The New Monarch (Human! Bowser X Reader)

[14] A Blooming Affection

"A flower bouquet?" The Koopalings ask as they follow you through the fields.

"Aren't those types of gifts usually meant for women?" Iggy mentions.

You laugh at their confusion. "Typically. Yes." You reply. "But flowers can be for anyone! Regardless of the gender of the person, age, or occasion." You smile, seeing a beautiful patch just up ahead. "I'm not entirely certain, but this could lift his spirits. If not, I'll know for future reference." You sit down in an empty patch of grass, not to harm any flowers, and take a deep breath, the Koopalings copying your movements. "I know it won't be much, but it's the best I can do for now. Because I have something else in mind for him..."

"Ooh, what is it?" Junior asks eagerly.

"I can't say much, but I hope it'll tighten our bond. I don't only want to help your father and around the castle, including you guys, but I want to make everyone feel at home..." You express, carefully plucking one of the unlit fire flowers. "What do you guys say? Will you help me?"

They all nod and follow your lead, Gathering as many flowers as possible in their tiny hands. The rest of the Koopaling scatter around to find the best flowers.

Junior stayed close to your side, and as he plucked the flowers from the ground, he asked, "(F/n), how do you know about this place? I don't remember mentioning it when you told us about how you traveled almost the entire world. It's a long way from the Mushroom Kingdom, isn't it?"

You laugh nervously. "That's another story for another day, but all I can say is this place has a special place in my heart..."

Junior smiles and continues his actions.

The Koopalings gather the best flowers they can find and return to where you and Junior are. And they were indeed beautiful.

"Thank you, cuties! These will do just great!" You happily say while collecting the flowers from them.

The kids all blush; being praised by you made them feel better.

"You have to go back soon and officially start your duties, don't you, (F/n)?" Larry mentions rather dully.

You glance at the siblings, seeing they didn't want to leave so soon. You sigh, then smile brightly to lift their spirits back up. "I mean, it's not time yet..."

The Koopalings perk up, knowing exactly what you were implying. "Great!  I brought a ball to play with then!" Lemmy cheered with the object  in hand, and everyone, including yourself, played along.

> > > > > > > > > > > > >

You all returned just in time before Bowser realized you hadn't returned. Thankfully, he was nowhere to be found, probably busy with other things.

The Koopalings wandered off, leaving you to your own devices.

You got to work, tying up your hair and rolling up your sleeves, picking up where you left off earlier, cleaning up the breakfast mess, and tidying up the area. You swept the castle floors, except for the velvet carpet, dusted hard-to-reach places, and debated whether to clean Bowser's bedroom.

Regardless, since you hadn't been asked to do so, you decided to wait for a better time to request permission.

Once all the other tasks were completed, your final duty was to clean the stained glass windows in the hallways. You washed and polished each one carefully, and as you worked, you noticed an interesting pattern. Each window portrayed a different story, starting from where you began and ending with the last one. Among them were depictions of the eight Koopalings, Bowser and his army, and the Dark Lands landscape.

Yet, one window surprised you, nevertheless also seemed fitting.

One of Princess Peach.

It looks exactly like the one at her castle, but she's wearing a completely different attire in this one.

I wonder why...

You were caught staring at the window too long when Bowser popped out of nowhere and startled you. "The windows have never looked better, (F/n)." The man remarks that the warm rays of the setting sun illuminate his features in a flattering way. Despite this, he maintains the same expression when speaking to you - not quite a scowl, but not entirely friendly.

"Thank you. I'm trying my best!" You grin, waving the cloth around.

He steps closer while you continue your duty, and you overlook this detail immediately. "Listen, um..." He begins, not sure where to start. "I didn't say it before, but thank you for this morning. It was the best breakfast I've-." He pauses. "We've had in a long time. And I'm sure the kids feel the same way."

You stop, turning to gaze up at him. "Bowser, you don't have to thank me whenever I do something. I chose to be here, and you allowed it. But I do  appreciate the sentiment."

"I know, but I'd like to repay it, even if it's minimal."

"Like what?" You tilt your head cutely.

"Follow me." He says, motioning you to follow him downstairs.

You carry your items as you do so.

You two eventually head to the dining room table and see a dinner plate before you. You cover your mouth with both hands, stunned by the setup. "What's all this for?" You question curiously, feeling what it is, but you don't want to get ahead of yourself.

"A form of payment for what you've done so far. Keep up the good work, and there will be plenty more where that came from."

You stand there, shell-shocked at what he was doing for you that you couldn't move.

Bowser notices this. "Something wrong? You can take a seat, you know."

You snap out of your state and shake your head, trying to take in what is happening entirely. "Yes, sorry..."

"If it's all right with you, I'd like to discuss to you personally about a few things," Bowser speaks, pulling out a chair and sitting across from you.

You straighten up and listen intently with a smile. "Of course, go right ahead."

TIL THE NEXT CHAPTER! ('｡• ᵕ •｡')