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Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Mario or its franchise; it belongs to

Nintendo and their affiliates. I just am really grateful to its creators for giving

me such a wonderful game and media series to write about!

I also don't own anything related to Harry Potter, all that belongs to J.K. Rowling,

but thanks go to her as well because, using her wonderful work, I can expand this

story to make it more interesting :)

Chapter Thirty-Eight

It seemed like both Daisy and I were getting more and more stressed out as the days wore on. I could attribute a great deal of my stress to the crazy hours I'd been working. Trying to make up all the time I'd missed was driving me up a wall. I barely got any sleep and had to show Daisy how to catch the bus on her own because I couldn't drop her off anymore. She asked me to teach her to drive but I just don't have the time. Thanks to my double or sometimes triple shifts and the dread we both held in regards to what was going on in the Mushroom Kingdom, we were becoming estranged. We barely spoke full sentences to each other and I felt like it was my fault. I was the one to bring her here and now she had to spend her days alone in my apartment or working. I thank God for her friend Alicia because otherwise, she'd be real lonely. So yeah, that was becoming life for me. Wake up, spend all day away from the one person I loved, come home for what felt like five minutes to shut my eyes and then back to work. Over and over and over again. It was hellish.

Tonight was the first night I really took some time to reflect on the situation as I drove home from another graveyard shift. I felt guilty and tired and weary in the bones and I just wanted to sleep. I was so tempted to just pull over on the side of the road and doze off but I made it to my apartment at least halfway lucid. I had a feeling that, like always, Daisy would already be in bed. I felt an ache then.

It wasn't supposed to be like this, I frowned.

I turned my key in the lock and was surprised to see the light on in the bedroom. I hung my keys up on the wall near the door and then locked that door behind me. The walk from there to the room was short, and I only stopped to take off my work shirt and hang it on the bathroom door. There was no point in getting undressed, in taking a shower right now and changing into more comfortable clothes because I really only had 2 and a half hours before I had to get up and go back to the parlor.

I guess in hindsight it was stupid of me to pick a job that had no benefits, no paid vacation days. Though at the time, I was alone and severely depressed; I hadn't anticipated meeting a girl and getting a life. I think it may be time to reconsider my career choice.

"Hey stranger." Daisy greeted me with a bittersweet smile.

Her words only made me feel worse as I realized she clearly noticed my great absence lately. She was sitting at the edge of the bedside with her legs crossed and her hands flat on the mattress behind her. She had a piece of paper in her lap and I knew what that meant: we'd gotten another letter from Peasley.

"Is it bad?" I asked her at once.

She sighed and said, "See for yourself."

I stepped into the room and got rid of my shoes and my belt near my dresser. When I reached the bed, I took the letter from her hand and sat beside her. While I read, I felt my spirit drop even further.

My friends,

I wish I had good tidings to tell of, but I'm afraid there are none. Ludwig's laid siege to Arid City and, consequently, the rest of Desert Kingdom fell into his hands. He's been on a rampage akin to that of you-know-who, terrorizing and invading different countries with his Koopa and human troops. He's sent guards to post at the borders of both Eriel Kingdom and the Kingdom in the Valley of the Mountains. I believe he may come after Sarasaland soon. So far, he hasn't made any further attempts besides occupying Chai. Whatever sickness he has is still within him, my sources say. I think he may be in some kind of danger. Rumor has it that his brother is going to be in charge of Desert Kingdom so maybe he's passing down his conquered lands to his siblings in case something terrible were to befall him. I don't know for sure. Luigi, your brother Mario dissolved his alliance with Ludwig once he caught wind of what was going on. However, he chooses not to get involved at the moment. The mark which blights my body is still plaguing me and I can't figure out the cause. I will continue to watch out for you two and tell you all that I know. I wish the best of luck to the fair flower Daisy and send all my love to you Luigi.

Sincerely as ever,

Peasley

I put the letter down and sighed. Sometime when I'd been reading, Daisy had moved. Now she was behind me with her legs on either side of me and her body draped against my back. She held her arms around my neck and dropped her head near mine.

"He's acting just like Bowser." Daisy told me.

I nodded. "That's what Peasley said. You think he really means to put his brothers and sister on the throne of all those kingdoms? They're just kids."

"I wouldn't put it past him." Daisy replied. "Why else would he make them train so hard?"

"Peasley said he might come after your kingdom next." I reminded her. "What do you want to do?"

Daisy wrapped her legs around my middle so that her feet were in my lap. I started to rub them idly and felt her sigh a bit. She moved her arms from around my neck and ran her hands down my back.

"I don't know what to do." Daisy mumbled. "Maybe I should go back home."

"Remember," I told her tiredly, "Just because you go back doesn't mean he won't still try to take over. There could be another war starting."

"I know." Daisy said, "But that's not the only reason I think we should go to Sarasaland."

"Why else, then?" I asked her.

Daisy slipped her hands under my t-shirt and started massaging my back. Her hands felt divine against my sore muscles. I felt her kiss the back of my neck and knew she had to have fell the shiver that went down my spine.

