(A/N: Here's a story I came up with not too long ago. What if Peach had plans to ask Mario the big question sooner than she had in this fanfic that takes place not long after the events of "Super Mario Odyssey"? If you're wondering about it, then I'll start this fic so you can see what's going to happen! And this fanfic is an AU, not part of my timeline.)
It was a quiet day in the Mushroom Kingdom. Bowser hadn't been up to anything since his attempt to forcefully marry Princess Peach at Honeylune Ridge had failed miserably, and so everyone was pretty happy. And now that we know this, let's head on over to Peach's Castle, where Mario should be at this moment, spending time with his lovely princess.
We arrive at the castle to find Mario and Peach sitting at a table in the gazebo in the courtyard, enjoying a light lunch together. They're eating, making small talk, and clearly enjoying each other's company. They look pretty happy to be together, which is to be expected from two people in love.
Every now and again, Mario would turn his gaze to his left hand and smile at the small gold band that sparkled on his 4th finger. It was a reminder that the princess had staked her claim, and he was off the market. Soon enough, he would be a happily married man.
Peach noticed what Mario was doing, and she couldn't help smiling at him. She gave Mario that ring a month ago, much to his surprise and joy! Now the two of them were engaged to be married, and she was just as excited as her beau was about their wedding. Like him, she couldn't wait until the big day arrived, so they would be able to live happily ever after, at long last.
However, there was something about the ring that Mario didn't know. Peach had actually called him over today in order to tell him about it during their lunch. All she had to do now was figure out how she was going to word this explanation.
It wasn't long before Mario realized that the princess had suddenly gone quiet. The plumber had a tendency to worry about Peach when she'd go silent. It usually meant that something was wrong, and he wanted to know what.
"Peach? Dolcezza, sweetie? Is something wrong?" a concerned Mario asked Peach, interrupting her train of thought.
"Huh?" Peach asked, snapping to attention at the sound of Mario's concerned voice.
"Are you okay? You've gone quiet all of a sudden, and I worry about you whenever that happens." Mario pointed out.
"Oh... Well, it's just that I have something to tell you... I was simply trying to figure out how I'm going to word it..." Peach explained.
"I see... What do you have to tell me?" Mario asked.
"It's... about the ring you're wearing..." Peach said.
"This ring?" Mario asked, holding up his left hand and showing the ring to Peach.
"Yes." Peach said.
"Is it something bad?" Mario asked. He hoped not. He rather liked the ring, and even Luigi was surprised when he saw his brother wearing it.
"No, it's not bad. It's... actually going to surprise you." Peach replied.
"Is it? How surprised am I going to be?" Mario asked as he began sipping his tea.
"It depends..." Peach began. After taking a deep breath, the princess asked him, "How would you react... if I told you... that you could have been... wearing that ring... a long time ago?"
Mario almost choked on his tea. He wasn't expecting to hear that!
"Wh-what?!" Mario asked when he was able to speak again.
"Yes, Mario. I bought you that ring a long time ago, for I had the intention of asking you to marry me for quite some time. But I hadn't really followed through with asking you the big question, until a month ago." Peach replied.
"How long ago did you get this ring for me, Peach?" Mario asked, surprised.
"Too long ago... And I've had plenty of other opportunities since my first failed attempt to ask you... but, even after the first attempt went wrong, I hadn't followed through with any of the others. You think I would have done it long before now..." Peach said.
"Name three of those occasioni mancate, missed opportunities, please." Mario said.
"I'll do you one better and tell you each one... but first... let me start off... by telling you... what should have... been my clues... that we were meant... to end up together..." Peach said.
"Va bene. All right. Let's-a start off there." Mario said, listening to Peach intently.
"Okay." said Peach. She took a moment to think of the words, and then she said, "My first clue... was during Bowser's second attempt to marry me."
"His second attempt? Which one was that?" Mario asked. He knew Bowser had tried to marry her multiple times, but he wasn't really keeping track, the way Peach had, thanks to her diary.
"That was the time he brainwashed me into agreeing to marry him right before the ceremony even began." Peach said. She knew Mario would remember that time. He was the one who told her that she had been brainwashed.
