Prologue

Once upon a time in a faraway land

A young prince lived in a shining castle

Although he had everything his heart desired

The prince was spoiled, selfish, and unkind

But then, one winter's night

An old beggar woman came to the castle

And offered him a single rose

In return for shelter from the bitter cold

Repulsed by her haggard appearance

The prince sneered at the gift

And turned the old woman away

But she warned him not to be deceived by appearances

For beauty is found within

And when he dismissed her again

The old woman's ugliness melted away

To reveal a beautiful enchantress

The prince tried to apologize, but it was too late

For she had seen, that there was no love in his heart

And as punishment, she transformed him into a hideous beast

And placed a powerful spell on the castle

And all who lived there

Ashamed of his monstrous form

The Beast concealed himself inside his castle

With a magic mirror as his only window to the outside world

The rose she had offered was truly an enchanted rose

Which would bloom until his 21st year

If he could learn to love another

And earn her love in return by the time the last petal fell

Then the spell would be broken

If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time

As the years passed

He fell into despair and lost all hope

For who could ever learn to love a beast?