This chapter is a little longer, but I just need to make a disclaimer!
This chapter references some darker themes. There's also mild language warnings!
This story is coming to an end shortly, yet I keep coming up with ideas to use these characters. What ever will I do? : (
Light taps rang to Bellas ears as she and her mother made their way to Estrellas studio within the castle. The Fall Ball was tonight, and Annabelle was certain to get a new dress for the occasion. The princess tried to picture in her head exactly what she wanted, but assumed she'd have better luck once she saw Estrellas designs. Those always had a way of inspiring her.
The pair finally arrived, as Peach gently opened the door. The purple room surrounded them once more, as classical music played overhead. It wasnt Bellas favorite genre, but she found herself swaying to the beat silenty anyway. Peach giggled at her daughter, before turning to see Estrella hurriedly walking in.
"Oh goodness! I'm terribly sorry your highnesses," She apologized. Peach giggled once more. "No need for apologies, it's a busy day for you."
Estrella smiled, as she remembered how sweet and understanding the Queen was when compared to the late queen. She'd have been scolded if she'd even ran a second late.
"Not as busy as it is for you two, I can imagine." Estrella giggled, looking to Peach and Annabelle who seemed to laugh in response. "Only the Fall ball and Benitos return from the RAOYR program." Peach said in a way that made her tasks for the day seem simple enough. "I was just starting to enjoy the quietness around the castle with his absence." She joked, causing the queen to laugh, and a slightly forced laugh from Bella. Was Benito really at the Mushroom kingdoms castle all that often if he was the prince of Sarasaland? She shrugged it off as she had numerous times before.
"Well anyway, that is besides the point," Estrella began, her eyes locking with Bellas. "What kind of look did you want for tonight, darling?"
"Something fierce," Bella began without any thought. It caught both Peach and Estrella off guard, especially when Annabelle was so timid during their first session. "Fierce?" Peach questioned, a look of confusion obvious on her face. Estrella smiled at the idea as a million design choices ran through her mind.
"Yes... Something... intimidating." Bella finished, her face crumpling at the thought of Aspen. She knew she needed to tell him off tonight and she wanted there to be no mistaking her. "Intimidating?" Peach asked yet again in a softer almost silent tone. She was genuinely concerned at this point. Was there something wrong with her daughter that was causing her to suddenly become angry? "Bella, Is-" She began
"I love it!" Estrella said with a wide smile, unintentionally interrupting the queen. "We can use reds and oranges, with light yellows that make it look like changing leaves, yet also like crackling cinder! Brilliant!"
Bella loved the idea, as she almost started picturing it in her head as well. Peach's concerned face still remained, as she'd tried to get her daughters attention once more. "Annabelle, are you-"
"Come on, dear! Let me sketch something up for you!" Estrella interrupted once more, turning her back to the royal family and rushing to her office that was to the side of her entrance hall. Bella smiled widely and rushed forward, egar to see Estrellas designs. Peach watched the two rush to the office and sighed before closing her eyes. 'I hope everything is okay with her.' She told herself, before walking in after the two. She didnt want to ruin another special day of Bellas.
o0o0o0o0o
"Well, Benny is supposed to be here before the Party is over." Daisy answered to Luigi who nodded in response. Bella followed behind the two, while both of her parents walked on either side of her.
"He's probably been doing nothing but partying. Wont he be sick of it?" Mario said with a light laugh. "Not Benito. He thrives at a party." Luigi added, recalling all of the balls and parties they've attended as a family. Ever since Benito was a small child he'd loved parties, though he used to like them merely for the free food.
Bella giggled lightly at the thought of her cousin. She wished he'd been here sooner to help her ease her nerves.
"Bella!" Toadette called, making herself known at the end of the hallway as she hurried up to the Princess. the group stopped walking and let her approach. "Estrellas finished your dress! It will probably be an hours worth of prep time so Its best we leave immediately." she said with a smile. The group around her smiled before continuing to walk. "Good luck Bella!" Daisy said with a laugh, not at all envying the princesses need to try on dresses. Peach and Mario stayed behind for a short second.
