7.

"I'll admit, when I heard Mario had gone to Caldera, it made me question many things about Her Majesty's judgment. Don't get me wrong, Her Majesty was instrumental in rebuilding the Mushroom Kingdom's prestige in the aftermath of it all, but I always wondered if there was something of a blind spot where Mario was concerned. Looking back on it, though? I was wrong, and I have to wonder if General Kytes would even agree that he may have been too hasty where Mario was concerned…"

Tari Sheridan, Private Secretary to the Sovereign, History Channel, The Reconciliation Years, 1922

Meeting with the general staff proved yet again to be an exercise in patience. Peach shifted slightly in her chair as she fought back the urge to rub at her temples in frustration. The dull drone of Admiral Constantine Sable acted like a drill to her temple, and though he wore the uniform of the Royal Navy to Peach, it looked less like the garb of a disciplined officer and more like a costume on the droning toad. The fact that her defense budget made it to her desk and was signed did little to assuage her. Though many of her goals were met, the point was that certain people wanted more. A growing cynical part of her was beginning to understand why Mario had such a disdain for politics.

She frowned slightly. The news of Mario's departure had been simmering in the Senate halls for two weeks. Even the most ardent defenders of the Mario Brothers in the Senate had echoed the same question as many of the hardliners: Why? It was a good question, she had to admit. Why would Mario journey to the Imperial capital? Why would he abandon the Mushroom Kingdom like that? Her frown deepened. They had agreed to mend their friendship, hadn't they? Why would he not let her know the how and why of his departure?

A nudge from Tari's foot snapped Peach from her musings. Looking up, she noticed Admiral Sable and the rest of the General Staff were waiting for her response. Peach's gaze drifted toward the charts on display. Leaning forward, her frown turned to a scowl.

"Admiral, I recognize the necessity of improving our armed forces." She began patiently. "But what you want is wholly unacceptable."

"But Your Highness…!" Sable began, "We surely need to look at other alternatives!"

Peach nodded, "I fully agree, Admiral. But how much power would you propose the military take from the civilian government?" She asked with a tilt of her head, "We would become the Empire in all but name."

Sable began to bristle, but a human man with a bushy black beard flecked with grey tapped two fingers on the desk, "Admiral, Her Highness is correct." He stated, "The citizens of the Mushroom Kingdom cannot, and will not, accept this. We are not the Imperials and I assume I speak for everyone else in this room that I will not accept it either."

"Thank you, General Kytes." Peach nodded before gazing at Sable, "Admiral, His Majesty would not accept your proposal either. He certainly shares everyone's belief that our military needs improvement, but he would interject if I brought your proposal to the Senate."

"Surely His Majesty will have had a change of heart, Your Highness! Especially after three separate occ—" Sable choked off his reply, and his eyes widened in horror.

The atmosphere chilled, and many of the other generals and admirals raised their eyebrows in polite incredulity. General Kytes looked for all the world like a human thundercloud, yet he remained quiet despite the anger simmering beneath the surface. For her part, Peach's expression remained unchanged. This was bound to come up sometime in her meetings with the General Staff or the Senate, but honestly? She hadn't expected the words to be so thoughtlessly bandied about.

Peach inclined her head, "No, no… please," she began politely, "Finish your thought."

The words were pleasant enough, but Sable seemed to recognize the steel hidden beneath the pleasantries. He opened his mouth and closed it again before gathering himself. He cleared his throat, "I… apologize, Your Highness." He bowed his head, "I chose my words poorly."

"Yes… you did." Kytes rumbled through gritted teeth.

"Thank you, General," Peach interjected. Shifting her gaze to Sable, she leaned forward, "As you so crassly pointed out, Admiral, I have been a guest of His Imperial Majesty on three separate occasions. We agree that the royal armed forces need to be improved. Part of the New Society programs has been aimed at doing just that." Her tone dropped several degrees, "But, we will not become the Empire. General Kytes, how would you consider the Admiral's proposal?"

