The sunlight glowed brighter through the silk curtains than it had done in weeks, the leaves on the trees in the castle gardens appeared to grow greener by the minute, and flocks of birds flew past the window in a parade of beauty and colour. It was almost as though the universe had aligned to create the perfect day, knowing exactly what was due to happen in just a few minutes. For today was the marriage of Prince Bowser and Princess Peach. People had gathered from across the Koopa Kingdom and beyond to celebrate their union. And to catch a glimpse of the 'brave' princess who was willing to marry the infamous cursed prince. But, nothing anyone else thought matter to Peach as she stood in front of the mirror in her chambers, Toadette placing the last finishing touches around her. She twisted her body slightly, watching the silver flowers and intricate detailing of her white gown glimmer as they caught the sunlight. The train of her dress flowed out in a circle behind her, partly covered by the long translucent veil that cascaded down her back. Her hair lay in elegant curls across her bare shoulders and long, white gloves reached up past her elbows, covering her slightly shaking hands as she held tightly onto her bouquet of pink, white, and pale yellow flowers. Peach smiled at her reflection, her heart racing in her chest. She couldn't believe this was actually happening. Her one and only regret was that Daisy wasn't by her side...
"Are you ready, my lady?" Toadette smiled up at her, dressed in their own beautiful outfit of pink and white, flowers woven through their braids, drawing Peach from her thoughts. She took one last look in the mirror at herself before turning to face Toadette.
"As ready as I'll ever be," she smiled, pulling the short, front section of her veil up and over to cover her face. Together, the two of them exited the room and made their way towards where the ceremony was being held- the Great Hall.
Bowser adjusted his tie in the mirror for what felt like the hundredth time; something about it just didn't look right. Truth be told, he had been fretting over his appearance the entire morning. There was a section of his hair that wouldn't stay in the right place, his tie never looked straight, the collar of his white shirt folded at weird angles, his golden waistcoat didn't sit right across his shoulders, and his left shoelace kept coming undone. Normally, he wouldn't worry about such details, knowing most people wouldn't even look at him long enough to notice anything anyway. But today was different, today was special. And everything needed to be perfect. Bowser sighed to himself, slipping his tie over his head and deciding to completely re-tie it. Just as he did so, he heard a knock at his door.
"Come in," Bowser called over his shoulder, focusing on his reflection. He heard the heavy wooden door open briefly then close again. The room was quiet for a moment as Bowser struggled with this tie before he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Let me," Boo offered, glancing down at Bowser's half tied tie. Bowser smiled down at him and relented, his hands falling to his sides in defeat. Boo took hold of the tie and Bowser suddenly felt like a child again. After their parents had died and Boo had become king, there had been an endless stream of meetings, council sessions, and royal visits to attend to. Strictly speaking, Bowser hadn't needed to go to any of them- being a prince and not a king, as well as being a child- but Boo had been reluctant to let him go too far from him and Bowser hadn't been overly fond of the idea of the two of them being separated for too long either. So, they attended everything together; Bowser sitting on a chair in the far corner as his brother discussed politics with various stuffy members of the royal court. It had been during this time that Boo had taught him to tie his own tie, after having done it for him a thousand times before. Just like he was doing again now, moments before Bowser was due to be married. They were vastly different people now than they had been those long twenty years ago. But, as Boo finished tying his tie and looked up at him with a rare, soft smile on his face, Bowser couldn't help but be reminded of that more innocent time in their lives.
"Are you ready, brother?" Boo asked him, stepping back and looking Bowser up and down.
"I am," Bowser smiled, straightening out his white tail suit jacket for the last time, his white and gold waistcoat catching the light as he moved.
"Well then, I wish you luck," Boo patted him lightly on the back before heading towards the door. He held it open for Bowser then closed it behind them both. Side by side, the two of then began to walk towards the Great Hall. As soon as they entered, Bowser's nervous smile widened into a giddy grin. The hall was already filled with hundreds of guests, all filtering into the rows of seats that had been set out the day before. They all turned to watch the king and prince enter, whispering in amongst each other. But Bowser wasn't paying the slightest bit of attention of them. Instead, his eyes followed the long aisle that ran the length of the room, covered in petals of pink and yellow. At the opposite end of the hall, a beautiful white wedding arch stood, covered in flowers and ribbons. Long silk streamers hung from the ceiling and the velvet drapes had been pulled back from the windows, allowing the morning sun to light the room, a natural spotlight falling on the arch itself. It had been a long time since the castle's Great Hall had been decorated this way; Boo and Bowser's parents and grandparents had all eloped in secret, meaning there hadn't been a royal wedding in the Koopa Kingdom for over sixty years. Until today. Bowser walked up the centre of the isle and took his place in front of the arch, Boo close beside him. This was when he began to notice just how warm he felt, and how much his hands were shaking. He looked down at his feet, trying to steady himself and slow his breathing.
"Look up," Boo suddenly whispered in his ear. Without thinking, Bowser did as he was told and raised his head just as the doors to the Great Hall opened once more. The crowd of people, now all seated, instantly fell silent and twisted in their seats to look behind them. There Peach stood at the end of the isle, looking as radiant as a goddess, her handmaid stood behind her holding the end of her dress. Bowser could see the nervousness on her face under her veil as she scanned the huge crowd in front of her. But then her eyes fell on him and a smile began to pull at the corners of her lips. Bowser smiled back at her, his breath catching in his throat. The pianists in both of the far corners of the room then began to play in perfect synchronicity and slowly, Peach walked up the aisle towards Bowser, their eye contact never breaking. Once she was a few steps away, Peach reached out her left hand behind her. Toadette took it in their own, gave her a quick reassuring squeeze, then stepped to the side of the arch. In the same moment, Boo's hand found its way to his brother's shoulder for a few seconds before letting go and also stepping back, giving Bowser and Peach centre stage. Facing each other in front of the wedding arch, Bowser and Peach grinned at each other, their nervousness slowly melting away. Bowser reached out and gently lifted Peach's veil away from her face before taking her hands in his. As he did so, the officiant stepped forwards and addressed the crowd.
"Residents of the Koopa Kingdom and beyond, we are gathered here today to witness the royal union of Prince Bowser and Princess Peach,"
Everything else he said drifted from Bowser's memory; all that consumed his thoughts was how utterly beautiful Peach looked as she stood in front of him. They spoke their vows to each other, promising to honour, cherish, and care for one another forevermore. Boo presented their wedding rings- bands of gold with intricate floral engravings. With slightly shaking hands, Peach took off her gloves, handed them over to Toadette, and held out her hand as Bowser slipped the ring onto her finger. Taking the other ring, she gently placed it on Bowser's finger and her heart felt that it would surely burst from her chest upon seeing his eyes light up as she did so.
"I now pronounce you husband and wife. Your Highness, you may kiss the bride," the officiant finally said, stepping to the side again. Bowser wrapped his arms around Peach's waist and pulled her close. They paused for the tiniest of moments, staring into each other's eyes as everyone else in the room faded away. Then Peach leaned forwards and pressed their lips together. The entire crowd erupted into joyous noise. So much so that when Bowser pulled back, he looked across the room in complete shock. He rarely received a warm smile, let alone cheers and applause. And from so many people too. Peach slipped her hand into his and he looked down to see her beaming at him. He smiled back, his heart full of love. Together, they walked back down the aisle and out of the Great Hall, hand in hand. And for the first time in a very long time, they both felt truly happy.
