The Beauty and the Beast (Seventeen Meanie story)

Chapter 12 - The Forbidden Wing

A/N: Hi Frens! First of all, happy belated Mingyu Day!! <3 Second, thank you so much for 2K reads!!

From now on I'll be back to the usual, once-a-week updates, so expect new chapters every Sunday. The second half of the semester started and I'll be super busy with my exams and schoolwork, but I'll do my best to update every Sunday as usual. In case I can't I'll make sure to let you know, but hopefully I can make time on weekends to update.

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Wonwoo wasn't entirely sure what he expected to find in the forbidden west wing, but certainly not what he saw once he opened the huge wooden door on the hallway.

Destruction, that was the word that described best the place behind the door: it probably used to be a beautiful room once, but right now it didn't resemble to anything that he would call beautiful.

Items were thrown everywhere, furniture destroyed wherever he looked, and it was a real challenge to go further inside the room. Partly because of the mess that blocked the way, but also because of the smell. It was the smell of the beast, the kind of smell you would expect from maybe a bear when it hibernates and doesn't leave its cave for months.

Wonwoo held his breath as he climbed over the remains of something that might have been a couch once, then he looked up at the walls too. He wondered why the beast guards a room of junk so much. The chandeliers were hanging dangerously low, very close to falling. He could barely make out everything's silhouettes as the room was dark, the only light coming inside was the light from the moon through the balcony.

Wonwoo continued walking inside, taking a look at what he could see from the pictures on the walls. They were all paintings, landscapes, buildings... the canvases were all torn apart. Then his gaze landed on a portrait painting that was destroyed by probably the beast's claws.

He took a step closer to examine the picture. As his eyes got used to the darkness, he realized the painting was the portrait of a young man. A hella handsome young man, let's add. He had black hair, tanned skin, and he was dressed elegantly. He was wearing some kind of uniform - he looked like a real prince. Wonwoo wondered why the beast destroyed the picture. Who was this man? What happened to him?

He looked around, then he spotted something sparkly right next to the balcony window. Curiosity got the best of him and he continued walking closer until he reached the balcony and took a closer look.

A pink rose was displayed under a glass cover with glowing pink aura, several dead petals under it on the table.

This was just another addition to the list of strange things Wonwoo had to figure out about the castle. It just didn't fit the beast's image. Why is there such a beautiful rose in the forbidden room? And why is the room forbidden? Does it have to do anyting with the rose...? Because to Wonwoo it looked like nothing else was worth guarding the west wing for.

He hummed and touched the glass cover. Nothing happened. He removed his hand, then hypnotized by the flower he leaned closer. A small petal then fell off the rose, and by the time it landed on the table it was brown and dried, just like when the leaves leave the trees in autumn. He needed to figure out what this thing was-

'WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!' he heard suddenly a loud growl, making him stumble backwards and almost trip over the remains of a chair. The Master of the castle was towering over him with his claws out, looking like he was ready to tear Wonwoo apart any second.

'I-I just-' stuttered Wonwoo in panic. The beast rushed past him and hugged the glass with the rose with such gentleness that Wonwoo definitely didn't expect from him. Then he turned back towards the boy once again with dark eyes.

'This is the forbidden wing! I told you you can go anywhere but here!' he said.

'I'm sorry, I got lost-' tried to reason Wonwoo, but it seemed like whatever he was saying, the beast didn't give a single fuck.

'GET OUT! GET OUT OF HERE BEFORE I MAKE YOU!!' growled the beast.

He didn't have to say it twice as Wonwoo began running towards the door, stumbling over the destruction in the room, trying to escape the beast as fast as he could. He ran down the stairs, on his way picking up his cape that he previously hung on a cloth hanger that turned after him confusedly - now he knew his name was Jun.

Soonyoung and Seungkwan came across him on the stairs.

'Oh, there you are! Where were- Wait, where are you going?!' shouted Seungkwan after him.

'I don't care about the deal! I can't stay here anymore!' yelled back Wonwoo in tears as he ran towards the front gate.

He rushed out of the castle and to his luck he found his horse, Philippe outside where he left him previously. He felt guilty for completely forgetting to take care of his horse, but now he was kind of thankful for it. He quickly climbed on the horse's back and they gallopped towards the gate that opened in front of them by itself.

Wonwoo didn't know which way he was going, he was just trying to get as far from the castle as he could. Unfortunately it didn't take them long to get lost in the dark forest completely. They couldn't see anything because of the fog, and the trees and the paths all looked exactly the same. It was freezing cold and dark. Wonwoo had no idea where they are.

Then out of nowhere he heard a howl and he flinched on Philippe's back, looking around, trying to find the source of the sound. Then suddenly Philippe began backing away, shaking his head in panic and Wonwoo froze, holding the reins tighter as his hands were shaking from fear.

At least ten huge wolves appeared out of the fog growling. Their eyes were dark and they all looked ready to attack. Philippe continued backing and neighed loudly.

'P-Philippe, chill!' tried to calm the horse down Wonwoo, but it was no use. The wolves were getting closer, and the one in front was about to attack them.

As soon as he saw the wolf ready to jump, Wonwoo closed his eyes tightly, expecting the sharp teeth to tear him apart any second... but the attack didn't come. Instead a desperate whine of a wolf could be heard. Wonwoo opened one of his eyes and gasped when he saw the huge brown creature fighting off the wolves.

It was the beast.

The wolves didn't spare him, they kept biting him and jumping at him as he attacked them back. He was much bigger and stronger than the wolves, but they were overpowering him. Wonwoo saw and smelled blood which painted the snow red, but the beast didn't stop until he fought off even the last wolf.

Wonwoo tightened his hold on the reins, ready to escape once he saw the beast now turn to him. He remembered of how he would've been ready to fight him for entering the forbidden wing, and now he saw how the enormous beast easily fought with 10 wolves. Wonwoo wouldn't last a minute against him.

He was about to nudge Philippe to get away as fast as they could, but then suddenly the beast let out a small growl... and then dropped on the snow and blood covered ground unconsciously.

Wonwoo stopped in his movement, contemplating for a second. Whatever happened previously, the beast scared the wolves away when they were about to eat him. And now he needs help.

He saved Wonwoo's life.

Wonwoo looked at Philippe and sighed, patting the horse's neck calmingly, then climbed off its back.

'It's all good, big boy' he said quietly. 'Now I need you to stay calm. We have to take him back to the castle. And I promise I won't forget to take care of you this time.'