For his part, Kytes reached into his coat and withdrew a simple corncob pipe. He didn't stuff a plug of tobacco into the pipe but merely placed the end of the pipe in his mouth before humming thoughtfully. Though the man clearly loved his tobacco, he clearly had the foresight to understand that smoking in this room was not in good form. He sat with the pipe in his mouth, puffing away. A small part of her wondered if the gesture was similar to how Tari sometimes clicked her pen while in deep thought. Kytes withdrew his pipe and exhaled slowly, "Admiral Sable's proposals would indeed swell our ranks." He stated plainly. He glared at Sable's delighted expression, "However, I would caution that swelling our ranks with conscripted soldiers may, in fact, breed an air of resentment. Many of us present prefer our volunteers, after all. In my view, conscription would only be viable during war."

"But we are at war!" Sable bit out. "The Third Imperial-Mushroom War is still ongoing, General."

"Yes, but hostilities have been sporadic due to the ceasefire that His Majesty brokered six years ago." Kytes acknowledged.

"And that that Emperor has violated three times over by abducting Her Highness!" Sable shot back.

"And possibly killing Mario Segale." A third voice chimed in.

Peach glanced at Tari, who looked momentarily surprised at her own words. General Kytes only scowled, though from what she could see, Peach didn't think the scowl was meant for Tari. Shelving her curiosity for the moment, Peach found herself thinking back to Pauline's report that she had given to both Peach and her father. An uncomfortable knot formed in her stomach, and Peach sighed, "That too." She looked at Sable, "Admiral, while you are correct regarding my stint as the Emperor's… guest as a violation of our ceasefire, His Majesty has yet to declare a resumption of hostilities. General Kytes is correct; we can certainly put the groundwork for training conscripts in place, but they would only be utilized if war is on the horizon." She then shifted her gaze to Tari, "As for Mario's disappearance, we cannot rule it as an assassination as the Empire has not made a declaration of any sort."

"And we all know how Bowser is the epitome of humility…" Kytes mused while stroking his beard, which caused a light chuckle to rise from the others.

Peach allowed herself a small smile and a nod before looking at the general, "I trust the Royal Engineers have been making good progress with the production of hypercrete?" She asked.

Kytes nodded, "Quite a bit. Thanks to that charming lady from Monstro Town, we have found a remedy for locating pozzolanic ash. Once we have a workable solution to synthesize our pozzolanic ash, we can begin producing hypercrete in enough quantities to improve our roads, bridges, aqueducts," Kytes looked at Sable, "And our naval shipyards."

Sable's eyebrows rose slightly, "Forgive me, General, but I don't follow."

Peach raised a forefinger, "As you've pointed out, Admiral, I've been an unwilling guest of His Imperial Majesty." She began, "Every person in this room is familiar with Bowser's fortresses in the Dark Lands. Did it ever strike you as odd that concrete seemed to withstand the scorching heat of lava?"

Sable frowned, "I had always assumed it was the result of Bowser's mages…" He murmured.

"Partially correct, Admiral." Peach nodded, "Shortly after His Majesty appointed me as Prime Minister, I had a chance to speak with Goomhilde of Monstro Town. She told me quite a bit about the nature of hypercrete, such as its ability to be imbued with magic. I admit, I wish we had managed one of the Empire's battlemages as a defector, but we work what we can. Even without the magic, hypercrete is much more durable than ordinary concrete to a point it can even withstand extreme heat."

Sable frowned, "How soon can we expect work to begin on renovating our shipyards?"

Peach's eyes darted to Kytes, who puffed away absently on his unlit pipe, "By all estimations, and provided the solution to the ash is forthcoming; we should be ready to begin in a month's time." He said before glancing at Peach, "I trust the Senate has been accommodating on that matter?"

