The Secret Ending of "The Lady or the Tiger"

Her lover proceeded to walk towards the right door. Unlike the other candidates who were put in the ring, he showed no fear or doubt on his face. He opened the door without hesitation. Out of the door came the lady. His face lit up with joy upon seeing his new bride, as did hers. The whole crowd exploded with a mixture of applause and boos. He left the stadium with his bride, hand in hand, without even a glance back at the princess.

As soon as he opened the door, she knew that she had made a fatal mistake. Her soul burned in agony, just as it had in her dreams. She felt as if her heart had been ripped from her body, she had loved him too much to see him die. But clearly, he did not care for her one bit, he did not show one ounce of gratitude. For the princess could have led him to the wrong door, and his life would be taken from him. Alas she did not, but she did not feel any agony of the loss of her lover anymore, instead she felt hatred. And every inch of her body trembled with fury. She could not bear to think of her lover existing anymore.

The wedding was 7 days later, everyone attended, no one had ever been this interested in the men who were put in the amphitheater, and nor would they ever be interested again. Everyone had a jovial time at the wedding, and they went home many, many hours later. The princess however was at the castle, sitting in her room. She was thinking about something. Thinking.... thinking.... scheming.

The princess' former lover had not even though about her once since she had helped him in the arena. He completely forgot about her existence. All that mattered to the youth was his new wife. One night, as they were about to go to bed, she asked her husband something. "Were you in love with the princess?" He was startled by this sudden question. "No, I only had eyes for you. I was unjustly convicted with murder, so I made an acquaintance with her a month before I was to go in the king's
arena. Our acquaintance turned into something more as we spent more time together. I knew she loved me, so she would save me from death in the arena. She was a fool, and I used her". His wife was silent for quite sometime.

She then said, "I don't think we're safe..." Her lover was confused. "My darling, why do you say this?" She hesitated, then said, "I used to be a maid for the princess. I heard a terrifying story from one of the other maids. Once, the princess had another lover. After a while, he decided he did not like her. He broke off from her. No one ever saw him again". Her husband laughed, and said, "My love, that is just a silly story, I wouldn't think you would believe such things". He laughed again, but his wife could not tell, it was out of sheer terror. He had heard that story too. While he was laughing, the door to their room creaked open. He continued to laugh. Then a second voice, high and shrill, joined him in his laughter. It was not his wife. Suddenly from the shadows of the door, there was a deafening roar. Then a tiger leaped from it. There was no screaming, no whimpering, no nothing. Just laughter.