"We'll see you at the ball, alright?" Mario said, gently hugging his daugher. She seemed to nodd in response, hugging him back. Once the seperated, Mario began to follow his brother. Peach watched him walk away for a breif moment before turning her gaze back to her daughter. "I'd go with you but Ive got to prepare myself aswell." She explained. Annabelle didnt need an apology from her mother, she understood very well.
Toadette anxiously tapped her foot as she stared at the watch on her wrist. Estrella was going to be cross with her if she'd taken too long.
"Is everything okay, Annabelle?" She asked, causing the princess to blink in surprise. She hadnt been expecting such a question.
"Yeah of course, why wouldn't it be?" She responded nervously. Peach didnt seem to buy her daughters excuse, but played along. "When you described the kind of dress you wanted to Miss Estrella, you chose... different adjective than you'd normally choose," She began, causing Bella to bite her lip.
"You've also been hiding away in your studio for hours on end." She finished. Annabelle couldnt say her mother was wrong, because all of those things were true. They also more or less had something to do with how Aspens motives had effected her. After tonight however, there wouldn't be any more problems with Aspen though.
Bella shook her head before responding. "Nothings wrong, I've just felt really inspired recently. Thats all."
Peach didnt look satisfied with the response, but sighed to try and clear her head. She could see Toadettes anxious manner out of the corner of her eye and smiled. "Go have fun, darling. I'll see you tonight." She finished, causing Bella and Toadette to smile as they turned their backs to the Queen who slowly began to follow after her husband.
o0o0o0o0o0o
Estrella had truly outdone herself on this one. Bella was making her way to the Ballroom, while sparkles kept twinkling from her dress, catching her attention in the dim hallways light. Toadette hurried in front of her. "We're gonna be late!" Toadette worried, looking at her watch once more. When it came to parties and Events, Toadette was a very professional person. It was odd being best friends with someone who you see working all the time. "At least you're arriving in style!" She said with a giggle, causing Bella to return the laugh.
The hum of trumpets made itself known in her ears as it echoed through the halls. "They're announcing your parents! Hurry!" Toadette called once more, as they turned down the final Hallway. Annabelle could see her parents at the end of the hallway, covered in shadow as they waited to be announced.
"King Mario, and Queen Peach!" A voice called, earning a roar of applause and cheer from the Ballroom below. They both walked out, and waved to the guests at the Ball.
The princess finally stumbled to the place where her parents had just stood, still covered in shadow as she waited for her moment to be called. She combed through her hair with her fingers, and brushed the skirt on her dress, trying to gather herself. Toadette gave her a thumbs up.
"And Princess Annabelle!" The voice boomed, as Toadette waved goodbye to her friend. "Go get em, tiger!"
Bella walked out, earning an even louder applause from her parents. She waved to everyone, as she breifly scanned the audience for any familiar faces, or any sign of Aspen.
The applause died down slowly, as the royal family slowly stopped waving and the party resumed. Annabelle exhaled the breath she'd held in her chest, starting to scan yet again. It was unlike Aspen of all people to be late.
"Wow, trying something different I take it?" Mario said to Bella, snapping her from her thoughts. It took her a moment to realize that he had been talking about her dress. "Oh!" She said, as she stared down at it again herself. The bodice was a Red color that went into the skirt, and slowly gradiented itself into orange and yellow hues. There was a mesh like material in the front that had been gathered at the waist which was dyed the same colors. It was covered with sequins that shone in the chandeliers light, and twinkled like a glowing fire. Annabelle admired Estrellas craftsmanship yet again.
"Well, it is the fall ball." She said, only partially telling the truth as to why she'd wanted a dress like the one she was now wearing. Mario seemed to buy it, as he smiled to her. "You look beautiful." He complimented. Peach Smiled at the scene.
"Thank you." She blushed, lightly hugging him before turning back to face the crowd below her.
"Luigi and Daisy are waiting outside for Benitos arrival. He could arrive at any time tonight." Peach said to Bella, knowing she'd be curious about his return. She seemed dissatisfied with The vague timeframe, but sighed. "I hope he doesnt miss too much." Bella commented, as she began walking down the grand staircase.