She nodded, "One of my easier bills to pass, but we've earmarked funding for that portion of the New Society." She said with a bitterness that surprised her. Her gaze swept over the room before looking up at the clock, "I do believe we can leave it at that for now." Peach looked at Kytes, "General Kytes, would you give me a few more minutes of your time?"

As the other officers gathered their belongings and began to file out, Tari also moved to gather her things; however, Tari froze when Peach raised her forefinger. General Kytes moved to the chair opposite Tari and sat down. He had put away his pipe and settled into the chair with his hands resting on the chair's armrests. Peach only leaned forward in her chair, "I feel I owe you an apology, General." She stated.

Kytes looked at her incredulously, "Whatever for?" He asked.

"Dragging you into that little match with Admiral Sable." Peach clarified, "And potentially for any grievance you may have with Tari here."

The General chuckled, "Forgive me, Your Highness, but Constantine did that when he opened his mouth and swallowed his foot." Kytes then looked at Tari, "As for your aide? Well, there's no grievance there."

"You didn't seem thrilled at Mario possibly being killed?" Peach pressed with a tilt of her head.

Kytes shook his head and let out a weary sigh, "I can't see Enzo Segale's son being killed by the Imperials. Not so easily, anyway."

Peach's eyebrows rose, "You knew Mario's father?"

The corners of Kytes' mouth twitched as he leaned back, "I served under Colonel Segale when I was a boy." He explained, "A fine man, really. Always had a knack for leading from the front and never asked his men to do something he wasn't willing to do himself." Kytes' expression seemed distant, "Even the Imperials called him the Blue Flame of the Mushroom Kingdom."

Peach's expression softened, "Sounds like a good man, but… why that name?"

"Well, you've seen how his sons use those fire flowers. Enzo used to use fire flowers himself. Where Luigi may be known for green flames or Mario for his typical flames when using the flowers, Enzo's flames were always blue." He chuckled faintly. "Hence the moniker."

Peach nodded and looked at the General, "You seem to idolize the late Colonel Segale." She observed, "But… what about his sons?"

There was a barely noticeable grimace on Kytes' face as he sighed, "If I may speak plainly. I find them both to be very underwhelming by comparison." He admitted quietly, "Luigi certainly has the makings of a second Enzo Segale, but he lacks Enzo's confidence. Luigi is prone to second-guessing himself, whether due to being in his brother's shadow or fearing that he will make a mistake."

"And Mario?" Peach asked.

Kytes snorted, "You certainly know how to put a man on the spot, Highness." He sighed, "Mario's achievements are to be applauded, certainly. Not many would be foolhardy enough to rush into the Dark Lands to rescue the Mushroom Kingdom's Crown Princess." He smiled faintly, "But… that's really it. He lacks Enzo's more refined touch, that delicate touch that is needed for most political matters. If we compare them, Enzo had the precision of a scalpel, and Maro is like a butcher's knife."

Peach had to concede that the General had a point there. Diplomacy was never Mario's strong suit. Often, his directness was misconstrued as rudeness on his part. Perhaps his frankness with her made him such a valued confidant? Well… if they were still close friends, at any rate. Looking up at Kytes, she had a nagging sense in the back of her mind, "Johann… there's more to it than just simple disappointment, correct?"

The General sighed and nodded slowly, "There have been… rumors," he said in resignation.

Peach arched an eyebrow at that, a sardonic smile on her lips, "Oh? Let me guess: Mario seeks to secure Crimino's independence?"

"No, ma'am." He frowned. Kytes swallowed hard and regained his composure, "There has been speculation from many in the Senate that Mario courted you to elevate the Segale family into the royal household. They believe he could affect policies more directly by becoming Prince-Consort of the Mushroom Kingdom."

Peach looked at Tari, who seemed to mull over the general's quotes. That Mario could be a social climber? Ridiculous. Peach snorted rather loudly at that before descending into mirthful laughter. It was by far the most entertaining rumor she had ever heard, "I admit, Johann, I hadn't expected that…." She said after regaining her composure. "You said it yourself: Mario lacks the subtleties for politics. Moreover, what would he be able to do as Prince-Consort? Many who've married into the royal family have compared themselves to being glorified window froth. Ultimately, it doesn't matter; Mario and I are simply friends—nothing more and nothing less."

