Chapter Two

6 months later

The weather was finally starting to grow warmer and spring flowers were blooming. Summer was so close Peach could almost taste it. She was practically boiling over with excitement as she thought about her plans to have a weeklong vacation in Sarasaland with Daisy and the Mario Brothers. Just one more month of torture and she could see Mario again!

*knock knock*

"Good morning, Princess Toadstool! I have very important news for you!" Toadsworth exclaimed as Peach opened the door to greet him. The old Toad's mustache was a little disheveled and he twisted his cane in his hands nervously. He looked absolutely flustered per usual. "The Mushroom King, long may he live, has locked himself in the north side of the castle and refuses to come out or receive his morning tea!"

"How peculiar," Peach answered thoughtfully. "What brought him to do such a thing?"

"I'm afraid it may have been my fault. As you know, I knock on his door at 6:30 a.m. sharp every morning to give the King his schedule. This morning, I was a minute and a half late when I finally handed him his schedule and he became infuriated with me. He even went so far as to declare that I had lost my mind!" Toadsworth fretted. "Whatever shall we do? The first meeting of the day is scheduled to start at 7:30 and it's already 7! Oh my, the royal council will be so upset with me."

Peach smiled kindly, "Don't worry, Toadsworth. I am sure my father wouldn't isolate himself just because you were a little late. As for the meeting, I will take over for him if he insists on staying in his room."

"Oh Princess, you are a gem! Here!" Toadsworth praised, pulling the Mushroom King's schedule out of his pocket. "All of the information you need for the meetings is written on the back of the page. I will also bring you a binder with notepaper in case you need to take notes."

The princess scanned the schedule briefly and her eyes widened. "Toadsworth, I don't know if…" she began to say, but he cut her off.

"This will be such wonderful practice for when you marry and become queen. I know you aren't overly fond of the idea of getting married before you turn twenty-five, but who knows? Maybe Mario will propose before then! What a lovely queen you will make…" Toadsworth prattled on happily.

Peach only shook her head and gave a small sigh. No wonder her father had locked himself away. Every hour of the day, including breakfast and lunch, had been filled with 'safety' meetings, 'charity' meetings, 'dignitary' meetings, 'chain chomp rescue' meetings, 'Koopas for change' meetings, 'Toads for no change' meetings, and so many other meetings that were impossible to take care of in the time allotted or just plain unnecessary to have at all. Ever.

"I need kidnapped…" Peach whispered to herself.

"What?! Kidnapped?" Toadsworth jumped with fright.

"No! I… said I need a kid nap! A nap that kids get… You know? A short nap in the middle of the day to keep myself sharp!" Peach quickly answered him, trying to cover up what she had said.

Toadsworth, still a little flustered, said, "Oh. You scared me, ole gal. I thought you said… Well, it doesn't matter. I know you, of all people, understand that Bowser is dangerous and crazier than a frog with a caffeine addiction," he mumbled mostly to himself. After a short pause, Toasdworth came back to reality with a smile, "Ah, about that nap! There should be time both here and here!" He took a pencil and wrote a star beside both times he thought best and then nodded his head to Peach in satisfaction.

"Thank you, Toadsworth," she said, feigning a smile. Satisfied with her approval, Toadsworth left her to dress and prepare for the day he had painstakingly put together. When he was out of sight she shut the door with a huff. "Three meetings every hour and he chooses for me to take a nap between the longest meetings of the day? This is ridiculous…"

It only went downhill from there.

Once the day was only half over, Toadsworth informed Peach that the Mushroom King had decided to take the entire week off.

"Because you have done such a wonderful job, the council agrees it would be best if you continue to take charge and act in the King's place while he is resting," Toadsworth stated proudly. Peach withheld a groan and thanked him with practiced kindness.

This was the last thing she needed. She had already endured six months of endless work even when her father wasn't avoiding his duties. Now she had gone and made things much worse by volunteering to take care of the whole of it.

That night, Peach lay on her bed inspecting the ends of her hair.

"Isn't it sad that my last break was when a deranged fire-breathing lizard stuffed me in a clown car and locked me in the library? He even gave me a key to the lock!" Peach chuckled with some hysteria as she rubbed her temples in frustration. She hadn't even been able to see Mario at all since the last time he had saved her.

"I wonder if Mario misses me?" Peach thought to herself as she stuck out her hand to turn off the lamp sitting on her nightstand. She paused for a moment and took a second glance out her bedroom window. Peach could have sworn she had seen a shadow move outside.

On second thought, probably not.

. .

The next day was every bit as grueling as the last. Meeting after meeting proceeded until the clock finally chimed 9 p.m. The princess was finally free. According to the schedule, Peach was supposed to be done by 4:30pm but everyone, except Toadsworth, knew each meeting would exceed the amount of time planned.

As soon as she had the opportunity, Peach ran (gracefully) back to her room and shut the door before Toadsworth was done giving his farewells to the foreign dignitaries. This did not, however, stop him from knocking on her door, seeking to have his own personal meeting with her. Despite feeling slightly dishonest, Peach innocently turned on the water in the bathroom tub so she had an excuse not to open the door. He would have to save his problems and questions for the next day.

The headache that pounded in Peach's head eased little by little as she laid in her hot water bath. While she relaxed, she spotted a crystal bowl full of chocolate truffles sitting on the edge of her bathtub. Toadette, the pink-capped Toad, must have left them for the princess. "What a thoughtful girl. I will have to thank her later," thought Peach as she popped one of the chocolates into her mouth.

"Could you save one of those for me?"

Peach fearfully flung the truffle that was in her hand in the direction the mysterious voice had come from.

"Oh, why thank you," the shadow in the corner of Peach's bathroom said with amusement as the truffle landed directly into its clawed hand. "It was more of a suggestion rather than an immediate order, but it's very thoughtful of you none the less."