Eeep, I know it's been a long time since I've updated, but I've been real busy recently. Sorry... Got an eventful chapter for you now, though (also, the longest thus far!), so I hope you enjoy it!
And thank you for the reviews so far!
As they arrived outside Peach's castle, Bowsette was increasingly glad that Junior never actually questioned why they were going there – because she didn't even know herself. Of course, she was also terrified about meeting Peach, but the relief from the former was easier to focus on.
They strode through the large castle doors; Mario, Luigi and Toadsworth in front with Bowsette – who was desperately trying to hide her panic – and Junior trailing behind them. Clearly, she wasn't doing a good job, though, as Junior gave her hand a reassuring squeeze as they crossed the threshold.
"Toadsworth!"
Peach had apparently been waiting anxiously for their return, as she was upon them seconds after they were through the door. She crouched down to give the elderly toad a hug and she, Toadsworth, Mario and Luigi exchanged a few words.
For the life of her, however, Bowsette could not say what was being said between them. She knew, after everything that had happened, seeing Peach again would be hard. But this? She was frozen, her heart somehow soaring with happiness and aching with sorrow at the sight of her. Her bright blue eyes were just as captivating as she remembered them, and that smile – so much more powerful in person than on a picture – could still reduce her insides to mush.
She stood, staring like an idiot until Toadsworth's voice broke through her trance.
"Yes! It was this young woman who saved me, I owe her dearly!"
Toadsworth and the Mario Brothers stood to the side, bringing Peach's attention to Bowsette – not that they needed bother stand out of the way, as she was taller than all of them.
"You saved Toadsworth? Thank you." She said, giving her a warm smile.
Many times, Peach had accused her of being heartless; if she knew of the things that were happening in her chest at the sight of her smile – her wonderful smile – finally being directed at her... well, she'd know she was very wrong indeed.
"O-oh, it was nothing." Without her usual macho veneer to hide behind, Bowsette couldn't help but be reduced to an awkward, stuttering mess.
Peach chuckled lightly. Whether at her response or her awkwardness, she did not know. Either way, it was one of the most beautiful sounds to have graced Bowsette's ears.
"Might I ask your name?"
"Bowsette. And this is my son, Juni." Junior waved, probably trying desperately to hide his excitement at seeing the person he held as a mother figure.
"Bowsette, Juni. I'm honoured to meet you." She said with a bow of her head. "I am in your debt."
A beat passed between them, where Bowsette didn't quite know what to say, before Peach changed the subject. "It's getting late; perhaps you two would like to stay for dinner? Maybe stay the night in some of the guest rooms?"
Bowsette would love to take her up on that offer, but she knew the longer she stayed, the more it would hurt to leave again; she should never have come. "Oh, we couldn't. Thank you, but we'd best get going back to our cabin. It was a pleasure to see your castle."
Peach looked somewhat disappointed, but before she could insist, Toadsworth cut in. "But Bowsette, your cabin was half-destroyed; the least we can do is allow you to stay for a while, while you get back on your feet."
"Oh!" Peach exclaimed with pity. "Your home was destroyed?" She fixed Bowsette with a firm but kind gaze, placing her hands on her hips. "Then I must insist that you stay; at least for a few days."
Bowsette wanted to tell them that she had more than enough money and resources to sort the cabin quickly, but that would raise more questions than it would answer. Besides, she couldn't find it in her to deny the beautiful blonde when she was looking at her like that.
She acquiesced with a small nod. "Okay... we'll stay. Thank you, Princess Peach." She nudged Junior with her foot.
"Thank you, Princess Peach." He said.
Peach smiled once again. "It is the least I can do. Now, dinner must almost be ready; please follow me."
She started to walk off and Bowsette caught a brief glance at the Mario Brothers, who were looking at her curiously – Mario's gaze with a hint of suspicion.
She chose not to think on it now and turned to follow Peach as she hurriedly turned back around to face them. "Oh, Mario, Luigi, you'll join us as well, won't you?"
"Of course! We'd be delighted." Luigi replied for both of them.
