Love in the Oddest Places (bowuigi story)

Chapter 35: Civil Conversation

Peach sat in her dimly lit office; the air heavy with anticipation. Her gloved fingers trembled slightly as they tapped an anxious rhythm upon the polished surface of the desk. Before she lay the ominous letter, its contents penned in her cousin's jagged script, each word a harbinger of impending doom.

"Peach,

Ever since Bowser arrived, I've had him under surveillance. My spies tell me his general has been absent; I don't know why and frankly don't care. The reason won't ever be good. To make things worse, he and Luigi have been awfully friendly; I know you gave this guy the benefit of the doubt once but... the evidence is clearly there, and you can't deny this. Luigi is siding with the Darklands. And you're going to deal with it; meanwhile, I'll deal with the Koopa bastard... since you never cared to do so."

The clock in her office ticked loudly.

Peach found herself in a state of profound confusion, unsure of how to process the unexpected turn of events. The notion that such a thing could occur had never crossed her mind. Memories of their past battles flooded her mind – the triumphant victory over Bowser, and the joyous celebrations that followed. She vividly remembered how Mario, Luigi, and herself had stood together in unity against their foe. They had shared laughter and camaraderie, comforting each other when they discovered the warp pipe back to Earth was irreparably damaged.

Until this moment, Peach had believed her relationship with Luigi to be amicable. He had always shown her kindness and respect, demonstrating unwavering dedication in their training sessions and his reports. His actions consistently reflected the qualities of a true hero – compassionate, diligent, and selfless.

But that image was cracking.

Luigi's decision to shelter the Koopa Prince in his quarters struck Peach with disbelief. She had never entertained the idea of causing harm to the young prince; her instinct was always to ensure his safety, perhaps by securing him under the vigilant watch of her guards. However, it seemed Luigi had misinterpreted her intentions. His recent behavior towards her had shifted drastically, veering into a realm of unmistakable distrust.

With a frustrated sigh, Peach reached for a nearby drawer, her movements hurried and agitated. The faint sound of paper rustling filled the room as she extracted a bundle of documents tied together with twine. As she flipped through the pages, her hands trembled slightly, her focus homing in on certain entries that bore significance to their current predicament.

'King Bowser was less than happy about his sentencing... He was very moody and aggressive. I tried my best to get an update on the Glacial Gates and he was less than helpful. It's clear he's looking at this as a chore. Reconstruction has been somewhat slow.'

As Princess Peach flipped the page, a nervous twitch betrayed her usual poise. A line of darkness crawled up her collarbone.

'It has been about a month since King Bowser has started his sentence... I think it's starting to sink in. I can't say for sure since he's still confrontational. Reconstruction has increased to a better pace.'

A wave of tension washed over Peach, causing her features to tense and her jaw to clench. The shadow of concern crept up her neck, a stark contrast to her usual composure. Flipping to the next report, she focused on the last communication she had received regarding the Glacial Gates in the Snow Kingdom. Alongside the report lay a short letter from King Boreas, lending credence to Luigi's assertions.

'After a week since my last report, and I can say now with confidence that the community service is definitely humbling Bowser! After some prying, he expressed remorse over his actions. His participation in the reconstruction has increased. He's... weary of me but he seems to be mellowing out.'