New little story in the romance/fluff category.

Just an idea that had crossed my mind once ... I really wanted to make a tender moment of complicity (If it were up to me, I'd do it all the time!).

Enjoy!

Once Upon a Time

Once upon a time, there was a Princess known for her beauty and generosity. She was the pride of the kingdom and her parents. From the day she was born, she was called the little ray of sunshine by all who met her. She was the one who brought joy and happiness to everyone's hearts, making the world a happier place. Every day, this princess came down to the village to play with the other children and make friends.

But this princess had a special talent, an innate gift. Just by laughing, she could transmit her joy of life, which made her unique and appreciated by all.

The princess loved music above all else. Music brought joy, and like her laughter, it restored faith. When a troupe entered the kingdom, she was the first to welcome them and offer them hospitality. She never missed a performance. Never an opportunity to practice fiddling with the fiddler, to learn that perfectionist magic. Her dream now was to become a musician and join a troupe of troubadours, to contribute to this inexhaustible happiness in the form of joyful notes.

As the years went by, when she finally reached the age of seventeen, she announced to her parents that she wanted to leave to discover the world they had ignored. To travel, play the violin and meet new people A childhood dream she wanted to fulfill at an age when wisdom was sought. The king, however, would not hear of it.

Furious that his precious daughter wanted to go off on adventures instead of honoring tradition, he ordered his builders to construct the tallest tower in the kingdom. With no way in or out. Away from the people, in the wastelands, the princess was imprisoned. Like the other princesses before her, she had to find eternal love. Isolated from the rest of the world, isolated from happiness and joy, she lost her ability to laugh. Now trapped in the highest room of the highest tower, she lay at her only window waiting for a sign...

"Let me guess, she has to wait to be rescued by Prince Charming?"

Cinder suddenly stopped reading at this bored voice exclaiming. Looking up from her purple velvet book with its golden borders, her gaze lingered for a moment on the curtains at the large right window blown by the warm afternoon breeze. Pensive and somewhat evasive after these few lines, a small smile formed on her face as her apple-green eyes gazed at the castle window. She lost herself in thought, motionless, until she remembered that she wasn't alone in the room. With a brief shake of her head, the young woman dropped her gaze back to the open book in her hands, shifting it to the side to reveal a broad muzzle behind. Immediately, her smile returned as she spoke again, finally replying to her half-asleep interlocutor.

"Prince Charmings don't run around... And besides, what defines a Prince Charming? His beauty, his generosity, his bravery? A combination of all these qualities? Honestly, I don't think such a character could exist in real life. Perfection exists only in the imagination, and it takes many forms. Prince Charmings live only in fairy tales." She questioned with a slight chuckle followed by a sheepish shrug, the movement causing her red hair to flip over her bare arms.

"Look at me, I'm a mix of all these things. I'm living proof that all these qualities combined do indeed exist." Immediately replied the immense Koopa while shaking his bushy eyebrows up and down with a seductive little smile, amused by the human's analysis.

"Perhaps, but we're talking about a prince here, not a conquering King with a sultry temperament." Cinder quickly recalled, imitating her mischievous eyebrow movement. Obviously, she'd chosen her words carefully not to say outright that he also had flaws among those qualities, at the risk of incurring the wrath of the angry, impulsive and easily offended Bowser.

To contradict him? Not for her!

Even if he was right, she thought he was perfect.

"Go on." He purred, closing his eyes and returning to his original comfortable position.

Lying on his belly on the huge royal bed, the big spiny turtle listened attentively to his wife's story on this warm, sunny afternoon. At naptime, he had asked her for a story, as she regularly did with his son Junior to help him fall asleep in the evening when he couldn't fall asleep right away. He wanted to try it out for himself. Intrigued by this strange ritual they had both adopted for some time, he had wondered about the benefits of such a practice. So, under Bowser Jr's repeated encouragement and after much reflection on the usefulness of listening to tales, each more ridiculous than the last, the menacing Koopa finally gave in to temptation. It was mostly an excuse. But in the end he realized it wasn't so bad... He might even become fond of these moments of tenderness and rest.

Not only did he listen to his wife's sweet voice, but he also enjoyed her closeness in an intimate moment. Far from his obligations as sovereign and supreme leader. Eyes closed, a smile spread across his muzzle as he felt her fingers on his prominent cheekbones. He loved the softness of her caresses, the fragility of her fingers on his rough scales. Bowser had never really known the definition of happiness, but he could easily say that these were his favorite moments. Every moment spent with Cinder were moments he'd never want to forget, just as his son Junior had been since he came into his life. These two contributed to his happiness on a daily basis, teaching him what it meant. He couldn't be happier. He had a wonderful wife, an adorable son, a kingdom in his image, a huge and loyal army... Well, even if he had everything a King could dream of, he would still like to be able to conquer the entire universe so that his happiness could reach its peak!

