Prologue: A Fairy's Curse
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. From the servants that tended to his every whim to the guests that visit, he showed nothing but content and malice until he received what he desires. While the servants of the castle continued to serve their master to his every whim, even they had foreseen how it has made the prince lazy and demanding.
But then, one winter's night, an old beggar woman came to the castle and begged for shelter from the bitter cold. Repulsed by her haggard appearance, the prince sneered at the old woman and turned her away. She warned him not to be deceived by appearances and instead look into the heart and nature of one's being, for beauty is found within the heart and soul. Unfortunately, the prince was too close minded and pompous to fully understand the meaning of her words. When he dismissed her again, the old woman's ugliness melted away to reveal a beautiful enchantress. The prince tried to apologize for his behavior towards her, but in the end, 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.
Before she took her departure, she revealed a way to break the spell. If he could learn to love another and earn their love in return, 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?
TO BE CONTINUED...