"Oh, no. Please don't remind me of that time, Peach. I had no idea what had gotten into you when I crashed the wedding so I could save you from saying 'I do' to a complete monster. And I would have lost you for sure if that stupid hypnotist hadn't been trampled by the Yoshis, which is what broke the spell you were under." Mario said.
"But please let me explain." Peach said.
"Oh, right. Sorry, sweetie." Mario apologized.
"You're okay, Mario. Remember when you flew right into that tower where the Koopalings were?" Peach asked.
"Certo che mi ricordo. I remember doing that. And I really hate thinking about it." Mario said. When he crashed into the tower and landed right at the feet of the young Koopas, he had been so out of it that he was putty in their claws, much to his anger and embarrassment. He had been worse off than the princess was when she had been in their grasp.
"I had just escaped from there myself. I had fallen from the tower and started flying with a cape. And I was actually pretty good at flying, too! But then, you zinged right past me, and I was so shocked by the very close encounter that I lost control." Peach explained.
"Ohh, sweetie, I didn't mean to cause that." Mario said, reaching across the table to grasp her hand in his.
"It wasn't your fault, Mario. I could never blame you for that. I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time." Peach said, before adding, "Because I lost control, I came in for a very rough landing that knocked me unconscious for a good while."
"Mama-mia! I didn't know you were badly hurt!" Mario exclaimed, even more upset.
"It's okay, Mario. I had no broken bones, or no sprains. I was pretty much okay, even though I was out cold." Peach assured him.
"But still! I wish I hadn't gotten blasted towards that stupid tower! If only we knew you were heading in our direction! We could have waited for you and spared ourselves a whole lot of trouble!" Mario said.
"Yeah, but then I probably wouldn't have had my first clue." Peach said.
"That's when you got your clue? You were out cold when you got it?" Mario asked as he let go of her hand.
"Kind of. You see, before I regained consciousness, I was having a dream. And it was unlike any dream I'd ever had before." Peach began.
"What happened in your dream, Peach?" Mario asked, her words having piqued his curiosity.
Peach was silent for a moment, allowing herself to recall the dream. Then she told him, "The Toads were all rushing into a chapel in the Mushroom Kingdom, and the bells were ringing joyfully. They were coming to witness the union of two people in love. Those two people were ready to pledge their undying love to each other and spend the rest of their lives together, living happily ever after."
"Hmm... there was a wedding going on? That already sounds like a really nice dream you were having, Peach." Mario replied, smiling now.
"Yes, it was starting out that way. In fact, the really interesting part was that the couple standing at the altar were none other than... well... us..." Peach said, smiling shyly.
Mario was quite startled when he heard that. His mouth fell open, and his eyes were as big as dinner plates upon realizing that Peach had dreamed about marrying him. When he recovered, he asked, "Us? As in... you and me?"
"Mm-hmm..." Peach replied, nodding her head, the shy smile still on her face.
"You... you loved me back then?" Mario asked, surprised. He thought the kiss she had given him for saving her then was out of gratitude. Perhaps it was for more than that.
"I hadn't realized that I must have developed very strong feelings for you around that time. Why else would we be tying the knot in my dream?" Peach asked.
"Wow..." Mario said. He knew he'd been in love with Peach back then, but he kept telling himself that she could never return his feelings because she was a princess, and he was just a plumber. But a short time after that, he'd learned that status did not really matter to Peach. She had returned his feelings, much to his delight.
"And you looked so handsome in my dream. Well, you're always handsome, but we were getting married, so you know what I mean." Peach replied, blushing.
"I know what you were saying. When people are getting married, they want to look their best. It's-a the happiest day of a person's life." Mario replied.
"Well, first of all, you were standing on a couple of Question Mark Blocks so you'd be close to my height. And you were dressed in a white tuxedo, but it wasn't nearly as elegant as the one Cappy gave you during the odyssey. Also, you weren't wearing a top hat; you had on your normal cap." Peach said.
"The one I'm always wearing?" Mario asked, pointing to the cap on top of his head.
