Chapter Nine

Bowser's Meeting

"It has come to my attention that some of you don't agree with the changes I am making," Bowser said, looking at the council in front of him. "Would anyone like to elaborate?"

Boos, Koopas, Goombas and everyone else sitting around the table began to shift nervously. They were all well seasoned when it came to arguing over controversial topics, but speaking against Bowser was another issue altogether. The King had proven to be much more emotionally stable than rulers past, but he was still Bowser, King of the Dark Lands.

"If you don't tell me your concerns then they must not be important enough to call a meeting. You are all dismissed," Bowser stated, getting up from his chair.

"Please! Your Highness!" a Magikoopa in purple robes called. "We called this meeting because some of us feel that certain changes you want to make are questionable and maybe even… disagreeable." Bowser stopped and looked at the Magikoopa with scrutiny in his gaze. All of the counselors in the room looked at the Magikoopa with wide eyes.

"Pray, tell me, what is it that some of you find disagreeable?" Bowser asked with an air of fake concern.

"Your intention of forming an alliance with the surrounding kingdoms, for example, the Mushroom Kingdom," the purple-robed Magikoopa stated. The room filled with gasps and whispers but Bowser only continued to hold her gaze.

He chuckled and sat back down at the table, "What is your name again? Caramel? Camel? Cabella?"

"Kamella, your Ferociousness," she corrected him with a polite nod of her head.

"Yes, Kamella," he stated dismissively. "What is your disagreement with peace?"

"I have nothing against peace, your Viciousness. I only find it hard to believe that any of the neighboring Kingdoms would ever form an alliance with the Dark Lands, especially the Mushroom Kingdom."

"What would you suggest, then?" Bowser asked.

"That we end our attempts to create agreeable ties with other kingdoms and bring them to respect and fear us rather than seeing us as equals or less," she stated firmly.

The room was filled with hushed whispers as the councilors around the table argued over her statements. Two other Magikoopas in the room only glanced at each other and sat in silence while the rest of the council murmured to each other quietly. Bowser kept his eyes on Kamella despite the commotion that rose in the meeting room. She also continued to meet his gaze coolly.

"Who else believes this?" Bowser asked, keeping eye contact with Kamella.

The room quieted while the council contemplated the argument Kamella had brought forward. Two or three hands were raised not including Kamella's while the rest only shook their heads.

"How many of you believe that the surrounding kingdoms will refuse to form an alliance with the Dark Lands?" Bowser asked, continuing to stare Kamella down.

Most of the table raised their hands except for the other two Magikoopas and one other councilor at the table.

Kamella smirked, "King Bowser, most of us here believe that the nearby kingdoms don't respect us enough to form a pact. Constantly being defeated by Mario only brought this kingdom's supremacy into question. Yes, most of our defeats were intentional, but this only makes defeat that much more humiliating. We understand that you did it all to gain Princess Peach's favor. It was a noble cause, but the image of the King is what breeds respect for the kingdom he rules." Many heads at the table nodded in agreement with her argument.

"That is a load of shit," Bowser stated simply, bringing all eyes back to himself. "And those of you who agree are complete morons." The members of the council, who had previously agreed with Kamella began to object, but Bowser only lifted his hand to silence them. "The real reason the neighboring kingdoms wouldn't align themselves with us is that the Mushroom Kingdom has a strong relationship with most if not all of them. None of the surrounding kingdoms would agree to be our allies unless the Mushroom Kingdom stepped forward and formed an alliance with us." The council started to buzz with surprise.

A green-shelled Koopa raised his claw and asked, "What motive would the Mushroom Kingdom have to do something so wholly unexpected?"

"We will offer our assistance to them and open our borders to their business," Bowser stated with a smirk. As he expected, the council was shaken. A majority of the councilors were practically standing on their chairs trying to ask him questions. Kamella only shook her head in irritation. "Silence," Bowser ordered. The council stopped and sat back in their chairs reluctantly.

"So… when you told everyone you were done trying to win the Princess, you meant that you were changing tactics to impress her - despite the fact that she denounced you," Kamella commented coldly. This time, the council was as silent as the grave. Even Kamek tensed, waiting for Bowser to melt them all into puddles. Bowser stood from his chair and walked towards Kamella with smoke rolling from his nostrils. For once, the Kamella began to regret giving her opinion as Bowser clamped his claw on her shoulder and turned her chair to face him.

"You know, Ka-smelly, I am the king of one of the powerful nation in the world that reigned with blood and terror for generations. My ancestors tore power and glory from the corpses of mighty men and struck fear in the hearts of the world. They wanted the respect you speak so highly of," Bowser snarled. "But they are all dead. Do you want to know why?... Because they were all ass-hats like you. They are proof that fear is only a means to a bloody end. The hated die young and their legacy dies with them. But I will die old and the Dark Lands will be my legacy of unparalleled power and strength because I am a damn good king and I will run my kingdom the way I see fit!" He slammed his fist into the table, breaking it in half.

Kamella twitched at the end of his statement but remained silent. Having nothing more to say, Bowser growled, intimidatingly blowing out a thick cloud of smoke and left the room.

"Oh dear…" Kamek chuckled, breaking the silence that Bowser had left behind. "Even Kammy hasn't been called an ass-hat before! Heeeehehehe!" With that, the old Magikoopa got up and shuffled out before Kammy could smash his head in with her fist.

Kamella didn't bother answering. Instead, she transported herself away to brood over Bowser's words.

"I will run my kingdom the way I see fit."

"My, my… how alike you both are," Kamella said to herself. "Too bad. Bowser would have made a truly terrifying king."

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