The Princess and the Pea

It was quiet for a long time before she noticed something out of place. The clicking of nails against stone alerted her to the approach of someone- not that she was afraid, or even surprised. The sound seemed to resonate near the entrance of her family’s den, so the question was just a matter of who she had managed to wake on the way out. Her inquiring eyes immediately flashed toward the source, softening ever so slightly as she identified her father in time for him to ask if she was having trouble sleeping. “Mmm-hmm” Mariah answered lightly while offering a drowsy, half-sided grin before returning her sterling gaze to the star-lit lake once more. While she might have thought she’d be better off alone, maybe the presence of another could be beneficial. If someone was going to intervene, part of her was glad it had been her dad. Though, when he asked her what it was that was so heavy on her mind, she wasn’t entirely sure of what could be said. Opening up about certain things was far more difficult than she could have ever anticipated.

In the end, she’d allow herself to express the vulnerability she was feeling- as much as she hated doing so. With a deepened sigh, she’d tilt her head to face her father as she spoke. “I don’t know what I’m doing, Daddy.” Mariah admitted, tone layered with uncertainty. It nearly felt like a confession, the way the words rolled off her tongue. But as the brief moment of hesitance settled between them, she felt like she needed to provide more of an explanation. “I feel stagnant- like I’m not accomplishing anything, and it’s the most frustrating thing in the world.” The brief moment of her lowered walls promptly transitioned into outward annoyance. Granted, one could argue that the likelihood of a solution being found in the dead of night was probably slim to none. But logic and emotion didn’t always coincide.

"Mariah Mendacium"