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taehyung does not fight the three large, vicious men as they restrain him and tote him to the Meeting Room. they are surprisingly silent as they loop the rope harness around his neck, hips, and ankles. ropes bind his wrists behind his back and keep his legs tied together. more coils of rope are then wound around his wrists and ankles so he can be trussed up and bound to the pole that will have him carried through the village like a flayed and gutted animal.
taehyung ignores the burn of his wrists and ankles from the tightness of the ropes, as well as the heaving of his chest from having gravity press his neck into the harness and restrict his breathing, once they get him secured to the pole. as they eventually haul him up, the men begin to mutter cursing incantations and spit on taehyung while he swings a bit, suspended between the two who hold up the pole. he jostles with each step they take, one man solely leading them to the Meeting Room.
with his breathing temporarily inhibited, taehyung's thoughts and vision become hazy. he remembers what yoongi had told him if this situation ever arose--
(don't fight them, when they come for you. just be still so you will not get more injured. that's their goal, to hurt you.)
he has to be demure, submissive, apathetic--
(don't let their menacing words get to you, either. they're savages with piercingly wicked tongues. that's how they keep the same Board Members in power-- with their fear- and other grossly vile tactics.)
and, most of all, he has to remember that yoongi is going to fight for him.
(i'll be there, when they bring you in. they don't know about the regime plotting against them, and we need to keep it that way, taehyung-ah. hyung will always protect you and this silly little village. always.)
just as taehyung thinks he will pass out, he is roughly dropped on the ground, where his knees make impact first. his head thunks the ground after the rest of his body, the part of the rope harness around his neck suddenly not as tight. he takes deep breaths that burn his lungs and notes his wrists and ankles, though still bound, are more mobile now; probably having been cut from the pole.
"--is the traitor?" a deep, unimpressed voice murmurs. "...should have known... marked... his whole life..."
taehyung's vision and hearing is coming back into focus, and when they finally do, he sees the five Members staring at him silently from their elevated seats on the Meeting Room's floor.
there is the eldest, ryutan, in the middle, with his straight, lengthy hair that is as oily and grey as his papery skin. his eyes are so dark they look black, which somehow compliments his black Board markings and robes. in addition, his back is hunched over-- a consequence of bending over in the rice fields for decades, or so the legend goes.
on either side of him are his twinned nephew and niece, rengo and engo. they both have dark brown complexions and shaved heads that bear the silver and gold markings of their respectively-ruled villages. however, engo--the woman--has a rounder face, thinner lips, and kinder eyes between the two. the twins are draped over their cushions as lazily as their respectively-colored silken robes draping over their bodies. expensive, malleable metal bangles drip from their arms and necks.
junghao, ryutan's son-in-law, sits alongside rengo, making him the closest to taehyung. his lengthy brown hair is plaited on the sides while the rest of it falls onto his snowy white robes in waves. he is golden-complected, which pales in comparison to the twins' deep, rich brown, but marked with white patterns representative of another village neighboring to the North. the white markings even spill over onto his chiseled jaw and cheekbones, contrasting with his steely green eyes.
seated next to engo and furthest from taehyung is yoongi, who looks more regal than the others with his fair skin, choppy black hair, and upright posture. his angry scar and silvery, filmy eye do nothing to detract from his regalness, especially since taehyung knows of the power yoongi holds: hidden beneath the numerous layers of his midnight-blue-dipped clothing are their village's stark indigo markings. what is not hidden, however, is how yoongi's pouty, pink lips are turned down into a frown.
taehyung makes sure to avoid all of the Board's eyes, staring at their feet once he has glanced up again to ensure yoongi is actually present.
he is.
(hyung will always protect you--)
"are you just going to lay there? or will you come greet your Board?" a different voice addresses taehyung, more nasally-toned with undercurrents of incredulity.
one of the large, vicious men who brought him here kicks taehyung in the side with a heavy boot. taehyung groans and then attempts to sit up through his restraints. when he finally makes it to a somewhat steady kneeling position, he is kicked again from behind and falls forward. he does his best to catch himself from hitting the ground with his full weight on the points of his shoulders, crying out as the ropes chafe his wrists some more.
the same uninterested, deep voice from the very beginning booms in the quiet of the Meeting Room: "stupid boy. get over here and greet us quickly. our patience is wearing thin."
taehyung straightens and scuffs his knees through his apprentice robes on the hard-packed dirt each time he uses them to walk forward. as is customary, taehyung approaches ryutan first. he is The Wise and Just, and his polished onyx ring, located on his gnarled middle finger, must be kissed five times. taehyung does as he has been conditioned his whole life, then approaches rengo.