Cinder retrieved her book to look for the line she'd left hanging. Leaning back against the soft red pillows, she was trapped in Bowser's arms around her, his clawed hands framing her ribs. With her legs stretched out under the imposing turtle's flaming mane, she barely felt his weight, as he made sure not to crush her completely. With his head resting on her pelvis, his big snout touched the back of her fingers as she picked up the book again, continuing her story after being interrupted by the dozing Koopa. Thank heavens he'd taken off his necklace and prickly bracelets! For comfort, he'd said, but Cinder knew it was to avoid hurting her accidentally. His massive green carapace with thorns prevented her from seeing the door behind him, and aside from the window and dressing table to her left, she couldn't see much of the room. Even though it was very spacious. A room so big she could almost get lost in it.

"The sign of her freedom. But so that the future prince of valor could prove his worth, the king had this tower guarded by a flame-breathing dragon. A monster with powerful wings and razor-sharp fangs, repelling anyone who tried to seize the sequestered beauty." Cinder recited, glancing at Bowser's face as it twitched in amusement.

"Why princesses in fairy tales are always young girls in distress?" He sneered.

"They're not always. It all depends on their condition. The rest of the story will determine if she is indeed a damsel in distress, guarded by a bloodthirsty beast... Waiting for her true love. Or if the roles will be reversed." The young woman retorted, deliberately maintaining the suspense with a mysterious tone of voice, enough to make Bowser reopen one eye.

"A princess facing a flame-breathing dragon?! Humpf, she won't stand a chance! It's all doom and gloom. We already know how it's all going to end. There are no surprises." He mocked cheerfully after sighing heavily, the long breath of air pushing the human's hair back.

"Princess Peach stood up to the terrible Bowser." Then Cinder remembered without a second thought, her teasing smile getting bigger as the Koopa's eyes widened before contesting.

"Hey! I'm not some stupid flame-breathing beast! I don't spend my time sleeping and growling!" He indignantly raised a red eyebrow, his wife's laughter soon filling the room. The sound was a melody to his ears... He loved being at the origin of it. But puzzled by her reaction, he was about to interrupt her however she quickly calmed down and then reminded him exactly what this mythical creature was.

"Dragons are noble and powerful. They fear nothing! They breathe incandescent fire, crisscrossing the land to expand their territory beyond its borders... They jealously guard their precious treasures out of sight. They don't hesitate to repel intruders and take part in fights. Often misjudged, they are seen as evil because of their solitary and belligerent nature. But when you take a moment to look at them," Cinder paused to bend over Bowser's yellow muzzle with a tender smile, brushing her finger across the tip of his nose; "you can see that they're really just misunderstood creatures, with insecurities, just looking for a little attention. Beings with feelings who hide their vulnerability behind this facet of heartless destructive monster."

At this statement, Bowser's heart clenched behind his breastplate, as if she were speaking directly to him. That he was like these creatures. Wrongly considered criminals, just because they were scary and supposedly monstrous... Yes, he had done terrible things, yes, he had somewhat barbaric methods, but deep down he wasn't that bad. At least, that's what Cinder was trying to make him understand day after day. He'd been improving and becoming a better version of himself ever since he opened his eyes. Just to see her smiles, her pride and feel her happiness. It was priceless. Sniffing a little at Cinder's finger on his nose, he cleared his throat at the emotion that had overtaken him for a few seconds. He resumed his usual air because he didn't want to come across as overly sensitive either, despite the impact these few words had on him.

"I'll take that as a compliment. But let me be clear..." Still perturbed, the King of the Koopas spoke with a touch of warning in his deep voice. Then he squinted at the human, who paused in her gesture to look at him uncertainly, finally ending his sentence with a slight grunt of exasperation.

"Peach never stood up to me." He warned flatly between his teeth, having only moderately appreciated this assertion, which he considered to be false. She'd just been stubborn! That was all.

This little indignation, which seemed more like a whim, made Cinder laugh and she couldn't help but imagine the princess of the Mushroom Kingdom defying the will of the most feared creature of all. She was brave, there was no doubt about it. She admired Peach for the strength of character that made her so respectable, even if their opinions differed on certain points. Not least their opinion of Bowser and his sometimes-questionable actions. Nevertheless, it was clear that the big turtle's pride had been severely damaged over the years by the constant rejection of a human four times his size, never yielding to any of his blackmail to always protect her people. Yes, Bowser had never been able to overcome these personal failures, but perhaps with time and love, he would finally succeed. In the meantime, Cinder resumed her story, hoping one day to be able to finish it as her husband was not about to fall asleep...

Like son, like father.

"The days passed, the tears drowned. No one was on the horizon. Trapped at the top of this soulless tower of graying stone, the princess remained impatient. Below, the creature rested at the foot of her prison, never lifting her ruddy eyes to her only window. In the distance, she could see what she once called home. Bathed in soft light, the white castle mocked her with each passing day." She continued calmly, her eyes immersed in those lines written in black ink in pretty curves. She could feel Bowser's heavy breathing on the backs of her fingers, the weight of his breastplate on her legs hidden beneath the fluffy blanket.

