Chapter Text
Orfevre.
Winner of six G1 races.
A Japanese Triple Crown winner.
She was once voted Japanese Umamusume of the Year.
Her name was in the Umamusume Racing Association's Hall of Fame.
She was an Umamusume of many accomplishments.
Yet right now, she was on her knees, as her two wives stared down at her.
"What is the meaning of this?" She demanded.
"This is something that needs to be addressed," Gentildonna, the taller of the two spoke. The one she had never beaten, who had taken victory from her in the Japan Cup.
"Something that you still don't see an issue with." Win Variation crossed her arms, apple red hair matching the flare in her eyes. The one that had never surpassed her, no matter how hard she tried.
"What could this possibly be about?" Orfevre asked.
"Should we try letting her figure it out?" Gentildonna turned to her other wife.
"No, because she won't," Win Variation sighed.
Orfevre took offence and tried to stand up, but immediately went back down on her knees the moment she saw the two's glares. One was scary enough, but both of them were turning her legs into jelly, though she did her absolute best not to let it show on her face. "How... How have I wronged you, recently?"
"It's not us you've wrong this time," Gentildonna said. "Shion, would you do the honors?"
"Gladly." Win Variation uncrossed her arms. "Orfe... you need to spend more time with your daughters."
"...What."
"You heard me," Win Variation said. "You need to spend more time with them."
"Lucky Lilac and Marche Lorraine?" Orfevre said. "Why? Has something urgent or dire happened?"
"Not necessarily," Gentildonna said. "We were discussing something with them, and conversation sparked about your relationship to them."
"Those two have spent several months at Tracen, and being our daughters, they hear quite a bit of praise and expectations related to the three of us," Win Variation said.
"Wait, Gentil I can understand, but you were-?" Orfevre realized the very poor decision to speak up, as Win Variation's glare grew outright venomous. "...I understand now. Carry on."
"As I was saying, they constantly get questions about having us as parents," Win Variation continued. "While they are able to talk about Gentil and myself, you're the problem."
"Me?" Orfevre raised a brow.
"They have nothing to really say about you," Gentildonna said.
"My achievements aren't enough?" Orfevre asked.
"People don't want to hear about only that," Gentildonna said. "They want to hear about how you are as a mother to them... and they aren't able to really say anything because they lack any real experience with you as a mother."
"...what?"
"All you do is train with them, and give them feedback on their running," Shion said. "That's it. You rarely talk to them outside of training, or even mealtimes."
"I accompany you all on family outings, do I not?" Orfevre asked.
"Just standing there while your siblings do more of the parenting for you does not count," Gentildonna said. "It's actually a bit concerning they had better things to say about Golshi over you."
"The jester having more positive things said about them is amusing, but that is the role she has," Orfevre said. "I still do not see how this applies to me."
"Have you ever considered why they call me "Mommy" and Shion "Mom", while you're always "Mother"?" Gentildonna asked.
"No."
The two glanced at one-another, annoyed she wasn't getting it. Time to pull out the drastic measures.
"Look at it this way," Gentildonna said. "You've been losing to both Shion and I for over a decade."
Now that could not stand. As much as she loved her two wives, losing to them was still out of the question. She stood up immediately... before regretting the decision as the bones in her knees readjusted with a resounding crack. She held out a hand, silently telling the two not to help her as she took a breath. Age was not kind to the former Tyrant, as the years of racing were finally catching up to her.
"I will be going to Tracen immediately to speak to the two," Orfevre said. "Do not follow me. I will show my daughters that I am more than capable as their mother."
"You'd better dress up first," Gentildonna suggested, seeing that Orfevre was still in her usual home leisurewear.
"Do not order me around," Orfevre said, as she went to her bedroom to prepare.
Once she had left the room, Win Variation sighed as Gentildonna gently pulled her in close.
"We live with three children," Win Variation groaned.
"Well, the first one seems to be finally growing up," Gentildonna chuckled. "Consider it a good sign."
"How do you do it, Gentil?" Shion asked. "Even after all these years living with her, you still know exactly what to say to get her to listen."
"You just need to know the right words, Shion." Gentildonna gently patted her head. "Now, let's just prepare for Orfe to sulk once she makes a fool out of herself."
The track was surprisingly bustling at this time of day. Many of the students had gathered to watch the current runner on the track.
An Umamusume with dark-rosy hair in a side-tail sped across the finish line, breathing heavily. Catching her breath, she turned to the guardrail. "Time?"
An Uma with a red hat and puppet on one hand looked up. The puppet was holding a stopwatch in its mouth, before spitting it out into the free hand. The Uma guided the puppet to look at the clock.
"Oh, just three milliseconds too slow, Lala!" The puppet chortled. "Looks like Maru-chan and Love-chan are picking the movie tonight!"
Lucky Lilac sighed. "Can it please not be another action movie?"
"Why not?!" Marche Loranne spoke through her puppet. "Come on, they're hilarious. Everyone talks in one-liners, the plot's non-existent. It's like the characters are just there to beat the stuffing out of each other!"
"I'd even be willing to take one of your anime at this point," Lucky Lilac said. "At least those ones have something resembling a story."
