The Princess and The Tower Of Mattresses

Whatever he did, Prince Samuel couldn’t get to sleep. It was a quarter to Midnight, and he was just lying in bed, staring at the empty ceiling. It was impossible.

He knew he shouldn’t, but he had little choice. His eyes were too wide awake and he couldn’t think of anything else, so on his phone he mindlessly scrolled. As he scrolled, the prince soon realised why he hadn’t checked back on his message notifications. This app was different for royalty. Unlike common folks, this dating app was specifically made for people like him. The only problem was, every princess he matched with had something superficial to say. They didn’t care about his personality, all they ever wanted was the land and wealth they would acquire if they dated.

Midnight. Prince Samuel still sat up with his covers around him, scrolling. Why he did this to himself, he had no idea. Perhaps it was to punish himself, alas, he knew that one of these days he would have to make the next step in life.

Prince Samuel had started so open. He talked and listened to their issues. He told them about his love for dogs, his hopes, and dreams. Every single time he would message another princess, and he thought she may just be the one, they would either block him or invade his personal space, by messaging the most absurd questions.

That was it for tonight. Perhaps forever the way things were turning out. Once again, the Prince nestled back in bed and tried to close his eyes, just for a moment’s peace.

It was her own damned fault. It was her fault that she had been caught in the rain, with a motorbike that needed to be fixed urgently, and yet Daria insisted she’d been fine. Now, she was stuck in this stormy weather, without anywhere to stay overnight, she stared at her phone, to find there was no signal. Just what she needed. It didn’t bother her that she was alone. She could handle herself, however she was soaked through. Her clothes stuck to her body and Daria could feel the cold seeping in.

There was little to see in the darkness, until she spotted a large, rather exquisite building over the road, not too far to walk. Here, it seemed she didn’t have to pretend to be someone else, as she’d been doing already for many years. The building loomed over her. The rainfall poured down her back, and she hoped the residents would allow her inside. She knocked on the door to find a suave looking bald man, wearing an ironed black and white suit. He stared at the girl with distain, as she looked like a drowned rat.

“Sorry to disturb you.” She started saying. “I was riding my motorbike when it stopped working. My phone hasn’t any signal and I’m soaking; do you mind if I just use your phone to call someone?”

Daria was direct but she didn’t want to come across as demanding. If she could call someone, perhaps she could be out of here before dawn, however she was beginning to realise how late it was, as she noticed a clock on a wall behind the bald man.

Not much of a talker, the man nodded and walked away, leaving the girl standing in the doorway with the door open, wondering what was going to happen to her.

After a few minutes, an older man and woman, looking more regal in appearance, came to greet her. Daria doubted that they would even speak to her, given how she looked, instead, they both stared down with smiles.

“What seems to be the problem?” The woman finally said.

Daria explained herself once more, a note of fear in her voice. They waited and told her very calmly who they were.

To her surprise, the people looking at her were the King & Queen. She sighed with relief happy that she could finally say who she really was.

“I’m so thankful that I came across you.” The girl explained. “I too am royalty. I am a princess from across the country and I would be forever grateful if you would let me use one of your phones, to tell my Kingdom where I am.”

The stormy weather had been raging for hours, and yet only now was it playing havoc with the signal, so much so, that from upstairs, footsteps came closer, and a young man appeared.

“Sorry to disturb you both, I think the signal is out, my phone has stopped working.” The young man spotted Daria in the doorway and moved in to see her.

“Mother, Father, what is going on, who is this girl?” He spoke with a softened voice.

“This girl claims she is a Princess. She’s been out of luck and her motorbike has been in a spot of bother.” The King explained, not fully believing Daria.

“If I could just use your phone to call my Kingdom, I’d be in your debt forever.” Insisted Daria, painfully looking into their eyes.

“Don’t be silly. You are a guest.” The Queen spoke. “You are welcome to stay the night in one of our many bedrooms, After all, you are a Princess.”

As the Queen spoke, there was doubt in her voice. She raised her eyebrows and yet Daria couldn’t refuse, she had nowhere to rest for the night, without signal or a working motorbike, she was lost, and besides, the Prince seemed have taken a shine to her, by the way he was staring deeply at her drowned appearance.

“Samuel.” The Queen commanded. “Please show...”

“Daria. Princess Daria.” She said quickly.

The Prince Samuel took her around the magnificent castle, glowing gold with sparking marble. As they walked, Daria couldn’t help but feel that he was interested in her, until he finally plucked up the courage to speak.

“You ride a motorbike then?”

Daria nodded simply.

“I like it. Not many girls are interested in that kind of thing, especially Princesses of all people...”

“I’m not all people, and anyway, is it so wrong for girls to like such things?’

The conversation stopped abruptly. He was trying to bond, but Daria felt a niggling suspicion that the prince was trying to trick her, catch her out. It was obvious they didn’t believe her.

The bedroom they both entered was exquisite. The wallpaper a deep rouge, and the windows long and narrow. The room looked like what Daria had known in her kingdom, except the master, four poster bed, in the middle of the room. This towered over them, the mattresses stacked like a tower block. It was unusual to say the least, but Daria wasn’t about to say anything, Afterall, it was her only option.

