'Write this down, if you will.' The blonde princess gently caressed the flowers of her garden. A warm breeze scattered through the garden's floor little leaves of the near peach tree. It may be winter, but the Mushroom Kingdom was different to the rest of the world. Some would say, it ran by different laws than the likes of Hyrule or Termina. Even in the harshest winter, the sun was always up and bright in the sky, illuminating the people below it. The south side of the kingdom had a tropical climate. As opposed to most other parts of the lands, there were no unending hills shaped like a dragon's spine, there were no high peaks that defied the skies, and no seemingly endless extensions of sand and dust. That area of the kingdom, named the "Seaside Kingdom" was most prosperous, and Princess Peach resided there in the winter days. 'The Mushroom Kingdom, utilizing the full extent of its capabilities and its sovereign, Princess Peach Toadstool, as sane as she will ever be, according to the will of her people, will not, in any way, surrender its sovereignty to any external power, be it friend or foe.'

Peach didn't remember much of her parents. She could barely and vaguely recall their voices sometimes in her dreams, but she always woke up, disappointed, never learning anything else about them. They had died in a tragic accident, in a journey to the Kong Islands, in efforts to bring civilization to the savage lands in the eastern coasts of their kingdom. Peach had been left alone when she was merely six years old, having to ward off an evil tyrant south off the place she called home. 'We have fought countless times' continued the princess 'against evil and tyranny, defending peace, righteousness and independence, and will continue to do so anytime it is required.' But, thanks to the advice of her elder Toads, the unity of all her people against the "enemy down south" and the continuous help of two knights, the Mushroom Kingdom resisted and drove off time and time again its enemies. Still, Peach never felt a queen. She felt as if she didn't deserve such a title. But she would fight with her live for it. No one would be called king or queen of the Mushroom Kingdom until the people said it.

'I do believe that's quite enough for a letter in which you are basically saying "no", your highness' a voice interrupted her thoughts. The princess turned around from her flowers and saw a man leaning against one of the white marble archways that decorated her garden. That man was somewhat small, but strong and muscular. He wore a comfortable yet elegant red robe, hiding his sword and other weapons. He had a rather large, but adorable nose, coronated by a big brown moustache that Peach had always assumed would be, in fact, quite itchy.

'Mario!' she said. 'Lovely seeing you. How are things in the Brown Desert?'

'You know, I find it quite absurd. Why would you call a desert brown? What else could it be, magenta, cyan? It's like saying the "big blue ocean". Clue's in the name.' answered Mario while he picked up some fruit from the basket. He took a bit of it and offered it to the Toad writer. 'Want some?'

Peach laughed. Seeing Mario, her trusting and honourable knight, who greatly defeated Bowser time and time again always cheered her up. It almost seemed as if that day couldn't get any better. 'Oh Mario. I assume things are well.'

'Yes, well, as good as a desert will ever be. Although there is some talk between the gerudo travellers from Hyrule. Rumour has it someone is naming themselves King of the Gerudo.' He took another bite of the fruit.

'King? I thought Gerudo were only women?'

'You'd be right to do so, princess, but who knows in these changing times. Would you have imagined the whole of Osternia singing their hymns to one banner and lord? And what's more, under the name of Ylisse?' Mario laughed. 'Truly wondrous, imagine the situation: Lady Edelgard and Lord Claude sharing a drink. One advocates for empire and the other one shoves a beer up his…'

'Oh Mario, stop it.' The princess couldn't help but laugh. 'It's good to see you. We will need all the help we can get in these trying times. Has Luigi come back with the report?'

'I don't know. Wouldn't hurt to check. I'll send a letter to Lady Daisy through a flying block. If there is a report, I will ask for it.'

'Thank you, Mario. You should go there while I finish this letter.' Peach gave her knight a quick kiss.

'I feel as if I could run across the kingdom right now!' and with that, he left for the post office in the walled city below her temporary palace. Peach sighed. Luigi had to do a report about the situation of the peasants on the most affected parts of the kingdom by the winter. Daisy ran the capital while Peach was off in any other cities. She trusted them both with her life. Still, she felt something wrong. Marth's offering had proved to be ineffective. A month had passed since then, and nothing happened. Peach had headed the advice of her friend Princess Zelda but was unsure of what to do. Zelda was a remarkable woman. She had fended off a plague, The Calamity, that had ravaged through Hyrule, but once it was over, and everything was normal, she wasn't the same person. She seemed to be less trusting and always mor alert. Peach had expanded and readied her amies, but for what? She didn't know. Still, there was something strange about the whole matter of the Ylissian Empire…

'Should I add anything else, your highness?' asked the toad.

'Yes, please: Therefore, the Mushroom Kingdom shall stand on its own on the battlefield, if necessary.'

'Very well. I'll send this to Ylisse then?'

'Please, hurry'

A week passed, with no important event taking place in the seaside kingdom. Peace and tranquillity reigned over the people, and that was a good sign. The Toads were peaceful and serene beings. They would fight, but always preferred the comfort of their homes, as did Peach. Lately, she had been thinking of going back to the capital city of her kingdom in efforts of implanting new measures to accommodate the people. Luigi's report said that the Mountaintop Kingdom had suffered heavily with the winter, and thus, she would announce plans to help those in need. That was her only reason to go back, but she added one more to her list when Mario came to visit her.

It was the middle of the night. Peach was in her balcony, admiring how the stars reflected upon the sea lights of immeasurable beauty, when Mario entered abruptly.

'Peach!' shouted the knight, sweaty and out of breath. He never called her Peach unless something of great importance was going on.