"So what next for today?" Marche asked.
"Well, I was considering-" Lilac turned. "Why is there so much chattering?"
A bunch of students had gathered by Tracen's front entrance. The crowd had grown rather massive in size. The two sisters stepped close to try and listen.
"Is that seriously her?!"
"What the heck is she doing here?!"
"She never makes public appearances!"
"A celebrity of sorts?" Lilac suggested.
"But President Rudolph never said anything about this," Marche noted. "So who-?"
"The King orders all of your commoners!" A commanding voice resounded. "Make way for my presence!"
Both Lucky Lilac and Marche Loranne froze at the voice.
"...hey, we're not hearing things, right?" The puppet asked. "Is that-?
Like Moses parting the seas, the students separated for Orfevre's approach.
"M-M-Mother?!" Lucky Lilac was baffled at seeing Orfevre at the school. This was the first time she had ever stepped foot on Tracen since her graduation several years ago. "What is she doing here?!"
"She probably has business with the Prez," Marche suggested. "Maybe that's why- aaand she's getting closer."
Lucky Lilac turned from her sister to confirm that, indeed, Orfevre was walking towards them. Dressed in her usual formal outdoor wear, she was outshining practically everyone within a 50 foot radius. She stopped in front of your daughters.
"Good evening, you two," Orfevre said.
"Mother...?" Lucky Lilac blinked. "What are you doing here?"
"I have seen your accomplishments, and believed that a reward is sufficient," Orfevre said. "Hence, I am inviting you both to join me for lunch."
Her daughters shared a look, surprised that Orfevre was making such an offer. This was the first time their mother had ever gone out of her way to do something like this.
"Erm, we appreciate it Mother, but we already have different plans," Lucky Lilac said.
Orfevre blinked. "What?"
"I use lunch period on Thursdays for a special extracurricular," Lilac said. "I won't be available today."
"An extracurricular?"
"I'm not falling behind in my studies," Lilac assured her. "It's just something I chose to take myself."
"And Maru-chan already has a lunch date with Love-chan!" Marche spoke up. "So she'll be busy!"
"...you have a what?" Orfevre blinked.
"Aw crapbaskets, didn't mean to say that part!" Marche panicked. "Well, see you later!"
Marche quickly ran off, leaving the two. Lucky Lilac bowed to Orfevre briefly. "Well, I'll see you later at home, mother."
This left Orfevre by herself. Though she kept her strong and imposing expression, internally she was completely confused.
Lilac is taking an extracurricular... and Marche is in a relationship? Orfevre huffed. Why did I not know this? If I were still living with Aneue, I would have known about this...
The Tyrant's reputation wasn't damaged, but the Tracen student body couldn't help but wonder what the heck had just happened. As well as why she was still just standing next to the track if she wasn't going to run. Orfevre was lucky that rumours wouldn't spread due to how scary she was.
"Honestly, I was expecting things to be a lot worse," Win Variation said, putting the house key back in the bowl.
She and Gentildonna had received a call from Tracen, asking for them to pick up Orfevre. There were still classes going on that day, so the Tyrant just standing by the track was actually scaring several students. While Gentildonna was amused, Win Variation let out an exasperated sigh as they picked her up.
And by that, it was quite literal as Gentildonna hoisted Orfevre over her shoulder. They got a few glances, but they quickly vanished out of intimidation. Though Gentildonna swore most of it was from Win Variation's irritated muttering over either her or Orfevre's presence.
Having arrived back home, Gentildonna placed Orfevre down on the couch. Her processing ability seemed to return, as she turned to her wives. "How are you not humiliated by this?"
"Because you're responsible for your own actions," Gentildonna answered.
"Also I spent my entire career getting second to you," Win Variation added. "If anything, I enjoy seeing you out of your depth."
She couldn't help but glare a bit at Shion as she sat down across from her. Though she was proud that she was able to grow as a person, it did come at the addition of her being a lot more vocal with her bluntness. Something she both enjoyed and despised.
"So, how are we starting this?" Win Variation asked.
"Should I prepare tea or coffee?" Gentildonna suggested.
"Neither." Orfevre sat up. "...did either of you know Marche was in a relationship?"
"Yes."
"Yeah."
"Why was I not informed of this?!" Orfevre asked.
"Because you'd walk up to them and try judging them based on their achievements and not them as a person," Win Variation bluntly said.
Ignoring Win Variation's comment (though it was absolutely true), Orfevre put a hand under her chin, trying to think what went wrong. "I don't understand it. I offered to take them out to lunch, but both of them turned it down. I was under the impression they wanted to spend time with me."
"They do, but you sprung this on them during school hours," Gentildonna said. "They have their own schedules to deal with, as well as any other plans they've made with their peers."
"But when we were attending Tracen, I never had this issue myself," Orfevre said.
"That's because Dream Journey did all the planning for you." Win Variation reminded her.
It was as if a lightbulb went off over Orfevre's head. "That's it! I'll call Aneue and-"
"She's not gonna make a schedule for you. I called her earlier and told her about you bonding with your daughters," Win Variation said. "She was very enamoured with the idea and decided to be fine letting you take the wheel for this."