"That's the one." Peach said, nodding her head.
"I usually feel naked without my cap. That might be why I was wearing it at the altar." Mario replied.
"Yes. As for me, I was wearing a wedding gown. But it was nowhere near as fancy as the Lochlady Dress that Bowser forced me into. It really looked a lot like my normal dress, only it was white. And I was wearing a veil with it." Peach said.
"You must have looked like un angelo, an angel, in your dream..." Mario said with a dreamy sigh.
Peach blushed at his words and said, "I probably did. Now would you like to hear more?"
"You bet!" Mario replied, intrigued by the dream.
"The minister asked both of us the important question. You know, 'Do you take this person to be your lawfully wedded spouse?' We both said, 'I do'. And then we were pronounced husband and wife. It was time for you to kiss the bride." Peach said, blushing even more.
"Ooh, I can't wait to hear the minister say that at our real wedding!" Mario grinned. Kissing with Peach was one of his favorite things to do.
"I was looking forward to it, too, Mario. I'm pretty sure I was blushing like I am now as you moved my veil aside and leaned in to kiss me." Peach replied.
"And then what happened?!" Mario asked, getting excited.
"Well, I had my eyes closed as we leaned in to kiss, but then I opened them when I realized that I wasn't feeling your lips against mine. In fact, you weren't there anymore." Peach said.
"Did I disappear because you were beginning to wake up?" Mario asked, his excitement gone.
"I wish that was the reason, but no. My dream became a nightmare, for I turned around to see you in your normal attire, bound, gagged, and locked in a cage by an army of Koopa Troopas! That's why you were missing!" Peach said.
"Oh no! It would be just like the Koopas to ruin a happy occasion for us!" Mario moaned.
"Oh, Mario, that wasn't even the worst part of my nightmare!" Peach said.
"Non lo era? It wasn't?" Mario asked.
"No, it got worse. I noticed that you seemed to be trying to tell me something, or maybe you were looking at something behind me. I don't know which it was, but I turned around. And when I did... I saw the most horrifying sight!" Peach said.
"Let me guess: you saw Bowser in a fruity wedding tux?" Mario guessed. That was actually pretty horrifying to him.
"You're half-right. Bowser was there, but he wasn't in a wedding tux. He was, however, standing there with a stupid look on his face, and he even had his lips puckered, expecting me to give him a kiss." Peach said.
"Oh Grambi, that's sickening..." Mario said, turning pale. The red-clad plumber felt like he was going to throw up, but he took a long drink of tea to make that feeling go away.
"It was. And that was when I woke up." Peach said.
"You didn't get kissed by him?" Mario asked.
"No, thank the Star Spirits." Peach said.
"Good. A kiss from him could be considered deadly..." Mario said, feeling a lot better now.
"Either way, that dream should have been my first clue that we were meant to be." Peach said.
"Your first clue, you say? Were there others, Peach?" Mario asked.
"Yeah, there was. Here's the other clue." Peach began. She looked around for a moment, as if frightened of someone hearing, then leaned in real close, asking Mario in a voice just above a whisper, "Do you happen to remember... Booster?"
Mario cupped his chin in his hand, deep in thought. The name sounded familiar to him... but why was this so?
"I... I think I do... but I can't quite remember. Tell me something about him. Maybe you can jog my memory." Mario said.
"He took me to Marrymore, intending to marry me." Peach said.
That was all Mario needed to hear.
"Mama-mia! Now I remember him! He's that ugly guy who was so dead-set on marrying you back when the Smithy Gang destroyed the Star Road and took over Bowser's Keep!" Mario exclaimed in shock, the memory returning to him as he spoke.
"Exactly! I didn't want to marry him! I didn't even know him, nor did I want to! But he decided that he must marry me, this girl who fell from the sky, thanks to Exor sending everyone flying in different directions when he crashed into Bowser's Keep. Mario, Booster didn't even know me from Madonna, and he decided he wanted to marry me!" Peach said.
"All because you landed at his tower when you fell from the sky?" Mario asked.