To his credit, Kytes only raised his hands up, palms outward, "I understand that, Your Highness. The senators are all prone to rumors, each more imaginative than the next." The General's face darkened, "What I find peculiar is that the most vocal critic of the Mario Brothers has been mysteriously silent about the latest comings and goings."

She smiled at that, "Lord Graemon wishes to maintain my good graces and sees my program as a way to rebuild his reputation." Peach said, "If I were a betting woman, I'd wager that Lady Carmine is behind most of the other rumors."

Kytes shrugged, "Perhaps. I am worried about the rumors of Mario walking off with two Imperial officers, though."

Peach frowned. She hadn't shared the details that Pauline had shared with her and her father. Glancing at Tari, she noticed that her aide was regarding Kytes coolly. Peach cleared her throat, "How… did you learn about that?" she asked warily.

The General chuckled, "Come now, Your Highness." He sighed, "An entire restaurant full of people, and you don't think people could overhear?" Kytes shrugged again, "As I understand it, the woman—not Mayor Verducci, the Imperial, I mean, was quite vocal about something. And admittedly, we get so few kremlings in the Mushroom Kingdom as it stands."

Was that why the General had mentioned Mario's lack of political finesse? Tari shifted in her chair and cleared her throat, "Forgive me, General, maybe I'm not seeing what relevance this has for Her Highness?"

It was a fair question, but Peach understood, "The House of Lords specifically would see that interaction as possible evidence that Mario's turned traitor." She said, looking at Tari before looking at Kytes, "Is that the sense you're getting, Johann?"

Kytes shook his head, "At present, the Senate is reduced to the rumblings of those few senators who have already noted their mistrust in Mario, Lord Graemon notwithstanding." He said, "The sense I get is that many would prefer that you cast the brothers as—"

"I'll not let the Senate dictate who I can call my friends!" Peach snapped, causing Tari to jump. Peach closed her eyes and took a calming breath, "…My apologies, General."

Kytes only raised a hand, "No worries, Your Highness. Truth be told, I don't suggest giving into the demands of those jackals." He replied, "I merely wished to inform you of the rumblings I've heard."

Smiling faintly, Peach stood with Kytes and Tari, who mirrored her actions, "Thank you, General." She said, "I do apologize for taking up your time."

The General only bowed at the waist, "I serve at the pleasure of Her Highness." Kytes said genially, "I hope to keep you informed, though, if I hear anything noteworthy."

With that, Kytes gathered his belongings and left the room. Peach frowned before sinking back into her chair, mulling over the General's words. Had Mario turned traitor? It was ridiculous to think, but still… the fact that he willingly left with two Imperials had stirred something up. If Kytes had heard that two Imperials approached Mario and Pauline, it was a safe bet that such rumors would start making their way to others in the Senate. If her father hadn't been with Pauline when the mayor had approached her, she wouldn't have doubted that the King would have been tempted to believe the rumors. Still… her father hadn't been thrilled to learn that Mario was helping Bowser with something.

"Your Highness, how should we proceed?" Tari asked, looking at her with a frown.

Peach let out a long, drawn-out sigh, the sound escaping through her teeth like a hiss. She reasoned it was a good question while tapping her fingers on the armrest; it needed careful consideration. Rumors were all well and good, but she needed hard evidence to counter the rumors. She smiled faintly, "I have an idea… but we'll need to do some groundwork on our end before we can move on it." Peach then looked at Tari, "Send a letter to Luigi and ask him to come to my office tomorrow evening."

"Does he need to know about the General?" Tari asked.

Peach shook her head, "No, make it a formal request, too." She smiled faintly, "I plan to play their game for now." The smile faded slightly, "I'm not overly thrilled with the idea of making Luigi a piece in their game, but right now? I don't see much of a way around that."

