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The roses in the garden are in full bloom, their dark red colour contrasting with the pearl white snow. Unlike your sisters who'd asked your father to bring expensive dresses and fine jewels, you only wanted a rose. So, your father, exhausted from the long journey in the snowstorm, feels like finding this castle is a true miracle. There is warm food, water and wood burning in the fireplace. And not a person in sight. So, as the storm subsides and he is making his way out through the garden, he can't resist the temptation of plucking a singular rose for his favourite daughter. Surely, no one would notice? Only he doesn't realize what a terrible mistake he makes.
Suddenly, he hears a booming roar from somewhere above. A large dragon appears in front of your father, breathing fire from its huge mouth and melting the snow nearby.
"Who dares disrupt my garden?" the dragon asks angrily in a human voice.
"I'm s-sorry, I d-didn't know it was yours," your father explains, terrified for his life. "I only meant to surprise my youngest daughter, I swear. It's the only thing she wants."
The dragon considers this for a brief moment.
"A gift, you say? Very well, I suppose I could spare one rose," the dragon murmurs in a deceivingly calm tone.
"Really? Thank you so much for your generosity, uhh…your greatness."
"Don't thank me just yet. You can have the rose but in return I shall have your daughter who asked for it."
"What? N-no, she's more precious to me than anything. You can keep the rose."
"Too late," the dragon grunts, breathing fire and sends your father running for his life. "If you don't send your daughter here before the sun sets, I will burn your home with your entire family."
Once your father returns home and explains this whole situation, there are two types of reactions. Your sisters are only concerned with the amazing clothing and jewelry your father has brought for them and they don't take his words seriously, saying he was probably hallucinating from being exhausted. You, however, trust your father's story to be truthful. Throughout your life, you've seen and heard things you can't explain, so it makes perfect sense that dragons exist.
"I'll go there, father," you promise. "It is only fair, I'm the one who asked for a rose."
"No, my darling, the dragon could burn you alive or eat you!" your father panics.
"It doesn't matter. If I don't do as he says, he'll kill all of you!"
"We'll think of something, we'll move to live somewhere else," you father tries to dissuade you.
"We don't have enough money for that. Just let me go."
Your father nods reluctantly, not seeing another way out and explains the location of the castle to the best of his abilities.
You run outside and hop on the horse. Luckily, the wise animal remembers his recent adventures and takes you to the castle easily.
You marvel at the sight. The castle is covered in snow and right in front of it is a gorgeous garden with so many roses. These might be your last moments, but it is still a true blessing you got to see such a beautiful view.
As you enter the castle, you are greeted by a similar setting to the one your father saw. Warm meals and red wine, a burning fireplace, fancy plates and candles. It is truly magical. Confused by the welcoming atmosphere, you take a seat. Not daring to eat or wander about without permission, you play with your hands nervously for a while, until finally, the doors of the grand hall open and you see what your father was so scared of. The dragon. He has red scales and his eyes are darker than night itself. Strangely enough, the way the dragon walks in is so…elegant, almost human-like that you barely resist the urge to gasp. Why on earth is this dangerous creature so stunning?
"You came," the dragon remarks.
"Didn't have much of a choice, did I?" you reply hastily before thinking.
"There's always a choice. You could have decided to burn together with your family. Instead, you came here all alone to atone for your father's sin, not knowing what awaits you. Can't tell if you're stupid or selfless."
You shrug.
"I hardly think plucking one rose is a sin, but whatever," you roll your eyes.
"You have no idea what a single rose could achieve," the dragon mutters quietly.
"Explain it to me, then! What do you want with me? Are you going to eat me or what?"
"Sorry to disappoint," the dragon growls. "Not really a huge fan of human meat. I just want to have dinner with you every night."
"Dinner? As in…I am not the dinner?" you keep joking to ease your tension.
"Not unless you try to escape," the dragon warns.
"That sounds doable," you agree easily. "What should I call you?"
"What?" the dragon blinks in surprise. It's been forever since someone asked him that.
"Well, I can't just go around calling you "Mr. Dragon", can I? You must have a name of some sorts."
The dragon nods thoughtfully, not at all sure how it came to this. Why is it so easy to talk to you?
"You can call me Yong," the dragon replies.
"Alright, Yong. I'm Y/N," you introduce yourself, because it seems like the polite thing to do. "I wish we'd met under different circumstances but it is what it is. Let's have dinner."
As you use your fork and knife to eat the delicious meals, you notice the dragon's terrible table manners. He talks like a human and yet he devours the food like an animal, starving and eager to get it over with. You can't help but smile, finding the contrast between his words and actions so amusing.
