king of hearts | taegguk [ON HOLD]

♛chapter six

TW: PHYSICAL ABUSE (PROCEED WITH CAUTION!)

Taehyung's hand was shaking when he raised it to knock on the door of his father's chamber. It took everything in him to keep his head high when the king opened it, revealing his resentful face. He motioned for the brunette to step inside and Taehyung complied, his eyes immediately roaming around the room, looking for an alternative exit if things got too heated.

He had been expecting this, but he didn't calculate exactly how terror-stricken he would feel.

"Father," the boy started, not daring to look him in the eyes, instead choosing to focus on something behind his shoulder. Not a good idea, since the huge portrait of the king hanging on the wall seemed to be boring holes into him with that piercing, chilling painted gaze. "Did you call for me?" He decided to play dumb, thinking it was for his own benefit.

"Taehyung," the king's deep voice reached his ear, sending shivers down his spine. "look at me and tell me if you see a man you could disrespect without facing the consequences. I thought I taught you better than that."

If it was anyone else in front of Hyun-woo, they might've said he was calm, but Taehyung knew he was anything but. He was just keeping himself in check to make the boy fret, anticipating the first hit. He's been through this before. It never got easier.

"So what made you think," Hyun-woo took a step closer, gripping Taehyung's chin harshly with his hand, "you could talk to me like that in front of the fucking enemy?" He yelled, Taehyung feeling the first slap across his face. It stung.

"Father-" He wanted to say something, anything that would make his father at least a little less angry, but it was futile. He had already signed his sentence when he decided to go against him.

"Shut up when I'm speaking!" The king's voice boomed, making Taehyung flinch. "Did I not give you anything you wanted? Is this what I deserve for taking care of you, for making you a goddamn prince?! Huh? Tell me, what causes you, little boy, to think you're better than me?"

"I didn't mean it that way, my king, I swear. I just-" 

"You just want? Decided you'd humiliate me in front of Jeon Jeongguk? What do you think he's going to tell his parents about me when he returns to the hole he came from? That I let my son walk all over me?"

"No, I didn't-" Taehyung took a deep, shaky breath. "I didn't think about that. I just didn't what to be forced to marry, that's all."

"That's all?" The king raised an eyebrow, slowly nodding as if he understood. But then he turned around and walked to his bedside table, opening the first drawer and pulling out an all-familiar item. 

Taehyung felt himself take a step back, his face turning pale.

The black belt in his father's hands made tears gather in his eyes, but he didn't let them fall. He refused to break in front of this man. He's cried too many times in front of him. Not anymore.

So instead of cowering away, begging for forgiveness, he decided to accept his fate like the grown-up he was. He turned his back to the king, dropped the blazer he wore to the ground and lifted up his white shirt. Taehyung heard a huffing noise coming from his father, who has probably expected to see him plead for his mercy. 

The king didn't waste more time and brought the belt down to make contact with Taehyung's skin. The first hit on his back brought back the worst memories from countless of beatings he's had to endure over time. He sniffled but didn't allow himself to make any noise. The cry building up in his throat wouldn't surface, not if Taehyung had any force of will. 

The second and third hit hurt the most, but the brunette just bit his lip and stayed quiet, taking it. When the hits only kept coming, Taehyung counting to twenty, he became too numb to even feel them. His back was aching and he was certain it was red and bleeding. But he still didn't cry. That man didn't deserve his tears.