Queen Iphigenia was one of the gentlest, kindest, and strongest rulers the small kingdom of southern France had ever known. She always put others before herself, no matter the cost. That was why the people loved her so. Her young son, Prince Adrien, took after her and did all he could to please his mother and his subjects.

Unfortunately the prince's father, King Etienne, had his own ideas on how to rule and raise a family. You see, Etienne was the polar opposite of Iphigenia. He was cruel, selfish, and unkind, and no one could change him for the better. Iphigenia herself had tried and failed to temper him. Meanwhile, the people not so secretly despised and feared him, so they looked to the queen and young prince for counsel.

Overtime, the king grew jealous of this, and would often fly into a rage. One day, that cost the kingdom everything. The king was feeling particularly angry, and decided to take it out on his wife. However, she happened to be pregnant with their second child, and his abuse forced her into labor nearly a month too early. Prince Adrien and the rest of the household tried desperately to save her and the child, but the pain was too great for the queen.

With one last farewell, Iphigenia drew her last breath. The newborn, a beautiful, healthy, golden haired princess, was taken away to be cared for. Adrien, on the other hand, never did get a chance to properly grieve for his mother. His father dragged him away and took it upon himself to begin molding his innocent son into an even more ruthless ruler than his father before him. As for the princess, when the king had learned of her existence, he flew into yet another rage. He did not want a daughter, for he felt that women were practically useless, and could not inherit the throne. So, he ordered a servant to dispose of the poor infant.

Utterly horrified, the servant, Beatrice Potts, ran off with the child. Instead of doing what the king instructed, she came upon a lonely noble family, and pleaded with them to hide the child and raise her as their own. They heartily agreed, and thus the princess, now named Cinderella, lived a happy life, never wanting for anything.

Meanwhile, as the years past and the princess grew, so did the prince. Only he was now angry, selfish, and cold hearted. That is why very soon, his fate would be sealed. One dark night, on the new king's sixteenth birthday, an unexpected visitor came to the palace. seeking shelter from the storm. She gave the king a beautiful red rose as a token of appreciation, but he turned her away and sneered at her ugliness.

Disheartened, the poor woman revealed herself as a beautiful enchantress. Adrien desperately tried to atone for his cruel behavior, but the enchantress felt he had to be taught a lesson. As punishment, she transformed him into a vicious beast, and placed a curse on the castle and all the unsuspecting servants.