A/N: Hi, thank you so much for your reviews, kuroshiragami0, and LadyHilariexxx (I felt the same, though. I remember wishing for some cute scenes between the two in the manga, but it seems that Mashima has thought otherwise).
To all readers: It's been a while since I updated the story. I was not able to update these days as I had recently returned to my hometown. Lots of stuff happened, but yes, I'm back with a new chapter. Thank you very much for understanding. Happy reading.
In the softly lit room of the royal infirmary, Irene stood by Erza's side. Erza's hand tightened on hers as the alchemist approached her. Garbed in a flowing white robe, she knelt to her height and asked Erza to drink the anesthetic she had prepared. Erza swallowed a lump in her throat as she sat on the edge of the bed. Her eyes gazed at her reflection, one eye covered with a patch. She looked up at Irene.
"Will it hurt, Lady Irene?" her voice trembling slightly.
Irene gave a reassuring smile as she said softly, "You'll be alright, Erza. Just drink this milk so that when you wake up, it will be fine."
Irene handed the cup to Erza, who hesitated for a moment before taking it in her hands after seeing Irene's reassuring gaze. The warmth of the cup seemed to seep into her tiny fingers. Erza brought the cup to her lips, the sweet aroma filling her senses as she took a cautious sip. The taste was soothing and bittersweet; she wiped her lips with her hand and blinked her eyes as she started to feel drowsy.
"You'll be fine," Irene said as she gently laid her head on the pillow.
"Lady Irene," she whispered as Irene's face was the last thing she saw clearly before her eyes closed.
In the adjacent room, Anna and Irene watch through a small glass window as the royal alchemist tends to Erza's injured eye. Anna's brow furrowed with impatience. She turned to Irene and asked.
"Why did you ask for the royal alchemist? We could have gone to the temple. They would heal her in no time."
"I'm afraid that any form of magic might harm her. She has no vessel for it," she said as her eyes fixated on the child.
Anna shakes her head slightly, confusion etched across her face. "But Juliet used her magic on Erza, and she was fine."
"Juliet's magic was merely an external act. It had no direct consequences on Erza's inner core. Healing magic from the temple might be too much for her without a vessel to contain it." Irene said as she finally turned to Anna.
"Why did you keep the child, knowing she had no magic?" Anna asked as she looked back at Erza.
"I'm fond of her…" Irene hesitated for a moment, unsure if those were the appropriate words to say. "Hair," she added, fumbling her hands.
Sensing Irene's discomfort, Anna decided not to press further about the child. Instead, she asked, "Is the real reason you didn't take her to the temple because they serve the archmage?"
Irene laughs, a light, bitter sound. "Partly yes, it's that my pride would be hurt if the temple asked me for a favor in return. So, I chose the alchemist instead, as she's serving the Queen. If you asked me for favors, I wouldn't hesitate to help you."
"I thought the child managed to bring some sense in you, but you're still that level-headed woman that I know," Anna chuckled, watching Irene stare at the child.
Two hours later
The alchemist interrupted Anna and Irene as they discussed the events Anna had asked her about.
"Your Majesty," the alchemist said, bowing slightly.
"Your Excellency," she bowed to Irene before continuing. "I have completed the treatment."
"Is she awake?" Irene asked as she rose from her seat.
The alchemist shook her head. "No, Lady Irene. You must wait for four hours for the anesthetic to wear off and for the potion to fully work on her body."
"Did you manually prepare everything I asked for without using any magic?" Irene asked.
"Yes, my lady. Everything was done as per your instructions." The alchemist nodded.
Satisfied, Irene dismissed the alchemist, who left quietly. Anna watched as Irene sat back down beside her, her worry still palpable.
"Irene, you should just come back later. It will be a while before she wakes up."
Irene shook her head. "We can continue our conversation here. Erza won't hear any of it because of the sleeping drug."
