Once upon a time, in a distant realm, a young god lived in a shining palace. Although he had everything his heart desired, the god was spoiled, selfish, and unkind. One winter's night, an old beggar woman came to the palace, and offered him a single rose in return for shelter from the bitter cold. Repulsed by her haggard appearance, the god sneered at the gift and turned the old woman away. She warned him not to be deceived by appearances, for beauty is found within. When he dismissed her again, the old woman's ugliness melted away to reveal a beautiful enchantress. The god tried to persuade her, but it was too late, for she had seen that there was no love in his heart. As punishment, she transformed him into a mortal, and banished him and his palace to a mortal realm. Filled with rage and plans for vengeance, the former god concealed himself inside his palace, with a magic mirror as his only window to the outside realms. The rose she had offered was truly an enchanted rose, which would bloom until his twenty-first year. If he could learn to love another, and earn their 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 mortal for all time. As the years passed, he fell into despair, and lost all hope… for who could ever learn to love the god of mischief?