How does the princess feel about the young man in "The Lady, or the Tiger?"

In Frank Stockton's short story "The Lady or the Tiger?" the third person narrator indicates the princess, the daughter of a semi-barbaric king, was very much in love with the young man:

This royal maiden was well satisfied with her lover, for he was handsome and brave to a degree unsurpassed in all this kingdom, and she loved him with an ardor that had enough of barbarism in it to make it exceedingly warm and strong.

The "love affair" between the princess and the young man proceeded for "many months" before it was eventually discovered by the King who immediately imprisoned the young man and sentenced him to be judged in the arena. Considered a vehicle of impartial justice, the arena was the king's way of judging the accused. A prisoner would enter the arena, where he would have the choice of two doors. Behind one door was a lady, to whom the prisoner was promptly married, and behind the other door was a tiger which killed the man. The prisoner did not know the secret of which door was which. When the princess's lover was sentenced to the arena, the princess discovered from which door would emerge the lady and from which the tiger. The resolution to the story is never revealed and so it is uncertain as to whether the princess saved the young man by letting him marry another woman, or whether her jealousy caused her to point in the direction of the tiger.

What are the princess's feelings toward the lady in "The Lady, or the Tiger?"

Frank Stockton's short story, "The Lady or the Tiger?" has a wonderfully delightful premise because it leaves the question implied by the title unanswered. 

In what is called a "semi-barbaric" kingdom the king has instituted a very unique form of justice. The accused criminal determines his guilt or innocence by choosing one of two doors in an arena populated by the subjects of the kingdom. Behind one door,

"...there came out of it a hungry tiger, the fiercest and most cruel that could be procured, which immediately sprang upon him and tore him to pieces as a punishment for his guilt."

Or, from the other door comes a, "...lady, the most suitable to his years and station that his majesty could select among his fair subjects."

Stockton writes that the institution was popular among the people and at its most interesting when the lover of the king's daughter is accused and set to stand trial. The princess, quite distraught over having her lover subject to the king's justice, faces a terrible dilemma. Through channels that could only be available to someone of such high importance she has discovered the secret of the doors. Not only does she know which door holds the lady and the tiger but she also knows who the lady is. The lady chosen for the princess's lover is one of the most beautiful in the land:

"It was one of the fairest and loveliest of the damsels of the court who had been selected as the reward of the accused youth, should he be proved innocent of the crime of aspiring to one so far above him; and the princess hated her."

Of course the princess hates this lady not only because of the lady's beauty but also because she has seen her lover looking at the lady and even talking to her. She already believes there may be something between the two.

So, the question put to the reader is whether the princess could overcome her "semi-barbaric" nature and have mercy on the young man. Or will she never let the lady have the man because her hatred and jealousy is simply too great?

What is Stockton’s attitude toward the princess in 'The Lady, or the Tiger?'?

Stockton portrays the king's daughter as "imperious" and intense like her semi-barbaric father. The king's daughter is a passionate woman who is revered by her father and maintains a demeanor of arrogance and authority. She is said to love the handsome courtier with much "ardor" and even pays to discover what door has the lady or the tiger behind it. Stockton also illustrates her jealous, hateful side by elaborating on her feelings of envy she experiences when she witnesses the beautiful lady interacting with her lover. The king's daughter hates the beautiful lady behind the door with a passion and resents the fact that her lover even acknowledges her presence. She is also described as being "hot-blooded," and Stockton emphasizes the fact that "savage blood" runs through her veins. Stockton also illustrates the fact that she has a difficult decision, which is a result of many sleepless nights in anguish. Overall, Stockton has a neutral attitude towards the princess and describes her as a passionate woman who is inherently savage yet still civil. This allows for readers to make their own decisions as to whether the king's daughter allows her lover to die or marry the beautiful woman.