be a mother became stronger so Irene bought two rare strong blades one black the other, white. She enchanted them into people.

She gave them their own names Juliet and Hynhe.

At first she gave them her last name, Belserion but for some odd reason they didn't respond too well with that so she gave them different last names based on how they acted. Juliet being the carefree child while Hynhe was the serious child.

Unfortunately they both met their end during the war and Irene couldn't bring herself to mourn but was going to avenge them but that was stopped rather quickly by her rival.

When the war was over Irene had a little bit of hope to attempt to get her daughter, Erza back. She thought about it but quickly was against the idea. Even if she could get Erza back, Erza would never be happy or accept her as her mother no matter what.

Tears streamed down her face then Irene laid on her bed.

"I just want to be a mother….."

She closed her eyes after that.

Irene then spoke again.

"I know you're in here."

A man appeared into the room and looked at her as she had her back facing him.

He was a tall man with dark tanned skin and had a long black mane of hair that hung past his back. He wore black traditional trousers and a long sleeve black shirt. He had amber orange eyes and a large black fur tail.

"Not surprising from my rival."

He frowned slightly when Irene didn't face him.

"I take it that your people lost the war?"

"Yes but that's not what I'm down about."

He blinked.

"Really? So what's wrong?"

Irene sat up and looked at him.

"I saw Erza….she's all grown up…"

The man's eyes widened as Irene turned to face him.

"Though it's unfair but I kind of wished I could've brought her here."

"You could still do that right?"

Irene looked away.

"She wouldn't accept me as her mother, she said that herself."

The man went to Irene and brought her into an embrace, well more like her head to his torso.

"I'll ask her."

"She'll decline. I already told her that I gave her up saying that I didn't want her, Rhymu."

The man, now called Rhymu made Irene look at him.

"You and I both know that isn't true. I'll tell her what really happened if it makes it easier for you."

Irene nodded.

"Alright, but I want to be there when you do."

With that Rhymu left out of the manor and went on a search to look for Erza.

"So all grown up huh, I bet you look like your mother, Erza."

(Elsewhere)

Erza was walking through a trail since she didn't really have a home. Walking with her was Wendy.

After the war against Acnologia and Fiore, Fiore was the winner. Both the Alvarez Empire and the Black Dragon Acnologia had fallen.

Sadly a number of guilds had departed since so many lives were lost, despite the Universe One spell that had been used.

Erza and Wendy had left together and now here they were walking on their own but they didn't know where they were.

As they walked from time to time Erza would wake up at night only to find Wendy crying in her sleep.

Erza had lost track on how it had been since the war was over but she knew that it had been weeks, maybe even months.

One day as they were walking Wendy stopped and Erza looked at her.

"Wendy, is something wrong?"

"Someone is coming…and they're strong…."

Just then Rhymu had landed before them and was smiling but his smile widened when he saw Erza.

"Oh may….you really have grown, Erza."

Erza took a step back.

"Who are you?"

Rhymu smiled.

"Let's just say I'm someone who knew you before."

"…."

His smile softened.

"You look just like your mother when I first met her."

Erza and Wendy's eyes widened in shock as Erza spoke.

"No way. That woman told me herself that she killed her husband when she turned into a dragon."

Rhymu didn't look troubled.

"Yes, but her second husband is standing before you right now."

He extended his hand out.

"I will take you to her."

Erza looked away.

"I don't have any words for that woman."

In a blink of an eye Rhymu was behind them and spoke.

"That wasn't a question."

With that he knocked them both out and took them back to the manor.