Uh...yeah... It's been five years... I think the eclipse I mentioned last time is long over. I got divorced which meant I needed to work really hard to support myself, so I went back to school and am half way through getting my PhD. This does NOT mean I'm going to have more time to update in the future. So this chapter and the next are mostly talky bits so I hope it isn't too dull. This is about the mid point of the story and these two chapters set up how the rest of it will play out.
Horrible, dead silence fell, stale as the air in a boo house. Everyone stared at Peach and she stared back. Her face was frozen, her posture rigid. She didn't feel sick or frightened. In fact, she didn't feel anything at all. The affront she had committed was so far beyond the bounds of comprehension, it was as if it didn't exist at all. Still, no one spoke, no one moved. To all appearances, no one breathed. And yet there was a sound, coming not from inside the hall but from the direction of the street, a pounding, clanging, roaring sound. Closer and closer it came, as if a river in flood was boiling through the halls towards them.
"Mario," said Peach in a voice like ice crystal. "Go out in the corridor and see what's going on." Mario hesitated, probably still stunned by Peach's revelation or simply unused to her taking command. Finally, he took a half-hearted step towards the doors but it was already too late. There was a great crash and the doors flew open, revealing Bowser, snarling imposingly, with Kamek at his shoulder, his children in a half circle behind him, and the Koopa Troop cramming the corridor behind.
"Mama Peach," squealed Bowser Jr., completely spoiling his father's dramatic entrance.
If the people in the hall had been stunned before, they were even more in shock now, but Mario found his voice. "Bowser, get out of here you a fiend," he cried
Struggling to recover his dignity, Bowser roared, "Stand and deliver...the princess...to me..." he finished lamely as everyone continued to stare blankly. His voice trailed off as he fidgeted uncomfortably.
"Peach Blossom, dearest," said Toadsworth at last. "You can't really be serious that this bumbling buffoon is your husband. Jolly good hoax, what?"
"I am perfectly serious." Peach's voice trembled slightly but not from reluctance. Feeling was creeping back into her, leaving her tingling all over, like when her skin thawed after a winter excursion. Then, faster and hotter, it coursed through her like golden sunshine. Bowser had not forgotten her. He had done what no one else, even those who supposedly cared the most for her, had done and come to save her from Peasely.
Bowser's jaw dropped. "I'm what? Yes, yes, of course I am," he covered quickly, drawing himself up.
"You are a not," cried Mario. "The princess was not a in her right mind."
"I'll be the judge of that," Peach replied tartly. "And I fail to see how you get to have any say in who I should marry," she muttered under her breath.
Fortunately, there was no risk of her being overheard as Toadsworth immediately exploded with "You knew about this?...And you didn't see a need to inform me? Young man, you've got a lot of explaining to do." For once, Bowser took no pleasure in, in fact, did not even notice his hated rival squirming with embarrassment. His mind had essentially gone blank at Peach's words. She was actually agreeing they were married. At last, at long last. If he had heard it from anyone else, he would have assumed it was a trick to put him off his guard. But Peach was far too sweet and good to ever tell a lie. In the back of Bowser's mind, he became aware of a nagging buzzing, like a fly and an annoying itching on his shoulder.
"Your matrimonialness," said Kamek for the fifth time, tapping his monarch continuously on the shoulder. "Hadn't you better call off your troops before they ravage the castle of your wife's allies. She might not like that, you know." He was half way through the sixth repetition when Bowser slammed his palm down on the annoying insect, as he thought. Learning it was Kamek instead, he began berating his second in command for interrupting at such an important moment, to the vast amusement of his children.
Caught between the argument of Toadsworth and Mario on one side and Kamek and Bowser on the other, Peach clutched her aching head. Then she noticed Peasly eyeing her, his face a dark scowl under his golden hair. He took a step forward and she knew she needed to act fast. "Silence, everyone." Peach's shrill scream, perfected from years of kidnappings, easily pierced through all the clamor around it and, again, everyone turned to stare at her. "Clearly, we have a lot to discuss," she said in a more gentle tone. "Might I recommend something more organized and private. If I could presume on your hospitality, Queen Bean, I would like to call a council of state. Toadsworth, Mario, Kamek, Bowser, Daisy, please come with us."
"Well said, princess," exclaimed Bowser as they turned to follow the queen down a hall way off to the right of the great hall where the wedding was to have been held. Peach felt herself blush. Taking control was still a new thing for her and getting praise for someone who was an old hand at it felt good, so very good. But her joy was quickly mitigated by the fact that, even though she hadn't mentioned him, she noticed Peasly joining the council group. It had really been too much to hope that he wouldn't but...
She also noticed that, despite a clear invitation, Daisy, had not moved. "Aren't you coming?" asked Peach, turning back to her friend.
"Oh no," replied Daisy airily. "I don't know anything about this matter so I'd have nothing to add." Daisy's curt words stung but Peach couldn't stay to try to reason with her as the meeting had to take place right away, to calm what was already a potentially explosive situation. They all followed Queen Bean out a side door and down a hall into a small room with a round table. The room felt horribly cramped, especially when Bowser had maneuvered his giant spiky shell into it but Peach was certainly not about to request a different room. She was on thin ice with the Beanbean people already. Still, Queen Bean did not seem angry as she took her seat even though there was barely enough room for her to squeeze in between the table and the wall and that was only by pushing the table forward so there was almost no space at all on the opposite side. Peach resignedly took the spot diagonally across from both Queen Bean and Bowser, meaning the most cramped place in the entire room. Fitting her petite frame into it was no problem but trying manage the massive, billowing skirts of her wedding dress in such a small space was another matter entirely and she could only manage to fit into her seat by crushing most of the carefully constructed petticoats. No matter. She had no further use for the dress today and certainly wouldn't be wanting to wear it again.
