At the sudden outburst, everyone, including the queen, jumped from their seats in surprise and shock. All the guests immediately whipped their heads and turned their attention toward the source of the noise… and saw the king standing determinedly in front of his seat. His thick fists were clenched so tight, one could visibly see the tension of his trembling hands. His eyes, passionate and furious held a flame that no one was used to seeing from the quiet king; a fear-striking look that reflected the serious connotation of what he had just said.
"Papa?!" Mario and Luigi simultaneously exclaimed, astounded that their usually reserved father raised his voice to such a powerful volume against their mother's wishes. Retaliation was not usually part of his demeanor.
Enraged by the commotion, Marissa leaned over the railing of the balcony and glared down at the king. Of all people, her weakling husband would have the audacity to disturb the ceremony! "Excuse me!?"
"I cannot let this continue! I won't watch my son succumb to a loveless marriage!" The king's words echoed through the quiet room, the air of the once joyous atmosphere now still as death.
All eyes fixated on the king- some amazed, some aghast. Finally, Benito had made a stand against his puppet master.
"This wedding is OFF!" He declared.
The entire room gasped in unison. Could he do that? Until now, the queen was in charge of the decisions of the kingdom; the queen made the rules. Everyone listened to the queen's word, especially the rest of the royal family. For anyone to strike against her word, for the king of all people, was previously unheard of!
"What!?" Annabelle let out a shrill cry. Frozen at the altar, the young, supposed, bride-to-be was awestruck her fiance's father made such a bold action.
"How can you say such things… your highness?! Are me and your son not meant to be?!" She asked rhetorically. Of course she and the prince belonged together. He was, after all, a prince and herself a princess. His family controlled much of the surrounding land, their marriage would only benefit both kingdoms. How could anyone object? However, attention turned back to the queen, who had not taken the king's words lightly.
"SIT DOWN!" the Queen yelled furiously from above. Her voice reverberated over the king's previous declaration, cementing her authority. Benny shuttered and his nerve immediately dissipated. For a moment, the attendees looked back and forth between the conflicting royals to see what the king would do next.
"Okay…" he muttered as he sat back down reluctantly, hands clasped sheepishly. That didn't take long. Still, Benito was conditioned to do as he was told, and he was not yet strong enough for a full-on rebellion…
"Papa!" Mario yelled, annoyed and disappointed at Benny's quick discouragement against the queen. Here the young prince thought his father was finally standing up for himself, but the king was still the same coward he's always been. Luigi and Daisy glared at the king, who returned the look with apologetic puppy eyes. The green prince sighed and shook his head. Typical papa…
"Proceed!" Marissa ordered, having moved on from the previous interruption. Back at the altar, Annabelle faced her groom with tearful eyes.
"This will be quite the story to tell our children someday…" Trying to make light of the king's declaration. The wedding was happening. Here they all were. Nothing would actually stop her and Mario from becoming man and wife, right?
"Honey, why would the king say such an awful thing? You DO love me, don't you?" the princess once again hoped to negate any doubt.
Mario cringed and bit his lip in order to suppress the big "NO" balled up inside of him. How could he ever love anyone except for Peach? He was going to save her… somehow… 'I just need a little more time to think!'
Meanwhile, said girl watched helplessly from above. She desperately wanted to leap down and run to him, but to do so would mean certain death for her and her parents. Her heart was torn between the family she loved and the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.
"Mario…" she whimpered pitifully. The young maiden was shaken from her thoughts by a rough nudge from the queen.
"Hush, you." Marissa turned back to the ceremony. Things will go according to plan no matter what.
The priest brought order to the unrest in the audience and started over.
"Where was I… oh, yes. Do you, Prince Mario of Mushroom Kingdom take Princess Annabelle of Trirain Kingdom to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, 'til death do you part?"
The groom scowled at the pathetic Benito. The king was finally going to exert his title, but retracted like a scared little dog with his tail between his legs. Mario sighed and returned his attention to the oblivious princess, her red-lipped smile visible through her veil.
"I...I-" Could he really do this? Could he throw away his own happiness to please his wicked mother's demands? Peach would be the one to pay the price if he doesn't go through with this… Yet, sitting back would mean letting his mother get her way again.
"DO NOT!" Another voice answered for the prince.
