Peach's heart was beating so fast in her chest that she was sure it would burst out of her at any moment. She couldn't quite remember what had happened after the knight had finished his story. But suddenly she found herself in her and Bowser's chambers, packing a bag. Her mind raced with a thousand thoughts; they all flashed by her in a second, but the only one she could truly focus on was that someone had taken her husband, and she needed to get him back. She heard the sound of the door open behind her but she didn't turn, focusing on packing everything she thought she might need into her travel satchel.
"Peach, slow down," the voice of King Boo spoke softly behind her but Peach didn't respond. A few seconds of silence passed before she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder, forcing her to stop what she was doing.
"I have to get him back," she whispered, staring down at the half-packed bag still clutched in her hands; she realised she was holding on to it so tightly that her knuckles had begun to turn white under the pressure.
"I know, but please listen-" Boo tried to say but Peach turned around abruptly, cutting him off.
"He could be in danger, I need to find him," Peach looked at Boo with such desperation in her eyes that Boo briefly thought his heart would break there and then.
"Then let me go instead," Boo pressed, stepping closer towards her.
"You need to stay here and protect the kingdom. Whoever took Bowser could be after the throne. Plus, I can't have something happening to you too," Peach shook her head and started to turn back towards the bed.
"And if something happens to you, Peach? What then? Bowser would never forgive me... and I would never forgive myself," Boo reached out and held onto Peach's shoulder, keeping her from turning away.
"I'll be fine," Peach smiled reassuringly, finally putting her bag down on the bed behind her, "Bowser has been training me in combat for over two years now. All of the knights respect my authority just as much as they respect his,"
"If they could overwhelm Bowser, they will certainly overwhelm you. This isn't some hunting trip, Peach. These aren't deer or boar we're talking about. These are men, dangerous men," Boo's hands slipped from Peach's shoulders, but she reached out and held one of his hands in her own.
"And they have my husband. They should be worried about how dangerous that makes me," Peach said firmly, her eyes full of the fierce determination he had always known, and Boo knew there was nothing he could do to stop her, not really.
"At least wait until sunrise? Please? You'll find nothing out there in the dark," Boo squeezed her hand in his, a pleading look in his eyes. A silent beat passed between them until Peach eventually relented, her shoulders slumping forwards slightly as she slowly nodded her head. Boo smiled gently before pulling her into a tight hug. Instantly, Peach returned his embrace and pressed her cheek against his shoulder.
"Thank you," she mumbled against his jacket, her eyes already feeling heavy with sleep.
"Any time, little sister," Boo whispered and he felt her arms wrap around him ever so slightly tighter than before.
The first thing Bowser noticed when he finally woke up was the pain in his head; he felt like the back of his skull had been kicked in. With a quiet groan, he managed to open his eyes only to be faced with complete darkness. He tried to call out but couldn't- a rag had been forced into his mouth, making his throat dry and his voice muffled. He shifted his body slightly to find that his hands and feet were bound tightly with rope that scratched and scraped at his skin every time he tried to move. Slowly, flashes of memory began returning to him; the abandoned bandit camp, the unnatural silence of the forest, the sudden crash of an ambush, swords clashing, so much blood... then everything went black. But before Bowser could focus on his memories further, the sound of two male voices came from the other side of the door in front of him. One he didn't recognise, but the other he could have sworn he had heard somewhere before. But where? With a loud creek, the wooden door opened, flooding the room with light from a firelit torch and making Bowser wince slightly.
"Ah, you're finally awake," the voice Bowser didn't recognise spoke from the doorway, his face shadowed by the light coming from behind him, illuminating him like a sinster angel. Bowser attempted to reply but nothing more than a muffled groan came from his lips, the gag in his mouth preventing him from speaking. His apparent captor let out a cold, humourless laugh and stepped forwards. Instinctively, Bowser began to struggle against his restraints. Unfazed, the man reached out and roughly pulled the rag from Bowser's mouth. Bowser heaved a ragged breath, his throat dry and his lungs heavy.
"What was it that you were so desperate to tell me?" the man asked mockingly, leaning down to Bowser's eye level. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Bowser felt an unnerving twinge at the feeling of someone towering over him like that. He muttered something under his breath in response.
"You'll have to speak up," the man smirked, leaning in closer.
"I said, fuck you," Bowser growled, glaring up at him. Before he even had time to register the angered expression on his kidnapper's face, the man's fist collided with Bowser's cheek and his jaw exploded with pain. In an instant, his mouth filled with the metallic taste of blood.
"Not much of a warrior now, are you?" the man huffed a laugh, shaking his head. Just as Bowser raised his head again, the man turned and left the room. As the door closed, the room plunged into darkness and Bowser was left alone once again.