The Beast’s Jewel
The Lord High Chancellor would have dearly loved to exact vengeance for the death of his liege, Prince Caspar, but without that prince, he was too afraid to execute the beast, who was now the last remaining member of the royal family and heir to the throne. It was decreed that the beast would be mercifully spared his life but would remain imprisoned, for his previous treason against and subsequent murder of Prince Caspar, until the beast saw reason to seek atonement and be worthy of the throne. Furthermore, for so cruelly depriving his late royal cousin of his right eye, the beast would lose his own.
The guards sent to carry out the sentence marched to the dungeons in single file, one carrying a bucket of water, another carrying a glowing red poker. Princess Beatrice he