Another shout startled the crowd once again. What was going on?! Marissa, floored at yet another interruption, retorted.
"Benny, if you don't shut your pathetic-"
She paused once she looked over the railing to see that it was not her sheepish husband that had lashed out… but her other son.
"Luigi!?"
The green prince bravely faced his and Mario's malicious mother, one hand still grasping the object behind his back. Her reign over everyone's lives had gone too far.
"Papa's right! This wedding IS off!"
"I BEG YOUR PARDON!?" the queen spouted furiously. Luigi opened his mouth to respond, when the princess beside him rose up and answered instead.
"You heard him, you crazy old bat! We aren't taking this anymore!" Daisy yelled, pointing an accusing finger at the enraged woman on the balcony.
The crowd gasped in unison. Family had turned on family and now the Sarasaland princess dared to get involved. Her parents attempted to silence her to prevent future conflict with the Mushroom Kingdom crowns, but she firmly dismissed them, stating marriage should only happen when both parties share mutual feelings of affection for one another. Annabelle stomped her heel in frustration.
"Oh my goodness, STOP! Mario and I are clearly in love and destined to be together! Are you jealous that I got the better brother?!" The bride exclaimed at the other princess. How dare she get in the middle of affairs that had nothing to do with her nor her kingdom! She'll pay for that once I'm in charge.
Daisy huffed and stood akimbo.
"First off, Mario actually hates your guts. In fact, pretty much everyone in this room does, but you're too much of a spoiled nutcase to see that. And second, not a chance."
The other turned back to her groom, wrapping her arms around his neck in a loving embrace. What an idiot not to see how wrong her words really are. Of course he loves me! We are perfect for each other.
"That isn't true, right sweetie?"
The red prince awkwardly looked into her eyes, contemplating whether or not to shove her away.
"U-Uh…" Mario hesitated.
His eyes scanned the rest of the room. The gawking guests, his pitiful father… Then his sight met his brother's- hard blue locked on with conflicted blue- a stare that urged him to rebel. His life was his own, and if he was going to take control of it, now was the time. It was either that, or succumb to the ball and chain of outdated tradition and a crazed princess taking over his kingdom.
Then again… what would that mean for the girl he truly pines for? He didn't doubt for a second that the queen would follow through with her threat of execution. This shackle kept him locked to this miserable ordeal. Of course, even if he went through with it, the village maiden was doomed to a life sentence in the frozen tundras. With the little her family had, for them to survive long would be a miracle. For him to go through with this wedding, she would be damned if he did and damned if he didn't. This left him with only one insane option…
Mario gently gripped Annabelle's wrists and held her hands together between the two of them. He chuckled and smiled, gazing straight into her eyes.
'I knew he truly loved me!' The princess thought, reacting with a blush and a giggle. The atmosphere of the room growing still once more in anticipation of the red prince's response. A gulp slithered back in the green prince's throat. What will Mario decide… ? Finally, the groom answered the bride.
"...It sure is."
"W-What?"
The princess's heart sank into her stomach, her jaw dropping like a rock. He didn't just say what she thought she said, did he? Did he really just confirm that tomboy's ridiculous claim? The smile on his face shifting into a firm expression signified he did.
"Annabelle… I don't love you. I never have. In fact, I have absolutely no interest in you at all. I've only been going along with this because my mother is forcing me to adhere to stupid outdated traditions."
Annabelle stared in shock at her now ex-groom.
"B-but… I thought… !" The weight of those words sunk to the bottom of her heart, shattering the perfect world she had known.
The red prince released her hands and turned away from her. The guests watched, completely flabbergasted by this revelation and Mario's gesture. Luigi smirked. He knew his brother couldn't go through with the ludicrous ceremony. Not after all the torment Mario had been put through. He wasn't going to just let their mother win… not anymore. His desire for the village girl triumphed any doubt he had about fighting back. Infuriated, the queen lashed out.
"Prince Mario Luciano Mario, you turn back and marry Princess Annabelle this instant!"
Her booming voice caught all the people below's attention. Mario looked up to see his fuming mother staring heatedly at him from the balcony overlooking the alter. He then took notice of his dearly beloved standing beside her, petrified by the queen's seething rage. This struck a nerve in him as well.
