I wish you all a pleasant reading!

Chapter 15 - Small demonstration

The training continued and Cinder noticed a marked improvement in the King of the Koopas. Although he still had violent outbursts of anger, they were becoming rarer with time. He was now making an effort to keep his cool and look better, desperate to make progress in his quest for seduction. The human's advice was good, Bowser had to admit. She was always looking for a solution to every problem he encountered. Whenever he had fears or moments of doubt, she was there to help him overcome them so that he could quickly regain his confidence. Unlike Kamek who simply congratulated him for everything without really thinking if it was the right way to proceed.

But Bowser also felt this progression in another way because Cinder's smiles were showing up much more often now. They appeared more easily, especially when he was doing something right. The girl had never missed a single appointment. She always answered present when he asked for her help and not once in several training sessions had she made fun of him or his way of acting. Not once! Always with extreme benevolence, she taught him how to approach other humans without scaring them at first contact. Among other things, not to shout, not to threaten, not to deploy his soldiers at the slightest provocation, not to break anything, not to sequester, not to blackmail, not to burn everything after a negative answer...

He was not allowed to do many things, he noticed with a touch of irritation as Cinder continued her list of prohibitions.

The pressure increased as the wedding date approached. Fortunately, it was not yet set, but the King's goal was to visit Peach at her castle as soon as a good opportunity presented itself. Specifically, when Mario wasn't around to get in the way. Kamek had advised him to wait until the two brothers returned to their world to try a peaceful approach, without a flying castle or an army, in order to put all his chances on his side. What Cinder had greatly approved, happy that the Magikoopa had put his jealousy aside to support her advice. Because in the first place, it was her idea that he goes alone. The less he played on intimidation, the more chance he had to reach Peach by feelings, which was the goal.

As time passed, the King began to feel strange things that he couldn't really distinguish among his anger and frustration. At times he was an emotional mess! However, this pressure in his chest was manifesting itself every time he laid eyes on the red-haired human. Every time he met her green eyes, every time she smiled at him... He didn't know where it was coming from, but he didn't want it to stop, so he did everything he could to make sure that Cinder would continue to give him those famous warm smiles. This feeling was like butterflies in stomach, yet he had never eaten butterflies in his life ... Well, maybe when he was a child and he ate everything and anything, but as an adult he had no memory of having eaten any insect. But these strange emotions also had the annoying tendency to irritate him because they distracted him most of the time.

"Your appearance may be frightening, but never judge a book by its cover." Cinder explained while looking up at the giant turtle when she noticed him staring at her. Intrigued by his inquisitive gaze, she blinked in confusion.

"Is something wrong?" She asked him suddenly with a touch of worry in her voice. At this question, Bowser shook his head and then cleared his throat with a sheepish smile.

"Ahem. Peach has already judged me on my cover... She just sees me as a ruthless, heartless monster!" Complained the latter before sighing in frustration. Unfortunately, he was so lost in thought that he had only heard the last part of Cinder's explanation. The thing from the books that made no sense to him. But luckily, he had managed to mask that confusion before she noticed!

"Well, she judged what you chose to show her. A power-hungry tyrant who only operates by blackmail... An evil being destroying everything in his path who takes whatever he pleases without ever considering the opinions of others." Briefly summarized Cinder with a shrug as Bowser glared at her with his fists at his hips.

"I'm not just that guy! I have feelings too. There's a very tender heart behind that tough-guy shell! It's nothing but lies." He growled, eyebrows furrowed at that dull ache in his chest after hearing all that blame from the girl's mouth. He didn't even know why he felt the need to justify himself to her because his bully image still suited him.

"Are you sure?" Cinder arched an eyebrow in return. But at the doubts in Bowser's eyes, she turned back to the two figures sitting in chairs to the left of the large room. Motioning for the smaller figure to come over, she offered a small smile to the disbelieving King followed by a snap of her finger; "demonstration!"

Bowser Jr. hurried to the center of the room, jumping happily as he was so eager to embody the role Cinder had assigned him earlier this morning. He was so overexcited to participate that he could jump to the ceiling! But he was not allowed to run around. Because the training room remained relatively dangerous although the weapons had been removed then Cinder had taken time to convince his dad to let him come. So, in order not to disappoint them, Junior wisely waited on his chair until his moment of glory. It was the moment of a lifetime! Reaching the center where a brand new replica of Peach's castle stood, he nervously waited for Kamek to take his place in the tower to play the princess.

"It's good? Can I go?" The young Koopa impatiently asked, his foot rhythmically tapping the floor as he waited for the start. Glancing at his father, who was looking at him with confusion, he returned to Cinder when she gave him a thumbs up. Immediately, he launched himself into his adult Bowser role.

