"A Killing of Love" by Amelia

This semi-barbaric king had a daughter as blooming as his most florid fancies, and with a soul as fervent and imperious as his own. As usual in such cases, she was the apple of his eye, and was loved by him above all humanity. The king believed that his daughter could never do him wrong, that she was pure, even though she was semi-barbaric, and would never dare to disobey him. He will soon find out that she wasn’t as pure as he thought and would disobey him, for it was only love that could possibly caused her to do such a thing. The castle, in which they lived in, had courtiers and among them was a young man of that fineness of blood and lowness of station common to the conventional heroes of romance who love royal maidens. That young man was the one that started it all.

One day, as the king was coming back from the amphitheater, he heard something coming from a room in the castle. He immediately started walking towards the room that he heard the noise coming from. As the king opened the door, he realized that the voice he was hearing was his daughters and a young mans. The king got furious and busted open the door, looking between his daughter and the young man, whom worked for him. They were startled and the king was frantic and enraged.

“What is going on here!” Said the king.

“Father, please calm down. I love him!” exclaimed the princess.

“You what? You can’t possibly love this man, he is one of my workers and I don’t give permission for this to go on!”

“Please, sir. I love your daughter and nothing bad will come from this, I promise,” said the young man. He was scared for what the king said next and he should be because what came from the king was something they never saw coming.

“I hereby send you to prison and put on trial in the amphitheater, for you have went behind my back and loved my daughter without my blessing. GUARDS, COME TAKE THIS MAN AWAY NOW!!!” The king and his guard’s immediately sent the young man to prison without a word from the princess, whom showed almost no emotion, she didn’t smile or cry, as they took her lover away.

The king appointed a day, in which the trial for the princess's lover would be held. The king and his guards searched far and wide for the most ferocious, savage and relentless tiger for the young man, if he chose that fate. They also searched for the most elegant, beautiful, and smart maiden for him, if fate didn’t make him choose the tiger.

As the trial came closer, the princess and everyone else was sure that even though the king loved his daughter, he would not change his mind about the trial, but if he did, then it must be a trick. No one had any doubt that the young man put on trial didn’t love the princess, for if he didn’t, then the princess would have truly known before the king. She sat days and nights thinking about what door her lover would choose, and searched for information about what door the tiger and maiden would be in, so she can help the love of her life stay alive.

It was the day of the trial, and the evening air was cold, everyone was excited to see what would happen to the young man, who loved the princess. The king and his court were already seated above the door, where the young man would come out of for the trial, patiently waiting. After about 10 minutes of having the guests in the arena, waiting in suspense, the king finally gave his signal to open the door, where the lover came. The young man seemed pure of heart and handsome, as he came out of the door. It was time for the trial to begin now.

Before anything happened, the young man looked up at the princess, seated on the right side of her father. Everyone in the theater, even the king, could feel the connection between them both. The princess, pointed her arm to the right door, to hopefully tell her lover what door to choose, but before the young man was able to walk towards the door, the king spoke.

“Everyone, may I have your attention?” The king stepped down from his seat and started walking towards the young man and everyone was quite. “I have decided to show mercy to this young man, for he and my daughter are deeply in love and I am not the kind of man to separate that.” Everyone in the audience was startled by this decision that the king was making, but everyone believed that it was trick, so did the princess and her lover.

“Why?” Said the young man in confusion. He did not understand why the king would change his mind and he thought to himself that it must be a trick.

“I changed my mind because I believe that you truly love my daughter and I want her to be happy.”

The young man stood in silence, he thought that maybe the king was actually telling the truth, but then he saw the king put his hand behind his back. The young man thought that the king had a weapon and wanted to kill him, so as fast as he could, he pulled a knife out in front of him. He stabbed the king 3 times, to make sure he was dead and wouldn’t swing. Everyone in the audience, even the princess looked at him with anger in their faces and sorrow. He didn’t understand why they were looking at him like that, but then he realized that the king was putting his hand behind his back to grab a ring that he was going to give the young man to propose to the princess.

The princess ran down to where her father stood dead, and started to curse and cry. She stood up in front of her lover and slapped him.

“You are a murderer! I hope you die!” exclaimed the princess.

“I thought he was going to kill me! I couldn’t help it, but now we can live happily forever and not worry about your father changing his mind about us.”

“How could you say that my father being dead is a good thing, he was the only one I had.”

“I’m sorry my love, please forgive me.” The lover pulled out the ring and went down on one knee to start to propose, but then the princess started to speak again.

“Guards, release the tiger! This man needs to die, for he has murdered my father and the king!!” The guards did as the princess told them and the tiger was released. The tiger started to run towards the young man. Everyone stood in eagerness, as the tiger jumped at the young man and started to rip him to pieces. Across the arena was the princess, sitting in the king’s chair in delight and laughter, as her lover was being killed.

The young man and the king died that day in the arena, while the princess became the queen. Her plan all along worked and she was very successful. No one knows what will happen next.