Just then, a knock on the door announced Simon's arrival. Irene turned, surprised to see the child she remembered as an infant now standing before her. The black-haired child bowed to greet her.
"Is this your firstborn?" she asked Anna.
"Yes, he's nearly ten now and is the top student at the Royal Academy. He's expected to finish all the lessons by the age of twelve, making him quite exceptional."
"You must be very talented, I see. Your mother has every reason to be proud." Simon sheepishly bowed as Irene complimented him.
Simon blushed and straightened up. "Thank you, Lady Irene." He hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Who is the child in the other room?"
"She's Irene's acquaintance," Anna answered quickly before Simon could probe further.
Simon nodded. "It was nice meeting you, Lady Irene." He bowed once more and then excused himself, leaving the room.
As the door closed behind him, Irene and Anna exchanged a look. Irene glanced back at Simon's retreating figure.
"He looks exactly like his father," she commented.
"Yes, he does. I just hope the king returns to the kingdom soon so we can start planning for a daughter." Anna giggled, imagining a cute version of herself like Erza to Irene.
Irene found the idea laughable but refrained from showing it. Instead, she asked, "How does it feel to have a child?"
"Um, it's somewhat fulfilling. You see, Irene, it's not being the Queen that makes me content, but being a mother to my son." Anna said, reminiscing the time she had carried Simon in her womb.
Irene paused, imagining herself with a child. The thought made her laugh, especially when she recalled Erza's innocent face smiling at her when thinking of such thoughts.
"How do you feel about having Erza by your side?" Anna asked as if reading her thoughts.
Irene didn't answer right away, uncertainty clouding her thoughts. She wasn't sure how to feel about the child, or perhaps she was afraid of the peace and calmness Erza's presence brought to her life.
"Nothing," she paused, looking at the child.
"But somehow, I don't feel empty at all," she thought to herself.
Afternoon
After a few hours, Erza's hand stirred, making Irene flinch. She gently clasped the child's hand and spoke softly, "Calm down, Erza. I'm here; everything is fine."
She helped Erza sit up before closing the blinds to lessen the light, ensuring it wouldn't hurt her eyes. Then, she carefully untied the blindfold.
"Now, open your eyes,"
As Erza's eyes fluttered open, she began to cry upon seeing Irene clearly. Noticing that Erza's other injured eye wasn't shedding a tear, Irene immediately summoned the alchemist.
"Lady Irene," Erza cried, seeing her clearly.
"Are you alright? Does it hurt? Your eye…" she asked Erza.
Erza shook her head. "No, it doesn't hurt."
Upon the alchemist's arrival, Irene asked Erza to sit on her lap while the alchemist examined her.
"The potion was potent and has caused no adverse reactions." She reassured.
"Why aren't her left eye shedding tears?" Irene frowned.
"I'm quite uncertain about that issue, Lady Irene." The alchemist replied, looking at the potion's instruction.
"I'm fine. Maybe I cried so much that my tears dried up, Lady Irene." She beamed, making the alchemist flush on her cuteness.
They were eating in a cozy dining room. Erza sat on Irene's lap, watching Juliet feed her from across the table. Every now and then, Irene gently wiped away the food stains from Erza's lips. Erza beamed as she felt grateful for the kindness she was receiving from these strangers.
"You're so brave, Erza," Juliet said warmly.
"But I didn't do anything but sleep, Juliet," Erza stated as she ate her food.
Heine was silent around the corner; she observed the child's interaction with Irene. Seeing Irene's untouched food on her plate in the corner, Erza gently used the knife to slice a piece of meat clumsily and hold it up to Irene.
"Lady Irene, you need to eat," Erza said softly, her eyes wide with worry. "Please have some. It's really g-good." She mumbled further, her mouth quite full of the food Juliet had given.
Irene looked down at her and hesitated as she was not particularly hungry, but seeing Erza's earnest face, she couldn't refuse. With a small smile, Irene leaned forward, opening her mouth as she gently swallowed the slice of meat she offered.