Though this wasn't her first time dining with Princess Peach, it was the first time where she wasn't a captive in her castle. As such, Bowsette was initially worried about her lack of fine dining skills. Watching the Mario Brothers, however, immediately put that to rest. They weren't messy eaters exactly... but it certainly wasn't what she'd expect at Peach's table – a view that the princess clearly didn't share, as she was completely unphased.
So she made the effort to eat neatly – and told Junior to do the same – but she wasn't overly worried about it.
"So, Bowsette, are you from the Koopa Kingdom?" Peach asked after they had tucked into their meals.
Though the Koopa Kingdom and Mushroom Kingdom were usually at odds – mostly due to her repeated kidnap attempts – the Mushroom Kingdom was still accepting of any of its peoples. So, at least Bowsette would be able to answer this question honestly.
"Yeah. Lived there my whole life, only came to the Mushroom Kingdom recently."
"Oh? Why did you leave, if you don't mind me asking?"
"There was an... Incident with Juni's father; I thought it was a good time for a change of pace." She replied vaguely.
Sensing that she'd touched on a sensitive topic, Peach opted to reply simply with a nod, before changing the subject; to Bowsette's relief.
Addressing everyone at the table, Peach asked, "Did anyone find any clues as to who the kidnappers were?"
Mario, Luigi and Bowsette all seemed shocked at the question, the thought having never crossed their mind. 'In my defence, I was much more concerned about Junior's safety... and not accidentally burning the hideout down.'
Toadsworth, however, seemed to expect the question. "I didn't find anything myself, in my brief search."
Noting the looks on the three rescuers faces, Peach realised that was the best she would get. "Well, I suppose it can't be Bowser; he would have made it clear that he was behind it. I suppose he really is taking a break."
"A-good. We won't have to deal with-a that monster for a while." Mario said scornfully.
There was a pang in Bowsette's chest as she tried to hide the pained expression on her face. To her right, she could sense Junior getting riled up at the plumber's comment. Before the young koopa could say anything, however, Peach spoke again.
"Yes, though I hope he's alright." She said quietly, though everyone present heard it.
Bowsette's heart leapt for joy at that; knowing that Peach actually seemed to care about her somewhat.
"What-a do you mean?" Mario spoke, confused by her sympathy for the koopa king.
"Well, he didn't seem to be in the best state on-" She promptly cut herself off, "When we last saw him; he may be a bad person, but I wouldn't want him to be in a bad way."
Bowsette's joy dissipated somewhat at that, but she caught herself; she was a bad person. Even if she was trying to change.
Instead of dwelling on that, she instead noted the light scowl on Mario's face. 'Is there something going on between those two?' Peach wasn't meeting the plumber's gaze and silence fell over the table.
Odd.
Toadsworth broke the silence this time, addressing Junior. "So, Juni, your mother mentioned that you've been having lessons recently. Perhaps you would like me to show you around the castle tomorrow and teach you a bit about it and the history of the royal family?"
Junior wasn't usually one to enjoy education, so Bowsette was shocked when he replied with apparent excitement, "That sounds fun, I'd like that." She considered that perhaps it was because Junior always jumped at an opportunity to hear more about his chosen mother figure; maybe he saw this as a way of indirectly getting close to her.
Were she alone, she would have sighed. Junior needed to let Peach go – they both did – it would only hurt him in the end. Peach didn't want to be a part of their family. They needed to respect that.
The next morning, Toadsworth met them at the bottom of the main staircase for Junior's lesson. He was not alone, however. Accompanying him was Peach, smiling brightly at the two waiting koopas.
"Good morning, Bowsette, Juni!" Toadsworth called in greeting. "Juni, I hope you're ready for your lesson; there's a lot of history in these walls!"
"I'm ready, Mr Toadsworth!" Junior replied enthusiastically.
"That's great to hear. Now, I believe Princess Peach wished to borrow your mother?"
Peach stood forward, giving Junior a polite nod, before addressing Bowsette.
"Yes. Bowsette, I was wondering if you would like to me accompany on a stroll through the gardens while Juni is with Toadsworth?"
