A/N: Haha I know I'm crazy with how many uploads I'm doing! I've just had a lot of freetime during quarantine and it's so much fun writing about this pairing. It's been my favorite ship since I was little, after all! Please know I have a life. I swear. I'm just having fun! Thank you so much for your kind words. Each review/PM motivates me beyond belief to keep updating 3
As soon as the phantom had left, Peach crumbled from the way he had looked at her.
In an instant, his eyes had lost their worried concern, and instead were filled with a deep hatred Peach couldn't even begin to understand. Any compassion for the actress disappeared as he seemed to realize who he was talking to.
It felt like he only looked at her with any softness when he forgot who, or what, she was. It was rare but, recently, she felt as if he didn't see her as an enemy. A nuisance, maybe, but not someone worth avoiding at all times.
It had been awhile since she had remembered that he hated her. When he took care of her, she thought that maybe, he had forgotten, too, about how he held a premeditated dislike for her. She was so sure that she had convinced him to give her another chance. Or, at least form a new opinion of her.
Peach tucked her legs against her chest as she wrapped her arms around them.
What did she do wrong? It stung beyond all belief, having him pull away when he had looked at her with subtle fondness moments prior. It was like a switch; as if he had mentally reminded himself of whatever reason drove himself to distance himself.
Whether intentional or not, he taunted her with the hope of potentially forming the connection she felt desperate to indulge in. Some moments, she would feel a thin, fragile recognition of mutual familiarity, only for him to crush any signs of it ever existing.
It was as if he were trying to convince both of them that it didn't exist. While Peach didn't fall victim to his tactics, she couldn't help but wonder if she misread the situation and that it was a fabricated feeling she imagined. Was she the only that felt so familiar when around him?
With how he touched her, she knew it laid dormant in him, too. Peach gently clenched her hands as she remembered his touch and how he allowed her to hold him.
Peach shoved her head into her knees as she tried to hold back any proof of her crumbling composure. She held herself tightly, knowing that giving in would give the phantom the satisfaction of upsetting her. With the way he had stormed out, she knew that would undoubtedly give him exactly what he wanted.
Was that his game? Bringing her up only to crush her down?
Peach lifted her head with a decision: she needed to leave. His room, unsurprisingly, reeked of his energy and lingered with a constant reminder of him. Even now, she lay resting in his own bed, surrounded by his imagery.
She shuddered as she realized how much power he held over her. Not only physically, but mentally. No wonder his people followed him so devotedly.
Peach gently kicked her legs out of the heavy blanket as she sat upwards. She turned to the edge of the bed as she lowered her feet off of its surface. To her surprise, she wasn't met with the floor, but the air, as the bed was much higher up than she had anticipated. It made sense, considering the king's incredible size.
With a gentle hop, Peach landed on the wooden floor with ease. She groaned at how cold the surface was, wishing she hadn't tossed away her shoes in the cave. Though, that was the least of her worries, as she quickly forgot about cold while realizing where she was.
No longer shrouded by the bed's canopy, she was able to see the room with greater detail. She stood in the middle of the chamber as she looked around, extremely curious about what the phantom hid in his privacy.
She crossed her arms as she held herself, trying to contain herself from doing something she would regret as well as keep her still. She had no right to continue being curious after the way he had treated her, but she couldn't help but wonder what he kept in his private space. It was a nosey way of thinking, but did she really owe him any respect in that moment?
Peach made her way over to one of the many crowded shelves in his room. A glance wouldn't hurt anyone, would it?
She held her breath as she investigated the ornaments of varying intensities on each layer. She didn't dare touch them in fear of damaging something. Her eyes fixated on one item that caught her attention, as it seemed to be something she would find herself fancying.
It was a small golden crown that was rusted around the edges and had chipped corners. It was dull and looked more like an antique rather than a sign of royalty. A pink plush material with white circles dotting the fabric sat in the shape of a mushroom in its center. It was adorably small and was more akin to a collector's item rather than an actual royal crown.
It was the exact opposite of something she would have assumed he would collect. For him to hold onto it, it surely had to be worth something.
Maybe it belonged to a world he had conquered? She was not one to be educated in royal attire, let alone royal conquests, so she dropped her small investigation. She had no doubt there was a story behind every item in the room, but she knew there was little chance she would ever figure out what reason each had for being locked in his chamber.
Peach turned to the rest of the items on the shelf.
There were countless gems lazily placed in a pile of various sizes. Some were polished and clean, while others were still clouded with dirt and dust. The clean, neat stones were cut into varying shapes. The natural stones stood in the form that they had been ripped directly out of the earth and shoved into his collection.
"Gems? How predictable for a king," Peach mumbled to herself with a saddened amusement. She tried to find enjoyment out of peering for information from the curious beast, but her earlier encounter with him still dulled her mood. Finding out a tyrannical king had a collection of jewels wasn't exactly mind blowing.
It was a popular rumor that King Koopa had sat upon a throne of riches, anyways.
The rest of the items on the shelves before her were of little interest to her, as they were other items she couldn't find any wonder in. Peach, instead, turned her gaze upwards, finding more curiosity in the higher shelves that were out of her reach.