"You work too much." She told me. "If we go back, you'll be a prince. You won't have to work unless you really want to."

"Sounds pretty nice." I admitted.

Daisy worked over my shoulders and kissed the skin below my ear.

"And," She said, "We won't be as separated as we are now."

"You'll still have things to do." I argued. "You are the princess, I mean."

"I know." She told me. "But there's a legislative body for that. They make all the decisions. They just have to come to me to get them approved."

Amazing how the girl was seducing me and talking politics at the same time. I turned and guided her into my lap and kissed her.

"Daisy." I said. "You need to take a little time to think about this fully. Whatever you decide, I'll be with you a hundred percent."

She gazed at me, pensive, then nodded. "Alright."

After only a month he was losing his mind. He was having genuine nightmares now; awful visions of death and despair at the hands of the crippled king. He couldn't sleep for them, not that his body would let him get much of that anyway. During the nights he tossed and turned fitfully, and got up frequently to go and vomit up food he'd barely gotten down in the first place. His nerves were shot to hell and his temper wasn't much better. During the day he faced powerful hallucinations and struggled to concentrate on even one task at a time. He barely ate or drank at all and felt constantly weak as a result. He hid his symptoms as best he could, taking on more work than he probably should considering the circumstances and appearing to be the same callous but impeccably precise ruler he always was. It was taxing to keep up the facade.

At this rate and by loose calculation, he'd be dead before he turned twenty-one.

Ludwig sat at the head of the dining room table blissfully alone and dressed in his usual immaculate garments. He tilted his head and made his navy hair spill onto the white fabric of his silk dress shirt. He was glad for the silence that pervaded the palace. Ever since he'd had his siblings sent off, it had always been quiet. He didn't know it but the servants were all walking on eggshells around him. His suffering was not without consequence to them; he'd taken to hexing the poor humans for every slight against him, whether real or imagined. And speaking of imagined.

Ludwig was leaning back in his seat, so when he saw the latest incarnation of his mind's waning grip on reality, he nearly fell out of the wooden chair. Ludwig stared with his eyes wide and disbelieving at the young woman standing near the double doors on the other side of the room. White she wore, and so well; she was clad in a long white dress that flowed out at the bottom. Her arms were bare and so was the flesh below her throat, including the top of her chest. It fell and rose with each of her seemingly quickened breaths. Her hair was down and was as wild and dark as some of his more recent dreams. He could see she wasn't coming over to him, which was a relief. Most of the time, the apparitions came to him almost malevolently.

"No, not apparitions." Ludwig amended. "That would imply that they're real. Which they are not. Not real at all."

He'd taken to speaking his thoughts aloud, due to the damage to his pre-frontal cortex which normally harnessed his inhibitions. Ludwig continued to stare at the creature his mind and body agreed was beautiful and started breathing heavily. He glanced away from her rapidly.

"Need to stop looking at her, it, or it'll start controlling my mind." He mumbled, staring hard at the table in front of him.

As soon as he thought that, he brought his hand up and held onto the side of his head.

It's him,he thought bitterly, he's making me this way. He's the reason I'm...

Ludwig glanced back up at the girl that was still there and felt his blood run cold.

"She looks so real," He murmured, "Must be real."

She's not real, he told himself in disgust, he's just manipulating me, trying to destroy me.

Of their own volition, it seemed, his legs bent and caused him to rise and from the table he strode over to the double doors. The closer he got to that girl the more she backed up in fear of him. That fear stirred the entity within his mind to life and aroused the basest part him. He closed in on the girl and put both palms flat against the cold wood on either side of her head.

"You look so real." He murmured almost dazedly.

He stared at her and was compelled to bring his head down near hers. She looked real and felt real. Her cherry red lips certainly felt real and warm and tasted sweet. He kissed the girl's cheek and felt the skin, smooth and flushed, yield under his mouth.

"Your Majesty."

The cold, gruff voice of one of his Koopas dispelled whatever trance he'd been in and Ludwig whipped his head around to face the being. Immediately he turned back to the door but found he was alone.

"What is it?" He demanded of the guard.

"There's someone here to see you" The Koopa answered. "A magician."

"I don't want to see another of these incompetent magicians for as long as I live." Ludwig scowled.

The Koopa then asked, "Would His Majesty have me send them away?"

"Yes, you stupid creature, send them away!" Ludwig denounced.

He then went back over towards the table and fell into his chair. There was no one around. Just him. That girl had been another of his potent imaginings. Ludwig called for a servant and very quickly one came from the kitchens.

"Where's my breakfast?" He asked without turning his head.

"Um. Sir?" Came the dulcet tone.

Ludwig frowned and said, "My breakfast. I've asked for it. Why isn't it here? You do know I require sustenance, don't you? Would you have me starve? Are you trying to kill me off?"

His words came faster and faster and by the end of his speech he was fully paranoid. Ludwig stood and advanced on the servant. None to his surprise, he found he'd been speaking to a young woman. The palace was full of them. This one had long but thin blonde hair and black eyes that darted anywhere but towards his own. Ludwig glared at the girl suspiciously, noting her plain white garb and wringing hands. He saw suspicious intent in those slim hands and gripped them tightly.