Prince Samuel smiled at her comfortingly, although she still felt as though he was trying to catch her out somehow. Daria smiled back but kept her thoughts to herself. He then left her alone to settle in, and as the door closed there was a perfect silence.

It was late, it had already been late and Daria was soaked through. Quickly, the girl changed out of her wet clothes, to find fresh, new, silk pyjamas lying on a velvet armchair in front of her. The thought of climbing the tower of mattresses daunted her, but she saw a tall ladder leant upon the bed. With all her strength and might, the girl climbed, until she finally found herself inside the covers.

Samuel worried about what he and his parents were doing to this girl. If she truly was a princess, she would survive the test, but from the princesses he had known before, on dating apps, there wasn’t much hope. Daria seemed different, however. The Prince hadn’t talked to her before, not online, not ever. This girl was a physical person in the flesh, he didn’t want to mess this up now, when at last, this girl who claimed to be a princesses, and seemed more interesting than the others he spoke too. This was his chance to do something.

“Will this work Mother?” He asked, voicing his concerns. “I feel she’s the one for me.”

“Perhaps. If this Daria truly is a princesses, then yes, however, I have doubts.”

The prince longed for her to be a princess. That night, he tried to sleep, tossing, and turning for a very different reason than he had earlier in the night. All he could do now was wait until morning.

Even though she was exhausted, Daria found it impossible to sleep, and she had no idea why. Maybe it was because she was in unfamiliar surroundings, or maybe the lack of trust from the hosts were a cause for concern. Either way, she couldn’t sleep, and she knew it wasn’t due to the luxurious bedding.

The storm raged on. Daria struggled to sleep, plagued by something underneath her. The girl felt as though she was losing her mind, no matter the amount of mattresses there were, she felt something prodding into her back.

Finally, the darkness had shifted. Morning had broken and Daria was greeted by the brightness of the sun. She was however exhausted still, her back pained her. It was as though she had been riding all night.

Daria was greeted by a very worried Prince Samuel, after she had climbed the many steps down the ladder. She wasn’t a stupid person; she knew they had planted something on her.

Through her tiredness and yawning, Samuel asked her how she had slept, she answered honestly.

“Not the best really. I felt something digging into my back all night, and I found it really hard to get to sleep.”

He smiled the cheesiest grin from ear to ear. Taking her to the breakfast room, there was joy plastered upon his face.

The King and Queen, sat on opposite sides of a long table, decorated with candles and beautiful silk napkins. The table was adorned with the most fantastical breakfast food you could have imagined, already tucked into and half eaten.

“Sleep well?” The King asked, as Daria took a chair.

“Not well I’m afraid.” Daria answered, grabbing a piece of toast from a plate piled high.

Both the King and Queen exchanged looks, then glanced back at their son.

“Do you want to ask or should I?” The Queen beamed as much as her son.

Daria stared at each of the heads of the table, then back at the Prince in dismay.

“What did you want to ask me? What’s going on?”

The Prince hesitated, shifting in his seat. “Mother, do you want to explain first?”

Daria felt as if she was part of an inside joke she couldn’t understand. She felt flustered and hot. This family that had invited her into their castle, had an agender set out for her she wasn’t a part of, and she’d better be careful.

“See, when you claimed you were a Princess.” The Queen started to explain. “We had a hard time believing in it. A strange girl, soaking wet, comes knocking in the middle of the night saying she’d rode in on a motorbike. Not the most royal thing to do.”

“But I was, and as you know now, I am from royalty.”

“Yes. My son, for many months now, has been searching for a partner online. None of these girls are suitable, until you appeared. We are sorry about the strange sleeping arrangements; it is said that only a Princess can feel something small under ten mattresses. For you dear, we slipped an earbud underneath, and we’re pleased to say, you’ve passed the test, we believe you are a princess!” The Queen continued to say.

Daria was bewildered, Of course she was a Princess, why would she lie and most importantly why didn’t this royal family believe her?

“I’m sorry, that’s insane... you could have just let me call.”

“Remember dear, the signal was out everywhere because of the storm” The King added.

“Now, I need to ask you.” Prince Samuel finally said. “Now that you are definitely a Princess, would you become my partner in life?”

The question rumbled through the girl’s body. Who did this family think she was? This was a new age of progression. Daria wouldn’t reduce herself to this kind of life when they barely knew her.

“I don’t belong to anyone.” She said calmy. “I’m grateful that you would let me stay for the night, while the storm passed, but I shall be on my way now.” Daria looked at her phone nestled in her pocket. Her clothes were now bone dry and her phone had a signal. “I’m going to decline, good day to you all.”

Just like that, Princess Daria stood up from the table, and walked away without another word, leaving the family to wonder what had just happened. Prince Samuel sat there frozen, gobsmacked. After all he had gone through, it looked like his efforts were wasted.

As Daria returned to her broken motorbike, pushing it down the hill towards her kingdom, she called them.

“You will never guess what absurd adventure I had last night. I’m honestly not surprised; people are still stuck in the past. You’d think we were living in a fairy-tale!”