Once upon a time in a faraway land, a young prince with the most beautiful onyx hair lived in a shinning castle, although he had everything his heart desired the prince was spoiled, selfish and unkind due to his family leaving him when he was just a babe, the servants and maids took care of him.
But then, one winter's night an old beggar woman came to the castle and offered him a single white rose in retire 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. He could only return to his human form at night.
Ashamed of his monstrous form the beast concealed himself inside his castle with a magic sword not for killing but the only window outside the world.
The rose she had offered was truly an enchanted rose which would bloom until his 20 year.
If he could learn to love another and earn her or even his love in return by the time the last petal fell, though she or he could not see his true identity only his beast form, then the spell would be broken.
If not or if he or she were to see him at night, he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time and never become a human again. As the years passed he fell into despair and lost all hope, for who could ever learn to love a beast?