"I refuse! I'm not taking this anymore, Marissa! You've controlled me and Luigi our entire lives and I'm sick of it! I don't care what you say, I'm NOT marrying a girl I don't even know just so YOU can be happy! The one I truly want isn't a spoiled princess, but a humble girl from a tiny village! I LOVE PEACH!"
"Who?!" the princess, still standing at the altar, was taken aback by this revelation.
The queen clenched her teeth to the point one would almost think they would crack, her eyes almost glowing with pure outrage. Mario's insolence was putting himself and Peach on thin ice.
"You will do as you're told or you and that village rat will suffer dire consequences! I did not spend all these years working tirelessly to maintain this kingdom and teach you the ways of the crown just for you to defy me!"
"No! If I'm going to be king, it's time I made my own decisions! And I decide I will NOT marry Annabelle!" Mario glared directly into his mother's eyes as he spoke his mind. He was going to stand against her, and she was going to remember every moment of it.
As the queen and the prince stared one another down, the tension could be cut with a knife. Luigi approached and joined his brother in his uprising, also looking his mother straight in the eyes.
"Enough is enough. Mario's not going to be with Annabelle… and I am engaged to Daisy" he proclaimed.
"Now let Peach go!" Mario demanded, fists held firmly at his sides.
At this point, Marissa was seeing red. All her years training these young men to ascend and rule the kingdom with the same sense of duty and honor as those before her led to this moment and NOW they decide to rebel?! Even worse, they were humiliating her before the crowns of two other kingdoms. How were they going to maintain good relations after this scandalous outburst? She slammed a clenched fist down on the railing of the balcony, startling Peach beside her.
"Guards, seize them NOW!" The queen pointed toward her own sons.
Apparently, these boys needed another lesson. The servants did as they were told and prepared to snag the sibling princes.
"Hey, back off!" Daisy attempted to intervene, but was easily ignored.
Annabelle stood frozen, appalled at the scene playing out before her and the crowd watched, astonished. As the guards closed in on the princes, the two prepared to defend themselves against the queen's mindless servants. They were not going down without a fight. If Marissa refused to give them freedom, then they were going to take it however they could- consequences and all.
Just as Mario and Luigi were about to be apprehended, a voice thought to be silenced rose once more, catching all ears off guard.
"HALT!"
Everyone's attention immediately turned back to the source of the command. The king had risen once more, this time more serious in his expression than ever.
"You shall not lay a hand on these boys!" The kings stomped into the aisle. He glared up at his wife-
"You have gone much too far this time, Marissa! I will not allow your tyranny any longer!" He raised his own hand and pointed directly at the woman he had addressed.
"Guards, seize her!"
The armored servants looked confusedly amongst one another, unsure which order to obey. With both the king and queen commanding the detention of the other, who holds the superiority? The queen has been in charge of all affairs until now, but the king was the official rule of the kingdom by birth-right; the queen having married on to the throne. The guards were torn between the two ruling bodies.
"What are you waiting for, fools? Take them all away!" Marissa re-asserted.
"You are the fool! Take her!" Benito countered.
Confused by the contradicting orders, the guards became split between two loyalties. Half continued on toward the king, the others ascended to the queen. Many of the witnesses to the fray rushed from their seats to the exits, trying to flee the chaos. Others also became involved in the struggle amongst the royal family.
Marissa was not prepared for the guards that sided with the king.
"Stop! Guards, stop your disobedience this instant!" She backed from the entrance of the stairs, bumping into Peach.
"You?!" The queen grabbed the frightened girl's wrist and forced her to look at the battle down below.
"See all the trouble you have caused, you little wench! None of this would be happening if you would have just stayed away from Mario! If only you had stayed in your place!"
Peach gasped, eyes wide at the scene on the ground. At that same moment, Mario caught her terrified expression.
"Peachy!" He called over the battle of guards against guards.
"Mario!" Now more than ever all she wanted was to be in his arms again. She did not want all this violence, but she wanted to be happy together with the prince; not for his title but for true love.
Mario wanted the same, and knew he had to get to her before the queen got desperate enough to try something on his lover.
"Quite the mess we're in, eh?" Luigi gave his brother a smirk. Mario had forgotten the other was beside him and was startled to hear his brother's voice.
"So it would seem… Thanks…" Mario was surprised that his sibling and father were finally on his side, but their help was appreciated. Defeating their mother was not going to be easy, but at least he had back up.
