Toadsworth was no stranger to change– the good, the bad, and everything in between. Yet, even after living through practically a lifetime of change, it never seemed to get any easier.

He tried to be flexible, of course; raising a young princess who had a knack for getting into sticky situations forced him to be. He was just fortunate to have the support of his family and friends, and he was especially grateful for the Mario Bros.

So, when his world flipped on its head and the people he'd come to depend upon all disappeared in one form or another, he wasn't pleased, to say the least.

The few days spent in the monster's damp, stony dungeon were more than enough time to form his opinion on the fearsome King of the Koopas. When it had agreed to take Peach in his place, it only confirmed what Toadsworth had already come to know.

There wasn't a time he'd been more afraid for her. To make matters worse, he hadn't even been able to tell Mario where to go. His fragmented memories of the monster's castle only made everyone more skeptical of him. The worst part was, when the princess returned from the beast's castle safe and sound, it wasn't even the end of the tumultuous string of events.

The moment he'd felt well enough to get out of his sickbed, he'd come to see her and make sure she was truly well. But then, she'd gone and ran off with only a brief, hurried explanation, and the next thing he knew he and everyone else remembered everything about the monster who'd been banished for trying to invade the Mushroom Kingdom.

He almost felt like a side character in his own life as the next few weeks blew by. All of a sudden, Mario was no longer in the picture, but now the monster was constantly brought up in conversation. Talks of an alliance with the Darklands soon became a solid plan. And above all, his dear Princess seemed to have transformed overnight.

One day, she was confiding in him about her fears about marriage, the next she was engaged! Toadsworth didn't know what to make of it.

What was once a courtyard became a training course. Where a portrait once hung on the wall, a parasol with far too many spikes now lived. Instead of a soft melody floating through the princess's door came hard rock-and-roll.

Bowser this, Bowser that. 'Toadsworth, I'll be going to the Darklands to work on the alliance with Boswer today!' or 'Toadsworth, Bowser sent me a letter asking me to come to dinner!' or 'Toadsworth, look at this adorable portrait of Bowser's kids!'

Stars above, he couldn't even remember how he'd controlled his reaction when she had shown him the ring. He was at his wits end, which was saying a lot considering the numerous and perilous situations he'd been a part of over the years.

He wanted to be happy for Peach, he really did. He wished he could bless her marriage… but how could he? She was engaged to the monster who'd harshly imprisoned him, held her captive, and played a large role in destabilizing the kingdom and driving Mario away.

He couldn't go against his princess's wishes, but nor could he stand by and allow her to ruin her life. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place, and there seemed to be no way out.

That was, until the night the mage had appeared…

It was a dreary night, much like Toadsworth's mood. He'd already had two cups of tea and attempted to settle down with a good book, but he couldn't focus on the words. Giving up on calming down, as he had for so many nights, he took to pacing the balcony attached to his personal quarters. The distraught steward occasionally glanced up at the stars, as though they'd somehow miraculously give him the answers he needed.

But then, as though they actually heard him, he saw a glimmer in the distance, which was rapidly incoming towards him. It was flying so fast that Toadsworth didn't even have time to react before it stopped short just at the balcony railing.

"Stars have mercy!" he screamed as he clutched his chest and stumbled backwards a step or two.

"Quiet down!" a crooning, feminine voice hissed at him. Toadsworth eyes widened as he regarded the wrinkly Magikoopa floating before him. Her gnarled wooden broomstick spewed purple magic behind it, matching her robes and pointy hat.

"Guards! Gua–!" Toadsworth started to cry, only to be silenced as he was frozen in place by a spell.

"I said quiet down," the Magikoopa repeated harshly. She stepped off her broom, onto the railing, and onto the balcony in a swift motion (surprisingly graceful for her obvious age and stature). "I am only here to propose something that I believe will greatly benefit both us and our kingdoms. May I continue? Or will you scream like a little Toadette again."

Toadsworth could only blink. The Magikoopa shrugged and released him.

"W-What is it you want? Who are you?" Toadsworth stammered. He wrung his stubby hands and regarded the mage with a mistrustful look.

