"How are we ever going to narrow down this guest list?" Mario's brother moaned as he held up a thick list of names written on a pad of paper. "If everyone invited attends then there may be more than 600 people at this event!"
"Didn't King Fret pass away a few years ago?" Daisy asked Peach. "That's one less person."
"Sadly no," Peach grabbed her cousin's wrist to keep her from crossing the name out. "And his dementia is worse than ever, so we'll have to invite a few caregivers to help him through the ceremony."
"Can I see the list?" Mario inquired. Luigi passed it to him. His eyes scanned through the names for an instant before he exclaimed, "we don't even know some of these people! Who is Captain Syrup?"
Luigi looked over to Daisy for explanation.
"You guys remember Syrup! She's a greedy pirate but deep down she's secretly a really sweet and loveable girl?" Daisy glanced around for support. "I mean, I haven't seen her in years, but it would be rude to not invite her, right?"
Luigi said nothing and silently crossed out her name from the list.
"Do you really want Stanley to be there?" Mario asked, examining the names again. "Especially since it's going to be an outdoor wedding," he hinted but received blank stares. "He'll spend the whole ceremony trying to exterminate the insects with pesticide!"
"He didn't get the nickname Stanley the Bug Sprayer for nothing," Peach remarked.
Daisy quickly reached over and removed him from the guest list. Luigi winced.
Peach took the pad from Mario and began to read it. After several moments she continued, "I thought Princess Shokora was in rehab..."
"She never enlisted herself in a program even after the intervention," Daisy explained sadly.
"So she still has a drinking problem?" Peach asked.
"She does," Luigi cut in, "but that doesn't mean we shouldn't invite her. We'll just inform all the servers to limit her intake."
Mario took the list back from Peach. Suddenly his face paled.
"Why is Pauline invited?" His voice was artificially calm.
"She's going to be the wedding singer." Luigi informed him. "Have you ever heard her perform? Who knew she had such a voice..."
"I've heard better." Peach commented snidely.
"Even if she wasn't performing, I'd want her to be there. She's practically family," Luigi told Peach.
Mario held his tongue but inside he was pleading that Pauline wouldn't be able to come. Although Peach was already a jealous mess because of her cousin's wedding, he knew that she would only get worse when she saw Pauline. A knot of anxiety burned in his stomach. The wedding was only two months away and already it was headed toward disaster.
"I don't know the full story," Toadsworth explained vaguely as he nonchalantly took a sip from his tea.
"Who did they abduct?" Peach raised her voice, her patience spent and her nerves shot.
"Rosalina is not their biological daughter." He answered.
"And I am?" She challenged.
"Before you were born," Toadsworth began, "the King and Queen tried for many years to provide an heir to the throne, but they were never successful. Many courtiers, including myself, had given up hope that the Mushroom Kingdom would see any princes or princesses. But one day the Queen brought home a baby, unannounced. Although she never explained its origins, everyone had always assumed that it was the result of a surrogate. It wasn't until Rosalina was in her teenage years that she began to investigate her origin. What she found led to the King and Queen's arrest, trial, and imprisonment."
"Did they steal Rosalina away from her real parents?" Peach's voice was taught with horror.
"I do not know, my dear. My knowledge extends only to the legal codes and sentencing."
"How long will they remain in," she paused, searching for the right word, "confinement?"
"Twenty six more years." He told her solemnly.
"And who is to govern the kingdom in their absence?"
"As I told you, this position is only temporary. However, I am only relieved of my duty when the next-in-line to the throne takes the position from me. And although Rosalina isn't technically of royal blood, she is the only one, beside myself, who can rule while the King and Queen are gone." Toadsworth explained.
"Why did no one tell me?" She asked. "Why did you let me believe a lie?!"
"No one was to know except for myself and the parties involved. Now that you are aware of the situation, it is your secret to keep as well."
Peach fell silent, overwhelmed with the weight of the new information that she received. She felt an upwelling in her chest, although no tears sprung to her eyes.
"I'm so sorry, my dear." Toadsworth got up and hugged the princess. "I can't imagine how difficult this must be for you."
"Can I see them?" She asked suddenly.
"It will be very challenging to arrange," he warned. "Regulations must be consulted and requests made, not to mention fitting it in with your busy schedule... But if you desperately want to reconnect with the King and Queen I will establish a visitation. Are you sure you truly desire to see them?"
"Yes."
Bowser stuck his tongue out before eating another bite of chocolate cake. To his mother's chagrin, this was the fifth day that he'd eaten dessert for breakfast.
"Seriously Bowser, you should eat two servings of fruit and three servings of vegetables each day. And cake isn't a proper breakfast! Why don't you eat a grapefruit instead?" The queen suggested.
"Because that sounds disgusting and nobody can tell the king what to do!" He chuckled as he spitefully gulped down more of the confection.
"Joke all you want, but you won't be laughing when you see your cholesterol count," she cautioned wryly before switching topics. "Have fun with your meetings, I'm going to spend the day with the wedding coordinator."
No matter whether he married Clawdia or Princess Peach, Bowser's wedding was set to take place in two month's time. His mother had been frenzied with preparation, and although he wasn't a fan of planning sophisticated social events, he would gladly trade his boring deliberations for a day spent deciding between color schemes and fancy napkins.
"Thanks." He said sarcastically as the queen left the dining room.
Bowser glanced at the antique grandfather clock that sat in the corner of the room. He still had an hour before he met with his advisors. Hurriedly, he finished the rest of his breakfast and raced up the spiral staircase to his room.
Ever since his coronation he had been devising the perfect day with Princess Peach. To his surprise, she had promised to come with him to the Darklands the next time that he asked, and he was determined to make the visit worth her while. In his imagination she would have such a good time that she would never want to leave his kingdom and agree to stay with him forever. It was a lofty goal, but he had always been a dreamer. Time flew by as he worked.
Three hours later, Bowser entered the throne room to see his council seated around his chair, muttering angrily to one another.
"You are very late!" The representative from the mining district bravely announced.
Bowser flashed him a toothy grin as he took his seat. "A king is never late," he recited, "everyone else is simply early."
A collective cringe fell across all of their faces.
A/N: Lots of references and Easter eggs in this chapter, props to you if you already got them all and if you didn't then have fun going on a little internet scavenger hunt! Thanks to everyone who has favorited, followed, or commented on this story. I hope my gratitude comes across with every chapter, seriously I am over the moon with the attention that my writing has received. I hope that you all have a marvelous week and that all of your dreams come true! Much love, Guardian.