Uh...slow as usual. I think I will always be slow. It just something about working online. Every time I get on the internet, I feel like I'm at work and can't exert the effort to log in to one more site. I actually had this done a month ago and just never up-loaded it. Yea, not good I know. Hopefully, the cat-fight action will help make up for this a bit.
"Awe, Peachy don't feel bad." Daisy gently stroked her friend's blond waves as she sobbed onto the table cloth, her face buried in her arms. Their friendly tea had quickly turned into an emotional scene when Daisy had questioned Peach about her kissing developments, forcing her to relive the pain of her rejection. "Look, Mario's not a great kisser anyway. Forget great, he's not even good. In fact, if anything, he's downright bad." The sobs grew quiet, pink silk shoulders stopped heaving, and Daisy congratulated herself on her quick thinking...until Peach raised her head, fixing her with a baleful glance far beyond anything she had thought those sweet blue eyes capable of.
"How would you know?" Peach asked slowly and deliberately, her soft voice almost stony.
"Well...you see...there was that time when Tatanga kidnapped me...and Mario rescued me...and..."
"And neither of you though of mentioning this to me?" Daisy looked helpless as Peach glared at her. "You knew he had already rescued me multiple times. How could you?"
"See, I'd never been rescued before. Guess I got carried away. It only ever happened that once so I didn't think it was super important. Forgive me please, Peachy."
"I'll think about it." Peach stirred her tea savagely.
"Oh, I see," Daisy crossed her arms defensively. "It's all fine that Luigi helps rescue you all the time and Rosalina calls you his 'special one.' But as soon as Peach has to share the spotlight with someone else, it's not cool at all."
"Oh you don't understand. Mario said he wouldn't kiss me because I'm a princess. But you're a princess too. How does that work?"
"Maybe because I don't act much like a princess it's easier to forget."
"Underchomping right you don't. I've seen the way you act around guys and I'm sure that's the real reason."
"Keep swearing like that and you won't seem much like a princess either."
"That's not the point. At least I'm still decent, even if I'm not proper and..."
But, before the conflict could deteriorate further, it was interrupted as Toadsworth cam waddling importantly across the lawn towards them. As he drew nearer, he coughed significantly. "You're pardon ladies. I hate to intrude but I have something to say of great importance. That is, I want to ask," he cleared his throat self consciously, "how are you on this fine day?"
"We're fine, thank you," Peach replied, keeping her eyes lowered to hide the fury still churning there.
"Well, mustn't beat around the bush then, must we? Lovely weather we're having, what? You're quite the fine young Ladies now. Yes indeed. Those little bunny rabbits over there are quite cute. What I'm trying to say is, Princess Toadstool, it's time for you to get married."
"Married?" Peach sighed dreamily. She felt in shock. This was beyond her comprehension. Of course, she'd know marriage was always looming somewhere somewhere off on the edge of the horizon but has always seemed much too far away to be real. Everything was rushing over her too fast, like a wave sweeping her away. And yet, she was excited too. Marriage would make all her dreams come true. Her husband would have no choice but to kiss her and...
"Oh, Peachy," Daisy squealed excitedly, grabbing her arm hard enough to leave finger prints. "I'm so thrilled for you."
"I would be honored to do my duty for my country and my people," she said quietly, hoping Toadsworth and Daisy didn't notice the way her cheeks were going as pink as her dress, thinking about what else marriage would entail: kisses, kisses, and more kisses.
"That's my girl," said Toadsworth, looking much relieved. "Good show what? I've got the invitation letters for your suitors already drawn up. With your permission, I'll have them sent out post haste."
Peach wrinkled her nose delicately. "Suitors? What suitors?"
"Why your suitors of course, my precious one. All the great kings and princes from across the the world. I won't even think of having any but the best try to marry my little Peachy."
"But, but." Peach could feel her lip starting to quiver. "I thought I was going to marry Mario."
"Yea." Daisy put her arm around Peach's waist to show solidarity. "He's the hero of the Mushroom Kingdom. Who could possibly be more worthy? What are you thinking there, Toadypants?"
"Now, ladies," Toadsworth said uncomfortably as he backed away, his mustache starting to droop. "There's no need to get your petticoats in a snarl. Mario's a great guy, top notch really. But he's still a plumber, born and bred. Remember, whoever the Princess marries will be king of the Mushroom Kingdom someday. Now, be honest, blossom, can you really see Mario as a king?"
"No." Peach slumped forward, defeated, but Daisy wasn't done yet.
