Later that night, a scroll was handed to Raven by one of the guards.
"King Bowser wished me to give you this. Princess Peach ordered him to leave only moments ago. It seems he was unsettling some of the guests. Do not worry. She was nice about it and he understood, sort of. His son, Ludwig, shall stay in your tower tonight. A bed has been brought into your room. Of Bowser's children, Ludwig is the most truthful and he had promised no harm shall come to you."
Raven accepted the scroll and glanced down at it. The drink she had just received slid through her hands and shattered onto the floor.
Her father's royal seal was sealing this scroll shut.
As a maid cleaned the glass, Raven received a knife from the Bartender and quickly cut the seal and unrolled the scroll.
There was at least a foot of parchment, but that was normal for their father. He tended to ramble a lot.
She took a deep breath and began to read.
From the desk of King Tyrion Toadstool To my dearest daughter Raven.
Today is your Twenty first birthday. Congratulations.
I hope your training is going well. You shall be the greatest warrior the Mushroom Kingdom has ever seen, now that you are being taught the family's ancient fighting style.
I see you from my window, a young girl of thirteen heading off to your sister Daisy's for the Sun Festival of Sarasaland. I know you will make me proud, my dear girl. You always have.
Soon, I will go away on business. When this happens, I need you to be strong for me.
I will miss you and your sisters terribly but this is something urgent that must be done.
When I get back, I shall tell you where the Family sword is hidden so that you may use it.
It stopped there for a few inches. When it resumed, the handwriting was shaky, but still legible and still obviously the kings.
''My Dear Raven. It has been four years since I last wrote here. Such happy times seem to been so long ago. Seventeen you are now at the time of my writing these words.
I write this from Bowser's Castle. By now, seeing as I told Bowser to give this to you on your twenty first birthday, Your mother and I have been missing for approximately eight years. Now I think you need to know why we left.
Ages ago, When I was still a young king, there existed a kingdom known as the Crystal kingdom. Its inhabitants were creatures that would take the form of other people. In those forms they gained memories. That allowed them to move unseen amongst the other kingdoms. Eventually, they began to take over the other kingdoms. The leaders of the Seven kingdoms, Bowser's father Morton included, banded together and sealed them away.
I was investigating rumors that they had resurfaced after all this time.
If you are reading this now, it means that I was right, and I have probably been captured.
As they pride themselves in replacing members of High Nobility, Keep an eye on your sisters. I think Daisy may already have been theory comes from what I heard about her stealing your boyfriend.
That means they have to have Daisy and by default myself and your mother are still alive.
They cannot replicate Koopas so naturally, Bowser is safe.
Contrary to all that he has done, once upon a time when you were very young, before Morton did those things to you, you two were friends.
Morton's …work has erased bits of your memory I suppose.
He is also a family friend, even if Peach refuses to believe it. Such a stubborn girl my eldest is.
I left your coming of age present in a secret location under the throne. Not even Peach knows about this place.
Sit in the throne and press the button under the inside of the armrest.
Do it when you are alone in the throne room.
It is the family sword, the one passed down from generation to generation. I hid it before I left just in case Peach was replaced by one of those…things.
Your sisters were never interested in the training. But you were. I know you will make me proud.
Bowser knows which way I was heading. Please come save us.
I am so very proud of you my dearest daughter and I love you.
All my love,
King Tyrion Toadstool.
Raven rolled up the parchment quickly and hid it in her suit pocket. It was true that Daisy had been acting more promiscuous as of late. And Mario had been acting quickly moody.
She needed a plan.
She waited until everyone had left the ballroom before she began sprinting for the throne room.
She knew Peach never held council this late at night so she had no fear of being caught.
She pushed open the door into the dark throne room. The moon was shining down through the windows, illuminating the throne.
In seconds she was in the thone. Nervously she reached around the inside of the armrest.
Clk!
The throne began lowering down into the ground ,much to Raven's shock.
Then darkness consumed her.