"What are you smiling about?" Yong hisses.
"Here, let me show you," you take hold of his…what even should you call it? Hand? Paw? Front limb? You have no idea but you try to fit a fork in the space between his claws and guide him gently in an attempt to explain how to use the fork.
"I know how it's done, it's just uncomfortable," Yong snaps at you.
"How do you know?" you ask curiously.
"None of your business," the dragon grunts and for a few moments he tries to appease you by attempting to eat with a fork. But he keeps spilling food, making a mess of everything, and eventually gives up, throwing a couple of dishes on the floor with his enormous limbs.
You flinch involuntarily, taken aback by his violent outburst.
"This is stupid," he growls and leaves the room.
You sigh to yourself in the grand hall when the silence is suddenly interrupted from the most unexpected direction.
"Ugh, finally," the candelabra moans in relief. "I was wondering when he'd leave."
"Don't speak like that of him," the mantel clock scolds the candelabra. "He's trying his best."
"You guys can speak?!" you gasp in surprise. Although…if there is a talking dragon, why can't there be talking objects?!
"Oh, shoot, I forgot we have a guest," the candelabra says. "Nice to meet you, I'm Johnny."
"And I'm Jaehyun," the mantel clock adds. "It's really nice to have some human company around here."
"Uhh, sure, it's nice to meet you, I guess," you blink, still recovering from the shock.
"Don't mind them, sweetheart," the teapot joins the conversation. "Would you like a cup of tea to ease your nerves?"
"Mom, not everything can be fixed with tea," an adorable chipped teacup responds.
"For the hundredth time, Haechan, I'm not your mom! Lovely to meet you, Y/N. I'm Doyoung."
"Wow…the pleasure is all mine," you reply sweetly, although you're not sure pleasure is the right word for what you're currently experiencing. It surely is a lot to take in…
"Go get some sleep, sweetheart," Doyoung the teapot encourages you. "Tomorrow will be better."
"Or not," Haechan the pessimistic teacup chips in.
You shake your head and make your way to your room, following Doyoung's helpful directions. When you close your eyes, despite the overwhelming day you've had, you immediately fall asleep.
As the sun's rays enter your new room, you slowly awake, greeted by the unexpected warmth and the different voices.
"Oh, I can't wait to dress her up! A human girl, can you believe it?" the wardrobe exclaims.
"Shhh, let her sleep," the mirror responds.
"Woof! Woof!" the footstool barks enthusiastically.
"Jungwoo, quit acting like a dog, that joke got old a few years ago!" the mirror scolds the footstool.
You sit up in the bed to meet your new roommates.
"Erm…good morning, everyone," you greet them kindly, because you don't see any other option than to run with it.
"Yes! Time to get you dolled up!" the wardrobe can't wait to turn his fashion dreams into reality. "I'm Yuta."
"I'm Mark," the mirror introduces himself, as well.
"Woof!" the footstool keeps barking.
"And that's Jungwoo," Mark explains. "He's going through his dog phase."
"Uhh, good to know."
"When we're done with you, you'll look so dazzling Yong won't be able keep his eyes off of you," Yuta promises.
"And that is a good thing because…?"
"Oh, right, I forgot you might be scared. But trust me, once you get to know him, he's not that bad."
"I'll be the judge of that," you insist. "But I won't mind some distractions to keep me from thinking about the inevitable dinner."
"We're on it," Mark the mirror vows.
Once your new talking furniture friends are done with your makeover, they fall asleep and you finally get a moment to yourself. You need to investigate, you decide. You can't imagine how hard it is for your father with no one to help him (your sisters aren't very reliable). There's gotta be a way out of this castle, right? To your amazement, your room's door is unlocked and you walk down the corridors, nervously looking around. On the walls there are portraits of people you've never seen before. They look like royalty. One of painted faces has been slashed through with…claws?! What even is this place? Then, you find a massive wooden door, slightly ajar. Your curiosity gets the better of you and you sneak inside the mysterious room. As you walk further, you spot a dim glow. You follow the direction of the light and discover a glass jar by an open window leading to the balcony. Inside it is a single rose. Enchanted by its unusual radiance, you lift the jar, overwhelmed by the urge to touch the plant…
Just as your fingers barely touch the petals, a loud voice interrupts the serenity.
"What are you doing here?" the dragon yells angrily. "What did you do?"
"N-nothing," you mumble awkwardly, putting the bell jar back in its place. "I was just-"
"Get out of here!" the dragon screams madly, "OUT!"
Startled by his wrath, you run out of the room and down the stairs.
"It's dangerous out there, Y/N," Doyoung the teapot tries to stop you.
"I'm not wanted here," you cry out and keep sprinting towards the exit.
