Prologue
Once upon a time, in a kingdom far, far away there lived a Lord. He had beauty said to be gifted from the gods. Power that made all men fear him, and wealth beyond comparison. Although the Lord had everything, he could ever want he was unkind, selfish, and cruel.
One night, during the coldest winter remembered, an old beggar woman came to the door of his Manor. The beggar woman had nothing to offer him other than a singular rose that she would trade for one night's shelter from the bitter cold. The Lord sneered at her, disgusted by her haggard appearance and sent her on her way. The beggar woman pleaded with him, telling him not to be deceived by appearances, for true beauty comes from within. The Lord dismissed her once again, telling her to leave at once. The old beggar woman transformed in front of him, the ugly old beggar woman turned into a beautiful enchantress. The Lord immediately tried to apologize and offered her a room for the night.
But it was too late, for the enchantress had already seen he had no love in his heart. As punishment for turning her away she changed him into a monstrosity. Deep angry scars took over him, all over his once beautiful face, and maiming his body. Making him unrecognizable, turning him into a beast.
Her spell also cast on his Manor, and all that lived there. Freezing time in place, freezing himself and all who lived in the manor in age, cursing the rest of the world forget about them. Confining them to the manor for eternity.
Ashamed of his monstrous form, the Lord retreaded into his Manor. Allowing the enchantress to confine him to his Manor, with only an enchanted mirror as his window to the world.
The enchantress left him with one gift, an enchanted rose, which would continue to bloom for years, and decades to come. If he could learn to love another and gain her love in return, the spell would be broken. If not he and all who dwelled in the manor would be doomed to this fate for eternity.
The days turned into years, the years into decades. Petal after petal had fallen from the once full rose. The Lord and the manors' inhabitants fell into despair and lost all hope.
For who could ever learn to love a beast?