"Are you trying to kill me?" He asked again, his gaze intense.

The girl swallowed hard and said, "N-No, your Majesty!"

"No?" He frowned. "Then where is my breakfast?"

The girl looked baffled, her eyes wild with fear and uncertainty. Ludwig shook her hard and scowled even more.

"Answer me!" He shouted.

The girl shut her eyes, scared, then blinked and said, "It's j-just, your Majesty-"

"Just what?" Ludwig hissed, convinced the girl was stalling to hide her lie.

He just knew she wanted to starve him, to kill him. He held her wrists tighter and heard her suck in a pained gasp.

"It's just that it's so late," She whimpered in answer.

Ludwig frowned, but released her in favor of rushing to the left where long, tall windows lay behind tapestries. He pried two of the great hanging fabrics apart to give light to the glass partition. What he saw made him freeze.

It was pitch black outside.

"When did this happen?"

Somewhere along the course of the last eight hours, you fool! He scolded himself. Memories he'd forgotten came rushing back; waking this morning, nibbling at the food he'd been provided, going throughout his day from one blinding headache to the next, and then eventually coming to the dining hall to take his last meal for the evening.

How could I have forgotten all that, he wondered.

He turned to the trembling servant and gave her a once-over. As he stalked over towards her, the blonde was tempted to back away but stood still for her king. She pursed her mouth against her nervousness and Ludwig reached for her hands. Now she flinched but he was gentle in taking them both in his own and bringing them to his mouth.

"I believe an apology is in order." He said softly, his eyes far away.

The girl didn't know it, but it wasn't her Ludwig was seeing, but another. One with eyes that were light and fiery and a mane of brunette hair. His mind would have him believe it was her hands he now held, and he kissed them almost reverently.

The servant blushed madly and felt her stomach lurch. She didn't know what to do, but she feared if the king continued in this manner they'd both end up in a compromising situation. She cleared her throat meaningfully.

Her voice shook when she said, "M-Majesty?"

Ludwig blinked and then dropped the girl's hands reluctantly. Like smoke the visage of the other woman evaporated until all that was left was his bewildered kitchen hand.

"Dinner then." He spoke firmly. "Go and bring me my dinner."

He slouched back in his chair and waited for the meal to be brought out to him. He wasn't hungry, never was, but he had to eat. He couldn't die. Couldn't let him win. Not by any chance.

Sitting idly only gave him too much time to think and, as his mind was a veritable basket of kittens at this point, his thoughts became paranoid once more. By the time the servant, a different one, carried out his food, he was on edge. Ludwig turned to the young black-haired man and frowned at him. The servant just set the plate of hot food down in front of the king and bowed. Ludwig scrutinized the meal.

"Is this poisoned?" He demanded to know.

"No, your Majesty." The servant spoke clearly.

"And you'd tell me if it were?" Ludwig then prompted.

"Yes, your Majesty." The servant replied.

Ludwig kept his eyes on the young man while he took his first bite of the green vegetables. It didn't agree with his tongue, throat, or stomach but still he consumed. He had to eat. Couldn't die. Couldn't let himwin.

"Bring me wine." Ludwig commanded.

Having been dismissed, the servant disappeared past the kitchen doors. When he came back, he had a bottle of alcohol in one hand and a goblet in the other. He set the goblet down first and Ludwig snatched it from the table. The servant hesitated. He was young, only seventeen; he didn't have practice with serving His Majesty. His job was tending the horses near the stables. But he'd been walking through the kitchens to speak to a friend of his when he saw his love interest looking traumatized. He'd offered to do her work for her, just this once, hoping to both calm her and impress her. He didn't anticipate having to pour wine into the goblet while the king's hand shook violently. The boy had heard rumors throughout the palace of the king cursing servants left and right. He swallowed now, nervous that he'd make a mistake and be punished severely.

"What are you waiting for?" Ludwig snapped irritably. "For me to die of thirst? Are you after my head, too then? Is the whole damn staff conspiring against me, conspiring with him?"

"No, Your Majesty." The young man shook his head.

He then attempted to get a straight stream of liquid into the sizable goblet. Amazingly, he did accomplish this without spilling a drop. Ludwig drank greedily and then, when he set down the cup, he was too heavy-handed and some of the burgundy liquid sloshed onto the white tablecloth. The servant held his breath.

Ludwig just waved his hand and said, "What are you standing there, for? Go and get a mop and clean this up."

Now the servant was confused. He glanced at the floor but none of the wine had made it there. It was all soaking into the white silk fabric atop the table.

The boy dared a glance at the king and asked, "A mop, sir?"

"Did I stutter?"

Very carefully the boy spoke, "Would it not please His Majesty more if I used a towel instead?"

Ludwig said impatiently, "Go and get a mop like I told you."

"A mop, sire?"

"Yes."

"For the table?"

"Yes!"

The boy waited until he was towards the kitchen doors, behind Ludwig's back, to shake his head. Once he relayed this encounter to the other staff members, a consensus was reached: the new King of the Badlands was bat-shit insane.