Once again I am sorry for the (very) late update. After months of writers block and several re-written chapters I can finally update this fic. Once again thank you to all the readers and reviewers.
Chapter 11: An Indecent Proposal.
Dark clouds swept over the Mushroom Kingdom, a heavy blustery wind plunged the whole Kingdom into an uneasy darkness. Peach stood at the entrance of her castle and her eyes scanned the angry skies. Something wasn't quite right; she could feel it in her bones. She had a dark prink shawl wrapped round her shoulders in an effort to keep her warm, pulling it tightly she looked over to the King and Queen of Monstro Land and smiled. It was hard to believe anything bad was afoot when she was about to reunite a family in distress.
They looked back at her hopefully and Peach nodded encouragingly. The Royal coach came from round the corner and Toadsworth stepped out. Peach allowed her guests to enter the coach first. Just as the coach set off from the castle the heavens opened and a downpour of rain came pouring down.
"How is Plum? Does she seem healthy? What is she like as a person? Is she…" The Queen started to direct questions at Peach and before she could answer anything the King interjected.
"Now dear, the Princess is doing us a great turn, perhaps we should leave it be and find out for ourselves," He said to his wife soothingly.
As Peach and her guests made their way over to Plums damaged home, Waluigi was making his way in the opposite direction. It would have increasingly difficult to walk through the wind in rain under normal circumstances but this wasn't normal for Waluigi. His body was still feeling the damaging effects from the bob-bomb blasts from the previous night.
He was miles away from home but this wasn't going to deter him from the task at hand. He was going to make sure he rescued Plum, even if it killed him and nearly kill him it would. After an hour or so on foot the tired man collapsed in the gutter. Even through the darkness of the sky fate for some reason seemed to be smiling on Waluigi on this day. It could have been any random mushroom folk that found him lying face down in the gutter but as it was the Royal coach happened to be the next vehicles to pass him.
Peach was half way through explaining what she thought of Plum so far. Even though she hadn't had too much to do with her so far, she could go into a fair bit of detail.
"She wore the most beautiful of dresses to my ball. It was a dark purple and…WAIT!!! Stop the coach!" Peach called out to Toadsworth as she spotted something in the gutter.
The coach grinded to a halt and Peach tied back her hair before attempting to step outside. Toadsworth was most aggrieved by this. This was most un-princess like especially in front of guests.
"Princess I do think you ought to…" He started to say in his best matter of fact voice. But Peach ignored him and put her hand out. She opened the door and stepped out into the rain.
She trotted over to the gutter and gasped in shock when she realised who it was. She ran over and turned the face down Waluigi onto his side. She then turned to the coach drives and beckoned them over. They came over to their Princess's side immediately and helped her get Waluigi into the coach.
He was so cold and Peach only had her shawl to cover him up with. Taking it off she put it gently over him. The Queen found this situation most uncomfortable.
"Really…" She huffed. "Taking strangers off the streets…"
"He's my…friend," Peach said slightly defensively.
"Friends with the homeless? Why in Monstro Land, Princess's did not fraternise with the homeless or common!" The Queen stated with an air of superiority.
"Well that's not how we do things here," Peach said as she watched Waluigi stir.
"Princess, given our company I think we should drop him off somewhere…" Toadsworth suggested in an attempt to keep the peace. Peach looked at him sternly and was about to disagree when Waluigi came round.
"Hey…" Peach said quietly.
"W-Wha…Where am I…Plum…Bowser…" Waluigi mumble groggily. The King and Queen looked at Peach anxiously. Peach shook Waluigi gently.
"What about Plum? Answer me…please," Peach asked quietly but insistently.
"Bowser's got her…Bombed her house last night…I tried to stop him…" He gasped. Peach shook her had in disbelief. What would Bowser want with Plum now? Peach let go of Waluigi and gave the drivers of the coach the instruction to head back to the castle.
"Wait! Why are we going back?" The Queen demanded. Peach looked at her sadly.
"Didn't you hear him? Bowser has got Plum again! We will do all in our power to rescue her…but we can't do that from here," Peach said reasonably.
Unaware of the worry she was causing in the Mushroom Kingdom, Plum found her self once again locked in the tallest tower of Bowser's castle. She had woken from her unconsciousness a while back and hadn't seen Bowser, but she wasn't daft. She knew where she was.
