Work Text:
Once upon a time, in a faraway land,
There lived a young princess in a shining castle. She was renowned across France for her beautiful dress making and would hold massive galas to display and sell her creations to other aristocrats. But the attention and praise had made her heart grow prideful and selfish. One night, during one such gala, a withered man appeared at the castle gates. It was a stormy evening and cold rain pelted the ground. Without a cloak, the man was soaked to the bone. He asked politely for a plain cloak made by the princess so that he could continue his trek through the rain. As payment, the poor man offered a simple red rose.
The princess was repulsed by his appearance and insulted at his offer. Her beautiful creations deserved to be worn by princes, not beggars. So, she refused the man’s deal and instead asked him for another form of payment, such as money or jewels. The man shook his head roughly, his thin beard swung below his chin, and said that the rose was all he had. He warned her to not be deceived by appearances for beauty is found within. But the princess refused again, and asked the man to leave the castle grounds.
Abruptly, the man’s eyes glowed a brilliant jade green as his body raised above the ground. The stranger was in fact a powerful wizard in disguise. He told the princess that her arrogance had dishonored him, and that her heart lacked humility. His red rose lifted from his fingers and began to pulse a crimson glow. With his other hand, he cast a spell on the entire castle and transformed the princess into a hideous Monster.
She hid herself in the castle, ashamed of what she had become. All she had was a magic mirror to peer into the outside world with, and the enchanted rose. A rose that would slowly wither until her 21st birthday, where if she had not earned the love of another by the fall of the last petal, she would remain a Monster forever.
But as the years passed, the princess sank deeper into despair and lost all hope. For who could ever learn to love a Monster?