"GRAWWW! I'm the king of the world! I'm going to break everything! No one will stop me! Pew pew pew! ROARRRR! Pew pew! BOOM!" Bowser Junior shouted while raising his fingers to mimic guns as he fired invisible laser beams at representations of Toads. Digging his feet into the ground with each step he took toward the castle, he crudely imitated his daddy, getting a kick out of doing what he did. He felt strong! Unbeatable among those helpless and terribly annoying little mushroom men.

In the most ridiculous way, he stepped on the Toads that were in his way, taking care to trample them before hitting his arms into the houses and mushrooms nearby. It was so much fun! He could do this all day. Letting out little giggles here and there, Junior approached the pink and white castle to rip open the main door and then imitate one of Bowser's most frightening roars. At the top of the tower, Kamek placed his arm over his forehead while lamenting in an exaggeratedly high-pitched voice that he was terrified of being kidnapped. One more time. The Magikoopa at full throttle screamed so loudly that Bowser and Cinder had to place their hands over their ears, wincing at the unpleasant high frequency.

"Oh no! I'm going to get kidnapped by the mighty Bowser again!" Kamek whined as Junior reached out to abruptly grab his arm and forcefully take him with him.

"I love pretty princesses! I want to make a collection!" Grumbled Bowser Jr. in what he hoped was a menacing voice as he took the pink-robed magician on board. Nearly losing his blonde wig in the process, Kamek tripped over his dress to land on the smaller Koopa. With a yell of surprise, both landed on the ground, but before Junior could start screaming in anger, Cinder rushed to clap to congratulate them on a fine performance.

"Bravo! It was very successful, very convincing!" She laughed heartily, to the great dismay of Bowser who had literally remained speechless.

It was ... A big mess! A disaster! At what point would he break down the doors if he could go through the air? It was much more convenient to reach the princess, especially if she was in one of her towers. There was a lack of tactics there. Crossing his arms over his chest at this grotesque imitation, King Koopa's face turned into a small sneer of irritation when the human to his left continued her clapping. Did he really look like that? Like... A ridiculous beast who broke everything in his path? That split his heart of stone in two even if he liked to spread terror. Looking down sadly at the ground, the big spiny turtle blew out his nostrils as his son and Kamek bowed to a non-existent audience, pleased with their performance. Upset, he protested.

"I'm not that ridiculous! That was a very bad imitation!" Bowser looked up at the ceiling just as Junior gave Kamek a knowing pat on the hand.

"That's the image you're sending back. But it's not too late to change it, to become a better version of yourself. You're quite capable of it!" Reassured Cinder with a conciliatory smile as she tilted her head to try to catch his shifty gaze. He tried vainly to hide his embarrassment behind that indignant expression, uncomfortable after seeing that mediocre play. He was so emotionally vulnerable ... However she wanted him to see himself through his son, in the hope of perhaps finding a trigger, something that would motivate him to behave differently.

"I have the right to know happiness!" Suddenly annoyed the giant Koopa to defend his actions.

"Taking it by force is not the solution either..." Reasoned Cinder with a small shrug as she carefully watched his expressive face.

Bowser finally looked down at the human before him. She was looking at him expectantly, her large eyes desperately seeking his with that same sweet smile that had been making such an impression on him recently. Was she doing it on purpose? He then lingered on the emerald jewel cut in marquise in the center of her chest, noticing how much it brought out the magnificent color of her eyes. This dress suited her perfectly, his son was right. It highlighted her. Her wavy hair bounced off her arms every time she made a move, making him want to run his fingers through the silky texture. She looked classy in that dark red fabric with a black belt at the waist and a buckle in her likeness, feeling a small surge of pride as it was the first time she put it on.

It was as if she belonged to him in some way, apart from the fact that she was his prisoner and advisor by obligation. At this thought, a slow smile grew on his face as Cinder spoke again, not the least bit disturbed by his scrutiny.

"Bad guys listen to metal music, break stuff, eat kids for snacks, break up families! You are not that caricature. So, show this princess that you are different. That you are willing to change just to please her! That you're willing to do anything to get her love and acceptance, even make concessions that may not be to your liking. But for love, you will do it. That's the most important thing." Revealed she thoughtfully, her gaze wandering for a moment on the dark stone before returning to the King. The latter scratched his head and then raised a finger at this description of the villain that was completely wrong from his point of view.

"There may be some exceptions?" He asked with a forced smile. He was listening to metal music! And what's more, he loved it! Since when was it a bad thing? But at the displeased expression of the little human, he quickly raised his hands.

"All right, all right! Make concessions for love... And stop eating children for snacks. I get the idea." Bowser tried to calm things down with a little joke, which to his surprise worked, because the next thing he knew Cinder was smiling back in amusement. This titillated something in him and automatically pulled the corners of his muzzle up before she resumed with more lightness.