Tari tilted her head in confusion, "What do you mean?"

Peach smiled, "You'll see when we meet with him tomorrow." She said, "…I just wish I knew how to get out in front of this ordeal with Mario. General Kytes wasn't too far off the mark when he compared Mario to a butcher's knife."

"I don't understand," Tari murmured.

The corners of Peach's mouth twitched in amusement, "Right. You never met Mario." She mused, "If you had, you'd understand why the notion of him wanting to be Prince-Consort is silly." Peach began, "Mario's never been one for subtlety. Maybe it's because he essentially had to be his brother's protector when they were kids, but he sees a problem and sets out to fix it. I remember the gobsmacked look on my father's face when Mario said, 'Someone had to do it.' In response to him rescuing me from Bowser the first time he kidnapped me."

Tari's eyebrows rose, "So you're saying he doesn't dabble in politics because…?"

"He doesn't dabble in politics because he doesn't know how." Peach said, her voice tinged with amusement, "When he comes up with a plan, he carries it out. It's straightforward and simple, consequences be damned. It works well when rescuing a captive Princess," she smiled bitterly, "But when it comes to governing? Mario wouldn't have the patience for it. And because any future husband I may take would be glorified window-dressing as the Prince-Consort, it would chafe Mario. He'd certainly have taken to the idea of being moral and practical support and a companion for me, but he wouldn't have any real freedom."

Tari hummed on that thought, "So, why would people jump to the conclusion that he turned traitor?"

The smile on Peach's face turned downward into a frown, "That… is more due to what happened after we defeated Smithy." Peach's expression darkened, "After Prince Mallow went back to his home and Bowser went back to the Empire, Mario and I had a moment alone while at Marrymore. We talked, and Mario confessed how he felt about it." She shook her head, "In another life, maybe I'd have felt the same way. But I tried as best as possible to let him down gently, and he put on a brave face about it, but I could see he was hurt. For a brief time, my father believed Mario wanted to become Prince-Consort, but I don't think Mario ever considered being with me as marrying into royalty. Like I said, maybe I'd have felt the same way in another life."

Her aide nodded at that, "And so people would draw the conclusion that Mario turned traitor because of a rejection?"

"Well, Mario stopped coming by the palace, and our interactions were formal for the time. Until recently, I thought Mario didn't want a thing to do with me." Peach shrugged, "Turns out Mario was trying to get his head right."

"But now that he's disappeared of his own volition to the capital of the Empire?" Tari prodded.

"My father may not have the same fondness for the Mario Brothers as he once did, less so for Mario…" The Princess murmured, "But he's not naïve. He wouldn't entertain the idea that Mario turned traitor." Peach gave a slightly bitter smile, "But then… his concerns for my well-being have always veered into overprotectiveness. Then again… I have to imagine my actions during the entire Smithy ordeal didn't help him…"

Tari blinked and arched an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

A mischievous grin spread across Peach's face, "Well… I might have snuck out without his knowledge…" she said innocently.

Nero sighed as he approached the door to his office. Things had been proceeding quite smoothly so far. Aside from the minor hiccups within the Senate, he could scarcely believe his luck in how the Princess had been dancing to his tune—not that she was even aware of it. As he entered the office, the corners of his mouth turned downward into a contemplative frown. His chair faced toward the window. Frowning still, Nero closed the door and stepped toward a liquor shelf. Pouring two glasses full of amber liquid, he grimaced slightly. If this was who he was expecting…

"Ah… Nero." A raspy yet strangely melodious tone called out, "I was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to drop by…"

Nero watched as his own office chair swiveled around to reveal a figure wearing dark robes sitting in his chair. The figure looked deceptively humanoid, but the dual-thumbed hands clearly marked the figure as nonhuman. The figure's face was concealed beneath a hood and veil, and the hands wore black gloves. Despite the figure's plain appearance, Nero felt his spine stiffen. Mustering his courage, he set one of the glasses on the table before the robed figure. Moving to sit on the opposite side of his own desk—one generally reserved for his own guests, he noted with some resentment.

