The Crystal Cup

This short story was written by Bram Stoker the world famous author of Dracula. It is the story of a young artist who is taken away from his wife and forced to create works of art for a king who wants to have a great feast in his castle. With the promise of freedom so that he can return to his beloved he puts everything he has into creating a perfect vase of crystal. His greatest achievement turns to tragedy when he dies immediately after finishing it. The king risks bringing an equal tragedy on himself when he goes ahead and puts the vase, along with the dead body of its creator, on display at the feast.