"Kammy Koopa, at your service," she said with a bow. "I wish to discuss the engagement between your princess and my king."

Toadsworth narrowed his eyes. "You serve King Bowser?"

Kammy smoothed the front of her robe. "Certainly. I am one of his most trusted mages, ranking just below Kamek, who I assume you've heard of. Based on your reaction, I'd say you've met hLord Bowser as well."

Toadsworth flinched.

"Ah, I suppose it wasn't a very pleasant meeting? Although I support my king, I certainly know of his wrath, too– and don't worry, I am here without his knowledge."

"What does any of this have to do with my princess? What is the proposition you spoke of?"

Kammy adjusted her glasses. "If I may be so blunt, I can sense that you disapprove of their engagement. The truth is, I do too."

Toadsworth's bushy white eyebrows shot up his forehead, and Kammy gave him an amused smirk.

"Is that really so surprising? Your princess is hardly a good match for Lord Bowser. She's much too soft and weak-willed… erm, no offense."

"None taken. I know she is a fragile girl, and frankly I don't think your loud and brutish king is a good match for her, either. No offense."

Kammy threw her head back and laughed. "None taken. As I said, I know of Lord Bowser's wrath. It is what makes him an… effective ruler. So, for the sake of both our wards and our kingdoms, I propose we drive them apart and halt the alliance."

Toadsworth felt a rush of relief at hearing his inner thoughts spoken aloud. "I knew I was not the only one who felt this way. They simply aren't compatible!"

Kammy nodded. "Shall we do something about that, then?"

Toadsworth held up his hand in a motion to stop. "Before you go on, I must know you are also looking out for Princess Peach's best interests, too. She's not to be hurt in any way, or you will not have any help from me."

Kammy nodded again with a smile. "Of course, so long as you return the favor. I know King Bowser is not a friend, but he is still my ruler."

"… Agreed." Toadsworth thought it over for a moment before he held out his hand for a handshake. Kammy shook it heartily and Toadsworth couldn't help but feel more at ease. He may not trust Kammy completely, but she shared a common goal with him, and she was willing to look out for Princess Peach's well-being. "Well then, I assume you have a plan that you need my help to put into motion?"

Kammy's smile grew into a smirk. "I knew you were a sharp one. To answer your question, yes, and fortunately for us we already have a good start. The key to breaking off their engagement is to have them do it themselves– and the best way to do that is to plant seeds of doubt."

Toadsworth nodded slowly. "Very well. What's our advantage? And what specifically did you have in mind for me to do?"

"Our advantage, my dear steward, is the rumors I've taken the liberty to start. Surely you've heard some of them?"

"If you are responsible for the one about Bowser being half demon, then I must say I'm greatly impressed by your confidence that these rumors can't be traced back to you."

Kammy tapped the side of her head. "I have my ways. And as for you, I have three tasks, actually."

"Which are what? Keep in mind, I'm not exactly as young as I once was."

"Never fear, your contributions are far simpler than mine. All I ask of you is to continue acting hostile towards the engagement, and to subtly provoke his Brutishness when the opportunity presents itself."

"… I beg your pardon, but that's only two, and I'm not sure when I will have such an opportunity, since your King has secluded himself in the Darklands."

"Hm, well, that's where your third task comes in." Kammy traced the gem of her wand with a sharp claw. "I need you to throw a ball and invite Bowser to it."

Toadsworth paused. "I can do that. It's simple enough, but are you certain it will be enough? If I know my princess well enough, she's very stubborn, and from what I know of your King, he is just as much."

Kammy nodded. "Don't worry, my friend. Just do what I say, and I'll take care of the rest. When Lord Bowser is away from the castle, I'll have my own set of tasks."

"Very well. When would we put this plan into motion?"

"As soon as possible. I'll likely receive your invitation and deliver it to Bowser myself, then we'll both go from there." She tapped her chin, and suddenly a sickeningly sweet smile spread over her muzzle. "Oh– and I nearly forgot. To ensure we both remain true to our word, I do require a bit of magical insurance."

The gem on her wand glowed magenta, and Toadsworth suddenly felt all the camaraderie he felt towards the Magikoopa melt away.

