AN: Hey guys! We've finally managed to get this fic up to thirty chapters! Yay! Thank you all so much for your support; I couldn't have done this without you :)

Chapter 30 Mario in the Morning

Peach opened her eyes. She could feel the comforter that the President had loaned her wrapped around her entire body like a cocoon. She could detect a pleasing vibe in the atmosphere, one that was so different and so much more refreshing than anything she experienced when she was on the journey to the Mushroom Kingdom.

She sat up, a smile gracing her lips. Rising from her bed, she went over to the balcony and opened up the doors. She took a deep breath. The smell of the Mushroom Kingdom was foreign but comforting. It smelled like kindness, like love and trust. Peach's smile grew bigger, and it continued to do so as she looked down into Toad Town down below her. Toads of all kinds walked to and fro in the gorgeous town. Some of them even spotted her and waved at her, a gesture that she gladly returned. Honestly, while the journey still caused her great pain, Peach was now fully realizing that it was worth it. She and President Mario hadn't even started discussing how to take back the Beanbean Kingdom, but still. Peach was in the best place and state of mind that she had been in since her coronation.

"Queen Peach?"

Peach turned around to see a purple-capped Toad in her bedroom doorway. They were the same Toad who had brought her a nightgown last night, and they once again had close for Peach to wear. Smiling, the queen walked over and studied the dress. It was pink, and it was gorgeous.

"Thank you, sir." She took the dress in her arms. "Tell President Mario that I will be down in the dining hall in a minute."

"As you wish, Your Majesty." The Toad bowed before leaving. Peach let out a breath and immediately started getting dressed. When she was done, she looked at herself in the mirror. He had to admit, she never once noticed how good pink looked on her. It went with her golden hair, blue eyes, and green skin in the best way possible. And there was one thing that could really tie this look together. Peach got Peasley's broach and put it around her neck. This… oh man, this looked even more perfect than she had originally thought! Grinning, Peach flipped her hair in a similar way that Peasley had been so famous for doing. Oh man, if he was here, he would look upon his little sister with the utmost appreciation.

Now feeling like a queen as opposed to a sweaty, dirty mess, Peach made her way out of the room. She had gotten halfway down the hallway when a Toad with a red cap and a blue vest came up to her, telling her that he was gonna lead her to the dining room where Mario and Luigi. Peach thanked the Toad, and together they made their way through the various hallways. Like she was yesterday, Peach was absolutely in awe of the sights that the castle had to offer. She wanted to live here; she was certain she would love it here.

Eventually, they got to the dining room. Mario and Luigi sat near the head of the table. For a split second, Peach wondered if eating breakfast with a stranger would be awkward for them. Thankfully, the smile that Mario gave upon seeing her was all the confirmation she needed that this was going to be alright.

"Welcome, Queen Peach!" Mario gestured to the seat on his right. "Come, come, we were waiting for you!"

Peach beamed. Oh man, that accent… so inviting, so beautiful, so adorable. She wished she could say for certain where it was from. Maybe Tolstar had been right about President Mario coming from another world. Maybe the accent he was using was from that world. That would make the most sense. And honestly, if that was the case, it was pretty cool to think about.

Anyway, Peach immediately took her seat. She smoothed out the folds of her new dress, all while Mario examined her.

"Holy macaroni, that dress looks amazing on you." He chuckled. "I had the hardest time deciding what it would look like for you. I was REALLY on the fence about it being pink. I was like… 'I don't even know if she likes pink, let alone if she would wear it.'"

Peach chuckled. "Well, I do like the dress." She looked into Mario's sparkling blue eyes. "You did a good job." She smirked. "For a guy."

Mario and Luigi laughed. "Well," Mario said, "it's nice to see that Beanbean royalty has a sense of humor." He chuckled some more. "Anyway, are you ready for breakfast, Your Highness?"

Peach smirked again, this one more mischievous than the last. "Do you even have to ask?"

The Mario brothers laughed. Mario clapped his hands, and instantly Toads came into the room with their breakfast. From scrambled eggs to pancakes to bacon and sausage, there was more food here than Peach could ever hope to eat on her own. Of course, that didn't surprise her; when she was in Beanbean Castle, her servants tended to bring her and her family some pretty hearty breakfasts. Even still, Peach's mouth watered as the Toads placed the delectable and aromatic foods down on the table.

"Well… let's eat!" Mario exclaimed.

And with that, Peach started dishing herself. The servants offered to do it for her, but she refused. So, she placed as many items on her plate as possible. From cheese danishes to blueberry waffles, Peach wanted to ensure that she could taste everything that was on the table. She felt pretty satisfied with what she had selected when she went to sit back down, and she only felt more satisfied when she tried some bacon.