They were littered with skulls and other personal treasures.
The bones littered around above her were...interesting, to say the least, but staring at them made her feel beyond uncomfortable. She shuddered at how they seemed to stare back at her and monitor her every violation of the king's privacy.
She tried to avoid the topic of how they got there.
Peach furrowed her brow as she noticed something glimmering from within one of the tinier skull's eyes. The remains were still large, but smaller than the koopa-like creatures that surrounded it. It seemed to be eerily human, but she refused to believe that he would harbor human skulls in his chamber.
Even with how he had treated her, she wanted to defend his character. She refused to believe he would collect human skulls! Though, she was a bad liar. With his history against the Mushroom Kingdom, it was no doubt that it was…most likely human.
Peach stood on her toes as she tried to gain a better angle at what seemingly-metal object was shoved in the socket. The further she looked, the more she felt as if it were something of value, as it was tucked away from where anyone could view, let alone notice it. She struggled to make out what was hidden as the shelf was barely high enough for her to reach.
Her hands grazed against the wooden surface as she tried to stretch and reach the remains.
She quickly lost motivation as she was not tall enough. Peach frowned as she fell back to her feet. The object was just barely out of her reach without anything to stand on.
Peach turned to look at the closed entrance to the phantom's chamber with a sense of realization. Was this going too far? Rather, was she going to be caught disobeying his clear want of privacy?
Annoyed stubbornness crossed her face as she looked up at the skull. To her, going through his things felt like a silent revenge that he would never be able to acknowledge, as long as she wasn't caught. She felt a bit uncomfortable, as she never realized she was one to feel...vengeful.
Normally, she would respect privacy, but she wanted nothing more than to defy him just so she could hold some power over him. She would never tell him, but it would be a silent "aha!"
The more time she spent in the Darklands, the more she felt characteristics of herself come to light that she had never even considered. The love of a thrill, the willingness for revenge, and even her...unwomanly manners, especially in the face of a king.
She had been raised to behave and follow. Yet, here she was, defying someone for the sake of it.
Peach made her way to the large stone table and wooden chairs near the center of his room. She nodded her head in approval, as one of the large chairs would be more than enough to give her the slight leverage she needed to reach the top. Just like the other furniture, it was comically oversized for someone of her size. Peach groaned at how inconvenient it was to be so much shorter than him.
She felt as if she were in a doll house while maneuvering around such large furniture.
She was tall for a human girl, but for royal koopa standards, she barely met him halfway. The contrast between the two proved the rumors of the king being a towering foe to be true...but she hadn't expected him to be that tall. She was powerless with him, but it didn't scare her.
Instead, it intimidated her in a different way; a way she welcomed.
Peach shook her head as she continued getting off task. She needed to leave after she was done. His room was making her think ridiculous things.
Peach put her back against the closest chair. It was the usual dark wood and its seat was padded with a red, velvety fabric that, like many things in the room, screamed wealth. Peach pressed her weight against it. It was heavy, but not too heavy for her to push. With a little effort, she'd be able to do it.
Instantly, Peach bumped the chair into the table. It shook as she stared at it in complete dread, taunting her with the idea of breaking something.
Thankfully, only a few cups and bottles of alcohol rattled against the stone tabletop before settling moments later. She sighed in pure relief.
Peach took notice of how each bottle seemed drained to the last portion. He was one to drink? Something told her that a drunk king was not...someone she wanted to encounter, as he was surely even more rage-driven. And, with the condition of the bottles, she could tell he drank quite often.
So are you really such a jerk or are you just always having a bad hangover? Peach asked herself with a roll of her eyes. She turned away from the bottles and returned back to her focus. She made sure to keep her eyes glued on the chair because she was well aware he could storm in at any moment.
Though, something told her he didn't want anything to do with her at the moment, taking their last encounter into consideration. Even so, she was on edge due to the idea of being caught red handed.
She pressed her back against the chair and continued pushing against it. Within a few moments, she was able to scoot it across the floor and close enough to where she needed it to be. She dusted off her hands as she couldn't help but feel a bit proud at how easy she got it done.
Without any hesitation, Peach hopped up onto the cushion. She cringed at how her bare feet dirtied the clean fabric, but shook her head as it was unlikely that he would notice or care.
Peach stood tall enough to stare the skull directly in its eyes. The metal object continued sitting dormant in the socket, arms reach away, yearning for Peach to snatch it.
"Nothing...personal," Peach mumbled with an awkward smile to the bones. She continued as if reassuring a child. "I'm just a little curious...Okay? I'll put you back when I'm done."
She placed both hands on either side of the skull as she lifted it up. Instantly, something plopped out of the bottom with a small 'clank.' Peach gasped in shock as it was a lot heavier than she had expected and the sound echoed through the room.
Peach quickly snatched the object as she fell back into the chair. She bounced a bit when landing on the cushion. As soon as she settled, she instantly opened her palm to identify the item.
A thin, silver key rested in her hands.
A/N: I keep thinking I have a solid idea for how this plot will go...but I always end up coming up with new ideas! This story keeps getting longer and longer. I hope you don't mind. I'm thinking about making a sequel but I'm not quite sure yet! :) Thank you for the kind words 3