"Why so pale? This is only a simple binding spell. Look, I'll even go first," She held the wand up like a microphone. "I swear that I shall uphold my end of the deal to undo the engagement, and that no harm will come to Princess Peach." When she finished there was a purple flash and she lowered the wand. "See? Simple as that. All I'm doing is ensuring I have your word on the terms of our agreement. And all you have to do is say you'll uphold them, since we already established what they'll be. This spell hangs onto your words, so as long as you remain true to them…"

"What? Will something happen if I don't?"

"Ah, let's just say there will be repercussions– which I just willingly accepted myself, by the way. Do we have a deal?" She held the wand out to him.

Toadsworth looked down at the wand for a long minute. Kammy seemed to have the same intentions as him, but could he really trust her?

"If you really want to break their engagement, I suggest you accept my offer. You're not going to find a better ally than me," Kammy told him, pushing the wand at him. "I want your help, too. We are the only ones who care for our wards as deeply as we do– and the only ones with enough power to see this through."

Toadsworth clenched his jaw. She was right, and he hated to admit that. Without her help, he'd be stuck watching as Princess Peach threw herself at that monster. Without another moment's hesitation, he snatched the wand and quickly said, "I promise to uphold my end of the agreement to undo the engagement, and that no harm will come to King Bowser."

After the purple flash, Kammy gave a single, breathy chuckle. "You did it. You really did it… See, I told you it was that easy!" She stowed her wand back into her floppy sleeve. "I'll be expecting your invitation soon, Grand Steward."

Kammy bowed, and when she raised her head she flashed him one last smile before taking off on her broom.

Toadsworth stood frozen in place on the balcony even after she was long gone. None of it had been a fantasy, but it certainly felt like it. The only thing reminding him it was reality was the heaviness he felt on his tongue. The Magikoopa's spell would certainly keep him true to his word, alright. Now, all he had to do was whatever was necessary to save the princess. No pressure.

The unaddressed parchment had appeared on his desk one morning, several weeks later. Toadsworth didn't need to think twice about who it was from.

Hire a thug. He doesn't have to be the best, just good enough to give B a scare. And make sure he knows how to stay quiet. ~K

Toadsworth reread the three-sentence note a second time, crumpled it, and haplessly tossed it into the fireplace in his study. So much for not harming Bowser. Maybe, though, it didn't count, because he wasn't hurting Bowser directly. Kammy's spell inside him didn't seem to be restricting his thoughts about such an undertaking, anyways. Still, Kammy's orders were more than a shock.

He had done all she asked so far, and so far things seemed to be going according to plan. Toadsworth was glad, because the elderly Magikoopa's spell on him was a bit more extensive than what she'd described. It hadn't caused him any real harm, thankfully, but he found that whenever his thoughts drifted towards anything that went against their agreement, he'd hit a sudden roadblock in his mind. He couldn't speak about their secret agreement, either, which Toadsworth found a little concerning. However, he was willing to adhere to the risks, so long as Princess Peach would be separated from that monster. And besides, Kammy had placed herself under the same restrictions, so it's not as though she had tricked him.

Hiring a thug, however, was something Toadsworth found to be equal parts demeaning and perilous. There were so many things that could go wrong, and Toadsworth wasn't privy to resorting to violence. Using his influence over the princess and his position in the kingdom was supposed to be enough to fix this, but he supposed with an adversary as powerful as Bowser, Kammy was right. After that disaster of a dinner earlier that evening, Toadsworth found he didn't have much of a counter-argument, anyhow.

He dragged a hand down the side of his face, having resigned himself to seeing this plot through to the very end. He may not trust Kammy, but he trusted her intentions.

The bed was softer than anything he'd ever slept on– and that was impressive for the ruler of one of the biggest and richest kingdoms in the world. The sheets were silky, but not overly so. They kept him cool, but they didn't make that obnoxious shifting noise every time he turned onto his other side. Which was a lot.

