Prologue
Once upon a time in a faraway land, there was a prince who had all anyone could ever dream of. He was surrounded by his servants, he had riches, and his looks, but yet he remained selfish and uncaring. The world revolved around him and there wasn't a single other person that mattered.
Then, one night, an old woman walked up to the prince's castle. She asked him for shelter from the bitter cold. And in return, she would offer him a single rose. Repulsed by her offer and horrid looks, the prince slammed the doors in her face and forced her away.
But much to his surprise, the old hag burst through the doors and transformed before his eyes into a beautiful enchantress. She placed a curse on the castle and everyone who lived within it. The exterior grew dark, grim, and bleak. Snow began covering the ground and everything surrounding the castle and everyone was trapped inside, as there was no escaping her curse now. She transformed everyone into simple household objects, becoming even more of servants than they once were.
And the prince, well, he had the worst of it. His looks began reflecting his harsh side and his cruel personality. For with the curse he became a beast.
The enchantress left behind the single rose, which was truly an enchanted rose. The rose would bloom for three years and then slowly began to wilt. The beast would have to break the curse before the rose withered away. If he could learn to love another and earn her love in return before the last petal fell then the spell would be broken. If not, he would remain a beast for all time.
But instead of searching out to find that one chance, the Beast locked himself away in the castle; trapped inside the walls as the rose slowly withered away and time began to run out. But to him it didn't matter.
For who could ever learn to love a Beast?