"I have to get to Peachy!"
"First you need a way to defend yourself. In case you haven't noticed, there is a bit of a civil war happening around us. No way you can just walk up, take Peach by the hand, and walk out of here in one piece." Luigi gestured to the battle before them.
Guards no longer knew who was on what side; many choosing to attack all in their path. Swords clanging, shields cracking under the force of constant contact of ruthless attacks. Those attempting to reach the queen were at a disadvantage against the guards fighting from above. It really was a war…
"You too." Mario glanced back at his brother to see Luigi unsheathing a dagger he had hidden behind his back.
"Got that covered." The green prince held the dagger defensively in front of himself.
"Were you expecting this to happen?!" Mario cried in disbelief at his usually quiet, obedient brother's preparations. Had he expected a fight this entire time?
"Not quite this, but I knew mother would never surrender without some kind of retaliation." Luigi admitted. Daisy joined the brothers below the altar.
"What a way to crash a wedding, huh?" She laughed a little. Mario stepped forward, ready to dash his way through the fighting mass to Peach's rescue. Luigi placed a hand on his shoulder to pause him for a second.
"Hold on there, Romeo. Don't go rushing in blindly. Take this."
Luigi handed Mario the blade he had hidden on his person since before the ceremony. The red prince faced the green one and nodded with gratitude and understanding.
"Thanks bro… thanks so much."
"No problem. Now hurry and get up there. Go!"
With a quick wink and a thumbs up, Mario bolted for the staircase that led to the queen and Peach. Annabelle, who had hidden herself away from the madness, watched as he abandoned her to be with another. Luigi and Daisy were left standing together amidst the chaos without any means of defense.
"Now we need to find something for ourselves" Luigi stated, scanning for any potential weaponry. At that moment, two servants were sent flying by, leaving their swords at Luigi and Daisy's feet.
"Well, that was oddly convenient!" Daisy smiled as she picked up one of them. Luigi took the other and both were prepared for battle.
"Alright then… let's-a-go!" the green prince exclaimed as they entered the fray.
Meanwhile, Mario had just barely managed to duck and weave his way up to the staircase and climb it towards his beloved. Along the way he rammed guards out of his path to clear a straight shot towards her and his tyrannical mother. With each guard he passed there seemed to be even more ready to stop him. Mario's endurance was tested to its limit with every sharp movement he had to take; climbing the stairs felt more like trekking the side of a steep mountain side. However, he pushed all feelings other than his own determination to the back of his mind. No matter how difficult the journey, Mario was going to make it to Peach!
As he reached the final steps, the young prince charged forward with renewed strength. Unfortunately, in his rush he failed to see one of the guards come from behind. By the time Mario heard the clanking of the metal armor, the guard had already begun to strike. Mario's eye's widened and he brought his arms up on instinct to protect himself. Suddenly, another dagger appeared and struck the guard's weapon- knocking him off-balance. The guard lost his footing and slide down several stairs.
"Thanks Lu-!?" Mario had assumed it was his brother who had stopped his attacker, when it was actually his own father! Benny nodded to his son to continue on to save the one he loved and confront the queen. Mario stared at him for a moment in awe, then finally nodded back.
Running down the hall to the balcony, Mario was surprised by the lack of opponents in his way; this also made him more on-guard for whatever fight was waiting for him when he finally reached his mother.
The prince lead with his shoulder and knocked down the door separating him from his target.
"Peachy!" Mario gasped for air, the adrenaline from before starting to weaken- but he couldn't afford to give into fatigue just yet. There was still one more fight left to win.
The queen whirled around to find her rebellious son standing with hardened eyes fixed on her.
"Mario!" Peach cried out, glad that he had reached her but fearful of what was going to happen next. She had seen what the queen was willing to do to get what she wants.
"It's over, Marissa" the red prince claimed. "You should have known this day would come. Just give up now."
The queen, backed into a corner, eyed him down. After all the years of careful planning, she was not going to just give in so easily, especially not to her own son, who should be obeying her. He began to step towards her.
