Humbled ((Undertaker X Reader))

Act Twenty: Promise

Once upon a time, two babies were born to two important families. The first was a perfect little girl, and the second was a healthy baby boy.
It was a miracle for the two families to bear a child so close together in time, and from the moment their children were born, the two were bound by fate.
It was vowed the day they turned eighteen, they would be married and unite the families with the required heir to continue their noble blood.

The little girl was told wonderful stories of milk and honey. She was promised diamonds and dresses, a world of happiness and doting with a perfect family all her own, as long as she had a child with the boy.
She thought about it more and more and it was etched into her mind, all the rosey dreams her parents imagined for her.
She wanted a diamond, just like they had said she would be given.
Every story sounded perfect, it was simply what a little girl of her status was meant to do. The little girl never had to think about what she wanted, she was told what she wanted, and needed, to do.

As for the boy, he was given promises as well.
His parents were just as doting as the girl's, and they had great dreams for their wonderful son.
They promised he would have incredible power and influence once he became the head of the family, and a bride that would be his, with an heir as he was sworn to have.
The son was even more excited than the daughter, he wanted everything they promised and nothing less, but as he grew up, something felt off to him.
He wanted it, but he wanted more. He wanted to create and found the daughter exceptionally boring by herself.
As a noble, he didn't have a choice in his bride, but as long as he had an heir, he could raise the child to be whatever he wanted.

Things began to go wrong for the son when his mentality twisted around and he began to question what he thought he wanted. Everything was wrong, he didn't want the daughter as a bride after all, but he wanted everything he had been promised since birth, what could he do?
His stress grew to obsession. His anger turned to hate. He wanted her, he wanted to destroy her. He wanted to control her, he wanted to eliminate her.
At the end of every horrible feeling of his forced path in life, it all came back to the fact that he wanted what he was promised, and then some.

The daughter cared for the son, she saw him as a friend as they grew up side by side and found joy in their arranged marriage, but she could not have expected that he was growing a dastardly resentment for her, only being civil for the child that she was required to provide. The child that he could control and mold with a tight grip.
Even as he tried to soothe his anger by being with other women in secret, it only enraged him further. No other woman could provide the promised heir, it had to be the woman he had been promised his entire life.

The small room was silent, nobody could bring themselves to utter a word. A mother's broken heart, a father's silent anger, and a son who could not look his parents in the eye.
For shame?
Sorrow?
Hardly. The rage in the pit of his stomach bubbled and overflowed, only being restrained by the silent treatment he was giving from within the cell.
The mother tore her eyes from her once-child, for she could not bear witness any longer.
"I don't recognize him anymore. This isn't my boy."
The father on the other hand couldn't pull his gaze away. He couldn't. The child he raised from the day he was small enough to fit in his arms, how could he be so horrible?
"Is there no mistake?"

From the corner of the room, the last people around narrowed their attention.
The young Earl frowned shortly but shook his head,
"The evidence of my investigation lines up with the killings."

His words hit even harder, nearly causing the mother to flinch back. Her nose scrunched as she withdrew her arms into herself, as though holding her own body would protect her from the truth,
"I wish not to believe it, but I cannot deny the facts. It's my fault, I'm afraid. Had I not spoiled him so much-"
"No," The father cut her off, "We did nothing wrong, we raised him right. He chose this path." The last words spat with venom before he turned his back to the cell.
Before they could turn to leave, the nobleman jumped to his feet, nearly flinging against the bars of the cell. His eyes were glazed with hate, but his disheveled appearance didn't prepare anyone for how cold his following words were as they left his tongue,
"The real monster is the one that attacked my wedding. He's not human, I've been looking into him. Check his shop, you won't like what you see," Nicholas cautioned, "If you leave now, I'll swear to never see you again."

For a long moment, the noble couple paused, but ever so gently, without a word, the pair departed, shutting the door behind them so gently, it was as though it would shatter like glass if it were any harder.