However, the princess was too young to fully appreciate her tennis powers-- she didn't love tennis; only saw it as a means of war, if you will. In the end, it became apparent that the destructive powers of her tennis was both all-consuming and self-destructive.

[ he looks up at the wall, here. a murmur-- ]

In essence, tennis was killing her. I suppose that's a bit sad, isn't it? But lies generally are sad, so it fits the theme.