as The Brave, rengo's gleaming silver ring must be kissed four times. taehyung kisses it, where it sits on the young man's index finger. he next approaches engo.
she is The Ruthless. engo's solid gold ring, glinting dangerously on her fourth finger, must be kissed three times. with three quick kisses, taehyung shuffles towards junghao.
junghao's ring is opaque opal and worn on his thumb, as is tradition for someone proclaimed The Strong. taehyung kisses his ring twice to go through the motions of showing respect before finally scooting his way to yoongi.
as soon as taehyung is in front of him, yoongi does something taehyung is not expecting: he thrusts his hand towards taehyung's face so his ring is more easily reached. with the other Members, taehyung had to lean across them to reach their hands and risk Impurifying them if his robes so much as brushed theirs. but yoongi, or The Kind-Hearted as he is otherwise known, reveals his true nature and assists taehyung.
taehyung leans forward to kiss the sapphire inlaid in silver-plated steel only once, as he's been taught. he lingers as he presses his lips to yoongi's pinky ring, not making eye contact. he feels yoongi's unwavering gaze on him and shivers-- the silver-plated steel necklace taehyung wears, threaded with a secret replica of yoongi's Board ring, suddenly makes his skin itch. taehyung ignores the sensation, though, and knee-walks back to where he had been before the Greetings.
"finally. we may progress with the trial of the traitor," states ryutan, with his deep uninterested voice. taehyung knows it is him because his eyes cut to the Leader before he remembers his place during a trial proceeding. his gaze drops to ryutan's sandaled feet, then stays there.
"but do we know how he's betrayed us?" asks engo. her unfamiliar accent grates harshly against taehyung ears, but her tone is soft.
"dear sister--" starts rengo mockingly, and taehyung recognizes his nasally-toned voice. "--he's been seen plotting to take down our beloved uncle. keep informed, will you?"
engo snorts. "sure. and what of the other traitor? he's said to have been conspiring with a partner. or, haven't you heard, dear brother?" she volleys back, tone growing harsher.
"quiet, both of you," commands junghao. his voice is as deep as ryutan's, but it lilts with the accent taehyung has heard from the customers who visit from the North. "tell us, boy," he says, addressing taehyung, who looks up quickly to confirm that he is being asked to speak. "do you know why you're here?"
(they’ll ask if you know the reason behind being brought to them. acknowledge their doubts by admitting their fears.)
taehyung nods. he opens his mouth, glancing at yoongi, who is still pouting, before shifting his eyes to ryutan's face: "i have been summoned to be interrogated regarding my involvement in a scheme plotting to overthrow The Wise and Just, O' Strong One."
yoongi clears his throat before he speaks. "you are correct, boy. have you any defense you wish to present to the Board?"
taehyung shakes his head while his eyes trace over yoongi's features. a boot kicks at his shoulder a moment later, so he quickly blurts, "no, KindHeart! i have no defense!"
he does, but yoongi would have to expose himself to get taehyung out of this.
(you can admit you were with me--
no, i can’t! they’ll become suspicious of us, hyung. suspicious of you.
i can’t put you in that position!
then, how else do you defend yourself against the mounting rumors, taehyung-ah?
i guess i don’t, hyung. what then?)
ryutan speaks up, rumbling out his disbelief. "so, you admit to plotting against me? against your Wise and Just Leader?"
"no, O' Wise and Just One," counters taehyung, his eyes now on the elder's sandaled feet. this is unfolding just as yoongi said it would--
(now, when they ask about your admittance, deny it with all that you are. they can detect untruthfulness through their sense of smell, so you will tell them the truth, as close as you can stick to it. be as honest as you can, or the entire regime will be in danger.)
--so taehyung continues his truth, all while staring at ryutan's grey, wrinkled feet. "i simply do not have a defense to combat the rumors. i have no proof against them since i was by myself in the shop on the night in question. i have no one who can verify my whereabouts at that time."
everything taehyung is saying is true, to an extent. he was in the shop that night, making a batch of remedies for those ailing from broken bones. no one was with him while he was preparing and then ultimately making them. he did not sneak out to meet yoongi until after he had finished the remedies, and he had taken all the less-traversed paths to get there so he could avoid being seen. maybe he had not been careful enough because someone had definitely seen something. rumors do not start from nothing, after all.