"You're finished…"
Peach, seeing the queen's predicament, decided to take the opportunity to rush to his side. However, just as quick as she had thought it, Marissa caught on to it and gripped her wrist as tight as she had gripped everyone's lives. The wicked woman yanked the poor girl back, wrapping an arm around Peach's neck while holding a dagger of her own in the other. The queen slowly brought the blade to her captive's throat, just close enough to make breathing uncomfortable but without applying enough pressure to pierce the skin. Mario immediately stopped in his tracks, his heart thumping with fear for the endangered girl. The tables had turned.
"I said I would slaughter this rat if you disobeyed me and I MEANT IT!" Marissa exclaimed.
"No!" Mario froze, not wanting to test his mother's threat, but he had to find a way to save Peach. He had come all this way, stood up for what he wanted, and he would not let Marissa get her way; especially not if it meant losing the one he loved for good. The prince struggled with himself as he tried in vain to come up with a plan.
"Don't do it. Please…" he started to beg. It killed him inside to once again be at his wicked mother's mercy, but if it meant getting Peach out of this horrid situation, he'd try anything.
"Don't play games with me, boy! You both will suffer the consequences of your actions!" the queen yelled. She was not to be taken lightly. Tears flowed freely down Peach's cheeks as her wet sapphire blue eyes pleaded Mario to save her.
"I… I'll do whatever you want." Mario lowered his gaze. He did not want to give up after how far everyone had come in the rebellion against Marissa… but Peach was too close to harm for him to even move. There had to be a way through, he just had to buy them both some time.
"Please, just let her go." He hoped he sounded as pathetic to this mother as he did to himself. Inside, he reprimanded himself for having to beg- even if it was just a delay until he could strike.
However, Marissa wasn't about to just take his word so easily.
"That's what you said before! Don't take me for a fool!"
She had believed his previous promises and each time he had broken them. This ruse wasn't going to get to her. Mario took note of this and put himself even lower. He dropped his dagger and kneeled before her- a gesture he thought he'd never EVER make.
Peach, meanwhile, watched Mario humiliate himself for her sake. Her heart broke seeing him kneel, something she also knew was hurting him as well.
'There must be someway I can help him. I need to help Mario!'
"Please… mother. Release her, and I won't resist you anymore."
Marissa eyed him skeptically. It was hard to believe him when he had went back on his word times before.
"You swear your allegiance and will not make any further attempts to rebel against me?" she questioned the prince. He lifted his head up and gazed at her pitifully, two tears rolling down his either of his cheeks.
"Yes, mother…"
The queen paused for a good moment, taking in his plea. He had never made such a submission before. Perhaps he was being honest for once… But she had to prove his loyalty.
"Call off your little rebellion down below." The queen ordered. He was going to let everyone know how he failed, then no one would dare attempt to overthrow her again- after all, if even the entire royal family couldn't stop her, who could?
"And, order your father and brother be taken to the castle prisons for their treason."
"As you wish, mother…"
Peach couldn't stand what she was hearing. Mario wouldn't just surrender and turn on the others this easily… would he? No, he couldn't… Not after all the efforts he made to be with her. Yet his submission sounded so genuine. She was about to give up hope when suddenly his eyes shifted from his mom's to hers. Something about the look, a glint in his eye, was telling her to make a move. At that moment, she noticed Marissa had lowered the point of the knife away from her neck. Here was the opportunity… it's now or never.
As Marissa was taking in Mario's resignation, a sudden sharp pain pierced her forearm. Reacting on instinct, she pulled her arms off of Peach and rubbed the afflicted area to alleviate the pain. When she felt the warmth of blood, the queen examined her arm to find a nasty bite mark.
"Why you little-!"
Before she could lash out, Peach had already begun sprinting down the hall and escaped her grasp.
"Mario, please be careful!" the young girl called out.
The wicked queen turned her sights on Mario, who had risen from his knees and held the blade he previously had once again. His eyes stared her down with fiery determination.
"Give up now, Marissa. Don't drag this out any longer" he commanded, carefully stepping towards her.
The queen growled with fury. After so many years of her command over everyone, following the laws of her royal ancestors, and planning to carry out those laws through the next generation, everyone had betrayed her. Once this was over, all involved in this outrageous uprising will be tried for treason and potentially beheaded.
"I WILL NOT, YOU UNGRATEFUL, INSUBORDINATE BRAT!"
Marissa slashed at Mario with her knife, the prince just barely managing to avoid it. She pressured him back into the hall with a barrage of strikes, which he blocked with his own dagger. Their blades clashed in a fight of equal skill and precision. Every strike the queen went for, the prince halted.
