Notes: A friend of mine suggested "Rosabelle" (it's Italian, wink wink) as a name for my quirky princess (whose history reminds me a lot of Princess Cimorene from The Enchanted Forest Chronicles...) and her semi-snarky personality promptly took shape from there.
Also, all chapter titles for this story are random quotes from movies, TV shows, songs, video games, books...don't ask me where all of them are from because even I don't remember. But I'm sure my readers will recognize at least a handful of them.
Chapter 2: Rats. It's Still Pink.
Having nothing else to do, I explored the den of horror I found myself in. There was a plush bed, a large wardrobe (full of pink dresses, naturally) and a pink-and-white vanity. There was also a tidy little bathroom, which I gratefully made use of. I splashed water on my dusty face, then used a comb I found in the vanity to smooth out my tangled hair. I didn't bother with the powder I found; what good would it do other than to make me more pale?
Feeling a little better, I paced my obscenely-bright prison for a while. I didn't see any means of escape; there were no other doors, and there weren't any windows. I was pretty sure, judging by how silent it was here, that the room was deep inside the castle. Stone walls are great for blocking out sound.
I started to feel pretty stifled, and hungry, too. Since I wasn't the scheduled prisoner, I was a little worried I would be completely forgotten.
I procrastinated for a while, but eventually I returned to the door. It was large and tall and at least four inches thick. I doubted pounding on it would get any attention. My tiny little fists rarely did.
There was a thick, frosty window near the top, no doubt made from glass that could sustain a blast from a bullet bill. I could at least see out a little through it - or I could have had I been tall enough.
Cursing my pitiful height, I stretched and hopped for a while, to no avail. There wasn't anything in the room I could stand on, either. Frustrated, I dropped down again, bumping the door handle in the process.
To my surprise, it gave with a click. I hesitantly gave the heavy door a push; it slowly swung outward.
I guess by not being the scheduled captive princess, no one had thought to lock the door. Lucky for me, I thought...only there was a guard posted outside.
He noticed me poking my head out; I tried to smile innocently. I'll be honest; I'm not very good at smiling. Or being innocent.
"Where are you going?" asked the guard, sounding a little bored.
"No place," I said quickly. "I was just feeling a little hungry, is all. Would it be possible to bring me a little something to eat?"
The guard thought it over for a while. Judging by how long it took, I was starting to get the impression that he wasn't particularly bright. "I don't think so," he finally decided. "I'm not supposed to leave my post."
"I could go find something for myself, then," I suggested.
He thought this over for a while, too. "Okay," he finally agreed. "Just come right back when you're done."
"I will," I promised, as I scurried away. Honestly, I intended to; the castle was far too big to figure out an escape route right off the bat. I was going to have to take my time with it, continue to test my boundaries. If the other guards were as smart as the one guarding my room, it didn't seem like much of a problem.
A few took notice of me wandering the long halls, though only one spoke up - strictly out of curiosity. "We never have guests," he commented as I strolled by. "Only prisoners."
"I sort of am," I replied honestly.
"Then why are you out walking around?"
He had a point. "Just looking for something to eat," I said.
I had been wandering for a long time, and my stomach was starting to growl angrily. The guard politely gave me directions to the kitchen.
How can I describe the first time I saw that kitchen? I had once thought the one at home was impressive; this one put it to such shame, I don't think I would be able to think of anything less as more than a pantry.
There was every type of food imaginable, and I do mean every. There were endless rows of fruits and vegetables, slabs of juicy meat, racks and racks of jars packed with fragrant spices. There was even a section crammed solely with baking goods.
I'd studied cooking since I was small - all good little princesses did - and I was rather fond of baking. My mind wasn't really on cakes right now, though, as I drifted over to a basket full of lush vegetables.
There were numerous cooks and chefs darting to and fro, but only one, a female koopa with an apron and a messy bun with hair sticking out of it, took notice of me.
"Who are you?" she asked, sounding a little cross.
"I'm Rosabelle," I introduced myself politely. "I was just looking for something to eat."
"Well, don't get in the way," said the frazzled-looking koopa. "We're trying to prepare the king's dinner."
I couldn't help gawking for a moment. All of this was for the king alone? And I thought my brothers had ravenous appetites.
I promised to keep myself scarce, then grabbed a clean bowl and started preparing a massive salad out of those fresh, glistening vegetables. I didn't recognize everything I saw, but it all smelled good, so I diced things and placed them in the bowl at random.
When I was finished, I hunted up bottles of oil and vinegar, which I trickled onto the finished salad. I then retreated to a quiet corner, where I ate as neatly as I could without a table. I didn't really care; I was hungrier than I had been in ages, and the salad was delicious.
When I finished, I felt sufficiently refreshed, and I resumed wandering the halls. Eventually I reached a narrow walkway that went outside. A low stone railing was to my left, with support pillars extending between it and the ceiling. Ornate windows were to my right, and the same golden-edged scarlet carpet that seemed to be everywhere was beneath my feet.
I hurried to the railing and peered down at the land below me. I was on one of the higher levels, with the horizon extending in front of me and the ground below it. The sight ran on for miles, but there was no way to escape from here.