As if he could read her very thoughts Bowser enter her room. She watched him through her brown eyes and wondered what he had in sore for her. He smiled at her, with his teeth bared and a twinkle in his eyes. Feeling a little nervous Plum sank further back against the wall, anything to keep as far away as possible.
"Now Plum, don't be scared. We do go back a long while after all," Bowser said with a low chuckle. Plum scowled.
"I have a proposition to ask of you my beautiful child…" He said almost thoughtfully. Plum raised her eyebrows, what on earth could he ask of her.
"Now you're an unbelievably attractive girl…." He whispered harshly before licking his lips and examining her. Plum felt sick as he described her as beautiful.
"You're single too…. I wonder why no one has wanted you…" he continued. Plum butted in at this point.
"I was held captive here! That's why!" She snapped angrily. He had denied her most of her life and then had the cheek to taunt her so.
"Yes but you have been free for how long now? A good few months at least and no one has even paid you any interest…mwahahaha!" Bowser laughed cruelly. Plum scowled at him.
"Then again you did catch someone's eye didn't you? However he was to cowardly to say anything so his time has passed…" Plum had no idea as to what on earth he could be implying so she called him up on it.
"Come on you dim-witted girl! Surely you did not notice Waluigi hanging around? Oh you didn't? Not that it matters…" Bowser hissed at her stupidity. It was even obvious to him that the younger Wario brother had developed a crush on the girl.
"What has this got to do with anything?" Plum asked with impatience and a feeling of hurt.
"Don't you dare speak to my Dad like that!" Barked a second voice. Another figure stepped into the room and smiled wickedly at Plum. Plum suddenly felt a wave of fear sweep through her body at the speed of light.
She knew this newcomer to be one of the seven Koopalings. This one was known as Roy and was famed for his brute strength and cruelty to all Mushroom folk alike. Roy was butch and very well built like his father. He was arrogant and cold; Plum didn't want to be in the same castle as him, never mind same room as him.
"Plum meet Roy, you're soon to be husband," Bowser said with a loud booming cackle. Roy laughed almost as cruelly.
"My what…?!" Plum shrieked out loud. They couldn't be serious.
"Husband you stupid little idiot!" Roy sneered.
Plum didn't know what to say. She was in total shock the moment Roy had repeated Bowser's sentence. This was a horrendous situation. She almost wished to be back at Wario's castle dealing with his proposition of pretending to be Waluigi's girlfriend. At least that had been fun in some respect.
"You'll be wed in a week's time and no arguing about it!" Bowser told both Roy and his soon to be bride. Bowser gave Plum one last evil smirk before storming out of the door. Roy watched Plum closely with a smirk. She was all his now.
"I didn't dare tell my Dad this but I think you are more beautiful then that ditz Peach…" Roy sneered. Plum coughed uncomfortably.
"Well you've got as much chance of being with me then your Dad has with Peach!" Plum blurted out in disgust. This bit of insolence earned Plum a hard slap across the face. Her left cheek stung in pain and Plum gasped out instinctively.
"No one will rescue you, so I think I have a very good chance thank you!" He snarled angrily.
He watched Plum's face as tears filled up in her eyes.
"Things are different for me now…." She sobbed.
"Oh yeah? I forget you have an admirer…." Roy said sarcastically.
"Peach might send someone…" Plum said half-heartedly. Roy laughed at her again before handing out another slap. This one didn't hurt so much; Plum was trying as hard as she could to block out the pain.
"What? Are we not counting on Waluigi to come and save you? He's just as pathetic as you!"
"Shut up!" Plum snapped back. She wished he would leave her on her own.
"Well Marry me and maybe I will..." he teased her. He lifted up his paw and went to stroke her on the cheek but she moved to the side to avoid contact. Roy growled at her and his hand once again collided with the side of Plums face.
Roy lifted his hand again and Plum reluctantly allowed him to touch her. She closed her eyes and tried to forget who it was, for a brief moment she allowed her thoughts to wander over to Waluigi but she snapped herself out of it. Like he was the type to rescue anyone, never mind her.
"See…. now you're learning," He said with a sadistic glint in his eyes. Plum sniffed away her last tears as she realised this was probably going to be final. She wondered whether she would be free again.