Once their Daughter was out of earshot, Mario let out a sigh though he still maintained his smile. "Are they here yet?"
"Yes. I told them to stay out of Bellas sight, as we cant really pull her away for greetings this time." Peach said rather bluntly. "They stick out like sore thumbs in those cloaks. Especially here." Mario argued, wondering how it would be at all possible for them to blend in.
"They can be elusive if they want to be, especially Junior. He snuck me down to see you all those times." Peach said, causing a rather bitter memory to cross both of their minds. They thought about how horribly they were treated by Bowser while held captive. It caused both of them to grow silent as they wondered again if what they were doing was right.
Yet if it hadnt been for Junior, neither of them would have escaped in the first place. They seemed to both have the same train of thought.
o0o0o0o0o0o
The light music filled Bellas ears as she continued to walk around in search for the Ice prince. She was both looking forward to telling him off, yet dreading being near him. She thought about Toadettes motivational words, and waved the negative thoughts from her mind. She should at least try to enjoy the ball while she was here.
A twinkle caught her eye, and sparked something familiar in her heart before simply realizing it was the silver trays that waiter toads had been carrying around. They were stacked with little maple leaf candies and cake that smelled of honey and vanilla. It made her mouth water. It seemed like she was always hungry.
Bella made her way to one of the toads that had their back turned to the Princess, tray in his left hand.
"Excuse me," Bella asked lightly, as she tapped on the toads shoulder. He turned around with a slightly annoyed face, but suddenly his eyes went wide as he gasped lightly.
"P-Princess!" He said, before bowing clumsily, almost knocking over the snacks on his tray. "Oh, careful!" She exclaimed, moving forward to make sure the toad didnt fall over. "Are you alright?" she asked, giving him a compassionate stare that left him speechless for a moment. "Y-yes your h-highness," he said, obviously shaken. The princess let out a light giggle at his behavior. "First ball?" She questioned, trying to find out why he'd be so nervous.
"F-first day on the j-job, your h-highness!" He confessed, still stuttering. "You're doing a wonderful job, um-" She began, looking for some type of identification of the toads name. "T-Terrance! M-my name is Terrance, my lady," He admitted, causing the princess to smile. "Not My lady- someones lady surely but not mine. Oh what am I talking about this isn't appropriate! Stick to the code, Terry. Stick to the code!" he muttered to himself, causing the princess to giggle.
"Hey Terry, do you think I could have one of those?" She asked, causing Terrance to snap from his thoughts and blush lightly at the casual use of his name from the princess. "Of course! Help yourself!" He said, surprisingly enough without a single stutter. Bella delicately grabbed a small plate with a maple cake slice on it, although she probably could have torn apart the whole tray. She took a bite and sighed happily as the cake melted in her mouth. It was almost nostalgic- this cake. She assumed it must have been because she'd had it before. If only she could remember anything.
"A-are you here with anyone tonight?" Terrance asked, catching the Princess of guard. "Well, Im waiting on someone. I'm not sure when they'll arrive." Bella admitted, causing Terrance's face to fall slightly. At the mention of her waiting for someone, the princess turned her gaze to the crowd around her and tried to find Aspens familiar smug face.
Though Aspen was still nowhere to be found, something else caught Bellas eye. 3 cloaked guests sat in a corner- it was the same guests from her coronation she was sure of it. They seemed to be discussing something amongst themselves, as the hoods were bobbing and none of them were facing the crowd.
"- and well I mean Im not sure why I thought you wouldnt have a date to the ball, but I guess I can Dream cant-" Terrace continued, before being interrupted by the princess.
"Who are those guests?" She asked, motioning to the cloaked figures in the far corner of the ballroom. They were almost out of sight completely, though they still stuck out.
Terrance went silent for a moment as it seemed he didnt know how to respond. "O-oh, they're uh... guards. Not important really," the toad lied, knowing fully well who the guests were. When he'd been hired there were strict instructions to never disclose their identity to the Princess, or to bring up her absence to the kingdom.
