Summary

The opening chapter is titled “Chapter I: The Witches in the Rose Garden.” The Beast is in the rose garden, which is part of the estate grounds. He is calmer here than inside the castle, though even this part of the estate seems different since the curse. He has become a recluse. He notes the statues in the garden that were not here prior to the curse. He can sometimes feel them watching him or slightly shift their positions. Though the castle and grounds are huge, it feels “like a prison.” When he was still human, he often spent time in the woods. In the first years after the curse, he spent all his time alone in the West Wing. He has changed physically because of the curse. The other changes are too scary to think about. Instead, he thinks about Belle.

The...