An Emerald Spirit, Chapter 2
Warm heart, Cold feet
She was indeed a beautiful woman. Every inch, easy on the eyes, she was an exquisite, delicate young lady meant to have whatever she wanted, to be given whatever she asked for. And so when she cried, it cut right through him, tore into the center of his heart. For the sake of being an honest friend, he managed nothing more than to offer his handkerchief and listened, not touched.
"Is there something wrong?" she asked while dabbing the tears from her cheeks.
"Something wrong with me? You're the one crying."
Her stinging glare said he was terribly out of line. After all, he was but a mere visitor within a castle that stood like a monolith at the center of her kingdom, stout and secure, built to withstand the greatest of gale forces and attacks from distant worlds, alas, the lifetime estate of a beautiful young princess.
"I'm crying because I've never been treated this way," Peach sniffled and folded the hanky once then held it under her perky little nose. "Is it too much for me to ask if I expect Mario to be here when I need him?"
Yesterday's dream entered Luigi's thoughts once again, and he fought to erase them from his mind, drank more java, and didn't let her see that he was doing his best to stay awake after a night of tossing and turning on the couch in his brother's house. He stayed there, not at all anxious to go home--actually not to his home, but Princess Daisy's Sarasaland Castle--where he had to put up with her king father who disapproved of his daughter's relationship with a commoner and constantly reminded her of the fact that she didn't yet have a ring on her finger, although he always said he would've been more than willing to except the one who had once rescued her. Yes, even the King of Sarasaland had an admiration for Mario, but none for a dutiful younger brother.
"....Luigi?....Luigi! Aren't you listening!"
"Yes, I heard you."
"No you didn't," Princess Peach shot back. "I'm asking you to take me out tonight. I don't want to stay home and miss the exhibit, Grape Canvas, at the Shimmering Palace Fine Arts Center. You'll go with me. Besides, Mario doesn't care really care much for fine art."
He shuddered just thinking of the scandal that would cause. "Princess, I would love to, but I—"
"You'll pick me up at seven o'clock."
What a nice little friendly visit it had been up to that point. The castle's head cook prepared brunch and a cozy setting for two in the private court at the castle's east wing. Two toad guardsmen stood watch at the doors and soft classical music played in the background. Luigi saw a small piece of shroom teacake on the table in front of the princess, barely touched, and she took just one sip of her favorite berry juice almost like she was nervous about something, which was unusual, because she never had inhibitions about giving orders and expecting full cooperation. So there must have been something more than what she asked for, some hidden motive; she was an expert at hidden motives.
"I'll have the Royal Coach waiting, so don't worry, you won't have to drive."
"Something wrong with my driving, Princess?"
"Well...no...I just thought—"
"Forget it," he said, very frankly, used his napkin and slid his chair away from the table. "I'm not taking you, Your Highness. You'll miss the exhibit tonight if you're relying on me...and I should have never come here to begin with."
This time Luigi was too tired and too fed up with being pushed to the limit by anyone, especially not another blue-blooded damsel... The doors were so close he'd almost made it before she managed catching him and latched onto his arm.
"Please! Please don't leave, Luigi!"
More crying. He stiffened when she touched him and thought he could have been better off begging the dreadful King of Sarasaland and his spoiled daughter to take him back instead of letting Peach smudge him up with her tears, and he surely didn't need the extra pressure from the toad guards who looked through the glass doors, knowing they would tell Mario all about this. But then again, he figured it was all well and good if they did tell, because it served Mario justly after what he'd done just a few nights ago.
Everyone's gentleman hero had been out to the Gold Shilling Club to party and surround himself with chicks from just about every dimension like a playboy in his prime. Luigi saw it all because he had been there, too, observing from the bar where he drank a couple non-alcoholic beverages and munched on peanuts, as he anticipated being the designated driver when it was finally time to pull his carousing brother to the door and go home.
