[1] Under the rule of her solemn father, the King, the young Princess Arete grows up in a lonely tower awaiting a suitor worthy of her.

One night, Arete investigates the gifts given to her by her suitor and finds a book telling her the stories of ancient witches' and wizards' creations.

When her life is disrupted by the arrival of two very enthusiastic suitors, who she shows no interest in, Arete makes up her mind to escape into the wider world but she is caught by the guards and sent before her father.

There he reveals that he does not love her and that the only reason he has brought her there is to imprison her in a dungeon, as he is familiar with a prophecy that a princess named Arete will have the power to take away his eternal life.

Soon after she is released by Boax, who still believes her to be enchanted, and sends on a magical quest of her own to bring back a ruby from a golden eagle in the mountains to the north.

The plot of the film is changed substantially from the original, mostly because director Sunao Katabuchi, when he came on board the project, felt uncomfortable telling a feminist story from a male point of view, and thus focused on more general themes such as individualism, respect, and diversity.