"Bet you wish you hadn't given me all those fencing lessons, huh?" Mario taunted.
Out of sheer frustration, Marissa increased the ferocity of her slashes. Mario put into play all of his instincts in order to avoid injury. The queen and the prince battled ferociously, exchanging strikes and pushing one another back and forth. Mario soon came to the realization that if he was going to stop this mad woman, he needed to quit playing defense.
"When this is over, that little hussy and her family are as good as DEAD!" Marissa exclaimed.
Immediately after that left her mouth, Mario snapped… She was going to regret that threat.
His passion for protecting Peach burning furiously, the prince went on the offensive. Marissa found herself caught completely off guard. Mario thrusted the blade with deadly force and she was narrowly able to avoid it. The two exchanged swipes, the queen now the one having to move back.
"You. Will. Not. Control. My. Life. Any. Longer!" Mario lead each word with another slap from his blade. Marissa blocked his attacks, but the force of each blow caused her to lose more and more ground. Years of suppressed anger had finally erupted to give Mario just enough of a boost to overpower his mother's defenses.
"You would do this to your own mother?!"
"You're not a mother! You're a monster! And your reign of tyranny ENDS NOW!" Bringing his blade down, the queen raised her own just in time to protect herself; however, this was exactly what Mario had expected her to do. The prince pushed forward with all his might, the queen falling onto the column near the railing of the balcony- she was cornered.
"Oph!" She felt the wind knocked out of her from the collision.
'This was not right! She was supposed to be the victor, not her insolent son! All those years of building this kingdom according to plan… wasted!' Marissa looked upon her son with detest and resentment. How tainted he had become because of that girl! Because of that horrible, rebellious attitude of his…
Mario, in contrast felt a surge of relief and accomplishment started to wash over his senses. She had lost! The queen was cornered like so many she had punished in the past. The strings had been cut, and she was never going to control any of them ever again.
"Your rule is over, Marissa. You will never oppress any of us again. It's time YOU were thrown into the dungeon. Now take off your crown!"
From her place along the balcony, said woman glanced down at the battle on the ground to find the king's guard had overpowered her own loyal followers. Fear gripped her heart as tightly as she held onto the cold, stone railing. For the first time in a long time, if ever, she was not going to win. Sweat dripped from her forehead. She turned back to her son, pointing his dagger at her in victory.
Instinctively, Marissa took a step back. Unfortunately, there was no 'back' other than the side of the balcony railing. Her heel slipped from the momentum, and she could feel gravity pulling her over the edge. Desperate and afraid, she reached out for Mario.
Said prince saw his mother beginning to fall. He charged forward in an attempt to catch the hand she offered, but he missed by millimeters- her fingers brushing against his own.
"No!" Mario cried. He wanted to overthrow her power, relinquish her control over their lives… he didn't want her dead! No! Mario latched onto the railing his mother had just fallen from, he sunk to his knees.
Peach rushed to his side, dropping to her own knees beside the distraught young man. Wrapping him into her arms, they held each other close with tears threatening to fall from their eyes. Neither had wanted to cause this…
"This is all my fault… I killed her…" Mario muttered under his breath.
"No! You are not responsible for this. You stood up for yourself and for me, you never meant to go this far." She comforted Mario.
The two were shocked, however, when cheering erupted from beneath them. The prince stood nervously. Placing a shaking hand on the stone barrier, Mario looked down to where his mother's body should have landed. Deep-blue eyes widened when he saw that the queen was alive! While not uninjured from the drop, there she lay on one of the tables set aside for beverages. Marissa was struggling to support her weight on her elbows and her leg was at a slightly awkward angle. The guards, lead by the king, encircled the queen.
"THIS IS MUTINY!" she yelled at all of them.
"I WILL HAVE ALL OF YOU EXECUTED-!"
"You won't be doing anything around here anymore, Marissa."
Benito firmly informed her she was no longer the head of state. He was taking the reigns from now on, as he should have many years ago. He picked her crown up from the rubble below her battered body.
"You have abused your power for far too long. I loved you, but in return you gave me grief and dominated my castle. It's time this crown was on the head of someone much more worthy. Take her away!"
As ordered, the guards lifted the queen from the busted table and carried her out. She tried to fight, but the pain weakened her ability to resist.
