France, 1939, 23 December

A town 3 hours from Paris

"Father, father!"

"Yes what is it?"

"Please tell me a story!"

"I think it's too late for that..."

"Please father... Please~"

"I guess I could tell you about a legend..."

"Yay!"

"Come, we'll sit in your bed as I tell the tale of a hideous beast and a beautiful boy who fell in love despite the horrible curse..."

"What curse father?"

"I'll tell you about it...

Once upon a time in a far away land a young prince lived in a castle.
Although he had everything his heart desired. He was spoiled, selfish and unkind.
But then one winters night, an old beggar woman came to the castle and offered him 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 appearances, for beauty is found within.
And when he dismissed her again the old woman's ugly appearance 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.
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.
The rose she had offered was truly an enchanted rose, which would bloom until his 21st 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 beast for all time.
As the years past, he fell into despair and lost all hope for who could ever learn to love a beast...?"