She struggled to hide her surprise. 'Peach wants to spend time with me?! Alone? Keep it cool, Bowsette.' She quickly kept herself composed, however and buried her excitement.
"O-oh! I'd love to!"
'...So much for keeping it cool...' Ignoring her thoughts, she turned to Junior and crouched in front of him. "You have fun, Juni. And be good." She emphasised the last point by poking him on the tip of his snout.
"Great!" Peach said. "I hope you enjoy your lesson, Juni. We'll see you both later."
"Bye Mama, bye Princess Peach!" Junior called as both called as both groups parted ways.
"I was surprised that Juni seemed so enthusiastic to learn about the castle; most kids that age aren't too interested in history." Peach said as they made their way to the gardens.
Bowsette chuckled lightly. "I was too, guess he has a soft spot for castles." She paused a moment before adding, "I just hope he's not too much for Toadsworth; he can be quite mischievous when he wants to be."
"Oh," Peach laughed, "I suppose we will find out later." Bowsette smiled bashfully in response.
They continued in silence for a moment, until they came upon a door. "After you." Peach said, holding the door open for the koopa woman.
"Thank you." Bowsette said as she walked through the door, looking at the castle gardens.
She'd seen them before – many times – but she'd never really taken the time to appreciate them. There were countless flowers, vibrant colour filling the massive plot of land that was the castle gardens. Hedgerows separated the garden into different sections and added some decorative flair; there was even a hedge maze off to the left. And standing proud in the centre was a large ornate water fountain topped with a mushroom bust.
As Bowsette gazed upon the gardens, Peach moved to her side, watching her reaction. "So, what do you think?" She asked with a proud smirk.
"They're beautiful," She replied. Gazing into Peach's shining blue eyes, she momentarily forgot herself, adding, "Almost as beautiful as you."
Bowsette's eyes popped immediately. 'Why did you say THAT?! Stupid! ...Wait, is Peach blushing?'
Sure enough, there was a red tint to the princess's porcelain cheeks. "Thank you. Though you're quite beautiful yourself." She stepped forward, offering her arm to the koopa. "Shall we?"
Dazed, Bowsette looped her arm through Peach's, 'Peach thinks I'm beautiful' playing over and over in her head, the thought overwhelming and unexpected to the point that she was struggling to believe it.
They walked in silence for a moment before Peach spoke up. "I like to come here to think, sometimes. Helps me clear my head." She paused for a moment before adding quietly, "I've been coming a lot lately."
"How come?" Bowsette asked, concerned by her walking companion's sullen tone.
"Oh," Peach perked up, not wanting the other woman to worry about her, "nothing too bad, just... Well, I guess I've been reconsidering a lot. Reconsidering how I view certain people."
"Oh." Bowsette said lamely. 'Is this about Mario? There was some tension between them at dinner yesterday; I thought they'd be planning their wedding by now.' It wasn't her place to ask – and it was certainly too forward to ask when they'd only 'met' yesterday – but Bowsette couldn't help herself.
"Is this about Mario?"
Peach shot her a look and seemed to be considering something before sighing. "Yes. It's just... Everyone expects Mario and me to fall in love and get married. And, not too long ago I thought that it might happen as well. But, then... something happened – last time Bowser kidnapped me – and... It made me see Mario differently, I suppose." She sighed again, looking at a floral arrangement off to the side. "And now? I don't know. We were never officially a thing romantically, but now all the subtext is gone. And I much prefer just being friends with him, but..." She sighed again, pausing to collect her thoughts.
"But you don't know what to do now that you're not meant to be with Mario?"
"Yes!" Peach gave Bowsette a smile of thanks for helping put words to her thoughts, "I went so long thinking I was going to end up with him, that now I'm not sure what to do."
Bowsette pondered the problem for a moment before replying, "You don't need to do anything; just wait until the right person comes along."
Peach gave her an intense look. "I guess you're right."
Bowsette puffed out her chest at that. "I'm always right!" She declared.
A beautiful laugh was her reply. "I'll keep that in mind."
A beat passed between them, before Bowsette added jokingly – but secretly semi-seriously, "Or you could go marry Bowser."
The princess giggled at that, "That might be a step too far."