"That's not true!" Johnny the candelabra attempts to argue. "We need you!"
"Jungwoo, stop her!" Doyoung says.
Jungwoo the footstool runs in front of you, blocking the exit and starts barking.
"Who's a good puppy?" Jaehyun the mantel clock starts praising Jungwoo.
But Jungwoo's attention span seems limited and suddenly, he's in the mood to play around, jumping excitedly.
"No, not now, bad puppy!" Jaehyun sighs loudly.
But it is too late and in no time, you have gone outside and towards your freedom. Hopping onto the horse, you urge him to go as fast as he can.
Despite the bad weather, you are determined to make a run for it and go deeper into the snowy forest. Looking back to see no one is following you, you think luck is on your side this time around. Barely having had time to think that, you spot a pack of wolves looming in on you. There is a frozen lake nearby and your horse doesn't hesitate to gallop onto the ice. But the weight of you both is too much and the ice starts cracking beneath you. The wolves close in. You get off the horse and urge the loyal animal to reach the safe ground. The wolves have grabbed your clothing and are pulling with all their might. Just then, the ice breaks loudly beneath you and you fall into the freezing cold water.
The shock is so strong but before you manage to panic, you suddenly feel yourself being pulled back onto the surface. He saved you. The dragon. Yong attempts to scare the wolves by breathing fire in their direction. But the fire only manages to melt some of the ice, making it dangerous for you all. The wolves are viciously biting the dragon but the red-scaled beast is doing his best not to actually kill them with fire. Eventually the heat and the dragon's attacks are too much and the wolves scather around in fear.
Yong looks exhausted from the fight and closes his dark eyes, lying helplessly on the ice. This is your chance to get the hell out of here once and for all. But…he came for you when you were in danger. And he looks injured. You can't just leave him like this. But you can't exactly move him back to the castle, either. With a sigh, you kneel next to the dragon.
"We have to get back to the castle," you whisper, daring to touch his blood-red scales. "Yong, please."
He opens his eyes begrudgingly.
"Hop on," Yong suggests.
"What?!" you squeak in shock.
"Too tired to walk," he explains. "We'll fly back to the castle."
You don't find the energy to argue, so you climb on the back of the dragon. Luckily, you didn't manage to make it that far and the castle is only a short flight away. But you can't imagine how hard this must be for Yong. Not only did he rescue you from the ice-cold water and singlehandely fought these vicious wolves, but now he is also flying.
Back in the castle, you are tending to the dragon's wounds to the best of your abilities.
"Ouch, that hurts," he complains loudly with a hiss.
"If you stop moving, it won't hurt that much," you point out gently.
"If you hadn't run away, I wouldn't be injured," Yong replies sassily.
"If you hadn't yelled at me, I wouldn't have run away," you respond.
"If you hadn't sneaked into my room, I wouldn't-"
"My God, I get it," you interrupt him with a huff. "Let's just…try to calm down."
"Alright," Yong finally agrees in a quiet voice.
"Thank you for saving me out there," you whisper softly.
"Yeah, erm…thanks for not letting me fall asleep in the cold."
"It was the least I could do," you shrug. "You…you can fly."
"Duh, these wings aren't just for show," Yong chuckles and you are surprised by how lovely it sounds.
"Show-off," you mumble. "Get some sleep."
"Will I see you at dinner tomorrow?" he asks and you are even more shocked by the vulnerability in his voice. As if there is a possibility you'd try to escape again after what just happened… As if you would say no.
"Sure, you will," you promise and you mean it.
Tomorrow comes sooner than expected and you are amazed by how quickly Yong recovered from his wounds. Just dragon things, you suppose. This time around, you spot him trying to eat politely, even though the fork is not exactly of much help. Honestly, he is kind of cute. Wait, what?!
"You feeling better today?" you ask kindly.
"Much obliged, yes," the dragon replies politely.
Oh. He's…somewhat charming, no?
"Glad to hear that. You know…if it had been under different circumstances, it would have been pretty magical to fly with you."
"I couldn't agree more," Yong laughs.
"It kind of reminded me of reading. It truly transports you to another world."
"You like to read?" the dragon eyes you curiously.
"I love it!" you exclaim, happy to be given the chance to talk about something you're passionate about. As you rant about some of the books you've read before coming here, you are stunned to find Yong listening you intently, his dark eyes warming up to a hazel brown.
"I need to show you something," the dragon finally speaks again.
You follow him with interest as he slides through the corridors. Finally, he stops in front of a door.
"Close your eyes," Yong says.
"Why?" you ask suspiciously.
"Do you trust me?"
"Not particularly," you joke.
