The Sensitive Princess ~ Quantum Scary Tales

There's a kind of sensitivity that the

There's a kind of sensitivity that the

world calls a gift, but the world is

world calls a gift, but the world is

wrong. Her name was Petra, and she

wrong. Her name was Petra, and she

arrived at the castle gates during the

arrived at the castle gates during the

worst storm in 40 years. This sounds

worst storm in 40 years. This sounds

like a coincidence until you realize

like a coincidence until you realize

that in certain stories, the weather

that in certain stories, the weather

isn't just weather, it's a test. Petra

isn't just weather, it's a test. Petra

was soaked through and utterly alone.

was soaked through and utterly alone.

And when the guards asked who she was,

And when the guards asked who she was,

she said she was a princess. Everyone

she said she was a princess. Everyone

claims to be a princess, which is the

claims to be a princess, which is the

first thing you learn when you staff the

first thing you learn when you staff the

gates of a kingdom that only accepts

gates of a kingdom that only accepts

royalty. The desperate, the ambitious,

royalty. The desperate, the ambitious,

and those escaping something they won't

and those escaping something they won't

name all arrive with that same word on

name all arrive with that same word on

their lips. Still, the guard let her in

their lips. Still, the guard let her in

because the storm was genuinely

because the storm was genuinely

terrible, and he was not a cruel man. In

terrible, and he was not a cruel man. In

the foyer, she was met by the queen. The

the foyer, she was met by the queen. The

queen's name was Margett, and she had

queen's name was Margett, and she had

outlasted for potential daughters-in-law

outlasted for potential daughters-in-law

and three border wars. At 71, she had

and three border wars. At 71, she had

the eyes of someone who had stopped

the eyes of someone who had stopped

being fooled around age 30 and never

being fooled around age 30 and never

quite forgave the world for the years

quite forgave the world for the years

before that. Her son, the prince Gasper,

before that. Her son, the prince Gasper,

29, and kind in the way that protected

29, and kind in the way that protected

men often are needed a wife. More

men often are needed a wife. More

specifically, Marget needed a

specifically, Marget needed a

daughter-in-law she could not

daughter-in-law she could not

manipulate, someone whose edges she

manipulate, someone whose edges she

couldn't find, someone real. She had a

couldn't find, someone real. She had a

theory about how to find such a person,

theory about how to find such a person,

a theory that involved a P. This pee

a theory that involved a P. This pee

wasn't magic, which is the first lie the

wasn't magic, which is the first lie the

fairy tale tells you. It was just a

fairy tale tells you. It was just a

normal dried pee. Marget placed it

normal dried pee. Marget placed it

beneath 20 mattresses and 20 feather

beneath 20 mattresses and 20 feather

beds in the finest guest chamber in the

beds in the finest guest chamber in the

castle. Her theory was simple. A true

castle. Her theory was simple. A true

princess, a person of genuine refinement

princess, a person of genuine refinement

and sensitivity, would feel it, sleep

and sensitivity, would feel it, sleep

badly, and wake with bruises she

badly, and wake with bruises she

couldn't explain. What Margot never told

couldn't explain. What Margot never told

anyone was what she truly meant. By

anyone was what she truly meant. By

refinement, she didn't mean softness.

refinement, she didn't mean softness.

She meant attunement. She was looking

She meant attunement. She was looking

for the particular nervous system of

for the particular nervous system of

someone who feels everything, who cannot

someone who feels everything, who cannot

be numbed, who cannot be made

be numbed, who cannot be made

comfortable in a lie. For 23 years, she

comfortable in a lie. For 23 years, she

had been looking and she had found 23

had been looking and she had found 23

women who all slept perfectly fine.

women who all slept perfectly fine.

Petra was given the chamber, dry

Petra was given the chamber, dry

clothes, a hot meal, and a basin of

clothes, a hot meal, and a basin of

water. She was also given an apology for

water. She was also given an apology for

the state of the guest wing, which was

the state of the guest wing, which was

of course a lie, as the wing was

of course a lie, as the wing was

immaculate. This too was a test.

immaculate. This too was a test.

Finally, she was given candles, silence,

Finally, she was given candles, silence,

and 20 mattresses over one small dried

and 20 mattresses over one small dried

pee. She did not sleep, not just because

pee. She did not sleep, not just because

of the pee, but because she felt

of the pee, but because she felt

everything. She felt the cold seeping

everything. She felt the cold seeping

through the stones three floors below

through the stones three floors below

her in the specific and named grief of

her in the specific and named grief of

the chambermaid who had turned down the

the chambermaid who had turned down the

bed. She felt the storm outside change

bed. She felt the storm outside change

direction at 2:00 a.m. The way the

direction at 2:00 a.m. The way the

castle exhaled when the wind shifted.

castle exhaled when the wind shifted.

The way old buildings have their own

The way old buildings have their own

breath if you're quiet enough to notice.

breath if you're quiet enough to notice.

And yes, she felt the pee, not as

And yes, she felt the pee, not as

discomfort, but as information, a

discomfort, but as information, a

message she wasn't yet sure how to

message she wasn't yet sure how to

decode. Lying in the dark, she thought.

decode. Lying in the dark, she thought.

Someone put that there on purpose.

Someone put that there on purpose.

Someone wants to know something. Someone

Someone wants to know something. Someone

is watching to see if I'll pretend not

is watching to see if I'll pretend not

to notice. She did not pretend. The next

to notice. She did not pretend. The next

morning, Marget found her in the library

morning, Marget found her in the library

at 700 a.m. with a cup of tea she'd

at 700 a.m. with a cup of tea she'd

managed to get from the kitchen herself,

managed to get from the kitchen herself,

reading a military history of the

reading a military history of the

eastern border. "You didn't sleep,"

eastern border. "You didn't sleep,"

Marget said, stating a fact. "No," Petra

Marget said, stating a fact. "No," Petra

replied, her eyes clear when she finally

replied, her eyes clear when she finally

looked up. "The thing about people who

looked up. "The thing about people who

felt everything was that the feelings

felt everything was that the feelings

passed through them rather than

passed through them rather than

accumulating. She hadn't slept, but she

accumulating. She hadn't slept, but she

wasn't wrecked. She had metabolized the

wasn't wrecked. She had metabolized the

night. The bed, Marget asked. Petra set

night. The bed, Marget asked. Petra set

down her book. There's something under

down her book. There's something under

the mattresses, she said. Feels like it

the mattresses, she said. Feels like it

might be intentional. I didn't move it.

might be intentional. I didn't move it.

I figured if someone put it there, they

I figured if someone put it there, they

had a reason. Marget sat down across

had a reason. Marget sat down across

from her. And for a long moment, neither

from her. And for a long moment, neither

woman spoke. Then the queen said, "Most

woman spoke. Then the queen said, "Most

people pretend not to notice things that

people pretend not to notice things that

make them uncomfortable." "I know,"

make them uncomfortable." "I know,"

Petra said. "I've never been able to do

Petra said. "I've never been able to do

that. Is that difficult? Marget asked.

that. Is that difficult? Marget asked.

Petra considered this with a seriousness

Petra considered this with a seriousness

that moved the queen unexpectedly every

that moved the queen unexpectedly every

single day. Petra said, "But the

single day. Petra said, "But the

alternative is worse. If you stop

alternative is worse. If you stop

feeling the small things, you stop

feeling the small things, you stop

feeling the important ones,

feeling the important ones,