A tale of two[TCF Fanfic]

Part 23

Previously: "Ron.... where is he? Where is my eldest child?" 

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Ron froze upon hearing what Deruth uttered, his face scrunched in mild disgust.

'Didn't the Count remember the words he had uttered to his own son?'

"No my Lord, you disowned him" he said, after all the Count was not a mere someone whom he should offend.

Hearing the words Ron uttered Deruth clutched his head in disbelief. 

No he didnt- 

He wouldn-

'It cant be true. Please dont let it be true' he prayed silently as he walked in his robes towards Cale's room.

Upon seeing his son choose a mere stranger over his family Deruth had been angry at first and had shouted at Cale knowing that Cale had nowhere else to go and that he would come back.

But on throwing open the doors to the room which he used to be familiar with Deruth breathed harshly.

The room had no trace of a person living. It looked empty.

Deruth slowly walked in regret clouding his mind, a single thought in his head, 'I failed'

He slowly felt tears come to his eyes.

He had failed his son whom he had cherished. He failed his former wife on his promise to keep Cale safe. He had failed.

As tears slid down his face Deruth ignored a voice calling out to him, feeling all his will leaving him.

But just as he was about to slump down fully in grief he felt a slap land on his cheek. Eyes fluttering open in shock Deruth's gaze fell on the said person who was glaring at him hands raised.

It was Violan.

"Deruth didn't I tell you to snap out of it?"

She knew she was equally to blame as her husband for not approaching Cale. She had thought that it would be fine if she gave the child the space he needed but it seemed it was nowhere enough.

She had also considered Deruth who used to love his previous wife as she had known, would indeed take care of his son.

Instead when she had came back with the children and learned of what happened she had been at a loss of words.

The fact that something like that happened to Cale at the banquet made Violan angry, and the fact that Deruth didn't even stand up and protect his son made her even angrier.

After leaving her son and daughter with Ron Molan whom she knew would take care of things she had rushed to confront Deruth for an explanation as to why he would do such a thing to his own son.

But instead she had found him a sobbing mess, at first she was concerned for her husband but seeing how he wasn't responding to her calls she had slapped the other.

What she had did seem to shock Deruth back to his senses. He looked at her wide eyed, mouth slightly slack.

Seeing this she sighed.

"Deruth you know that you were entirely in the wrong right? Sigh, not only you but me too. I shouldn't have thought that you would be taking care of Cale seeing how he had built such a reputation for himself. We... we should have approached him earlier"

Violan closed her eyes tiredly, "So instead of being so pathetic try yo do something " she said slowly getting up to find her children whom she knew must have realized something was wrong.