Ending to The Lady and the Tiger

The Princess looked down upon her lover. She saw his young face. Sparkling emerald eyes return her gaze. She knew that if their love affair was discovered it would lead to this?this trial in the king?s arena. She knew that behind the young man stood two doors, one concealed a beautiful blushing lady. Radiant with sapphire eyes and skin as white as the seasons first snow. If the man choose this door he would be married to the lady, on the spot no questions asked. But if the young man chose the other door then his doom was sealed, for a ferocious, merciless creature waited behind this door. With its dark cold eyes and fire-striped coat, lustful for the taste of blood, the tiger crouched behind the door ready to spring. The princess looked at her love. Even with death all around him, all the young man saw was the princess.

Princes Gustaf Adolf - Sigvard & Bertil & Princess...

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princess

The princess knew that he would die that day either by the tiger?s teeth and claws or by his own broken heart. For what could be worse than a tiger except perhaps marriage to another while your true love looks on? But the princess held her own secret. For although the secrets of the doors were shrouded in mystery the princess?s plan had been simple. She would beg, bribe, lie, even kill to get her way, and she got it. She knew behind which door stood the lady and behind which door stood the tiger. What?s more, the young man knew that she had learned the secret of the doors. He had expected her to know it. And he knew her well enough to know what door she would pick. He knew whether he would be facing the lady or the tiger. Without hesitation the princess moved her hand to the right. Then her lover standing straight and tall strode quickly over the white sands towards the door. The tiger took his life.

Why would the princess lead the lover to his death? Why would she kill her true love? To understand this we must first understand the princess. The princess dreamed of what it would be like to send her lover to the tiger. The blood and gore made her cringe. But even more she dreamed of what it would be like to send him to the lady. The girl had been one of the courtiers of the castle and was stunningly beautiful. She had golden hair, sparkling sapphire eyes, white creamy skin, and lips to shame the crimson rose. The princess could imagine the lady coming forth into the light. She could see her blush and smile at the young man, her lover. Then she would feel the red-hot jealousy and cold yellow fury sweep over her. She hated that lady with a passion. But what she hated most about her is that she had sometimes seen her lover with this lady. She had seen her throw lustful glances at him and sometimes these looks were returned. She had on some occasion seen them talking, but worse, he seemed to be enjoying her company. She could not let the lady have the advantage over her. She could not let the lady have the young man, her young man. She could not lead her love to another.

Why would the young man go to the tiger? If he knew that she would lead him to the tiger why did he not choose the other door and save himself? The love of the princess and the young man had been so passionate and so hot that neither would deny their love for each other. For in the king?s arena the tiger meant death and the lady meant innocence. If the princess had sent him to the lady or if the man had gone to the lady it would be the same as saying that one didn?t love the other. Their love for each other had been so strong that to deny their love would be so horrendous an act that one could not easily forgive the other. Was not their love stronger then that? Wouldn?t it be better to die by the tiger quickly and wait for your love in the next life then to prolong the suffering and have both the man and the princess be broken hearted? The man died of the tiger by choice out of love to the princess. As the princess looked down at her love she cried bitter tears. Who would not cry when their love was killed before their eyes? And yet her emotions were hard to comprehend even to herself. For although her lover was dead she could not help but think that the suffering was over. He had died quickly. She would see him in the next life. As she left the arena, tears wet her cheeks and then fell to the ground, wetting the bloodstained sand. And yet she stood tall and erect, ready for the next day. For her love was not really lost to her, just waiting.

Crimson Rose

English: Crimson Rose Atrophaneura hector in Hyder...