"Smart girl," the dragon grunts with amusement. Still, you close your eyes obediently and when he finally tells you to open them, you are stunned by the sight of hundreds, no, thousands of books just standing there in a large library.
"Wow. That's…incredible," you manage.
"You can…come here to read whenever you like," Yong suggests calmly.
"Really?" you look at him, eyes blurring with some foreign emotion you haven't felt before.
"Of course. I haven't had the chance to read since…"
Since what? You want to ask, but are too afraid to do so.
"I can read to you!" you offer boldly.
"Yeah?"
"Sure! I love reading out loud!" you explain.
You don't know what comes over you, but you feel so grateful for this opportunity that you wrap your small arms around the dragon's neck in a spontaneous hug.
"Thank you, Yong! Let's read together!" you mumble.
You might be hallucinating but you swear you see something wet coming out of the dragon's big eyes.
As you sit next to the dragon and read him a magical story about amazing adventures, you can't help but think the reality you found yourself in is an adventure in itself.
The days pass and you realize Yong is far more pleasant to talk to than your first impression. He's a good listener and you can tell he is genuinely interested in what you have to say. He always makes sure the meals are to your liking and the fire is warm enough. You can't imagine how lonely he must have felt in this castle to become so guarded. You grow closer to the talking objects, as well. You spend your time either reading in the huge library, eating in the huge dining hall or looking at the stunning red roses in the huge garden. Despite the fact that you've become somewhat attached to this place and the beings in it, you still miss your father. Even your bratty sisters. You wonder how they're all doing. So, you gather all courage you can possibly have and ask the dragon.
"Can I please see my father? I'm really worried about him," you confess.
"Actually, Mark has a power he may have forgotten to tell you about," Yong admits.
You approach the talking mirror, hoping he would grand your request.
"Mirror Mark on the wall, show us Y/N's father," Yong orders.
Mark the mirror obliges and immediately shows you the image of your father. He is sick in bed with no one to look after him. Your sisters are too busy going to balls in shiny dresses, trying to attract suitors. Your heart can't take it.
"Oh, Yong," you cry out. "Please, please, let me take care of him. Just for a couple of days. I promise I'll come back."
You beg him so ardently with tears in your eyes that Yong cannot find it in himself to refuse. He knows everyone's lives are at stake, not just his. But how could he hurt you even more than he already has?
"Alright. I'll fly you back to your village," the dragon suggests gallantly.
"Thank you so much! I will be forever indebted to you, I swear I'll return as soon as my father gets better."
And indeed, Yong lets you climb on his back once again and flies you to your father's home. However, he does not take into account the fact that dragons, while very powerful and majestic, are not invisible. So, during your flight, a lot of evil-minded people see him and join forces with the wicked intent to kill the dragon…
"Please, come back to the castle before the last petal of the rose falls," Yong gives you a little mirror that has powers akin to Mark's. "Just look at it and ask it to show you the rose."
"What will happen when the last petal falls?" you ask, worried by the urgency of his voice.
"Just…make sure you come back," Yong pleads you to promise, so you do, overwhelmed by the fact he let you go to your father in the first place.
With you tending to your father, he is so overjoyed that his sickness gradually starts leaving his body. Your presence also has an effect on your sisters and they try to be more helpful than before. You are so happy to be back with your family that you almost forget to check the little mirror. Eventually, once your father has recovered, you remember your promise.
"Little mirror, show me the rose," you ask.
The mirror grants your wish and your eyes become large as they witness one single petal barely hanging onto the rose.
"Oh, no," you gasp, even though you are not sure what would happen once it falls. But then you remember the pleading in Yong's voice, his kindness and the talking objects telling you how much they need to you…So, you get on the horse once more and hurry back to the castle.
However, when you get to the castle, you find it surrounded by angry people with weapons. What is happening?!
You manage to sneak in through a secret entrance Yong once showed you that leads to the library. As you anxiously run to the dragon's chambers, you realize he isn't there. The talking objects are suspiciously silent, as if unable to speak. Was it all a dream? You begin to panic and rush into the grand hall to find Yong lying there with arrows sticking from his scales.
"No!" you scream in horror and rush towards him.
Then, you spot your suitor whom you'd rejected about a million times but apparently, he couldn't take no for an answer.
"What did you do to him?" you hiss angrily.
"What the monster deserved," the asshole grunts.
"You're the true monster!" you scream.
"Come on, Y/N, let's go back home."
"Over my dead body. Or yours," you vow and do something that is perhaps foolish but you don't have time and you can't think of anything else.