"I think that's best." Granted the young girl with a small laugh.

"But Daddy, you've never eaten a child's snack ... Stop bullshitting her! She's not stupid either." Bowser Junior raised an eyebrow at his father then placed his hands at his hips to glare at him sternly.

Cinder hid her growing smile behind her hand at the young prince's innocence. He didn't understand that it was humor, probably because he wasn't used to his father's humor... Or simply because he was too gullible. Seeing Bowser's face fall in defeat at this reply, she wanted to comfort him however a guard entered the training room at the same time to make an announcement that seemed important. Accompanied by two other red-shelled Koopas, the winged turtle moved quickly towards the center where the King, his son, the Magikoopa and the captive human were. The latter stared for a moment at Kamek disguised as a princess before standing straight in front of Bowser who was waiting for an explanation for his disturbance. Fisting his right hand on his chest in deference to his monarch, the helmeted Koopa cleared his throat.

"Your Highness, I have news regarding Princess Peach. It seems that she has resumed training with the human named Mario as well as his brother, the one wearing green. They are training with the help of the big monkey with the big biceps, Cranky Kong's son." He declared solemnly.

"Donkey Kong?" Kamek marveled to his right, however Bowser immediately cut him off.

"Is there any particular reason why they've resumed training?" He asked eagerly of his guard who was reporting news after several days of silence across the border.

"I don't think so. They are probably preparing for your upcoming attack on the Mushroom Kingdom. But that's not all. The mustachioed man in the red cap also brought something back to the princess on his last trip to this land called Brooklyn. A small creature that strangely similar to us, but with an intelligence far below ours..." Unveiled the soldier as his superior's astonished expression changed to something darker, almost angry.

"What, a Spiny? Be more specific!" Continued Kamek with a touch of impatience except the Koopa quickly shook his head.

"No. I've never seen anything like this before. It's not from our world. It's small, quiet and very slow." He emphasized the word slow while the Magikoopa with the blonde hair searched his pink cloud of magic for what this strange creature might look like. The description piqued his curiosity!

"And was the princess happy to receive this gift?" Bowser suddenly worried while nervously playing with his hands, fearing for the answer. Saddened by his tone, Cinder looked up in his direction but the King's attention was focused on his soldier.

"Unfortunately, yes, she was. The two of them spend time together, every day. The princess is rarely alone and her army has been growing ever since her alliance with Cranky Kong." He admitted ruefully, his head down.

About to explode at this unpleasant news, Bowser's cheeks puffed up at the anger that was quickly growing in his stomach. Hearing that his rival was getting closer to Peach triggered his jealousy, which stemmed from that possessive love. Or the fact that he could potentially lose the crown to a tiny human? He wasn't sure, however he didn't like this news at all and it upset him. Mario had given Peach a gift... And she had loved that gift! Why is it that when he gave her something she liked it? Violently clenching his fists at his side with a grunt, he suddenly felt something brush his right arm. And when he looked down, he saw that it was Cinder's hand while she was trying to calm him with this soft gesture. Surprisingly, this technique worked because the next moment he deflated his cheeks then relaxed with a sigh.

"Dad's jealous..." Provoked Junior with a mischievous little sniffle as his father turned to him to retaliate. He had to add a layer, Cinder regretted now useless.

"I'm not jealous! I just refuse to let a pathetic excuse for a human flirt with my fiancée!" Bowser yelled at his son, who cowered in fear in his shell with a small yelp of terror. No way! What right did he have to call him jealous?

"Can I go?" Wearily questioned the guard behind him, throwing his thumb in the direction of the open door. The other two guards hid their heads as the King ranted, ignoring the Koopa soldier's request to instead hand out orders.

"We need to take more prisoners! I want to be able to make a sacrifice in honor of my future wife! My wedding gift will be much more impressive than a common pet. Deploy the army and grab whatever you can find! I want to know what he's up to!" He summoned with a wide gesture of his arm, stung in pride. However, his advisor decided to intervene at exactly that moment to avoid a catastrophe.

"I don't think that's a good thing... Far be it from me to contradict you, but don't you think a sacrifice might ruin your chances of impressing her?" She said to him with a small grimace, eyes squinted at this intense fury that emanated from his massive body. She was not afraid of him, but she feared that he would make the worst decision after all they had done to get to this point ... It was necessary that he thought before acting, it was paramount not to ruin all his chances because she did not want him to suffer a rejection again.

By doing so, it was certain.

"Think about it, please." Pleaded Cinder again. With her hands clasped, she thought of all the lives she could save if he changed his mind. If he would just change his perspective. Her green eyes meeting his glowing ones, she felt a pressure in her chest as he stared at her with an indecipherable gaze, Kamek finally speaking up.