"Oh my goodness, this is incredible." She smiled at the president and advisor. "You guys really went all out for me."

Luigi chuckled. "You're a queen. We wanted to treat you as such."

Peach nodded and resumed eating. The dining hall was mostly silent for a bit, save more the chewing taking place at the table. But honestly, that was fine. Even though she had only met Mario and Luigi yesterday, Peach felt comfortable in their presence. She couldn't quite put her finger on why. Their kindness and laid-back personalities… they were overall very pleasant people. Peach decided right then and there that she wanted to maintain connections with both of them when they took her kingdom back.

Oh yeah. They needed to discuss how to do that, didn't they? With that realization popping up in her mind, Peach decided to eat a little faster. She ate and ate until her stomach and gag reflex couldn't take anymore, which unfortunately meant that there was still some food on the plate. She pushed it to the side, which Mario and Luigi instantly took note of.

"Queen Peach? Are you alright?" asked Mario.

Peach hesitated. "I… uh, I was wondering…" She wanted to hit herself; queens weren't this hesitant and unsure. "We need to discuss how we're going to take back the Beanbean Kingdom."

Luigi pulled his fork out of his mouth. "That's right." He looked over at Mario, who had his head tilted and was drumming his fingers on the surface of the table. "That is a very big issue. But don't worry! The two of us will ensure that everything turns out alright in the end!"

Peach felt relieved, but not as much as she probably could've been. "That's good. So, do you guys have any plans?"

Luigi blinked and pulled back. "Uh… well, we discussed it last night, but… we couldn't exactly think of anything."

Peach's heart sank. "Oh. I see." She started squirming in her chair, starting to fear that there really was no way to fix this predicament.

"Well… we may have thought of something," Mario said.

Peach and Luigi both did a double take. "We do?" they asked in unison.

"Si!" While Peach was reeling at that odd word, Mario was grinning from ear to ear. "I had this idea when I woke up this morning. It's kinda a longshot, but if it works out alright, then I think it might be the solution we've all been looking for." Peach and Luigi both leaned forward, all while Mario refused to stop grinning. "You see, the Mushroom Kingdom isn't the strongest Kingdom in the world in terms of its military. We have one, but it's nothing too impressive, so I don't know how well said military can help us against an all-powerful witch like Cackletta." Mario's eyes shimmered. "HOWEVER… there is one kingdom relatively close to ours that DOES have a big military. The strongest military in the world, as a matter of fact."

It took a minute for Peach to understand what Mario was talking about. "Wait. Are you talking about the Koopa Kingdom?"

"Indeed I am." Mario's smile only got wider. "If we could talk to King Bowser and have him come to our aid, that could really help your cause, Queen Peach."

Peach's mind was racing as she tried to decide how she felt about this idea. Meanwhile, Luigi stared at his brother like he had just lost his mind.

"But… but… but Mario! The Mushroom and Koopa Kingdoms are in the middle of a cold war, and have been for the last decade!" Luigi scooted closer. "On top of that, don't you remember the horrible things King Bowser was willing to do to King George and Queen Rosemary during their reign?"

"Of course I do, Luigi. I remember them clear as day!" He turned toward Peach. "Before I was elected president, I served as the Mushroom Kingdom's hero. Whenever King George and Queen Rosemary were attacked by King Bowser, I was right there to defend them."

"I see." Peach all of a sudden felt SUPREMELY unsure. "So… you want to get the help of someone who has a history of attacking your kingdom?"

Mario sighed. "Look, I know that it isn't the best plan in the world. It is true that King Bowser and I have a history. But he's not unreasonable. He's willing to help out other kingdoms if he needs to. I mean, in the past three years, he's donated generous amounts of money to the Sprixie Kingdom when the archipelago experienced some pretty devastating earthquakes." Mario looked between the queen and his brother. "It's a long shot, sure. But if we explain the situation to Bowser, he might be able to put the cold war to the side and help us out."

Luigi still looked hesitant. "I… I guess." He sighed. "I mean, you said so yourself Mario; the Mushroom Kingdom doesn't have the strongest military. So we can't hope to be of much help on our own."

"Precisely." He sat up straight. "I suggest we try this. What do you guys say?"

Luigi cleared his throat. "I'm in."

"Good." Mario looked toward the Queen. "Queen Peach?"

Peach hesitated, remembering all the stories she had heard about the treacherous King Bowser during her lessons with Lady Lima. They filled her with uncertainty, but she very quickly decided she wasn't going to let that uncertainty stop her. She had already let uncertainty dictate her actions for too long. She needed to stop.

"If it ends with me saving my people… I'm in."