"But this solitude also gave her time to think. Who had the right to control her destiny? Why did she have to wait for a prince who would probably never come to rescue her? Were all princesses destined to live a so-called fairy tale? The beautiful girl wondered, and a new dream came to life. She dreamed of becoming a glow-worm, so she could leave this place on her own and never sink into the darkness of the night. To be able to fly wherever her heart took her." Emotionally, Cinder looked down at Koopa's face for a moment to see that he had closed his eyes to listen to her. He looked so peaceful, so relaxed... His large hands encircled her like a protective barrier to the outside world. The light breeze from the window moved some of his wild hair, but nothing seemed to disturb him. Sketching an adoring smile at this image, she continued her story.

"The Beast, like Beauty, was misunderstood. This monster, feared by all, had been placed there by force to ensure a role that was unjustly predestined for him. Condemned to be hated forever. Grief-stricken, the girl leaned out of the window to call to the beast. The ferocious creature looked up at her curiously, but she saw no trace of malice, merely confusion." However, Cinder was interrupted again by Bowser, the timbres of his big voice making her legs vibrate.

"If I were the hero of this story, I'd have burnt that tower to the ground long ago! I'd have fought that 'dragon' with my own hands, captured him, and put him to work for me. A good watchdog to ward off pests. A jet of flame on anything that moves, that's the real thing!" He commented without reopening his eyes, the corners of his muzzle stretching out in a conquered smile at the perfect scenario forming in his head.

When he thought of pests, he obviously thought of the mustachioed kind.

"Servitude is not always the only way to obtain the object of our desires." Cinder recited while lovingly running her thumbs over the tyrannical Koopa's jaw, tracing its few battle scars. Surprised, Bowser raised his eyes to look at her skeptically, until she resumed her reading to help him better understand what she was getting at. The gentle caresses on his face soothed him, making him want to purr every time her fingers grazed his scales. He didn't want it to stop. This tenderness was making it hard for him to concentrate, but this story really intrigued him because it wasn't like the others, so he made the effort to put his ear to the ground. Though right now he would have preferred to stand and look at her instead of the book's spine.

"The princess spoke to the beast to reassure him. As the days passed, trust grew and a friendship was born between the young girl and the dragon. Both dreaming of freedom, they never expected to see a prince arrive on his white horse. His silver armor gleamed in the rays of the setting sun. Ready to defy the monster to save the fair maiden from his clutches." Cinder recounted, raising a finger in suspense and furrowing her brow.

"He cut the monster's neck and they lived happily ever after. Blah blah blah ..." Bored by the turn of events, Bowser looked up at the ceiling with a shake of his head, but the young woman still hadn't finished surprising him.

"And the beast took flight. Ever higher, its wings covered the sun's rays, shadowing the sword-wielding rider... Until it reached the princess's window. The beauty climbed onto the creature's neck and, without a glance at the knight, they both flew off into the sunset. Off to conquer their dreams, together. The end!" She exclaimed happily after closing the book to lay it on its side, startling the lying turtle.

"What?! That's it? No fighting? No bloodshed? What's the point of this story if there's no fight to determine the strongest! It's ridiculous!" He exclaimed, his eyes wide with disbelief and his mouth hanging open. He'd been expecting an epic battle! Something that would give meaning to the story and a bit of action too. Not some strange ending where nobody dies!

"Every story has its morality. Violence doesn't always solve everything." Cinder shrugged her shoulders with a shy smile at the doubtful look offered by the a priori disappointed Koopa.

"There's no morality! That's a lousy story." He grumbled with a grimace.

"Well, yes, there is." Assured the human who slowly leaned towards him. The sudden closeness drove the annoyance from Bowser's face as he looked her straight in the eye, feeling his heart rate lurch at her natural beauty that always struck him. He'd never tire of looking at her... Listening to her melodious voice, hearing her laughter and seeing her smiles. Her lava-like hair fell over his arms to tickle his scales as she kissed the tip of his nose, trapping his face between her warm hands as she resumed in a low voice.

"Destiny is ours. Only we can determine it. It's important to listen to your heart and follow your dreams. You must also look beyond appearances, which are sometimes deceiving, and make up your own mind. Never judge a book by its cover." Cinder says, her thumbs making little circles on Koopa's cheeks, suddenly speechless. She'd already told him this sentence back when she was just a seduction advisor, when he'd only had eyes for Peach and her Kingdom. This last thought painfully contracted her heart, but a warmth immediately spread through her body as Bowser's hands tightened around her.

It was as if he'd read her mind at that moment.

"I love this story." He finally said in conclusion after pulling her against his head for an affectionate hug.

"Me too." Cinder murmured, wrapping her arms around Koopa's massive head to hold him close, her cheek resting on his warm muzzle. Curiously, the texture there was much softer than the rest of his rough body despite the few scars there. She loved his touch, she loved being in his arms. She felt safe nowhere else. Running her hand slowly through his silky red hair, she closed her eyes to enjoy the moment, happy to be at his side and to have experienced her own fairy tale.

And so they lay together, feeling loved for eternity.

End

I hope you enjoyed it! For my part, I loved writing this. It's so tender and touching... I love imagining these kinds of scenes.

As for the next story, I'm still hesitating on the subject, but we'll certainly go back to the humor and maybe adventure category.

See you soon, VP