You knock the candelabra to the side with a quiet "Sorry, John" and the fire starts spreading towards the tablecloth and approaches the intruder. Then, seeing as this is not enough to scare him away, you throw the small mirror at him, apologetically, but it does the trick, as it cuts him and he starts to draw back. As if awakened by your vigorous attacks, the talking objects join in and soon, Doyoung the teapot is sending scorching liquid, Mark the mirror is showing horrifying images and Jungwoo the footstool is biting the legs of the fiend furiously.
The intruder goes away running, taking the angry crowd along with him and screaming that this place is cursed by evil demons and they shouldn't have come here.
Though relieved you managed to get rid of the vicious people, you are still worried about Yong's state and you kneel down next to the injured dragon.
"You came," Yong murmurs weakly.
"Of course, I promised you, didn't I?" you insist, tears falling down your face.
"I was afraid you wouldn't. He said you were his fiancée. That's why I didn't fight back. I thought…"
"I could never love someone like him," you shake your head furiously. "Oh Gods, I should have come here sooner."
"Maybe it's for the best…" the dragon sighs exhaustedly. You caress his red scales softly, trying to express how much he means to you.
"No, don't say that! I'm here now, everything will be better."
"I'm glad I got to see you one last time…" Yong reaches out his front limb but it falls to the ground before he could touch your face and his eyes close.
"No, please, no, Yong! Don't leave me! I love you!" you confess through the tears, desperate to keep him with you.
The talking objects stare sadly as the last petal falls off the rose.
You cry with your arms wrapped around the dragon's neck, not wanting to lose him, when suddenly you feel his body exuding an abnormal amount of warmth. You are hesitant to let go but the heat becomes unbearable and you take a step back to assess the situation. Yong starts levitating and a mixture of fire and ice envelops him mid-air. His red-scaled limbs start decreasing in size and changing in texture. His claws slowly start turning into fingers. His majestic tail disappears. You blink in shock, as the dragon's body transforms into that of a human. Finally, you are met with the face of a handsome young man with big beautiful eyes and a jawline sharper than his former claws.
It is obviously still Yong, but you are too surprised to say anything.
"Y/N! It's me, Yong!" he confirms enthusiastically. "Well, Prince Taeyong, actually, but you can call me whatever you like."
"It is you!" you gasp and rush into his arms, hugging him as tight as possible.
He laughs, spins you around and kisses you in relief.
"I can't believe this," Taeyong shakes his head.
All of a sudden, the talking objects also start transforming into awesome humans.
"Look at my long legs!" Johnny the former candelabra exclaims.
"Mom! You look amazing," Haechan, no longer a teacup, grins at Doyoung.
"Still not your mom, you dork," Doyoung chuckles and hugs everyone around him.
"Mark!" Haechan exclaims happily, rushing towards the former mirror.
"Duuude, it's been ages!" Mark is overjoyed to be reunited with his best friend.
"WE ARE NEED COFFEEEE!" Yuta the past wardrobe is thrilled he'll get to experience the small but certain happiness of caffeine.
"Count me in!" Jaehyun the recent mantel clock joins in on the fun.
"Woof!" Jungwoo adds.
"Some things never change," Jaehyun sighs, laughing.
"Come on, admit it, I'm funny," Jungwoo finally speaks in a human voice.
"Hilarious. Now how about we all go walk the mad dog?" Jaehyun suggests.
"Oh, for sure," Doyoung catches on that Jaehyun wants to give you and Taeyong some privacy and plays along, "Come on, gang."
Your friends rush outside into the garden, leaving you alone with Taeyong.
"So…care to explain how you became a dragon and now you're human?" you inquire with a chuckle.
"It's a long story," Taeyong scratches the back of his head nervously.
"Lucky for you, I've got all the time in the world."
"Well then…once upon a time there was a cruel prince who only cared about appearances…"
As Taeyong finishes telling the story, you are met with the realization that it never mattered to you how he looks. Dragon or human, beast or prince, flying or walking, it is his generous heart you fell for. And though it started in a strange way, you are truly grateful you met him and got to know his precious personality. It truly feels like a miracle.
"Can I have this dance, please?" Taeyong asks.
"Provided you give me a kiss," you bargain.
"A dance for a kiss…hardly seems fair," Taeyong jokes.
"Not more fair than a life for a rose," you tease him back, as you dance with him.
"Oh, and what a priceless rose it was," Taeyong laments.
"You are the most priceless rose to me, Yong," you confess, kissing him once more.
The eternal winter is finally replaced by an endless spring. The castle, once covered in snow and surrounded by black clouds, is now bursting with vibrant colours, as the sun's rays hit its windows. Walking hand in hand through the magical garden of roses, you know in your heart that your love story is just beginning.