Over the next several weeks, Peach and Bowser hardly left each other's sides; wherever one was, the other would not be far behind. Gossip swarmed the kingdom from the lowest servant to the very height of nobility, but neither prince nor princess bothered with what any of them had to say. For the first time in her entire life, Peach felt truly free to be herself around Bowser. She could laugh loudly, show open affection, and talk about things that both excited and saddened her without fear of judgement or reprimand; she could wear whatever she wanted, go wherever she pleased, and when she found herself running through the fields with freedom in her spirit, she could turn around and Bowser would be right by her side, sharing her smile. He was soft and romantic and made her laugh like no one else had ever been able to do before. For Bowser, Peach showed him that the world could be a beautiful and loving place. She showed him how to care for someone in a way he had never known before; something he thought he was entirely incapable of before meeting her. She never looked at him with even a hint of fear or hesitation, not once. She saw past the horns and fangs and, in doing so, Bowser began to look past them too. She was funny and kind-hearted and made him feel so completely normal that he almost started to forget that he had ever been cursed at all. He could feel himself falling for her day by day.
One particularly rainy day, Bowser had an idea to show her exactly what she meant to him. He made his excuses to Peach around midday, promising her it would be worth what he had planned, then set to work. It took a few hours to get everything ready and, once he was done, he couldn't help the excitement bubbling in his chest as he went in search of Peach. As he had been expecting, he found her curled in front of a fire in the library, her nose buried in probably her third book of the day. As quietly as he could, he snuck up behind her. Peach had been part way through reading a a sentence when a pair of hands appeared from behind her and covered her eyes.
"Guess who?" whispered an unmistakable voice in her ear.
"Hmmm, I wonder who could be standing behind me?" Peach laughed, choosing to go along with whatever Bowser was doing.
"Come with me," Bowser instructed, pulling his hands away from her face and holding them out towards her. Putting her book down on the table beside her, Peach placed her hands in his, allowed him to pull her up, then followed him out the room and down the hallway. Instead of being faced with a pair of ornately decorated doors like she had expected for whatever surprise Bowser had been planning, he led her to a rather understated door tucked away in a hidden corner. Sensing Peach's curiosity, Bowser smiled to himself as he pulled out a slim golden key from his pocket, unlocked the door, and opened it.
"A guest as wonderful as you deserves a private dining hall," Bowser explained as he gestured for Peach to enter. The room was much smaller and less extravagant looking than the main castle dining hall; it felt much cosier, but it still showed off the vastness of the Koopa Kingdom's wealth with heavy, deep red velvet curtains, a low hanging golden chandelier, and a round table with two chairs sat opposite each other in the centre of the room. Bowser placed his hand on the small of Peach's back and gently led her towards the centre of the room, sending a slight shiver down Peach's spine. Taking his signal, Peach walked towards the table and took a seat, still in awe of the room around her. When she turned back around, Bowser was approaching the table with a silver tray. He set it down on the table and lifted the cover to reveal a variety of different, exotic looking foods, most of which Peach had never even seen before. Bowser sat himself in the chair opposite her, smiling at Peach's awestruck expression.
"Help yourself," he gestured to the food, "I had it all freshly prepared,"
At Bowser's words, Peach began filling her plate with all the different dishes in front of her, excited to try each and every one of them, as Bowser filled the two wine glasses in the centre of the table. He handed one to Peach before raising his glass, Peach copying his movements seconds later.
"To the most astonishing woman I've ever met, may she never change," Bowser said, blushing slightly.
"And to a prince who has shown me freedom and honesty like I've never known before," Peach responded with a smile and gently knocked their glasses together. She took a quick sip of her wine, enjoying its crisp taste, before taking her first bite of food. And it was some of the best food she had ever eaten. She smiled and nodded enthusiastically as Bowser told her what each dish was, relishing in the taste of every single one. They continued to eat, drink, and talk until both their plates were cleared and their glasses emptied.
"That was delicious!" Peach exclaimed, dabbing the corners of her mouth with her napkin.
"I'm glad you enjoyed it," Bowser smiled at her.
"And you certainly weren't lying, that was worth the wait," Peach giggled and Bowser's smile widened.
"My dear, the night has only just begun. I have more than just a simple dinner planned," Bowser stood and held out his hand to Peach. Excited to see where Bowser's surprise evening would take her next, she took his hand and allowed him to lead her back out the room. They walked through the endless maze of corridors until they reached a door towards the back of the castle which led them outside. Rain still lightly poured from the sky, but Bowser knew neither of them minded. Peach smiled and tipped her head back slightly as they stepped outside, letting the raindrops cascade down her face. They walked through the gardens for a time, hand in hand, both enjoying the quiet stillness in the air. Eventually, a small white pavilion surrounded by rose bushes came into view and Bowser led Peach over to it, only stopping once they were underneath its shelter. Bower's hand dropped to his side, and he stepped back. Peach instantly missed his closeness until she saw the mischievous twinkle in his eyes.
"My dearest princess, would you do me the honour of dancing with me this fine evening?" Bowser asked, bowing gracefully then holding out his hand towards Peach in an extravagant gesture.
"Well, my dear prince, how could I ever refuse such a request?" Peach giggled, holding her slightly damp skirts and curtsying, before placing her hand in his. He pulled her close to him again, just as he had done on the night they met and Peach couldn't help but smile at the memory. Bowser reached up and brushed a wet lock of hair away from her face before wrapping his arms around her waist. Peach draped her arms over his shoulders and their bodies began moving as one. Peach felt herself sinking into Bowser's touch, his arms strong and protective around her. Suddenly, his grip tightened around her waist and he lifted her upwards. Peach gasped as she felt her feet leave the ground but she felt safe in Bowser's hold. He spun her around before gently placing her back on her feet as Peach's silvery laughter filled the air. He smiled down at her and blushed as she grinned up at him in return. They continued swaying together to the peaceful sounds of the quiet night, lost in each other's hearts.
"I have a question," Peach whispered after a while, a hint of nervousness touching her delicate features.
"What is it?" Bowser replied equally as quietly, afraid of breaking this fragile moment they shared.
"May I kiss you?" Peach asked and she watched Bowser's gaze flick down to her lips, for just the briefest of moments.
"Yes," Bowser finally managed to say after what felt like an eternity. After a moment of quiet hesitation, Peach pushed herself up onto her toes and closed the distance between them, connecting their lips. And it was like nothing Bowser had ever felt before. It was as though his very soul had begun to sing. Suddenly, he felt Peach's lips smile against his own and a whole new wave of emotion washed over him; adoration, excitement, joy... love. This wasn't a dream; this was really happening. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, pulling her closer to him. Peach reached up and ran a gentle finger down the side of one of his horns, sending an involuntary shiver down his spine. When Peach finally pulled back, she rested her forehead against Bowser's and smiled at the sight of his flushed cheeks. Bowser had a thousand things he wanted to say to her, but none of them could find their way to his lips. Instead, he just smiled at her, hoping his eyes conveyed all the emotions he never even knew he was capable of feeling. They stayed there for a long time, simply holding each other in the dappled moonlight that shone through the clouds above them.