'Mario? What is it? Are you all right?'

'Flags are red on the castle. War is happening again. Bowser attacks'

They quickly mobilised. She informed the lord of the city and sent an army to her home. Her and Mario travelled on Plessie, along with some members of the royal guard, up the Fungi River, which crossed the entire country, being born in the Mountaintop Kingdom, passing through the Great Canal of the capital city, Peachville, and dying in the Sea of Yoshi. Peach was glad they had access to the great dragon's speed and strength in the water, otherwise, they would have taken far longer than a week to reach Peachville. Once there, Peach saw the image she so hated: soldiers on the streets patrolling the walls, legions of Toads and Yoshis arriving at the gate and fear in everyone's eyes. She went to Great Mushroom Castle, a giant fortress of white bricks and vibrant red rooftops. She loved the city her people named after her. White, red, blue and green coloured the city buildings in a beautiful rainbow. A gigantic main street crossed the city, and met with the Castle in the main square, where the theatre, the bathhouse and library were located as well. Decorating the square, bronze polished statues of her parents, erected by the people in their honour when Peach was six.

She met up with Daisy, who explained the situation to her.

'We took notice of it a week and a half ago. One of our patrols never came back, so we sent a shyguy explorer to see if anything was wrong.' Said the brunette lady, an old friend of hers, while she worked on orders and paperwork. 'What he found was appalling. The biggest army yet to attack us, gathered up in Belmoth's Hold, just across the border. We detected later that a third of that army was marching towards the Forest Kingdom, targeting Pauline's Fortress.'

Mario entered the room, wearing a serious expression across his face. 'They hate that fortress. Always fends them off.'

'But we know for a fact that it's not impenetrable. And so do they. Remember they once marched through these very floors.' Replied Daisy. One of the first times Bowser attacked, he and his armies managed to take Peachville, only to be defeated a few days later, yet in his time in the capital, he had destroyed almost everything. Peach gently caressed a portrait of her and her parents that lied among with many other paintings in the castle.

'We'll stop them there. Defend from the fortress. Close of any alternative paths. We can bomb some of the mountain paths, so they are forced to go through Ruined Dragon's Neck and Pauline's fortress.' Peach pictures a mental image of her domain's land on her head. The border with Bowser's land was across a little stretch of land that connected the Firelands Peninsula with the Mushroom Kingdom. A high mountain range, part of the Lost Kingdom, covered most of the entrance to the Mushroom Kingdom except a little pass through a valley, Ruined Dragon's Neck. They would hold their enemies in that valley from the fortress and prevent them from entering the rest of the kingdom.

'We can tackle them from two sides.' added Mario. 'Draw their attention to the fortress and surround them from behind with another force. That part of the army may hide in the mountains.'

With that plan in mind, Peach, Mario and Daisy, who was willing to join the fight, gathered the army and marched towards the border. It took them two days to get there but arrived well on time in Pauline's Fortress. The red flag of war towered over the little town, surrounded by thick grey walls. It was a stormy night. Lightning flashed in the mountain tops, illuminating with a snap the faces of the war ready soldiers. Drums echoed in the distance. Hours prior, all men had been informed of the plan and given their weapons and armours. Toads upon Yoshis were gathered in the main courtyard. Shyguy archers, lead by Daisy, stood upon the walls, looking for any sign of the enemy. Peach approached Luigi, another one of her guarding knights.

'Sire Luigi.' She greeted him.

'I-it's alright, your highness. Just Luigi. S-soldiers don't care about pro-proper names and titles.' He stuttered. Luigi used to be a coward, but had grown himself into a valiant knight, becoming a sorcerer, like his brothers, though he specialized in sneaking through the shadows and h'iding, while Mario perfected the art of fire.

'I need you to infiltrate behind the enemy lines. Tell us what we're expecting. Be quick and don't get seen.'

'Yes, your highness.'

'Good luck, and don't die. Daisy needs you alive.'

While Luigi went away, hidden in the shadow, Peach gave a rousing speech to her army.

'My loyal servants. Those who, without your support, I'd be no one. My soldiers, my friends. The tyrant Bowser attacks us again. It's becoming a tiring matter, really…' Some soldiers snickered. One shouted out loud. 'He just doesn't know when to stop, does he?'

The rest of her men laughed as well. Peach continued. 'No, he truly does not. But we'll teach him he holds no chance against us. We are the Mushroom Kingdom, and we are unbreakable! Be ready!'

A few hours passed, and Luigi came back, a terrified look on his face, darkened by the shadow of the night. Mario and Peach listened closely to what he had to say.

'Your highness, it's horrible. There's goombas, koopas, a small force of lakitus and some piranha plants on the attack towers.'

'That's the usual stuff Bowser brings, what's wrong with it? We can very well manage that.' Said Mario confidently.

'No, that's not what's wrong, dear brother. Amongst Bowser's ranks, I could see it clearly. Soldiers bearing the mark of Ylisse, acting as generals and lieutenants.'

Peach froze. 'Ylissian soldiers? From the Empire? Are you sure, Luigi?'

'I saw them as clear as I now see you, your highness. There was a dozen or so in that little army. Who knows if there are more in the main ranks in Bowser's domain?'

Mario seemed concerned. 'Be those soldiers from the Ylissian Empire matters not. They are still the enemy. After we deal with the attack, we'll deal with politics and such. Your highness, we need you to be centred in the battle.'

The drums resonated closer to the fortress. Small lights of torches and fire could be seen a few metres away. The enemy was there. The red flag of war got ripped from the mast and fell to the mud, just in front of Peach. The battle would commence shortly.