Bowsette nodded, glad that Peach realised she was joking; though she couldn't help the sting that the comment dealt to her heart – as silly as it was.
"That's the thing, though; he put so much effort into that wedding – even if he stole everything – trying to impress his captive who he was going to force to marry him anyway. I just don't understand that Koopa."
'It's because I love you!' Bowsette – so desperately – wanted to shout, but she restrained herself.
"Perhaps he's more human than you think."
Bowsette supposed that statement was true in more than one respect now.
"Perhaps. I just hope he gets over this obsession he had with kidnapping me and finds some real happiness."
'I hope so, too...'
"Thank you, Bowsette; it's nice to talk to someone about this."
She smiled at the princess, "It's no problem."
The warmth behind the smile she gave her in return was enough to make her blush, so she turned her eyes forward, lest her face get any redder.
They continued around the garden for a while, admiring the flora and appreciating the peaceful atmosphere.
"So, how's your love life?"
The koopa was taken aback by the question – after all, they were technically just talking about it. "Oh, I don't have much luck there."
Peach seemed genuinely surprised. "Really?"
Bowsette hesitated to go into more detail; if she was ever outed, then she didn't want Peach to know that all of her romantic aspirations were all centred around her. That would be embarrassing.
She'd just have to be vague.
"Yeah. There was someone... but they never felt the same." Bowsette shook her head sadly. "I refused to accept it for so long, which just made it hurt more. Hurt us both."
The princess stopped walking, placing her hand on the koopa's arm and turning to face her fully. "I'm sorry. But if it wasn't meant to be, it wasn't meant to be. One day you'll find someone who loves you."
Bowsette nodded sadly. "I wasn't a good person for a long time. I think I turned all my sadness and self-hatred into anger, which I then turned on everyone. I guess I thought that if I could be with them, then I might be able to be happy – that their love would make me a better person." She shook her head, not entirely sure where all this was coming from and why she was telling Peach, but she felt as if she was able to finally put words to something she'd felt for a long time. "But I know now, that I need to stop pretending to be someone I'm not – or that I don't want to be – and be content with the things I do have. Then, even if I don't find happiness, maybe I'll at least not be a bad person."
"Wow..." Peach muttered, in awe at the depth of the other woman's words. "You don't seem like a bad person to me; and Juni seems to think that you're a good mother."
"Juni deserves better than me." She said with a sad smile. "But, I'm trying to be a better mother; I will be the best parent I possibly can for him and that's the only purpose my life needs at the moment."
"Well," Peach started with a smile, stepping closer. "I'm sure you will be an amazing mother." Bowsette realised belatedly that the princess had brought their hands together between them. "And, I think, recognising and accepting your flaws makes you a better person than you think you are." She finished quietly.
With Peach this close, Bowsette couldn't help but get lost in her eyes. They stood at roughly the same height, though the princess was likely wearing heels, whereas the koopa wasn't. Still, standing at the same height as her was oddly satisfying.
They stood there, staring into each other's eyes, Bowsette starting to blush under the intensity of Peach's gaze.
"Your eyes are such a brilliant shade of red..." Peach whispered. They gravitated closer, until Peach jerked back slightly, a brilliant blush erupting on her cheeks. Bowsette just blinked a few times, confused.
'Wait. What just happened?'
Before she could ponder the answer to that question, Peach – having taken a step back – spoke up.
"Oh! I just remembered; Princess Daisy will be arriving tomorrow as we are having a karting tournament in two days, I'm sure she would like to meet you."
'Damn...' Bowsette thought 'They are having a karting tourney; even if they invited Bowser then I couldn't even participate like this.'
"Also," Peach continued, "Do you have any karting experience? Because you are very welcome to participate as well."
'YES!' "Oh, I'd love to! Can Juni join in too? He loves karting."
"Of course. I'll look forward to racing you two." There was a devious gleam in her eye that reminded her just how competitive the princess could get.
Bowsette couldn't help but grin in response. "It's on, Toadstool."
Thank you for reading! I'm really proud of this chapter, so I hope you like it too, and I'd love to hear what you thought!