1/
"You stole the prince's bejewelled crystal eggs?! Why would you do such thing?"
"Boredom. The queen's holiday speech was going on forever, so I sneaked round the back of the hall. The eggs were on display and unguarded."
Loud shouts startled us.
"We'd better run, the guards are coming, and they don't sound happy. This isn't what I meant by joining the Easter egg hunt!"
2/
When the prince learned of the theft, he was inconsolable. Some would say childish. The servants gave him wide berth.
He was still moping when the queen came into his room, hands behind her back.
"Would you rather retrieve the precious eggs, or have the heads of the thieves on a platter?"
The prince sat up right, wide eyed. "The eggs. They are my favourite treasure."
The queen smiled and held out her left hand, in which she held the three bejewelled crystal eggs. The prince grabbed them and smiled.
"No harm was done, so I've sentenced the thieves to a month raking muck in the stables."
"What if I had asked for their heads on a platter?" asked the Prince.
The queen showed her empty right hand. "I would have slapped you for valuing trinkets over human life."
Noam writes
MH Thaung