"See? It's good, right?" Erza's face lit up with a bright smile.
Irene nodded, feeling a warm sensation through her that had nothing to do with the food. Erza's smile somewhat added a secret flavor to the food, making her tease Erza to feed her more.
Later that evening
The soft glow of a bedside lamp cast a warm light over the room. Irene, holding a storybook in her hands and sitting on the bed, gently flinched while Erza snuggled close to her direction.
"What happened to the ugly duckling, Lady Irene?" Erza asked, brimming with curiosity.
"When the yellow ducklings got out of the water and started to play, the Ugly Duckling tried to play with his brothers and sisters, but they cast him out because he looked different. Luckily, Mama Duck was around and chastised her ducklings and reminded them to be nice." Irene continued.
"Mama Duck is so nice," Erza stated as her eyelids grew heavy.
"You think so?" Irene asked, puzzled by her response as the story was not yet finished.
"Yes, she protected the ugly duckling even though he's different from everyone." Erza paused as she groggily landed on Irene's shoulder.
Irene froze; she had always been wary of skinship, but with Erza, something was different. She never hated the skinship around them. Instead, she enjoyed every moment of it. This feeling was peculiar for her; this small, innocent child had somehow found a way into the fortress she had built around her heart.
"Are you still listening?" she asked as she closed the book.
She gently placed the book on the nightstand and looked at Erza, who was now fast asleep. Her small face was leaning on her shoulders. She gently laid her head on the soft pillows. Her face looked angelic and framed by a halo of red hair that spread across the pillow like a fiery cloud.
"Sleep well," she said as she tucked the blanket around Erza, ensuring she was snug and warm. As she did so, Erza instinctively snuggled even closer, her head resting against her shoulders.
"I guess I'd be sleeping in her quarters for now," Irene resigned the thought of returning to her chambers as she could feel the warm breathing of the child against her bosom.
Irene found herself in a familiar yet haunting sensation. She stood in a dimly lit surrounding, shadows dancing on the walls. Before her was the same long blue-haired man, his back turned to her, a sullen look on his face. She could see his blurry face and the coldness emanating from him.
"Lady Irene," he said, a voice that sounded like smoke, familiar yet unfathomable to her mind.
Her hands clutched a piece of the burnt white clothing; her knuckles turned white as she grasped it tightly. Tears streamed down her face, her vision blurred by the sorrow that gripped her heart.
What is going on? Irene asked herself as she found herself clutching her chest, trying to ease the suffocating feeling. It felt like her very heart was shattering into a thousand pieces. The immense sorrow overwhelmed her, making her cry out in anguish. Her sobs echoed in the emptiness of the night as the man stared at her before vanishing into the thin air.
Irene awoke with a gasp, tears still wet on her cheeks, her heart aching with a sorrow she couldn't explain. It was as if she had lost something precious, gaping a void in her heart. She was stunned. What was that feeling? Was it a memory? She asked herself. The longing regret from her dream gnawed her heart, but her reverie was soon shattered by the sight of Erza wailing before her as she incessantly wiped Irene's streaming tears. Blinking in surprise, Irene reached out to wipe the child's tears.
"Lady Irene! You're finally awake!" Erza swallowed her sobs before she immediately hugged her tightly, burying her face in Irene's shoulder.
"I'm so sorry. Please stop crying, Lady Irene!" Erza sobbed, her small hands trembling against the hem of her clothes.
"I'm sorry I made you worry," Irene said, trying to shake the thoughts in her head.
She held the child close, comforting her with gentle words and soft pats on the back. Not long after, the door revealed Juliet and Heine's arrival. They rushed over upon hearing Erza's wails.
"Lady Irene, is everything alright?" they asked in unison, both faces pale with concern.
A/N: I might update next week if I'd buy some time. Kindly leave some reviews. Thank you.