"THIS ISN'T OVER, BENNY! YOU'LL ALL PAY FOR THIS WITH YOUR HEADS!"
She resolved to one last threat before the guards had taken her out of the room. Benny looked on as she disappeared and a feeling he hadn't felt in many many years arose… pride. At last, he had made a stand against his tyrannical wife and things actually turned out. Most importantly… he made his sons proud. Mario and Peach descended down the stairs, the prince holding her hand the whole way. Luigi and Daisy met them at the base, greeting them with smiles.
"We did it, bro…" the green prince sighed with relief. His twin chuckled.
"Thank you, Luigi. And thank you, Daisy. I don't know what I would have done without you guys' help."
"No problem! We weren't just gonna sit back and take that old witches crud anymore!" the Sarasaland princess gave a wink and a thumbs-up.
Mario and Peach laughed. Luigi approached the village girl.
"So, you must be the girl Mario's crazy about. Nice to finally meet you, I'm Luigi."
"Hiya!" Daisy waved.
Peach smiled and curtsied.
"Nice to meet both of you. Thank you so much for helping Mario."
"Hey, nice going there, Mario! Standing up against that evil queen!" the yellow princess complimented.
Benito watched the young ones converse for a moment. Never had he seen them so alive. Suddenly, the reunion was interrupted by a familiar voice.
"Um, excuse me?"
The group looked back to see Annabelle coming out of her hiding spot.
"...What on earth just happened here?"
Mario looked to Peach and patted her hand before he approached his ex-fiancee.
"Sorry, Annabelle. But this wedding was not going to happen. Things are changing in this kingdom. I hope this incident won't put a strain on any political relations between us."
The former bride stared at him, hurt and bewildered, but mostly hurt. She eyed each of them, back and forth, then dropped her bouquet and saw herself out.
"Hm. We'll just have to see about that."
They watched her go until she was out of sight. Benito stepped before the young ones and stood in front of Peach.
"So, you are the young lady that snuck into the royal ball and stole Mario's heart?"
The village girl blushed and looked away for a moment, a little intimidated by the king.
"Y-yes sir… I'm sorry about that."
The king chuckled.
"Don't be. I'm glad my son found you. You've made him happier than he's ever been."
Peach's eyes lit up.
"Really?"
"Absolutely."
"But… I caused such a mess."
They all looked at the battle-torn room. The king laughed again.
"You are not responsible for this. This happened because of years of built-up conflict with Marissa…"
Speaking of…
"Say, papa…" Luigi spoke up.
"Now that she's been overthrown and all… what's going to happen to her crown."
Benito closed his eyes for a moment and smiled ear to ear.
"I told her I would give it to someone who was much more worthy."
The adolescents looked on curiously.
"Mario is going to be king of this kingdom soon."
He stepped toward Peach-
"And he's going to need his queen" he declared as he placed the jeweled headpiece atop her blonde head.
Out of shock, Peach covered her hands with her mouth and gasped. Her eyes lit up, looking back and forth between the king and her excited peers.
"Oh my- you mean it?!" she couldn't find the words to express her joy.
"Are you serious, papa?!" Mario exclaimed, ecstatic.
"Yes, son. Unlike your mother, I have no issues with you being together with who your heart truly desire."
"WAHOO!"
Mario launched into a backflip, then picked up Peach and spun her around. Luigi, Daisy, and Benito watched them, happy the lovers could now be joined without any more secrecy or threats. The red prince lifted his new fiancee bridal-style and gazed lovingly into her eyes.
"I love you, Peach."
"I love you, Prince Mario."
After a grueling ordeal, Mario and Peach embraced in a passionate kiss without any fear of repercussions. Luigi and Daisy looked at another.
"Alright, DOUBLE WEDDING PARTY!" she yelled excitedly.
The green prince chuckled and they embraced in a kiss of their own. Benito watched the lovers with a proud smirk, a much welcomed sense of content falling over him. For the first time in what's felt like forever, all of them were truly happy…
After five long years, this story has FINALLY been concluded! I would like to thank KsoleAngel for her involvement with this story. I don't know if I could have finished this in time without her. As we end this year with this end of this story, it's time to start the new year with a new story! Thank you so much for reading. HAPPY NEW YEAR!