"The last time the princess made quite a face... Remember at the wedding. Right before she used the power of the ice flower to freeze us all! Even you, Sir. It was panic on board. And on top of that, she'd punched me in the face badly that day." Irritated, the Magikoopa frowned at the painful memory that punch in the jaw had left him. Since then, he had a small grudge against the fiery-tempered princess.

"Don't repeat the same mistakes. You must be innovate in your techniques! Find the princess's interests, get to know her so you know what she likes and dislikes. Taking the time to find commonalities builds affection." Continued Cinder slowly in a calm, caring voice as she knelt down next to Junior who still hadn't emerged from his shell. Putting a hand on his green shell, she wanted to make sure he was okay after being reprimanded. Worried about her young friend's silence.

"I don't care if she likes me or not! It doesn't matter as long as I get what I want." Bowser crossed his arms with an annoyed breath however he was surprised by the accusing look the kneeling human gave him. And even more so by her answer.

"Then why are you wasting your time listening to my advice? Why do you want to seduce her if all you care about is the crown and the power that come with it. In that case, there's no point to all this..." Discouraged, Cinder lowered her head at the dull ache in her heart, her hand lingering on Junior's shell even as he re-pointed the tip of his muzzle to look at her curiously. Tears were beginning to fill her beautiful green eyes, her red hair framing her pale face in sadness.

Kamek looked up at Bowser to see that the King had lost all trace of malice as he watched the girl kneel at his son's side. Arms flailing at his side, his words ran through his mind in a loop. Yes, why did he bother if he could take what he wanted, as he had always done? Seize all the treasures of this world, take Peach by force as his wife, and that would be the end of it! So, what had changed? As he stared at Cinder on the floor, the big turtle looked for a way out of this awkward situation. Not having any explanation to give, he didn't particularly want to have to justify his intentions, especially since he was feeling inexplicable emotions. And sometimes frustrating. However it was Junior who broke this silence to straighten up to look at Cinder who was avoiding his gaze.

"As cool as I think sacrifices are, I'd rather give Peach a bouquet of flowers! I know she loves flowers, white and pink ones especially! But she also likes sunflowers." Bowser Jr pretended to think as he placed his finger under his muzzle, his little black eyes squinting in concentration. He wanted to help his daddy out.

"I already tried the flowers! She hated my bouquet. She prefers the gifts from that human..." Bowser called back with an exaggerated growl. Cinder sniffed then straightened her eyes in his direction to look at him with astonishment, not having expected this reply devoid of anger. She smiled delightedly and crossed her legs beside Junior.

"You have as much chance of impressing her as that Mario guy. Don't look on him and trust your instincts." She nodded, encouraging him to think of other ways to get to her. More... Peaceful.

"What could I offer her?" Doubtfully, Bowser raised his eyebrows. He had no idea what Peach liked! He had never asked himself that question since he had always focused on his own happiness.

"New crop lands?" Offered one of the guards after raising his hand.

"A bathing cap?" Another chimed in.

"How about a new dress? Or how about some jewelry? Women love jewelry, especially shiny jewelry!" Kamek touched his pretty blue round earrings, the same ones the princess wore. He would never say it, but he liked them very much because they matched his colored face well.

"Don't you have any other ideas than that!" Bowser grumbled with a shake of his head at all the more ridiculous suggestions. Casting an optimistic glance in Cinder's direction in the hope that she would come to his aid, he felt his heart clench as the young girl began to think, tapping two fingers on her lips.

"Mhm, if I were a princess... I think I would love to receive a box of chocolates! It's so sweet as a treat. The star-shaped ones that remind me of the galaxy. A box of chocolates is like life. You never know what you're going to get! It's full of mysteries, secrets too. You can even share it with someone, it's so romantic..." Dreamed Cinder who grabbed her shins to sway back and forth at the delicious memory of chocolate, an extremely rare delicacy she had only tasted once in her life.

"Chocolate..." Junior mused as she did, licking his lips.

A box of chocolates? Just that? It was a trite gift, but King Koopa would keep the idea in the back of his mind. With new topics of discussion around potential gifts he could give Peach to compete with Mario, the four of them left the training room and headed to the dining room to eat. They had not seen the time pass and their stomachs were beginning to cry out for food... All the way there, Bowser kept looking at the human who was talking heatedly with her son about the only memory she had of her experience with chocolate. Sharing the latter with a hint of nostalgia in her pleasantly timed voice.

"Can we go now?" Sighs the Koopa guard still planted in the middle of the training room with the other two.

They had been forgotten.

To be continued ...

That's it, we're making progress. Feelings are starting to bloom in the two characters for the moment confused, but will they know how to interpret them? Or will Bowser remain blinded by his ambiguous love for Peach? You will get answers in the next chapters.

In the meantime, I thank you for reading and I'll see you next time!

VP