Beauty and the Monster-A Namjin AU story

Chapter 15

It was madness back in the village. Gaston had ordered the people to bring Maurice to a mental asylum straight away. After all, he was oh so troubled in the head. Imaging beasts and whatnot.

One of the townsfolk held Maurice in a headlock and was about to throw him into a locked carriage. Maurice struggled to be free. Villagers screamed in support and protest. Parents covered their children's eyes.

"This man is weak," a man protested. "Please! He needs a hospital, not an asylum!"

Gaston simply shook his head and stroked the side of Maurice's head, his eyes resembling the cold ferocity of a tiger's.

"Have you ever seen the inside of a madhouse?" he simpered, "You wouldn't last a week. Give me your son's hand and I will set you free."

Maurice spat in his face. "Never."

Gaston turned back to the crowd. "Take him away!"

If the villagers were just a bit quieter, they would have heard the distant sound of hooves clopping down the stone path.

At the very moment Maurice was thrown inside his cage, Seokjin teared through the village into the center of the square on horseback. With the fire in his every gesture, his proud stance, and regal clothes, the man looked every inch a prince.

"Let him go!" he roared at the crowd. "Let my father go!"

Maurice almost wept out of joy. "Seokjin...I thought I lost you!"

Seokjin jumped off his horse and raced to the cage. He violently shook the rusting metal bars, like he could bend them with his might alone.

"Let him out! He's hurt!"

The guard pushed him back. "We cannot do that, sir," his gold tooth glistened when he sneered at Seokjin. "But we promise we'll take very good care of him."

"My father is not crazy!" Seokjin turned to Gaston, his very last resort. "Tell them!"

Gaston smirked. "You know I'm loyal to your family, but your father has been making some rather ridiculous claims."

"It's true, Seokjin!" a woman added, "He's been raving about a beast in a castle."

"I've been to that castle!" Seokjin declared, glaring at the townsfolk, daring them to argue. "There is indeed a beast!"

"You would do anything to set him free. Your word does not mean much," Gaston said.

Seokjin spun on his heel and glowered at Gaston. "You want proof? I'll show you proof!"

His desperate rage was paused by a pang of what he knew was guilt. Namjoon...I'm sorry.

He pulled the magic mirror out of his satchel. "Show me the beast!"

Namjoon was in his castle, alone on the balcony. He looked like a fire in him had been put out, and Seokjin knew why. But he could not let himself feel too much of anything at the moment. He had his father to save.

The crowd gasped at the sight. Their eyes could not see his helpless stance, only his claws.

"This is sorcery!" Gaston spluttered, "Look at the beast! Look at his fangs!" he pointed to the mirror and the crowd shrieked. "Look at his claws!"

"No!" Seokjin cried. His rage was pierced by sympathy. "Don't be afraid. He's gentle and kind."

"The monster has him under his spell! If I didn't know better, I would say he cared for him!"

You know nothing, Gaston.

"He's not a monster. You are! Namjoon wouldn't hurt anyone!"

"And you call him by name? I've heard of dark magic, but I've never seen it with my own eyes. This is a threat to our very existence! We can't have him running off to warn the beast. Lock him up, too!"

Two guards grabbed Seokjin by the arms. He thrashed and struggled, but lost the fight and was thrown into the cage alongside his father.

Gaston could hear Seokjin's warbled voice cry "You won't get away with this!". Silly boy. He already had.

Lefou came stumbling to his side. "Gaston, with all due respect-"

"Do you want to be next?" he turned his attention to the crowd. "Fetch my horse! Stand guard! Don't let them escape. This creature will curse us all if we don't stop him. I say we kill the beast!"

"Kill the beast!" The crowd roared enthusiastically.

The village went into a frenzy at once. Vendors handed pitchforks and torches to every person, from the youngest teen to the eldest. When their horses were mounted and there was fire in their blood, they were off, leaving Seokjin and Maurice in their wake.

Gaston lead the people in a chant, and they all took it up with vigor.

All, that is, except Lefou. He couldn't help but wonder if this was wrong. He was used to blindly following Gaston all his life. He was convinced that Gaston was the love of his life. But if Gaston could be so fierce as to spill the blood of an innocent looking creature, and hurt so many others...then perhaps he had been wrong in his love.

But he was part of a mob, and mobs never broke. He forced his eyes and mind ahead and carried on. 

No matter how it ended, blood would spill that night. 

A.N. Guess who's finally back?! These past few weeks have been stressful beyond belief, but the work is almost over. I'm so glad to be back and updating again! I missed this story so much...anyway, updates will be a little slower, but thank you a thousand times over for reading! I mean it. Until next time~