"I heard Buena laughing from the call. I believe she thinks it's a good idea as well," Gentildonna noted. I should find the time to tell her what happens.
Orfevre clenched her fists. Anene... you have forsaken me!
"Now then, after that first failure, how about we go over what went wrong?" Win Variation suggested.
Orfevre opened her mouth, before Gentildonna placed a hand on her shoulder. "Do not complain about them for not accommodating to your time, considering you didn't know about their schedules."
"...fine." Orfevre relented. Both out of agreement and a bit of fear considering Gentil's strength.
"Treat it like a race." Win Variation suggested. "Look at what didn't work, and what did work. What happened?"
"Well... they seemed surprised at my presence there." Orfevre said.
"They didn't have any prior knowledge to think you'd do so," Gentildonna pointed out. "You've never done such a thing before, nor did you send a message to them. President Rudolf can only do so much."
"So that's how it went first." Win Variation crossed her arms. "Well, the fact you made an effort after our prodding is a first step."
"I'll... I'll admit I was thrown off when they didn't follow me." Orfevre frowned. "It was different compared to when either of you, or anyone else would do such a thing."
"Because it was from our daughters?" Gentildonna suggested.
"That's..." The realization hit Orfevre head-on. "I..."
"Looks like she hit the nail on the head." Win Variation sat up. "I guess you never experienced our daughters refusing you... mainly because you never asked them about anything in the first place."
"Is this what you two have been though these years while I never experienced such a thing?" Orfevre asked.
"Well, we were thankfully blessed with two kind daughters that listen to their mothers," Gentildonna said. "Though admittedly, whenever the rare occasion they do disobey us... it does sting quite a bit."
"Didn't you cry into a pillow?" Win Variation asked.
"I did no such thing," Gentildonna said, though the smile on her face seemed to harden ever so slightly.
"What about you, Shion?" Orfevre asked.
"Well... it does hurt a bit when the daughter you raise says no to you, but I considered it a happy moment." Win Variation smiled. "It's a sign of them growing into their own person. And besides, it's not like they're always disobedient. It's just a few moments here and there."
"And I was unfortunate enough to receive the full brunt of one of those "moments"." Orfevre sank back into her chair.
Seeing her wife was (surprisingly) quite affected by this, Win Variation went over, kneeling down and gently rubbing her hand. It seemed to calm Orfevre enough. "You're not going to give up now, are you?"
"I... what am I supposed to even do?" Orfevre asked. Her usual haughty tone was absent. "This is... something completely new to me. How are parents supposed to do something like this?"
"That's the thing, Orfe." Gentildonna gently ran a hand over her head, brushing her fingers by her ears. "This isn't something anyone's ever ready for. Every single child is different, and will be raised differently. Look at you and your own sister; you two are two different sides of the same coin. It's the same for me and my own siblings, as well as Shion and her siblings."
"Not to mention that parenting isn't "one size fits all"," Win Variation added. "This is something you can try to prepare for, but it won't go anywhere near as well as what you put into your head."
"So... it's not hopeless?" Orfevre asked.
"This is just a minor setback," Win Variation said. "Besides... I saw that look in your eyes when you left earlier. You really meant it when you were going to try and form a connection with your daughters."
"I believe I've forgotten something important..." Orfevre said. "Perhaps this'll be a way for me to learn even after my reign."
Gentildonna patted Orfevre's shoulder. "We're glad to see you're taking this step anyways."
"Do not patronize me." Orfevre looked as if she would bat away Gentildonna's hand, but instead grasped it. "I have a request."
"Oh?"
"This is not a task the King can handle by themselves," Orfevre said. "As my... as my partners in life, would you support me in this endeavour to grow closer to our children?"
"Now, normally that would sound rather sad coming from someone else-" Gentildonna said.
"It still kind of does." Win Variation shrugged.
"-but they are our children too, and we want the best for them. And you are the one we both married." Gentildonna smiled.
"You choosing to actually bond with the kids... it's a big step we'll support you with, Orfe." Win Variation nodded.
A genuine smile appeared on the former Tyrant's face. "Thank you. Both of you."
"An actual "thank you". It is serious," Gentildonna chuckled.
"Please do not take advantage of my misfortune to demean me," Orfevre requested.
"Not happening," Win Variation said instantly.
"It's also bold of you to consider it hasn't already happened, Orfe," Gentildonna chuckled.
Orfevre sighed, preparing for the brunt of the torture she was about to face from her wives for the foreseeable future. "What should be the next step, then?"
"We're going to need a bit of time to prepare first," Gentildonna said. "To prepare your lesson in parenting."
"Consider this training," Win Variation added. "We won't be going easy on you."
"I would consider it an insult if you didn't," Orfevre said, before standing up and pointing skyward. "This is another herculean task that I will conquer! I will become the greatest parent of parents!"
Despite bringing back her arrogant persona, Orfevre's words were genuine. That meeting with her daughters... it hit her with a strong dose of reality. It was time to make up for the past several years. It might have been late, but it was better for the King to take action now than never.
Time for her to make that first real step of parenthood.