Beauty and the Monster-A Namjin AU story

Chapter 2

The midsummer night air was unnaturally chilly. Though the pale moon shone a path for Maurice and his horse in the dead of night, he shivered against his worn green cloak, and had no clue where he was going. He knew certain areas of the woods like the back of his hand, but this was not one of them.

It scared him to admit it, but he was hopelessly lost. 

 "The woods are lovely," He said this to his horse, but he was reassuring himself more than anything. The woods are lovely. The woods are a friend. That shadow against the oak is from the branches. He is safe. "I only wish I...recognized them. Do you know where we are, Philippe?" His voice grew increasingly panicked. "Because I don't."

 He spotted a new path and lead his horse into the gloom. "Steady now! Don't be afraid. It's alright, just a bit of...snow in July." The entire path before him was coated in powdery white snow. Dainty flakes fell on them lightly. At the very least, it explained the chill in the air. "Walk on! One path closes, another one opens, you know?"

Then he heard it. The scuffling of paws crunching in snow. Maurice turned his head up slowly in fear.

A pack of silver wolves snarled at him from uptop a snow coated rock. The leader of the pack bared its vicious fangs and let out a growl. The other wolves followed its lead until it brayed an enormous howl, and they followed suite. 

Before Maurice could yell "run!" the pack was jumping down on.

Philippe reacted before he could, and scampered down the snowy path, charging past thorn bushes and snow banks with reckless abandon, the only goal being as far away as possible from the ravenous pack.

Maurice saw the top of a building in the distance. Was it possible that someone else lived in the woods? 

Standing before him was a magnificent castle. Tall and proud, it spread across snow covered grounds. No light streamed from it's dirty windows. It was extraordinary, but it was not beautiful. It was regal and elegant like a peahen-it had no frills or ruffles, but it was awe-inspiring all the same.

Maurice had little time to ponder why there was a castle in the middle of nowhere. He turned around to see that the wolves had halted at the entrance to the grounds. He let himself breath out a sigh of relief. He was safe.

There was a horse stall at the corner of the palace. This was perfect!

"Oh, Philippe, you saved my life," He got down from his horse and patted his neck affectionately. "Very well done. Looks like those wolves will have to get their dinner from somewhere else, no? And look at this stall! Water and hay! You're all set." He tied him to the stall and started walking up to the gates. "I must go pay my respects to out unwitting host. Whoever they may be. Hmm..."

The gates were unlocked. The castle was large, and nowhere near cozy, but it was warm. And it was freezing out there. 

"Hello?" His voice echoed when he spoke. He set his coat on the nearest hanger. Was it just his frazzled mind, or did the furniture seem to twitch when he placed his coat on it? "Thank you. Hello? Hello? Sorry to intrude. I'm just a...traveler seeking shelter from the storm. Again, sorry to disturb you. Anyone home? Anyone at all?"

Those who could see and hear him were in no condition to speak up. On a table near Maurice, a clock named Min Yoongi and a candelabra named Kim Taehyung spoke to each other in hushed tones.

"He must have lost his way in the woods," Taehyung reasoned.

"Shut up!" Yoongi hissed. 

 "Excuse me?" Maurice called. No reply. He noticed the furniture on the table and went to inspect them closely. "Beautiful."

"I see he's a man of taste," Said Taehyung in satisfaction as he walked away.

"He was talking about me!" Yoongi retorted, then realized he was supposed to keep quiet, and shut himself up. 

"Well..." Said Maurice uncertainty, "Wherever you are, thank you. I'm just...going to warm myself by the fire. Ahh, that's better."

He wandered into the dining room. To his delight, a small meal was hot and ready for him on the table. As he sat down, a small teacup slid up next to his hand. Maurice jumped back with a start. 

 The teacup looked up at him apologetically. "Jimin said I wasn't supposed to move because it might be scary. Sorry. I'm Jungkook, by the way."

Maurice, still in bliss, smiled down at him. "It's alright. Nice to meet you, Jung-" Then it hit him. 

He bolted out of the room and yanked his cloak of the hanger. "I, uh...I can't thank you enough for your hospitality! I'll be going now. Goodnight, and uh, adieu!"

He sprinted to his horse with surprising speed for a man his age. "Come on Philippe, we're leaving!"

Just as he was about to exit the grounds, he noticed a rosebush with some of the most beautiful white roses he had seen in his time.

"Wait! Roses! I promised one for Seokjin." As he pulled the most lovely rose of the bunch out of its bush, he felt a pair of heavy feet thud behind him.

The creature's yellow eyed glare was the last thing he saw before being dragged to the castle once more.