All he could do now was think of how this world was sometimes much more to bear than the one he and his brother had left so many year ago, Why me? What the hell did I ever do to deserve th--
"You'll be here at seven o'clock sharp. I mean it," she forcefully broke into his concentration. "I do, and if you don't, I promise we'll never be best friends again...."
She got up in his face, close enough that he could've planted a big wet kiss right on her lips. But of course, the castle's guard, and its princess, had stringent rules.
"You leave me no choice," he said with in his calmest voice, looking into her glistening blue eyes as she held him against the wall. "I'll take you. But you make one promise to me. Okay? Promise me you'll give my brother a chance to make up for whatever he's done."
After a brief moment of silence, she finally stepped back. "Yes, I promise. Good enough?"
Lights from the castle certainly looked gorgeous in the evening.
The Mushroom Kingdom taxis were readily available, one of which Luigi hailed from the mall where he purchased a colorful assorted bouquet all for the price of a few gold coins. He arrived at the front doors of his destination not a minute late, clad in his finely crafted Italian-made suit and his most expensive pair of freshly polished black leather shoes. The large doors opened as he approached the main entrance where he had acknowledge the four guardsmen, then continued inside, where he was greeted and stopped by the castle's most vigilant retainer.
"Hey Luigi, What brings you here this late at night?" asked Toad.
"Visiting the princess."
"You? Visiting our princess? And what's with all those flowers in your hand? Somebody die or something?" The little character isn't aware of the fact that he'll come close if he doesn't stop drilling for information. "And where's Mario?" he fired away again.
Luigi shrugged and looked down at the little guy. "I don't know where he is."
"Hmm," Toad replied. "The princess says she's going out tonight, but I thought that meant with Mario."
"Well that's not what it means. I'm taking her."
"You? HAHAHAHAHA!" Toad cackled and pointed a finger up at Luigi. "That's strange, she didn't mention anything about this to me. I would think she would've said something to the effect of...Mario's not coming tonight, Toad, so Luigi's taking me instead.. But she didn't say that, which leads me to wonder if she's expecting you—"
"Toad!"
The two gentlemen looked up at the same time to see the princess upstairs just outside of her chambers, then she came with an angelic illusion of floating down her divine staircase to join them. Luigi just about melted on the spot to see her not in her usual pink frills and lace, but a pale green strapless dress that was very simple yet elegant, sleekly following the line of her perfect figure, with gloves to match. It might not have been appropriate to gawk at such beauty, but Luigi was instantly aware he'd done just that when she touched his chin and pushed it up as to close his open mouth. But then, she had to do the same with Toad.
"Flowers?" she said and removed them from Luigi's stunned grip. "Thank you so much...." and she took a moment to take in the delicate fragrance then passed them to her assistant, Laurie T, who immediately put them into a vase and displayed them on the mantle for Peach to adore. "You're so nice, Luigi. And Toad, I did ask him to come here tonight."
The look in Toad's eyes showed how he, just as almost everyone else, felt about the huge star-diamond on Peach's finger which was a very significant symbol of her belonging only to Mario, and how it was forbidden for her say much more than hello and goodbye to anyone other man, and especially not participate in some sort of promiscuous dating scene. The little fellow said not a word, stood there with his not-much-of a chest all poked out and his cheek puffed with vengeance,
"Toad, shouldn't you be downstairs helping with the monthly inventory?" Peach asked brusquely.
The very disgruntled retainer first stared angrily at Luigi then nodded to his princess and went away.
"Well," she said with an anxious smile. "Here we are. And there's something I need to tell you. First of all, I want you to know how much I appreciate you coming over like this. I just had to get away tonight. Secondly...there's a good reason I wanted you to come here."
He listened.
"I want to commission the artist to do a portrait of me, for Mario."
Alas, Luigi exhaled, so that's what this is all about? Thank goodness!
"That is a wonderful idea!" he said enthusiastically. "Well then, shall we go?"
Peach grabbed her purse from the side table then took his arm, and they headed off to what would soon become a very special, and unplanned, evening.
