The princess uses gold and willpower to find out what is behind both doors.
The semi-barbaric king has a unique system of justice. He believes that fate will determine if a person is guilty or innocent, and that his system of justice will help it along. He builds an arena with two doors. The accused has to choose the door, and from it will emerge either a lady or a tiger.
If the tiger comes out of the door, the accused will instantly be devoured. It will then be assumed that he was guilty. If the lady is on the other side of the door, the accused is considered innocent. A wedding will immediately be held and the accused will marry her then and there. The trial is that quick.
When the king’s princess takes a lover he does not approve of, into the arena he goes. The princess is not content to let fate be the judge. She decides to take matters into her own hands and find out what is behind what door.
Possessed of more power, influence, and force of character than any one who had ever before been interested in such a case, she had done what no other person had done - she had possessed herself of the secret of the doors. … But gold, and the power of a woman's will, had brought the secret to the princess.
The lover knows that the princess will find out what is behind the doors. He is aware of her character and her influence. He knows she would never just stand back and let the trial happen without knowing what the outcome would be.
He had expected her to know it. He understood her nature, and his soul was assured that she would never rest until she had made plain to herself this thing, hidden to all other lookers-on, even to the king.
The lover looks up at the princess, knowing that she will direct him to a door. Which door? She may decide to direct him to the tiger, because if she can’t have him, no one can. She may decide she can’t live without him, and direct him to the lady. We will never know.
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