Nero straightened and took a small sip from his glass, "My apologies, my lord." He exhaled slowly, "I have been… busier than normal, I admit."

The figure chuckled softly, "Indeed you have, Nero. Many of her reforms have progressed smoothly." The veil tilted to the side by a fraction, "Tell me… does she suspect?"

Nero smiled, "Not at all, Vexilus. The other senators have been useful patsies." He chuckled.

Vexilus only nodded slowly, "Tread carefully, Nero," He said while raising a finger, "Our mishap with Scapelli Construction has set us back considerably. We cannot afford another setback of that magnitude."

That brought back bitter memories. Vexilus certainly hadn't been happy that day. Tilting back his drink, he sighed and looked at Vexilus, "Of course, my lord." He acknowledged, "Forgive my impertinence, Lord Vexilus, but… have we re-established contact with Arakis?"

The veil only shook from side to side, "Whatever has happened in the Empire has left Arakis without the means to contact the rest of the organization." Vexilus' frown was apparent, even though it was concealed behind the veil. "A most… inconvenient setback." Nero shivered at the evident displeasure. Vexilus' veiled gaze turned to him, "Calm yourself, Nero. We will regain contact with the Empire in due time. What matters is that we proceed with our other ventures."

Nero frowned, wishing he had another drink to soothe his nerves. Vexilus was not going to like the next part. Steeling himself, Nero straightened in his chair, "My lord, there is one other thing." He began slowly, "Mario Segale has disappeared from the Mushroom Kingdom."

The air chilled considerably as Vexilus slowly rose from his chair. "What?" he said flatly.

Nero swallowed, "Mario Segale has disappeared from the Mushroom Kingdom." He repeated slowly. "He was last seen in the company of a kremling and a human woman."

Vexilus moved from behind the desk and glided over to the window. Nero watched cautiously as he remained seated. A low, rumbling sigh escaped the veiled figure. "Mario's disappearance and the loss of contact with the Empire are closely connected." Vexilus turned to face Nero. "Before our loss of contact with the Empire, Arakis had reported that the Emperor was sequestered to his chambers."

Nero frowned, "Is it possible that Mario found out about us?" He asked.

Vexilus shook his head, "No… I don't think so." He raised his head, the sunset further shrouding him in shadow. "The Emperor though… it is possible. An entirely unwelcome prospect." Vexilus hummed thoughtfully, "Continue with the excavation project. Scapelli felt it necessary to draw unnecessary attention to the dig. In the meantime, I will see that Horus and Anubis redouble their efforts to contact the Empire and Arakis."

Nero watched as Vexilus seemed to fade into the room's shadows. Nero waited several seconds before he was confident that he was alone in the room. Glancing at the untouched glass Nero had poured for his master, Nero sighed before standing up and moving to where Vexilus had been sitting. Bringing the glass to his lips, he tilted the drink back and swallowed it after a moment of holding the amber liquid in his mouth. The burn wasn't unpleasant, and in fact, he found it quite relaxing.

Mario's disappearance had disturbed him, and seeing Vexilus equally disturbed meant that whatever plan Vexilus had in the works had been thrown a massive wrench. The frown slowly morphed into a grim smile. It mattered very little in the end; they would overcome this setback.

Note from the Author:

This chapter was challenging, as I'm essentially tipping my hand here. Peach's segment was a bit more straightforward than I had anticipated, but the segment between Nero and Vexilus was the real challenge. Something much larger unfolding in the shadows and beneath one of the heroes' noses? Yeah, it's hard to make that engaging without necessarily tipping anyone off to what's happening. Especially when people are using code names while conversing. The original idea was to have the meeting occur in a secret, undisclosed location. However, I like the idea of Vexilus just popping up randomly and immediately assuming control over whatever room he's in.