A Heart of Stone

Once upon a time, in a mighty castle to the west, lived a cruel prince who lead a spoiled life. He wanted for nothing, and in turn felt nothing. His parents had passed long ago, leaving him alone. He retreated so far into himself that his heart became as cold as the cracked walls of his castle. One night, a poor beggar came to the mighty castle gates, pleading shelter from the ravenous wolves that waited in the dark woods. The prince watched the beggar plead, but did nothing. For if he opened the gate, he reasoned, the wolves may attack him instead. Just as the pack was about to close in, the beggar shed her human form to reveal a powerful enchantress. She twisted the iron of the palace gates like ribbons and grabbed the prince. She had seen there was no love in his heart, because it was made of stone. Plunging her nails into his chest, she ripped his heart from his body, and turned it into a rose. Without a heart, the prince began to change into a hideous demon. The enchantress told him that the only way to become human again was to earn the heart of another before his own withered away on his twenty first birthday. Upon the servants of the palace she placed a terrible curse, that they would fade to nothing more than shadows if the prince failed. Weeks faded into years, and the beast hid himself away in despair. He sealed the twisted iron gates, keeping everyone out. And with every moment that passed, he lost more hope for his heart. For who could ever learn to love a beast?