He was supposed to be sleeping like a hibernating Wiggler, content and undisturbed. But instead, Bowser was tossing and turning, his thoughts slowly driving him insane. Peach's room was just down the hall from his guest chambers, but it was almost like she was right beside him, and it was making him squeamish. All he could envision was her heartbroken expression as she left him in that study. She'd isolated herself in her room after the fact, so Bowser had no opportunity to go and apologize.

Well, that wasn't entirely true. He supposed he could've gone and insisted he come in to say sorry, but he couldn't muster up the courage after he'd hurt her a second time in the span of one day. The first time was still partly Toadsworth's fault, he knew, but the second was entirely his own screw-up. He hadn't really meant what he said about abandoning the alliance, but in the moment he'd been so truly over it. He knew he should apologize to Toadsworth, too, but that thought made his eye twitch.

Deep down he knew that Toadsworth was just mistrustful of him like the other Toads, but did that guy have a death wish or something? Why was he provoking the king of an enemy land so openly? Maybe he really cared for Peach that much. And, well, if that was the case, then Bowser really didn't want to be his enemy.

Still, apologizing felt like it would be too little. What hope did he have of winning over the Mushroom Kingdom? It took him ten years under a curse to finally become deserving of one person's true love. What could he do in the span of a week or two before the ball?

Bowser sat straight up in bed, burying his face in his hands. It was quiet here at night– too quiet– there wasn't even the faint roar of lava outside. He couldn't exactly tell what time it was, but surely everyone was asleep by now. Well, everyone apart from him, who was lying wide awake with his guilty thoughts battering his frazzled brain like so many Bullet Bills.

What was he even doing here? All he'd managed so far was to stir up trouble and make his fiance feel miserable. Even she had suggested he go back home…

He felt nauseous. He had really failed her. He couldn't even keep his own blasted temper under control, even after all this time!

A sudden, terrible thought came to him. What if he never could? What if he was doomed to fall back into his old habits and turn back into the villain he'd been for so long? What if he really hurt Peach?

A sharp knock at his door made him jump. For a second he wondered if it was Peach, but he knew it was just wishful thinking. Why would she care to see him right now? The knocking repeated and Bowser hauled himself to his feet.

"Coming, coming," he mumbled. However it was, they'd better be bringing good news or a plate of cookies, because he really needed at least one of those.

"King Koopa, I pray I'm not disturbing you," Toadsworth's voice called quietly from the other side of the door. Bowser froze as he was about to twist the gold handle. Why was he here?

Bowser bit the inside of his cheek, swallowed a spiteful retort, and slowly opened the door. Toadsworth stood there, fully dressed, as though it were midday instead of midnight. He even had his cane clutched in his two-handed, white-knuckled grasp, firmly in front of him as though it were a last line of defense. Bowser raised a curious eyebrow at him, mentally preparing for what he might say.

"I came to apologize for my despicable behavior earlier," the steward said, bowing his head demurely. "I realize I was far out of line, and it was most unbefitting of someone of my standing to disrespect the king of a foreign land."

Bowser paused. What made him change his mind so quickly? Maybe Peach put him up to it. "Okay…"

Toadsworth began speaking more quickly. "I-I realize we don't have a very amicable past, but I was hoping we might overcome it… for Princess Peach's sake."

Bowser blinked. Was he serious? It felt too good to be true. Peach probably put him up to it. "Er… yeah, I'd… I'd like that." He suddenly remembered his earlier decision to apologize. "A-and I should also apologize! I was acting outta line, too. I–"

Bowser stopped when Toadsworth waved him off. "I feel we should just start over. After all, times are changing, are they not?"

Bowser rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah… I guess they are. Crazy stuff, huh?"

Toadsworth nodded once, sharply. "Indeed." He fidgeted a moment. "Well, I was actually hoping we might start that tomorrow morning? I wish to meet you in the forest behind the palace gardens. There's a special place… well, it's the place I used to take the princess to, when I wished to speak with her privately about important matters."

Bowser considered it. Yeah, Peach had definitely put Toadsworth up to this. He sighed; even if it wasn't a perfectly willing way to reach out, Bowser now had a chance to prove himself worthy. And although part of him still felt ridiculous for having to win over his approval, he knew it would mean the world to Peach.

"…Alright."