Terry seemed to be thinking a million thoughts at once, hoping the princess would buy his story.
"Just gaurds? Why are they in such thick cloaks?" Bella asked again, walking a few steps closer in their direction. It seemed that all 3 guests had turned to face her at once, as they suddenly went still. The princess again searched for a face inside the darkness of the hoods, but could find nothing.
Terrance hurried in front of the princess, blocking her path. "They're in training!" He said, panic evident on his face. "They're not allowed to speak to someone as high up as yourself, y-your majesty." He claimed. The princess still looked past Terrance with a look of curiosity.
"I'm going to say hi." She said flatly, trying to walk around Terrance. She set her slice of cake on his tray before continuing. "W-wait! You cant!" He said, being pushed to the side as she continued to walk.
"Hello, you there!" She said to the table of three as she got closer to the table. None of them moved at all, making the princess even more curious. She could no longer hear Terrance calling for her. What was so bad about these guards? Why were they forced to be isolated from her?
Suddenly, an icy cold arm touched her shoulder, causing her to gasp loudly. "Hello darling, miss me?" Aspen cooed, turning the princess around and staring into her eyes.
The scare he'd just given her only added to the anger that was building in her chest currently at the thought of him. "Miss you? Quite the contrary." She said snapishly, catching the ice prince off guard. His brow furrowed lightly as he scoffed. "What was that?" His grip on her arm tightened.
She shook it off forcefully, staring daggers at him. "We're done, Aspen." She said bluntly.
He scoffed even louder, shocked to finally see the princess stand up for herself. "After all you've put me through?! Didn't we talk about this?" He said, trying to strike guilt into Bellas heart once more.
The princess simply rolled her eyes. "After all I've put you through? Give me a break. I know you've been lying to me this whole time." She said, making Aspens stare turn frighteningly blank. "You're not the person I've been looking for. You never have been and I'm shocked it took me so long to realize it," She began, before turning her head. Aspens face stayed motionless. It made the princess slightly uneasy. "Goodbye."
She turned to walk back to the crowd, completely forgetting about her original mission to the cloaked figures. She just wanted to get away. "We're. Not. Done here." He said in a sinister tone, grabbing her arm once more, and gripping it tighter than he had before. It was actually beginning to hurt. "Let go of me!" She said louder, surprisingly gaining no attention from the crowd around them. The music was playing just loud enough to drown their conversation to unknown ears.
"You owe me." Aspen said again, his brows finally furrowing, as a sinister smile grew on his face. Bella tried to shake his grip, but she couldnt even move her hand with the force he held her with now. Her adrenaline filled anger had immediately subsided, as fear filled her eyes and seemed to make Aspens smile wider. She couldn't speak- it was as if she was now a deer in the headlights.
Aspen shoved her into the nearest wall that had been away from the crowds direct line of sight. He stared deep into her eyes, seemingly feeding on the fear that was evident on her face. "S-stop," She said through sharp breaths as he chuckled evilly. Tears welled in the princesses eyes as she had no idea what to expect. "I always get what I'm owed," Aspen said, now easily pinning her to the wall. "Got that, princess?" he said sarcastically, as he forced his lips against hers.
The princess couldn't scream even if she hadnt been frozen with fear. Her attempts at breaking free from his grasp were only seen as her elbows knocking into the ice prince's frame. His lips separated hers as he re-positioned himself so she could no longer move her arms at all.
"Knock it off." He scowled at her, his grip now surely leaving bruises on her pale skin. she could feel her tears running down her neck as Aspen continued to force himself upon her. He'd managed to get one hand free and slowly started to run it along her side, moving it up ever so slowly. "S-stop!" She mumbled a bit louder against his lips. He seemed to enjoy her resisting, as he laughed sadistically with enjoyment.
Bella tried to picture herself somewhere else. Anywhere other than here. She couldn't endure this a moment longer.
Suddenly, a blunt force pulled her forward as Aspen separated quickly from the princess. Bella instinctively wiped her eyes to see what had happened, as she couldnt see through her tears.
