Some weeks later after the event at Koopa Village, Speedy started training for the fall and Christmas shows, which were always the most heavily visited. She had decided to put some new moves into their piece, and they proved to be more difficult than she had expected. One move ended in a back flip, landing on her hands on the circus ball, and she failed it every time. To hide the bruises, she wore leg warmers on her arms.
Speedy entered the private rehearsal room in the Water Land manor she shared with her mother. She had just finished preparing for another day of non-stop practice when a maid knocked on the doorframe. "Miss Eleanor? Your mother wants to talk to you."
"Marriage?" Speedy jumped up from the couch. "Uh-uh. No way."
Her mother, Baroness Shelly Koopville, just kept feeding her spoiled, fat Pomeranian pistachio macarons while her gang of lawyers frowned. "It's the best way to ensure your future, dear. You know your brothers stand to inherit the entire estate as well as the family fortune, according to your father's will. He never did approve of you, Eleanor. Maybe if you could have just stuck to needlework and singing like a normal…"
"I'm not gonna stand here and listen to this!" Her dark eyes sparked. "My first and only love is dancing. That's how I'll provide for myself, thank you." That line was the very one she had used while completely alienating every suitor who came to the estate.
Baroness Koopville shook her head. "I won't hear about it. I will not die having raised an old maid. You are already seventeen and not married! Please do me the favor of knowing you'll live prosperously. Your match is the richest Koopa in and outside of Dark Land."
Speedy sighed. "Then, who is it?"
"King Bowser Koopa, ruler of Dark Land and commander of the Koopa Troop."
"It's a very fortunate match, Lady Eleanor," Baroness Koopville's lawyer said to intercept any objections. "King Koopa was originally to marry the daughter of the Duke and Duchess Koopwick, but he personally came to your mother to ask for your hand."
"How romantic," Speedy said dryly. "But my answer is still no. I will not leave the Troop."
"You don't have a choice," said Spike, her cousin, also a lawyer. "The law clearly says that any Koopa girl of lesser family that rejects a royal suitor can be executed. You either marry Bowser Koopa, or off with your head!"
Speedy had read all about King Bowser in the same gossip magazines whose interviews she had been avoiding all her life ("I'm only a public figure when I dance, and not even then I say a word, tosspots!") He was in possession of a vast fortune, more than half of which was accumulated illegally. To Speedy, he appeared as nothing more than a spoiled momma's boy who put matter over mind. On the other hand, all of the magazines had also given him the title "Most Attractive Koopa", which she had to admit to herself, was very much justified, indeed.
"Please, do this. If not for you, for me," the Koopa Baroness took her daughter's hand. Speedy felt a cold flash of guilt from nowhere, and bit her lip to ease the doubt.
"All right, Mother. I… I will."
"Excellent. The help will have your things prepared for you. You're leaving for Dark Land tomorrow morning."
Afterwards, Speedy returned to the dancing room, not to practice, but to say goodbye. She would legally be an adult in three days, but she knew she would never again… She, the tiniest dancer of the Koopville Troop. Tomorrow Queen of the Koopas, married to King Bowser, and bound to his castle. She chose a soft part of her arm to pinch just to see if she was dreaming.
It was still dark when she sat up in her bed. Speedy was a lively Koopa, but at the same time not really a morning person. She reckoned that as things had changed, a lot more would also soon change.
Her mother followed her daughter to the Sea Side Marina. She had made her daughter wear her best Sunday dress; the yellow Gingham one.
"My dear Eleanor, listen closely." She rested her hands on Speedy's shoulders. "This is not some cabaret tour you're embarking on. The matrimony will give you the title of queen consort. It is a royal title, and with it, you'll have a lot of influence on the king of Koopas. Use it very wisely."
The Koopville Troop was also there, and because they were so tiny, managed to squeeze themselves past the press and police to hug the namesake of their group.
"We're gonna miss you so much! Write every day!" Leafy Green kissed Speedy on the cheek.
"We love you, baby!" the oldest girl, Groovy Blue embraced her.
"Send us candy from Dark Land!" Pretty Pink wasn't sad, but happy that her friend had found herself a man.
The captain and the crew welcomed the Baroness' daughter, and made sure she got safely aboard Doom Dancer, their ship. Alice Koopa, the Troop's composer and dance instructor, would keep her company on the journey.
He had not taken the news well; Speedy was such a promising young talent and he was so proud that she called him her mentor. Speedy loved Alice, he was so flamboyant and funny, and always in a good mood. She had never met any other male Koopa who loved glittery shoes or rainbows as much as she did, and wondered why he didn't a wife.
"So, the dreadful King Koopa wants to flutter around you," Alice said and hiccupped. Speedy slapped his wrist and took a sip form his champagne bottle.