Despite her lack of space and the upheaval that had just happened to her kingdom and to her family, Queen Bean still seemed in a comparatively good mood, grinning widely as she settled into her cramped seat. Peach took some heart from that, then looked around at the rest of the table and felt her stomach drop. She had wound up sitting between Toadsworth, whose mustache was standing on end with rage, and Kamek, who was twiddling his thumbs at lightning speed and twitching nervously every few seconds. Peasly, who was, thankfully, on the far side of the table, had a superior, sulky expression and Mario, next to him, looked like he was ready to leap out of his seat and launch himself across the table at Bowser any second. She kept expecting to see fire start coming from the white-gloved fingers he was ominously drumming on the table. Bowser himself as completely oblivious to this and the only other person who did not look extremely upset. But this was because he had his eyes closed, a silly smile on his face, and kept bobbing his head from side to side, as if he was humming to himself.
Peach fumed with frustration, wanting to cover her face with her hands and melt into the table. "Good people," she began, trying to keep the irony out of her voice. "We have a serious situation on our hands."
"I'll say you do," cried Toadsworth, his mustache expanding even further. "Some very serious explaining to do, young lady."
"My marital status and the reasons behind it are not open for debate," Peach replied crisply. "The question, the only question, is what happens now?"
"Now?" Bowser suddenly opened his eyes and began paying attention again. "Now I take my bride back to my castle so we can celebrate our long over-due honeymoon."
"Now see here, you great bungler," cried Toadsworth in indignation, "the princess can't just abandon her people like that. Goodness no, that would never do."
"I'm afraid Toadsworth's right," said Peach gently.
"I've been waiting my whole life for this moment," Bowser objected. "Now that I've got you, I'm can't just walk away. Are you saying your fainthearted fungus subjects can't manage without you for even a few days?"
"Of course they can. I know I'll have to spend a lot of time in the Koopa Kingdom going forward...and you'll have to spend a lot time in the Mushroom Kingdom too," she added sternly.
"Not a on my watch," she thought she heard Mario mutter.
"But not right away. This is going to be a big change for them and we can't just spring it on them all at once. We have to warm them up to it."
"Your Impatience, I suggest you listen to your wife. She's a smart one," put in Kamek nervously.
"But, Peach Blossom, they know already. Probably, the whole kingdom was watching your wedding on the telly."
"I wasn't suggesting I hide everything completely," Peach frowned, "like I'm ashamed of it, because I'm not." She looked straight at Mario who was muttering something again. "Bowser can make state visits to the Mushroom Kingdom, I can make state visits to him, so the people can get comfortable having him around and with me not being there some of the time and then we can have a ceremony officially presenting him as my husband." Even in the midst of the tense situation, she got a funny feeling in her stomach when she said it.
"And crowning him a king too?" Mario exploded, quite literally. The fireball that erupted from his clenched fists showering sparks on to Queen Bean sitting next to him. Fortunately, she did not seem harmed though she did wrinkle her nose distastefully as she patted out her hair, which was beginning to smoke.
"Of course," said Peach firmly. "This is a diplomatic meeting so please keep that in mind" She turned back to Toadsworth.
"Even if people already know we're married, this will still be more comfortable for them than having us suddenly be together all the time and me be away for extended periods of time. Your subjects might appreciate the gradual change too," she added, noticing Bowser start to shift uncomfortably.
"My people have known you were there true queen for years," he muttered staring down at the table. "They don't need all this silly coddling."
"Well, this may come as a shock, you overgrown tortoise," fumed Toadsworth. "But this isn't all about you."
"If they've waited so long, they can wait a bit longer." Peach was starting to get tired of the bickering. It was exhausting and also, there was the nagging worry in the back of her mind about Daisy. She would need her support more than ever dealing with all the public relations issues...and relationship issues a tiny voice in the back of her head whispered.
"Well, I'm not very good at the diplomatic stuff," huffed Bowser, refusing to look at her. "I'll probably be a disaster at it so probably best just to skip it. Besides, that kind of thing is Kamek's job." As he said this, the elderly koopa next to him sank down into his chair and tried to pull his pointy wizard hat down over his head.
"I'm sure you'll do fine," she said soothingly. "You just have to work at it and I'll be there to help you. Besides, you have such lovely children. No one could possibly resist how charming they are so they'll do half the work for you just be being there."
"Your Ambassadorial-ness," Kamek made haste to add, "all us koopas have every confidence in you."
"It's settled then," Peach said with a relieved smile. "Everyone can return home and we will prepare for you...and your family, to come for their first state visit in a week." Toadsworth nodded curtly in assent, though he looked none too pleased about it.
"At lest allow me to transport you home, Princess. I have a fleet of airships waiting out side at your disposal." Bowser made a grand sweep with his arm, almost smacking Kamek in the face, but he quickly ducked under it with reflexes born of long practice. Peach opened her mouth to say yes only to find herself rudely interrupted.
"I think you're all forgetting something extremely important," came a sharp voice from the far end of the table and they looked down to see Peasly scowling under his glittering hair. "Me."
PS. Apparently, when I first wrote this, I accidentally typed Mario saying "Get out of her, you a fiend." I'm sure that would have made the story more interesting to some of you but we're getting ahead of ourselves...