"Yeah! The worst part was that Booster knew too well that I clearly didn't like him, that I was calling for you to help me! He was a lot like Bowser, not caring about my feelings and ignoring me when I told him to let me go!" Peach said.
"I also recall Booster saying that he was keeping you happy and entertained, though I don't really see how keeping you trapped out on his balcony made you happy and entertained." Mario said.
"Did I look happy or entertained to you when you saw me out there?" Peach asked.
"No, you didn't! Not one little bit! You looked to be just the opposite of those words, and you even told me you were frightened and lonely! Apparently, he believed in Opposite Day!" Mario said.
"And did you see the way he carried me? He never did it the way you do. He always carried me behind him, as if I was a sack of potatoes. I hate being carried like that. But you always carry me bridal style. I can handle that, because I know I'm safe in your big, strong arms." Peach said.
"Oh, how I wished I could have zapped him right between the eyes when he decided he was going to marry you! He can't just marry someone he doesn't even know, much less love! And the fact that you're una principessa, a princess, makes the whole thing even worse when you think about it!" Mario said.
"You know as well as I do that I would never let that chump be my husband! He'd be just as bad, if not worse, than Bowser! He'd never make a good king, or consort! I would never give him the chance to sit on the throne! I'd be getting ready to give him an annulment of the marriage for a present if you hadn't shown up in time!" Peach said.
"I don't blame you for that, Peach. Remember, even I was almost married to women I didn't love. Women who claimed to love me, but we know that both of them would make Booster a good husband." Mario said.
"Yeah. They would. But you're not the only one who wanted to hurt him, because I wanted to do the same thing; but I think I would have done so by kicking him right in his little 'special place'. I wanted him to cry in the worst way, so he'd know how I felt!" Peach replied.
"That would've made both of us happy, and we'd also be entertained by the fact that he would've been singing like a chorus girl for a while after that." said Mario, smiling at the thought of Booster singing soprano, courtesy of Peach showing some backbone against an ugly guy who made Wario look good.
"You're right. It would be amusing for us. And Mario, I was so relieved when you finally showed up to rescue me from an unhappy marriage with another awful suitor!" Peach said.
"That much I know is true, Peach. I wanted to save you from an unhappily ever after, but that time I had saved you from some poor slob who wasn't Bowser. While I knew both of them are bad guys, I also knew they could never love you like I do." Mario said.
"That's true. To Bowser, I was a trophy. Booster just wanted me because I was a girl who happened to end up at his tower, courtesy of Exor. You, on the other hand..." Peach began.
"I'm the one who treats you with love and respect; the one who listens to you and saves your life whenever you get in trouble. I'll never let you down, Peach. I can promise you that my heart will always belong to you. It has been yours from the day we met." Mario said, getting a smile from the princess.
"And I'm glad to know you, Mario. I also recall telling you that I know I'm in good hands when you're around. Add to that the fact that I even called you my knight in shining armor. Oh, and I'm sure you remember me saying that I hope someone marries me someday. Someone who isn't Bowser or Booster, that is." Peach said.
"I kind of do remember you saying that to me. You know, when you said that, I was tempted to ask what you would say if I should be the one who married you, but I was afraid to. I know we were in a relationship by then, but after you almost married that... thing... as you called Booster... I'm sure marriage was the very last thing on your mind..." Mario said.
"I probably would have been too surprised to give you a proper answer to that question. It's true that I wasn't ready for marriage after what I had just been through, but I really wanted to say that I hoped you would marry me someday..." Peach replied, blushing.
"You really wanted me to marry you?" Mario asked.
"Of course I did. I never wanted to be with anyone else, but I was just too shy to say the words then... And that's how I knew that I wanted to marry you... After that adventure, I thought about we had been through, as well as my dream of marrying you. Then I put two and two together, and I knew we were made for each other." Peach told him honestly.
"Which is why you proposed to me?" Mario asked, fiddling with the ring he wore.
"Yes. But now it's time to tell you when I first got the idea of asking you the big question..." Peach said.
And Peach is going to tell Mario all about that in the next chapter. If you want to find out just when she first got the idea of asking her sweet plumber to marry her, then you'd better stay tuned!