"Don't use that kind of language! I'm your Queen now." Speedy burst into laughter. Oh, the sunset was beautiful!
"Because your mother wants you married off. Do you even know what your fiancé looks like up close?"
Speedy nodded and took off a large, jewel-encrusted locket that had been around her neck. "Yeah." She opened it. "Here he is."
It was a portrait miniature made especially for her and sent to her, for her to look at during her trip. She had returned the favor by sending Bowser one of her handkerchiefs kept in her plastron, while having a hard time believing the royals still followed up such medieval traditions.
"He is kind of handsome," She admitted.
"But he's a Dark Land – Koopa! They consider nickelodeons high culture!" Alice closed the locket with a bang. Speedy smiled at him. "I'm so glad you're not freaking out, although you didn't see this one coming. I didn't either, so…"
"Oh, it's cool." Alice belched into the back of his claw. "You know what they say about noblewomen performers. The best ones are always married off or beheaded."
"Do you also live in Dark Land, Captain?" Speedy as Captain Koopley came by to see if she needed anything. It was late in the afternoon, and the June sun made the ocean glitter.
"I only sail to Dark Land if the Koopa King wants to be taken to his summer castle, or when he has special shipments coming to him, like he does today," Captain Koopley added a strained laugh, but luckily the passenger didn't catch on. "To get there on this route, we must warp past Dinosaur Land."
"Dinosaur Land? Really?" The soon-to-be bride folded her hands happily like a child on Christmas morning. All her life she had dreamed of visiting the beautiful, lush Real World - island. It was one of the few Mushroom Galaxy outposts on Earth that weren't inhabited by humans. Speedy was very afraid of humans.
When the Doom Dancer approached Dark Land Dock, the crew, who had been singing and swapping stories the entire trip turned silent and glum. It didn't surprise her – Dark Land was a very, um, dark place. There was no sun – the sky was covered in black clouds and the only natural light came from heat lightning in the distance. It smelled like a damp cellar.
An elderly Magikoopa, accompanied by several Hammer Bros, waited for Speedy at the docks.
"Lady Koopville, on behalf of King Koopa, and the Koopa Troop, I welcome you to Dark Land." He took her small, clawed hand and shook it. It was very reassuring, but his voice was torture to listen to. "I am Kamek, the caretaker of the royal household and of the King."
Speedy let him take her hand and was relieved he didn't kiss it.
"I'll organize your belongings and let you say your good-byes. Then you must come with me."
She was too nervous to speak, just nodded, straightened her clothes and followed him. The Hammer Bros carried her things; one was put in charge of guarding her favorite circus ball.
Kastle Koopa was a very intimidating structure. Kamek had foreseen Speedy's anxiety. "Are you nervous, dear? There's no need to be. You're a big star in Dark Land, and the people will all be gathered here tomorrow to see you. Does that help?"
Speedy took a deep, shuddery breath. "Not really, no."
"No, why would it be?" The Magikoopa sighed and turned around and signaled to the Troopas to open the main entrance door, which was shaped as Bowser's head.
The first thing she saw when entering the first hall was the giant portrait of King Koopa, and next to it, a smaller one of a blue-haired Koopaling. The rumors were true; Bowser did have a son. Rumor also had it that his first wife had been beheaded, although there was no hard evidence to back that up. Speedy was taken to the third floor.
"As you have yet to come of age, Mademoiselle, the tradition says that you will have to stay in the dressing room until you are legally an adult. You will then meet your suitor, and the wedding will take place two days after."
"What? Why can't I see him now?" Speedy's jaw dropped. No one had said anything about this.
"In the meantime," Kamek continued as if no interruption had taken place, "All the arrangements will be made by the royal wedding planners." (That was him and his partner, Kamella). "Do you have any particular requests?"
Speedy thought long and hard. "Yes. Will you tell the cook that I can't have sweets, or meat? Sugar makes me hyper, and I'm a vegetarian."
One of the Hammer Bros snickered. Kamek stomped on his foot; what an objectionable breach of decorum! "Of course, young lady." He opened the door to the dressing room. The name didn't do it justice – it was bigger than the first floor of her house at Sea Side; and incidentally, much more luxurious.
"If you need anything at all, just tell the Troopas outside your door. It's six o'clock; what would you like for dinner?"
Nobody had ever asked her that. "Oh, uh, I'd like a cup of tea and a piece of toast with butter, please."
"Tea and toast for Lady Koopville." Kamek shoved the Hammer Bro, who sourly limped out.
The bridal suite had a radio and a television set, but Speedy had never been interested in either. She lay down on the stone divan by the window and flipped open the miniature of Bowser again. She was nervous. And in Dark Land, which was very far away from Sea Side City. Luckily the English Breakfast Tea was the same here as it was at home. Home. This was her new home now.
After cutting the crust of the toast before eating it, she fell asleep.