In front of her stood the one of the cloaked figures from the table she'd been walking to. It was facing the Ice Prince, who seemed disgruntled after being separated. He adjusted his suit as if to play it off like he'd done nothing wrong. Bella sniffled and regained her composure as well.
"I believe she told you to stop." A strict voice came from the cloak. Bella stared at the figure in front of her, and slowly stepped behind it, imediatley feeling safe with its presence. Aspen scoffed at the guest, thinking of a excuse for his actions. "And who are you supposed to be?"
"Doesn't matter." It responded quickly, hatred evident in its tone. The voice sounded familiar to the princess- it soothed her nerves even though the tone was dark.
"Whatever. Step back, peasant. I was busy-" Aspen began, as he tried to shove past the cloaked figure. Bella gripped on to the fabric the guest wore, as she winced behind him at the thought of re-living what he'd done to her.
"Touch her again, and I'll kill you." it said, words filled with malice.
The ball music filled the silence that the group shared. Aspen was amazed that someone could say such bold things to him. He scoffed once more. "Oh yeah?" He said with a laugh, as he began took two steps forward, and reached a hand out to touch Bella who winced once more.
A powerful force pushed the princess backward, as she felt wind on her face. Everything had happened so fast, and suddenly everything went black.
o0o0o0o0o0o
The light hum of idle chatter filled the ballroom, as Junior stared at his surroundings. The ballroom looked just as lavish as before, yet this time the reds had been toned down to oranges and yellows for the fall season.
Toads would occasionally point to them and whisper to one another, obviously asking about who they were. He didnt blame them however, they did look out of place with their thick brown cloaks and large structure. To the best of his knowledge, the only people who knew of their identity were gaurds and servants. He felt his body grow heavy, as he let out a sigh. He really wanted to see the princess already.
"Getting impatient, are we?" Ludwig smirked, knowing his brother all to well. Junior rolled his eyes with a groan. "And whats your excuse for coming to this ball?" He said back, in an annoyed tone, though he was only picking fun.
"Their wine is aged to perfection." He responded quickly, before taking another sip of the wine he had in his glass. "Don't go overboard like you did last time." The younger brother warned, only partially sarcastically. Ludwig rolled his eyes in the same way Junior did with a light scoff.
There was another moment of silence shared between them. The chatter amongst the anxious guests persisted. The servants hurried themselves around, making sure all the guests were taken care of. Junior thought about his state currently, and how himself and Roy were on good terms.
"Thank you," He said out loud. Ludwig and Bowser both turned towards him, half knowing what he was going to say next.
"Roy would have never believed me." He explained.
"He didn't really believe us either to begin with." Ludwig said with a sigh, swirling the liquid in his wine glass. "We had to show him our invitation to the ball for him to even consider." He finished. Junior believed it. His brother was extremely stubborn. It had always been really difficult to deal with, even though during the current moment in time he held every right to be angry.
The sound of trumpets caught the three's attention, as they all stared to the top of the grand staircase. Toadsworth stood at the top, microphone in one hand, cane in the other. He cleared his throat as if to get everyones attention once more. Junior had been just as egar to see the princess as he had been at her coronation. Bowser observed the look on his sons face, easily understanding how he felt as he felt a light smirk cross his face. Seeing him so passionate about something sparked something unfamiliar in the Kings chest.
"We now present the guests of honor at tonights Autumn Ball!" He said, leaving the entire audience at the edge of their seats. "King Mario, and Queen Peach!" He began, as the king and queen walked out hand in hand causing the audience to erupt in applause.
Junior studied their faces as they waved to the crowd. Mario locked eyes with Junior for a brief moment, as if he was telepathically communicating something that Junior ironically understood. They both looked amazing. He cringed slightly at how mistreated Mario had been when he was held prisoner. He wished he could have done something about the situation sooner. The smile on Peach's face was wide and true, as she obviously loved every second of hosting these types of events.