Nobody seemed to be around, and even when there was, no one seemed to be interested in hurting me, so I felt it was safe to continue poking around for a little longer.
Only when I turned away from the railing, I discovered that I was no longer alone. A curious-looking little creature was standing a few feet away from me, watching me closely.
His appearance distinctly resembled King Bowser, only much smaller and without horns and spikes. He had the same yellowish skin, green shell, and fiery tufts of hair, and he wore an odd white bandana with what looked like a pair of grinning teeth on it around his neck.
"Who are you?" he asked, in a voice that was slightly high-pitched, and a little scratchy. I absently wondered if he'd one day grow up to be as bulky and loud as the king.
"Rosabelle," I replied, with the first genuine smile I'd flashed all day. The little face was so curious, I couldn't help it. "But you can call me Rosie, if you want," I added, after thinking for a moment.
I didn't bother mentioning that I was a princess. No one here seemed to care.
"I'm Bowser Jr," the little creature declared, puffing his chest out with obvious pride.
I was beginning to suspect he was something like that. "A pleasure to meet you, little prince," I said, curtsying.
This won me a gawking stare, as if no one had ever addressed him like that before. His eyes lit up and he gave a little hop. "We should play!"
Not quite what was I planning to do right now, but...
"Okay," I agreed. "What should we-"
"Tag - you're it!"
I was 'tagged' with an abrupt blow that sent me sprawling, while the little prince streaked down the hall, cackling wildly.
For a moment I considered letting him go and continuing my search for possible escape routes...but then I picked myself up from the floor, brushed myself off and ran after.
I'm not really sure why. I felt a spark of something new and unfamiliar. I was considered, for most intents and purposes, to be almost an adult now, but as the youngest, there had never been anyone around younger than me. I never had anyone to play with...not that princesses were supposed to play, mind you. Not like this.
Maybe it was the vague thought that if my mother could see me now, she would faint from shock, that gave me such a soaring feeling as I ran through those stone halls. For having such tiny legs, he could sure run quick, though my longer stride could catch up easily.
I deliberately held back, though. Partly because he was clearly having a blast - which made me think that he didn't get to play like this, either - and partly because I didn't really want the chase to end. I couldn't remember the last time my heart felt so light.
Plus I really didn't think I could actually catch him, even if I tried. Slower than me as he was, he could dart around and change direction with the speed and ease of a wild rabbit. And he didn't have much regard for his surroundings.
He banged into and knocked over chairs, statues, tables, and servants, all the while giggling and cackling in his silly way. I dodged around and leaped over the obstacles this left in my path, until we suddenly ran outside.
We had entered a huge courtyard, probably in the center of the castle. It had bushes and hedges, plus statues bearing the likeness of his kingly father. There was something else, too, something that made stop running and stare, panting and confused.
Junior eventually noticed that I wasn't chasing him anymore and came to see what the holdup was. "What is that?" I asked, pointing.
He followed my gaze curiously. "Huh? Oh - just a chain chomp."
'Just' a chain chomp, I echoed mentally, quite dryly. This was something I hadn't come across in my studies. It looked like it could bite me in half, and without even trying.
It looked like it was sleeping, but Junior trotted fearlessly up to it, while I held back. "Don't be scared," he said. "He won't hurt ya."
As he spoke, he patted the creature's glossy black head. It blinked its round eyes sleepily at him, but didn't react otherwise. "Well, not unless you make him mad," Junior amended, returning to my side with a grin.
"I'll be sure not to," I stated dryly.
Junior snickered; he seemed amused by my concern. "Here."
He stuffed something small and hard into my hand. "They love those," he said, as I scrutinized the round, vaguely food-like object. "Go on, give it to him."
I really wasn't sure I wanted to test the strength of the chain anchoring it to the pole thrust in the ground, but Junior, annoyed with my hesitation, gave me a shove, forcing me to take a few steps closer.
The strange creature perked up and surveyed me curiously; I tossed the treat and retreated back again. It snagged it out of the air with an impressive snap, then started barking, and not unlike my mother's royal dogs.
The round eyes blinked at me, clearly eager for more. If it had a tail, it would probably be wagging.
"He likes you," Junior assessed, sounding pleased.
I was glad to hear it. Though not enough to move closer. Instead I walked down one of the hard, pebbly stone paths that wound through the courtyard. I glanced up at the sky, knowing that it was still early in the day despite the murky darkness of it. I doubted the sun ever penetrated that sea of thick, purplish clouds.
I was an odd sort of creature, my mother once said, who didn't thrive in sunlight like the rest of the family. Frankly, I could take it or leave it. What difference did it make, really? Darkness had always given me an odd sense of comfort.
Still, it felt a little strange to be in a such a place, all dark, hard, and harsh, with no soft edges in sight. A far cry from my own home, which was bright and bubbly and brimming with pastel colors. I thought of my room here and shuddered.
A tremor suddenly ran through the ground beneath my feet, followed by another, and another. Junior perked up. "That's my dad," he said, with a hint of pride in his voice. "Sounds like he's mad."
Something rattled nearby. Remembering the tendrils of smoke, I decided I didn't want to find out what would happen if the king saw me walking around when he was already in a bad mood.
Saying a quick goodbye to Junior, I hurried back to my room. And to all that pink.