"since you have no defense--" begins engo, and taehyung looks her in the face as he nods to confirm. "--there is no further need to continue the trial. you are found guilty, boy, and we will move straight into sentencing."
taehyung nods again, staring down at ryutan's feet.
(without your defense, they’ll consider you guilty and move right on into sentencing. they’ll probably ask for a vote then, and i’ll play along.)
engo asks, "what say we regarding moving on to sentencing?"
taehyung looks up to see five coins flicked into the air. there, they hover; not one dropping down to the dirt-floor to signal displeasure at the suggestion.
"let the record show all Members are in favor of moving on to sentencing," continues engo, and taehyung drops his gaze again to the oldest man's feet. "what say we regarding the boy's sentencing?"
(to keep the suspicion away from me, i’ll recommend the punishment. it’ll be harsh, taehyung-ah, but remember that hyung will protect you.)
there is a short pause, and then yoongi monotonously says, "a commoner must be hanged in public so as to discourage others in plotting an uprising."
"i call," says rengo. "we must make the boy an example. we'll demand all villagers present, and if they refuse, they're killed. it's that simple."
(some suggestions that come up may be ones we don’t like. i will do my best to steer them away from implementing such suggestions, and you must do your best to not protest. remember your place in these proceedings, taehyung-ah, as you are ‘guilty.’)
getting the other villagers harmed is not part of the plan. but all taehyung can do at this point in the trial is listen to the Members' discussion and have faith that yoongi or one of the other Members will suggest something different.
"as those who refuse may be part of the dissent?" asks engo, and rengo makes a noise of agreement.
"yes, dear sister. we must eliminate any opposition to our beloved uncle."
"what say you, junghao?" prods ryutan's deep voice. "do you wish to cut the head off the dissenting snake before it has a chance to bite us?"
"yes," junghao answers, "but this sentencing is about the boy paying for his treason. we have yet to see or hear of other dissenters openly plotting. i say we leave the killing for after the hanging. rebels are sure to rise up then."
engo agrees with a hum. "i call. we should hang the boy in public and demand all villagers present. drag them all, wounded if we have to, to witness his hanging. i doubt the rebels will try to rise up after they've been beaten."
unfortunately, taehyung's knees have started to fall asleep. he keeps his gaze lowered as he sits back on his heels and listens. a kick to his lower back has him straightening up in an instant and glancing briefly at yoongi. yoongi will have to warn those against the Board to not put up a fight. otherwise, they will get severely injured.
"i call," says junghao.
"as do i," agrees yoongi.
"as do i," repeats rengo.
"as do i," reiterates engo. "what say you, uncle?"
"i call. as for when the hanging will take place..." ryutan trails off. "what say we?"
"i say," suggests engo, "we do it as quickly as we can."
"i call," says junghao. "the quicker we get him hanged, the quicker we cut off the head of the dissent."
"i call," recasts rengo.
"as do i," agrees yoongi.
"as do i," reprises ryutan.
"then, the boy shall be hanged in three days," engo concludes. "is that sufficient time to notify the executioner?"
one of the large, vicious men says, "yes, O' Ruthless One. that time is sufficient."
"perfect. what say we about hanging the boy in three days, early in the morn?"
(once they declare your sentencing, there will be a vote. i will play along again, and you will keep your trust and faith in me. the only unknown is where you’ll be kept in the meantime. there may be a vote regarding that, or there may not. the one certainty you must rely on is that hyung will rescue you, taehyung-ah. wherever you might be.)
taehyung glances up. while his knees prickle, five coins hover again in the air.
"then, it is settled. let the record show all Members are in agreement. boy?"
at being addressed, taehyung fully lifts his head and looks at engo's face. "yes, O' Ruthless One?"
"you will be hanged in three days' morn," she informs him. "until then, you will be kept in the pillory for all to see. you will be given no food or water, and you will not be allowed to utter a single sound. every sound you do utter will be ten lashes as punishment. what say you?"
(when they’ve finished the proceedings, you must thank them for being merciful and allowing you whatever punishment they’ve given-- they are cruel, but you must show them where they believe your loyalty lies until the end.)
"i call," taehyung responds, dipping his body lower than his gaze. if he is at the pillory, it will be relatively easy for yoongi to break him out. "thank you for your mercifulness, O' Great Board. i am ever so thankful."
"as you should be," announces yoongi emptily. "take him to the pillory," he commands. "i am tired of seeing the traitor's face."
then, the same three large, vicious men tie taehyung to the pole again and heft him from the Meeting Room to the center of their village-- where he will be systematically starved, denied water, and gawked at until yoongi comes to his rescue.