"Princess Annabelle!" Toadsworth called again, causing the crowd to cheer even louder even before she set a foot out to the top of the staircase. Once she did, Juniors heart seemed to skip several beats.
Her dress was a bright orange, that faded into Yellows and Reds that contrasted her fair complexion. The dress sparkled as she walked, giving it a glowing look. It looked as if she'd been wearing a dress out of lava- that framed her figure perfectly. Her hair had a golden honey glow, as it seemed to drape itself delicately over her shoulders and surround her face. Juniors throat was tight, as the applause around him vanished and it was just her and him, in his own little 3rd space he'd created. The beating of his heart slamming into his chest was all that could be heard for a brief moment.
Ludwig let out a soft whistle that was only loud enough for the three to hear. "Holy hell," He added, before downing the rest of his wine in a chugging fashion. "I get it now." He said to Junior, who was suddenly snapped out of his trance. "Juniors already called dibs, back off." Bowser said with a chuckle. Ludwig laughed back, though it was still very awkward subject matter.
"It's like she knew you were going to show up tonight." Ludwig said to Junior, giving him a nudge with his elbow playfully. Even though this only reminded Junior of Bellas memory loss, he still smiled anyway. She looked absolutely gorgeous. "She's literally on fire." Ludwig finished, as he routinely poured another glass of wine. It was a good thing nobody else was drinking any.
Junior simply stared from the shadows at Bella, who now was having a conversation with her parents who still stand at the top of the staircase. He studied her movements, and smiled as they were all exactly the same as they had been through their childhoods.
There was a moment of silence, before Ludwig spoke up yet again.
"Say... how long are we gonna keep doing this?"
They both looked to Ludwig with looks of confusion. "Doing.. what?" Junior asked, already assuming where Ludwig was going to go with this.
"Coming here during events. Hiding in shadow, while her Parents fill her head with lies? We get literally nothing from doing this," He began, bringing a rather dark cloud over the group that hadn't been there 2 minutes prior. "It's actually hurting, honestly. It's like dangling a treat in front of a chain chomp."
Ludwig was right, as usual. Junior really did get nothing out of this. He wasn't able to hold her, talk to her, or even have her know that he existed. Even though she stood several yards away, walking down the ballroom stairs, Junior wasn't allowed to even call her name from across the crowd. It made his heart sink into his stomach.
"This is only temporary." Bowser said flatly not making much sense. "I...fought her. She's the reason they've returned home," He began, staring at the table. "She used your fighting strategy to beat me." He said, looking to his youngest son, who stared back with eyes that were attentive and listening. "You were the only creature I've battled that could beat me when it came to swordsmanship. I know it was your method," He continued, bringing back memories to Juniors head that made his heart flutter. He remembered how excited she'd gotten when she finally learned his technique.
"You had a serious lifelong bond with Annabelle. That's why I'm certain that this wont last." Bowser said confidently, striking courage and faith into his sons chest. Ludwig took note of this too, and smiled at the sincerity of his fathers words. The king wasn't really certain himself, but he stayed persistent. Junior pondered this thought for a moment. He really did have a connection with Bella- even she'd felt it too. She'd kissed him and hugged him and told him she loved him. All of these thoughts made his heart swell.
"Shit," Ludwig muttered, looking out to the crowd, causing the other two to look out as well. The princess in question was staring right at them, after making two steps towards them. They all seemed to freeze, and it seemed that their hearts all sank. A orange spotted toad tried to block her path, but was easily avoided by the princess, who stared directly at Junior. His heart swelled.
"Hey, you there!" She called, lifting an arm above her head to wave, as if they hadn't noticed her already. These were the first words Bella had spoken to him since the fight on Bowsers Air ship. Was this really how all of this was going to end? Where the hell were Mario and Peach?!
She was suddenly turned around, as an awful sight caught Juniors eye. Aspen.
He'd been both relived and nauseated at the sight of her being distracted by him once again. "That was close. Should we move?" Ludwig asked the table, wondering if they should switch tables before Bellas conversation with Aspen was over so that they could remain hidden. "It was to close. Ludwigs right, we should move." Bowser said, nudging his son lightly who still remained fixated on Bella and Aspen. Something didnt seem right. Bellas movements weren't soft and delicate as they normally were. She appeared to be distressed by Aspens company.
