[On Stone Power] Langris Vaude x Reader

[3] The Broken Family

TW: child and domestic abuse

Langris POV (age four)

I walked around the Vaude manor, no destination in mind. "Hmm."

"You idiot child!"

I squeezed my eyes shut when I heard the sound coming from my brother's room. "I guess Finral is acting up again."

I peeked into the room and saw my mother throwing a book at Finral.

"It took my Langris less than an hour to perfect opening a simple portal. Ha! You can't even open one, much less use magic!" My mother leaned over Finral who was covering his ears and in a fetal position. "What are you, lame with magic?"

"I'm sorry Mom-"

I flinched when I heard a loud smack followed by Finral's sobs.

"You know better than to call me Mom." Mother leaned closer to him. "Your mother died because she was stupid."

I saw Finral's eyes jolt open and he quickly stood on his feet.

"My mother was not stupid! She was a powerful spacial mage! The former captain of The Order of Merlin!"

"Ha! That was fiction, stupid. The Order of Merlin comes from the Diamond Kingdom and is an order created by the Diamond King in a fictitious story to assure wives their husbands going to war would be safe." Mother spat at him. "I know my sister, boy. She was lame with magic as well."

"You're lame with magic! You're just jealous that you were in the shadow of my mother! She was the favorite child!" Finral stuck his tongue at my mother before she slapped him hard on the face.

I ran into the room, standing with both arms in a protective manner. "Mommy! Stop it!"

My mother's sour face turned sickeningly sweet. "Oh my dear little Langris. Don't mind Finral, dear. I'm giving him some...discipline."

"Discipline my ass," Father walked into the room. "Liliane, Finral might be a lame with magic but he is still her son."

"So you're saying even though Astrea has been dead for years that you don't love me?!" Mother scooped me in her arms, Finral forgotten. "That you don't love your only son?! Does Langris even exist to you, Ledior?!"

My father rubbed his temples. "I'm not saying that, Liliane. I'm saying that Finral is a son of House Vaude and my firstborn. You will be wise to remember that."

"You hate me!" My mother held me tighter as he tried to console her. "You wish I never existed! It's always Astrea over anyone! You only married me for my family name!"

"Liliane." My father stood up, clearly fed up. "You need to grow up. Of course I still care about Astrea. She was my first wife and I lost her too soon."

I looked at Finral who looked at me with sadness. I indeed knew that my father was married to my Aunt Astrea long before I was born. Everyone had said when she died, Father had changed and was a broken man on the verge of collapse and financial ruin.

The previous head of House Vaude ordered his son to remarry Astrea's sister Liliane in hopes of saving the money and keeping the bloodline of spacial mages running even though Finral inherited the family gift.

"You hate me! You've never loved me or your son!"

"I HAVE TWO SONS YOU BITCH!" Ledior slapped my mother hard and I knew it would've hit me too if it weren't for my mother protecting me with her body. "Get that through your fucking head before I beat it into you."

"Father! Stop!" Finral tried to stop him but he too was struck.

Father gave both of us sharp glares. "The only reason why you two are still here is because Finral looks just like Astrea and Langris is powerful and will continue the family line." He left the room, slamming the door.