The daughter of Irene Belserion and the general of a foreign country, Erza was conceived four hundred years ago, prior to the Dragon King Festival, but was kept from growing in Irene's womb by magical means. She remained unborn during Irene's several-hundred-year-long physical stint as a Dragon, and was finally born after her mother, who regained her human shape courtesy of Zeref, tried to become a true human again by enchanting herself onto her unborn child. When this failed, Irene considered Erza to be worthless and discarded her in the back alleys of Rosemary Village.