"No, somethings wrong." Junior said, desperately trying to hear what they were talking about. Both Ludwig and Bowser listened to Juniors words, as they paused for a moment and tried to listen as well.
"You're not the person I've been looking for. You never have been and Im shocked it took me so long to realize it," They heard Annabelle say. It kind of confused him yet made his heart throb all the same. She'd remembered him?
The look on Aspens face at Bellas rejection made Junior grin. He loved to see the Ice Prince getting the boot. "Goodbye," She said flatly, as she began walking the other direction away from both the prince and the 3 of them. Ludwig and Bowser seemed to loose their tension for a brief moment.
"We're. Not. Done here."
Aspen fiercely grabbed Bellas hand, causing Juniors whole body to tense up as his grin disappeared in an instant. Ludwig gasped, seeing the princess handled in such a way.
Bowser immediately knew how Junior was feeling, but still tried to keep his son from doing something he'd regret. He placed a firm hand around Juniors which was now in a fist. Bowser was nobody to be giving someone else anger management, though he did know a lot about regret.
"Let go of me!" Bella said loudly, still not gaining any attention from any passerbys. Juniors brow furrowed as his breathing sped up. "You owe me." The Ice prince said, with an evil look on his face that only made Juniors blood boil even more. Bowser still held on to his son, making sure he didnt blow their cover by trying to do something crazy. "She's strong, Junior." Bowser reminded in a firm tone, not making Junior feel any better.
Bellas writhing ceased, as it was obvious that she'd given up the fight against the prince. He shoved her into the nearest wall, and mumbled something to her that caused tears to form in her eyes. Juniors claws dug into the table as he watched the horror that unfolded in front of him. Aspen started forcefully kissing Annabelle.
"Where are Mario and Peach?! Someone needs to stop this!" Ludwig said to nobody in particular, also watching the awful scene in front of them. Bowser scowled at himself for holding his son back, but knew he needed to. Her elbows knocked into him, as she was now obviously being forced. He pulled a hand back, and slammed her arms into the wall. "Knock it off!" He groaned, causing Junior to stand up. Bowsers grip on his son tightened. "I have to do something!" He begged, still being held back by his father who was also reaching his whits end with the situation.
"Stop!" Bella cried, sending daggers into Juniors chest. He tugged on his fathers grip once more, and Bowser let go.
"Beat his ass." His father said, though that came without saying.
Junior ran up to the two, and Ripped the Ice prince off of Bella. Her eyes were stained red with tears, and her dress sleeve was tugged to the side. Junior was seething under his cloak.
"I believe she told you to stop." He said through clenched teeth as he stared down the Ice Prince. Oh how he wanted to knock his lights out. Aspen simply scoffed, thinking of a excuse for his actions. "And who are you supposed to be?"
"Doesn't matter." Junior responded quickly, hatred evident in his tone. He could feel the Princess's presence still behind him, watching the scene unfold.
"Whatever. Step back, peasant. I was busy-" Aspen began, as he tried to shove past Junior. Bella gripped on to the fabric on the back of his cloak, as she winced behind him at the thought of re-living what he'd done to her. This put Junior into serious protective mode.
"Touch her again, and I'll kill you." he said, words filled with malice.
The ball music filled the silence that the group shared. Aspen was amazed that someone could say such bold things to him. He scoffed once more. "Oh yeah?" He said with a laugh, as he began took two steps forward, and reached a hand out to touch Bella who winced once more.
With the koopas left hand, he shoved the princess back as hard as he could, wanting her to get away from the fight that was about to unfold. Shed fallen to the floor, hitting her head on the tile as she was knocked unconscious. Junior didnt see this however, as his right fist was now colliding with the Ice prince's face.
Guests around the group gasped, and quickly hurried out of the way with light screams which alerted the rest of the crowd to what was happening. Juniors rage at the thought of what Aspen had done to Annabelle had only increased, as he continued to throw punches at him blindly, yet each one connected.
