Monochrome [TCF Fanfiction Collection]

6 | Mother

Mother

Teen and Up Audience

No Pairing

Angst, pre-canon, mention of rape (warning)

***

Jour Thames didn't come from a respectable family.

Her family is a fallen noble. Just relying on the status as a Baron, it wouldn't be difficult to scorch the Thames family name from the history books of Roan Kingdom.

The Thames family are in debt. Jour's mother and father has lost their heads. They're shunned by relatives, even friends like an illusion that disappears when they need them. In the midst of a slump, seeing their only daughter, a crazy idea flashed by. Such an inhumane idea, that even you would think animals are better than them.

Jour Thames is the flower of royalty. Long wavy red hair, with ruby eyes that as red as a blood. Apparently seductive like a fox, managed to catch everyone's attention at one glance.

A valuable asset for every woman.

Beauty.

And they intend to sell her beauty.

"My daughter," called the father one night while touching his daughter's soft cheek. "You know that our lives are not going well, don't you?"

Jour nodded slowly. Her father's eyes no longer had the light of life. She could only see emptiness.

"Would you like to help us by doing some part-time jobs?"

As an obedient child to her parents, Jour Thames didn't think that the "part time job" they meant was to satisfy the lusts of an uncivilized aristocrat.

Every night come home with a description of tears. Lipstick that smudges up to her cheeks. Clothes no longer tidy when she left. It felt like she wanted to die. Jour Thames is no longer strong enough to continue living like this.

Where is the love of her mother and father that used to be? Where has all their love gone? Is it that easy for someone to be blinded by money?

One day, Jour felt nauseous.

She has no appetite. No, to be more precise whatever she ate, all came back vomited.

Her mother is worried. She watched Jour, took care of her on the bed all day, making Jour remember old memories that were far from her reach. Getting sudden attention like this, touched her little heart.

"I was right," her mother said in a trembling voice. Her pupils constricted, and his face paled.

Jour panic. "W-What's wrong, Mother? Is my illness serious?"

"You ... you're pregnant ...." Her mother covered her mouth with both hands. "No, this is can't be."

So funny.

What her mother was worried about, turned out not to be her.

Jour's brain still couldn't digest what her mother was saying, when the woman suddenly grabbed Jour's shoulder.

"What-"

"This can't be happening!" said her mother. Cold sweat dripped from her forehead. "N-No, you can't. Right, right. You have to abort this baby before anyone finds out!"

"Wait!" Jour reflexively brushed aside her mother's trembling hands. She inched backwards. "W-What do you mean? I'm pregnant?"

"I don't know who got you pregnant, and it's not like those old bastards want to take responsibility. You have to abort that baby right now, before your father finds out!"

"Mother, stop!" Jour pushed her mother's body as hard as she could when she tried to get close to her stomach. "I don't want to! I don't want to kill my own child!"

"Jour! It's for your own sake!"

"For my sake, or for your pride?!"

No, did you have any pride in the first place? Jour laughed bitterly.

"You can't go anywhere. You can't live without me or your father!"

Jour throws whatever is within reach of her hands, trying to run away. She no longer lives like a noble, nor does she live in a giant castle like her former residence. There were no longer hundreds of guards or servants who could prevent her from escaping.

Without any difficult, Jour managed to escape from the place she calls home.

She should've done this since a long time ago.

The girl slipped into the hay carriage. Enduring the stench, sitting hugging her knees, trying to hold back the nausea from the unstable train speed. Jour stroked her stomach gently, crying.

A brilliant girl who was once the flower of royalty, has a myriad of accomplishments and good news, is now forced to become a mother at a young age.

Fate is really funny. Jour always believes that this world still has a bright side. She was stranded on the road. Doing anything, accepting all forms of work for a piece of bread and a sip of milk.

Time flows like water, and a thread of destiny brings her together with a man who becomes the turning point of her life.

She doesn't know how far she has walked, boarded a ship, crossed the ocean, passed valleys and forests. Finally she arrived in the neighboring kingdom. It was late autumn. She is heavily pregnant, has no home, noe money. Lying on the road, nearly losing consciousness. It was there, she met a dark brown haired man. The man saves her. The man gave him clothes, food, warmth.

The man gave her life.

That man was called Deruth Henituse. He is not an aristocrat like she used to be, but he is a successful businessman. Even though he only holds the status of a commoner, he can live a decent life.

Long story short, they both fell in love and decided to get married.

Even though he already knows Jour's background, Deruth still loves him wholeheartedly. He even looked forward to the birth of a child in Jour's fetus, considering the baby like his own.

The clockwork wheel moves. The child in Jour's womb was born healthy. A boy with hair as red as a sunset, just like his mother.

They gave him the name Cale Henituse.

Cale grew up to be a good boy. Jour and Deruth gave him all the love and attention.

But twenty years later, Cale came home with injuries all over his body. His head was covered in blood, and he almost fell when Jour opened the door.

"Cale! Oh my god, what happened to you?!"

Jour immediately carried Cale and lie him on the sofa, crying hysterically. It was raining hard outside, and Deruth wasn't home either because of work. Jour was about to go for help, when Cale held her arm.

"Mother, I-I'm fine-"

"Are you serious right now?! You got beaten up like this, and you say you're fine? Who would dare to beat you up?!"

"Mother."

Cale's gentle voice stopped Jour from panicking. The woman knelt by the side of the couch, holding her son's arm gently.

"While on the way home earlier, I saw a girl."

Jour wipes her tears, listening intently.

Seeing that his mother had started to calm down, Cale continued his story. "The girl was surrounded by three thugs. They tried to rape her."

Warm liquid again billowed in Jour's eyes.

"I couldn't let that happen, Mom. So, I helped her. I beat up the three thugs, giving her time to run. I was hurt, but at least I saved someone's future."

Jour hugged his son, her tears broke again.

It reminded Jour of her past.

She was sold by her own parents, raped, her future is ruined.

And right now, her son saved someone from the same future as hers.

Maybe Jour wasn't a good woman, but at least she was a great mother.