Title: Moonlit

Word count: 1107

Fandom: The Lady and the Tiger by Frank R. Stockton

Summary: She chose the tiger, but she couldn't live with the grief for very long...

Notes: This was a class assignment. I didn't really want to post it as a oneshot, and since it only barely made 1k words, I'm putting it here. It got second place in the class contest.

"And so I leave it with all of you:
Which came out of the opened door—
the lady, or the tiger?"

Without the slightest hesitation, he went to the door on the right and opened it.

For the princess, time slowed down. Her heart pounded in her chest, and she clutched the sides of her chair. She knew what awaited her lover behind the door. A quick glance at her father showed that he knew as well. His eyes glinted with malice and anticipation.

The princess, still grasping the sides of her chair, turned back to look back at the now-open door. There was a tense pause in which the entire audience held their breaths, and from the thick blackness inside the room on the right, a blurred figure, as fast as a striking cobra, sprang out and launched itself at her lover.

The tiger let out a great roar. Its crushing weight was upon her lover, and he betrayed his fear an insurmountable feeling of betrayal with a hideous scream, which was abruptly broken off as the tiger roared again, covering the sound

The princess looked away in shame as the tiger began its bloody feast, the shrieks of her lover echoing around the stadium in which the trial was being held. How could she have done this? Her lover would meet a horrible, brutal end, and it was all her fault.

But in her mind, she played and replayed the other scene that had been possible: The left door had been opened, and out came the lady—the blushing, sweet, placid, hated lady—dressed in her wedding gown, and the expression on her lover's face was not only relief, but also love and joy. Even if he did not love the lady, he would still be married to her—and there was no going back. The princess would be left alone until her father, the king, found a suitable husband for her.

No, she could not let that happen. Her lover must die, to avoid the horror and shame of his marrying another. In time, she would join him. Perhaps sooner than later...

The princess cursed her father. It was all his fault the trial had taken place, him and his ridiculous barbaric ideas about who a princess should marry. She hated him all the more for what he did next as the tiger gorged itself on the flesh of her lover. It was he who stood up and began the cheering and clapping—applause and recognition for a good show. She was revolted by him, and always had been; how was watching the dismemberment of anyone, whether or not they were a criminal, entertaining? But the people agreed with him, and clapped and cheered along with him.

The trial had been subject to the gossip of the country for the past week while her lover had rested in the cold, hard dungeons of the palace. The princess had been forced to endure the looks and whispers behind her back, building up her anger and hate. She would escape from this country, now that they had taken her lover from her in the most brutal fashion.

The princess dared to glance down at the corpse of her lover. To her horror, she found that the tiger was happily chewing on one bloody and severed limb. He was long dead, his eyes empty and devoid of thought, his head lolled at an awkward angle: It was clear that while the tiger had ravaged him, his death had been brought about by the snapping of his neck, a clean and quick death.

She felt bile rising in her throat as she gazed hopelessly down at the gruesome scene below. Was it her imagination, or did those blank, empty eyes have the residual glint of life in them, asking one question for her alone? The princess looked away, knowing deep down inside herself that her lover's last thoughts had been this: Why did you betray me?

She tried to convince herself that she had not betrayed him— she was trying to keep him from betraying her! Still, she knew it would always haunt her until her last day in this country, and that she could never truly rest from the guilt.

The feast that night was splendid, by all accounts but the princess's. She ate very little, picking at her food with her utensil, and talked to no one. The little food she did eat tasted like dirt, because she knew what would come next.

As the sun set, she bade her father good night, excusing herself for a stomach complaint that was purely fiction. The night was young, there would be plenty of time.

When the princess reached her rooms, she quickly donned her nightclothes and lay in bed a while, tossing and turning. This was another night for decisions. There were many paths she could take, but one thing was clear to her: She could not stay in the kingdom with such a father as the one she had.

At the ninth strike of the clock on that hour, the princess suddenly rose from her bed, filled with unstoppable decision and deliberation. She moved with purpose from her rooms to the kitchens, not letting doubt ruin her plan.

It took only a few words to a maid to direct her to where the medicines and drugs were kept. The princess had a little previous knowledge of poisons and such, and quickly located a suitable drug. She stowed it away in her robes and left the closeted area.

Apprehension fluttered in her belly, and doubt finally penetrated her hard armor of purpose and certainty. Was this truly the right way? Could she simply leave? But no, there was the danger of being able to return, whether by force or by will. She never wanted to come back, and this way, no one ever had.

At last she softly closed the door to her rooms. Shoving her doubt aside, she drew the vial of poison from her robes. She held it up to the moonlit window, and the contents glinted in the pale rays of silver light coming down into her rooms. At last, she steeled herself and uncorked the bottle.

With a single motion, she swallowed the contents of the vial. Almost immediately, she felt the poison go into effect. The princess sank to her knees, vision blurring. She cried out a little as she felt the poison burn inside of her, and as the last, fatal darkness claimed her, she hoped with all her heart that he was waiting on the other side for her...