Ryeowook is a sorcerer. He isn’t well known throughout the lands as he prefers to work within his close circle, but he is very well-versed in magic. He has an inclination to nature magic or spells and potions drawn from the magic in the earth and those that grow from it, which makes him very powerful. This then means that he can sense the slightest misconduct to the flora that is close to his home.

This would also be the reason why he had traveled for several miles in a certain direction and snuck in quietly into a castle that blended into the darkness of the night. As he climbed the stairs, he could feel traces of strong magic around him, but none he had to worry about. He’s confident that he could handle this level of magic considering his own power and the fact that the trees and plants in the forest outside had gladly greeted him upon his arrival.

His ears are drawn to the sound of soft crying, and he finds himself in a room in what appears to be the West Wing of the castle. Ryeowook’s heart almost broke at the sight of the single rose, floating against its will, encased in a glass container, completely intact except for one petal that had fallen off and turned to black. He whispered words of comfort to the flower, gently removing its glass cage before carefully caressing its stem, being careful of the thorns.

He could sense the curse trapped within the rose, but he didn’t know what it was, and neither did the poor flower. But the answer barged in through the door.

“Who are you?! What are you doing?!” A beast roared. And there was no other way to describe this creature but a beast with fur so dark, horns on his head, and teeth sharp and bared at him. But Ryeowook could hear the fear in his voice when the creature spoke again. “You’re a sorcerer.”

He must have seen the gold in Ryeowook’s eyes, a hint of it from his attempts at helping the flower.

“Yes,” he answered simply, and the creature flinched back.

“Have I not suffered enough?” Came the quiet whisper full of despair.

“We shall see.” Ryeowook declared softly and walked towards the beast who was frozen in his place. The sorcerer reached up and placed a gentle hand on the creature’s cheek and, with a few murmured words, he was able to understand.

The spell he cast allowed him to see the story.

A king of few words, who was cold and calculating but honest and loyal to his subjects and his people, had thrown a party for his people in holiday cheer. There was a knock on the castle doors, and the king had been summoned at the sight of the former head of servants who had been removed from her position after it was revealed that she had been keeping extra money that was to be given to the other servants to herself instead. The king had noticed the hateful glares that the other workers in the palace sent her, the spiteful sneers she sent back at them, and decided that this place would not be able to welcome her.

He had not known at the time that she was a sorcerer in disguise. The king might have been more patient if he knew, but she was screaming at the top of her lungs and the rest of the people were incredibly disturbed at the turn of events. He had ordered the guards to take her away, and she threw a fit before looking him in the eye and spitting out a curse.

Everyone in the castle turned to furniture, doomed to stay that way unless they found a way to reverse the curse. The king had been turned into this terrible creature and was told he had until the last petal of the rose fell before the curse became permanent. Since then, they had all slowly lost hope of finding a cure and were left to wonder what would have happened if they had just allowed the treacherous woman into the castle instead.

Ryeowook feels tears in his eyes as he looks at the king. The sorcerer is angry at the misuse of magic and that an innocent rose had been forced to carry such an awful curse. And he is absolutely horrified at the injustice all these people faced and the heavy guilt this king carried on his shoulders as he deemed the curse placed on his people to have been his doing.

The spell had dragged the king down to his knees and Ryeowook knelt in front of him gracefully. “King Cho Kyuhyun,” he said, echoing the name he had heard the people praise in the memories. “You are not at fault.”

A broken sob bursts out from the man in front of him who is trapped in the body of a beast. Ryeowook wipes away the tears before leaning forward and whispering a spell, his eyes turning golden.

There is a sharp gasp, and Ryeowook also hears a relieved sigh from the rose behind him. Slowly, the sorcerer could see the man that the creature was meant to be. Sounds from outside the room indicate that all the other people were returning to normal. The dark and heavy aura of the curse seems to sweep out of the castle and Ryeowook could feel the sweet and comforting embrace of life when he breathed in.

“Your majesty,” Ryeowook gently says, and the man turns to him with wide eyes. The sorcerer smiles and almost blushes at the pure awe that was directed at him. The king gazes upon him like he is the most beautiful thing in the world. “You and your people have been released from the curse.”

“Thank you.” A voice deep and melodic answers him softly, contrasting the rough and harsh tones of a beast. “How can I ever repay you?”

“No need,” Ryeowook shakes his head, stepping away slowly from the man and moving towards the rose that is in need of proper care. “You did not deserve the curse that was placed on you. Neither did your people.”

“Thank you,” the king repeats, sounding close to tears as he approaches the sorcerer. “I will be forever in your debt for saving us.”

“Just continue being a good king to your people. That would be enough payment for the debt you seem to insist on yourself, your Highness.” Ryeowook rolls his eyes playfully at the king and keeps a distance. He gathers the rose in his hands. “I must take my leave.”

“Wait!” The king’s frantic call makes the sorcerer stop mid-spell. “Will I ever see you again?”

Ryeowook hears the hope in his words and smiles, looking at the king one last time. “We shall see, Cho Kyuhyun. We shall see.”

And with a wink and a silent spell, the sorcerer disappears from the room with the rose carefully held in his hands, leaving a king staring at the now empty spot with a growing smile and an eagerness to see the beautiful sorcerer once more.

a/n: feel like i should make it clear i have no plans for a sequel or a follow-up, so if anyone wants to go do it based on this i v much would like to read it !! someone please do it hahaha