"Hold on there, old stuffy," she cried. "Who cares about that? You don't need a king. Peachy can be the queen and Mario can be the Royal Plumber. He can make sure all the princess's pipes are in working order," she finished with a wink at Peach.
Toadsworth went purple and began sputtering the way the klown kar did when Bowser had forgotten to put enough fuel in it so that, despite the gravity of the situation, Peach had to struggle not to giggle. "You horrible girl," he cried, waving his finger under Daisy's nose. "You're a bad influence on my Peachy, you are. If I were in charge here you'd not set foot in this castle again."
"Good thing you're not." Daisy put her hands on her hips defiantly. "Now shove out, you old wind bag." And Toadsworth went, hobbling across the yard at a great pace, despite almost tripping on his cane in the process. But, when almost out of earshot, he turned and yelled back at them, "Just wait until the suitors arrive. Mark my words missyes."
"Ooh, he makes me so mad," Daisy grumbled, then, noticing that Peach as still sitting in silence, seemingly in shock from all that had happened so quickly, she said defiantly, "Don't worry, Peachy, we'll think of something."
Sweat rolled over Kamek's eye ridges and down his beak as his wizard's hat wilted into a shapeless mass on top of his head. After a hard day of work, he had retired to the employee lounge for some well deserved rest and was not pleased at all to find a collection of young hammer brothers had arrived just ahead of him, taking all the prime spots on the couch, and were blaring the evening news at top volume. But, in a matter of seconds, he had forgotten all about that for the news itself was something that, as soon as King Bowser heard of it, would postpone all thoughts of vacation indefinitely, possibly forever. It was so very, very tempting to just pretend he had seen and heard nothing, to slink off to his room and become obsessively interested in his research, even set off on an information gathering "field mission" and not come back for months...or years. But no, the storm would break sooner or later and, if later, the damage would be worse, worse for everyone, including his master whom, Kamek were forced to reluctantly admit, he still had paternal feelings for.
Bowser was in the midst of trying on a new costume of spikes and black leather, admiring himself in a full length mirror and, while he didn't mind an audience for his magnificence, Kamek was a bit old fashioned and didn't really approve of his style. Sure enough, he came in with the most horrible scowl on his face. "Well, look who's Mr. Happy," snarled Bowser, crossing his arms over his chest. "Did you come here just to rain on my parade?"
"Your Insensitiveness, please just listen...on the evening news...the Mushroom Kingdom..."
"What of the Mushroom Kingdom? Are those wimpy little toads upset because it was cloudy during their annual falling star viewing?"
"No, Lord Bowser. It's the princess. She's..."
"What?" roared Bowswer, actually taking his eyes off his reflection for that first time to look straight at Kamek. "What's happened to the princess? Is she sick. Has she been captured by X-nauts, possessed by an ancient demon, molested by a perverted computer?"
"No, nothing like that. It's something far worth. She's getting married."
All the roar went out of Bowser. His skin actually seemed to grow darker in color, as if the fire inside had been snuffed out. "She's going to what?" he asked in a slow, dead voice.
"According to the news, kings and princes from all over the known world are being invited to Toad Town so that the chancellor and the mushroom retainers can select one among them as a husband for the princess. And, before you ask, I'm afraid, your Unpopularness, that it looks like you weren't invited."
"What do I care about that?" snarled Bowser, belching black smoke and getting at least a little of his proper angry color back. "Do you think I actually want to compete with those royal losers for the princess's hand? She's my princess. We're already married. This very idea is bigamous." Kamek stood in silence, watching his protege rant and rave and feeling the sweat trickle unpleasantly down the back of his robe. He had a wild, masochistic desire to ask, "What do you plan to do about it?" But, really, there was not point in rushing the fall of doom. It would come more than soon enough if he just waited. "Draft a letter," Bowser cried at last, waving his hands fiercely over his head. "Tell those measly mushroom retainers that, if they try to marry off my wife to any other man there will be serious consequences, dire havoc and destruction even."
"Yes, your Dictatorialness," Kamek mumbled as he went hunting in his pockets for a pen. "But, if you don't mind my asking, what kind of havoc and destruction were you thinking of?"
"I don't know, exactly. Those flimsy funguses are such cowards, I'm sure it won't even come to that."
"Of course not, Lord Bowser. But I'll start mobilizing the troops, just in case."
"Very good." Bowser grinned toothily, the shiny studs on his new outfit glinting menacingly in the dim light. But, inside, he felt a bit apprehensive. If they did encounter resistance, would he be able to make good on a threat big enough to protect his princess? This was going to take serious planning and he was already so nervous that focusing would be difficult.