The toads were frantically running around, looking for either an exit or the Royal family. Aspen was still conscious, as he swung a fist in a sad attempt to fight back. Once he'd realized his attempts weren't successful, Aspen tugged at the hood of Juniors cloak, unmasking his identity for the entire ballroom to see. "The Koopas Are attacking again! Where is the Princess?! Anyone! Help us!" They all seemed to shout, now even more frantic than before.
Junior didnt even realize that his hood had come off. All he'd cared about was pummeling the Ice Prince.
"Junior stop! Thats enough!" Ludwig said, now very aware of the situation at hand. He ran to the fight, and pulled on his brothers left arm, trying to pull him away. "No! He's got to pay!" He shouted, reminding him of his brothers tantrum. Bowser came up behind his son, and helped Ludwig pull him away. Junior was far stronger than either of them had previously believed. "He's down!" Bowser grunted, knowing that his son was now simply overkilling the situation to take out his anger. Junior looked at Aspen, who layed crumpled on the ground, groaning. His face was black and blue, and blood had been coming from somewhere. He finally took a few breaths as he tried to blow off the rage he felt.
"What's going on here?!" Mario's voice boomed, silencing the whole ballroom. Peach followed closely behind, and gasped loudly at the sight before her, as she covered her mouth. A boy lay beaten to a pulp on her castle floor, while Juniors Identity was completley exposed. "Where is our daughter?!" Mario yelled once more, staring at Junior with a furrowed brow.
The koopa suddenly felt an unusual breeze blowing against the back of his head, alerting him that his hood was down. He felt a sense of panic, knowing that Bella had probably seen the whole thing. He covered his head quickly with the hood, which now had several tears in it.
"Oh no! Bella!" a voice called from behind Peach, A pink clad toad made herself known, as she ran down the stairs. Everyones eyes seemed to follow where she'd been rushing to.
Bella lay collapsed on the castle floor, visibly unconscious. "Annabelle!" Peach shouted, as her and Mario ran down the stairs as fast as they could. Juniors eyes went wide. Had he done that to her?
Peach nearly slid on the tile as she collapsed to the ground and grabbed hold of her daughter. She was now breaking down into sobs, causing the fall ball attendees to hold a sense of silent panic. There was no sign of injury to the princess at first glance, which calmed the king and queens nerves only for a moment. Mario stood up from his wife and turned to face Junior with a look of rage. He hadn't gotten a look like that from Mario ever- even when they'd had their own quarls many years ago. "I demand to know that happened, this instant!" He shouted.
Junior was still shocked at Marios reaction, even though he knew he shouldnt have been. He was speechless, as the ballroom was filled with silence that was only interrupted by Peach's light sobs and Aspens light groans.
"Aspen was forcing himself upon Princess Annabelle." Bowser said, loud enough to where most of the crowd could hear. Peach held her daughter tighter, as her sobs grew slightly louder at the thought.
Gasps were heard, as Mario suddenly snapped his gaze to the whimpering boy on his castle floor. It wasn't out of the realm of possibility in Marios mind. "Guards!" He shouted, causing the guards who'd previously just been watching the scene to snap into action. They straightened their posture, and furrowed their brows as if to say 'yes sir!'
"Banish Prince Aspen. If you ever see him anywhere in our kingdom, he is to be removed immediately." Mario said fiercely. The guards started to pick up the groaning prince, who once on his feet shook them off. He faced the king, and then to Junior.
Aspens left eye was swollen shut and colored black. Blood came from his nose and mouth, as it was obvious who won the fight. The prince scoffed with furrowed brows as he started to walk out with the guards following behind.
"Have fun with her, she doesn't put out anyway." He shouted. Mario almost ran up to Aspen himself to give him a piece of his mind.
The ice prince turned his head to the exit and was immediately punched as a loud crack was heard. Aspen collapsed to the floor, stunning everyone.
Benito shook his fist as he seethed through his teeth. What a way to make an entrance.
