Beatrice

Lady Beatrice (or simply Beatrice) is a major character in the novel. She is introduced to Finn and his companions at the beginning of the novel, accompanying them on their journey, giving little lines of advice to them every now and then.

Physical Description
Beatrice was described as being completely white in color and seemed to be rather large for her species, being nearly as large as a hare. Her eyes were "oddly pale" and almost human-like in appearance.

Personality
Beatrice has a somewhat reserved personality, which is shown by the fact that almost everything she says ends with an ellipsis. She is emotionally closed off and doesn't easily convey or show affection. She often talks to herself about her past life, although she never really discusses it with others until near the end of her life. She is not easily embarrassed: this is shown when she openly tells Finn of her love for the Emperor and makes it known that she wants to be near him. However, she does get rather embarrassed when someone makes fun of her for, what they interpret as, a crush on Finn.

Beatrice also appears to take an especially strong liking to Finn. She often does not get along well with characters who travel with the heroes, such as Lord Roderick, though by the ends of their respective stories, she generally comes to appreciate them more. She also cares deeply for Zach and Sara, even though she nags them and points out their flaws.

Past Life
Prior to becoming a rabbit, Beatrice lived in an unnamed village as a human girl named Lady Beatrice. At one point, she happened across an injured man, lying at the base of a cliff. Despite recognizing him as a member of the Velkor, she opted to do what she could to nurse him back to health, much to the man's surprise. The two continued to see each other after his recovery and despite the protests of the Emperor's father, who opposed dirtying the blood of the tribe by permitting a union with an Arnor. In light of these threats, the Emperor attempted to end their relationship. However, at some point prior, Beatrice had become pregnant with his child. Shortly after this reveal, the man proposed to her, suggesting that they leave their homeland and spend the rest of their lives searching for a place where their love could flourish.

It was then that the Emperor's father followed through on the threats he had made; although it remains unclear how, Beatrice and her unborn child were killed. However, unbeknownst to all, the young woman's wandering soul, unable to move on after such a horrible death, was discovered by the wizard Merlin. Using the power of his ancestors, the wizard took her soul and transferred it into the body of a white rabbit, thus allowing her to live on. Sadly, he was unable to save the soul of her unborn baby, who crossed over before he could revive it.

Alive but alone, Beatrice mourned for the loss of her lover and child. As a gesture of kindness, Merlin bestowed a gift upon the newly revived Beatrice; one winter every ten years, she would birth a litter of kits to raise as her own. However, during her revival, Merlin unknowingly made Beatrice immortal, meaning that she would have to live forever watching all her children grow up and die. Meanwhile, distraught by the loss of his love and the role he had played in it, Beatrice's lover adopted the alias of "the Emperor" and slaughtered his entire tribe, including her murderer (his father). He too became immortal when the ring he had stolen from his father became enchanted with dark magic and punished him to live forever in his pain.