Once upon a time, in a faraway land, a young prince and his little sister lived in a shiny castle. Although they had everything their heart desired, the prince was spoiled, selfish and unkind, especially towards his little sister.

But then, one winter's night, an old beggar woman came to the castle and offered them a single rose in return 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 appearance, for beauty is found within.

The little princess begged her brother to consider the old woman's plight, but the prince have no mind to her suggestion and instead yelled at her with hatred in his eyes.

When he dismissed the old woman again, her ugliness melted away to reveal a beautiful enchantress. The prince tried to apologise, 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 a powerful spell on the castle, and all who lived there, including the little princess.

Ashamed of his monstrous form, the beast concealed himself inside his castle, with a magical mirror as his only window to the outside world.

The rose she had offered was truly an enchanted rose, which would bloom until his 21st year. If he could learn to love, and earn 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 beast for all time.

As the years past, the siblings grew further apart and the little princess knew no form of love from her brother, only hatred.

The prince fell into despair, and lost all hope, for who could ever love a beast?