Heavy Is The Crown- Chapter 11

Bowser sat alone in the library the following morning, his friends having opted to head outside to play soccer in order to remain out of the way during the official visit. He had a copy of a historical text on the Mushroom Kingdom in his lap as the doors creaked open behind him. He looked over his shoulder and spied Princess Peach being ushered inside by the same guards who'd been with her during her first visit.

"Ah," said Bowser, setting the book aside and approaching her. He dropped into a formal bow fifteen yards away. "Princess Peach, I pray thee have good welcome," he said in his best formal tone.

"And I thank you most heartily for this, and grant same," she replied with a smile, her voice still girlish and dainty at the same time as she curtsied. "You've gotten just a little larger since last we met," she said brightly.

"Yes, another growth spurt," said Bowser. "My mother says it's fortunate we're guests of the Prince, else she'd ill be able to afford to keep me fed." Peach giggled at this self-aimed gib, and Bowser offered his hand, palm up. She came forth and set her hand in his, and he guided her to the companion armchair to his own. "I've been reading up some on your country's history. It seems it's one of the eldest in all of Famicom, along with Hyrule."

"That's right," said Peach. "The entire continent used to just be the three kingdoms, Mushroom, Hyrule and Koopa. Then, of course, there were the free lands in the south and east, which ultimately became Vasto and Prieka. Why did your nation become an empire instead of remaining a kingdom, anyhow?"

Bowser knew the answer as given to his class by Douard, but Meechum had once given him a far more sophisticated and plausible response. "Emperor Harin's great-great-grandfather, Ilpus Tozard, was in line to succeed his father as King many years ago. Yet he wished to concede the throne to another. As he had no children of his own, and no siblings, it was decreed that a new ruler was needed.

"Ilpus had a cousin, Barkot Harin, who was as bloodthirsty a koopa as had ever been seen. He gathered soldiers to himself and stormed the castle, slaying his King the uncle and declaring himself Emperor. He named our nation Gora, which was his given middle name at the time." Bowser sighed. "It isn't a kingdom in name, but these lands have been controlled by the same family for over twenty generations."

Peach was quiet for a long minute before she timidly said, "I have no idea how long my family has held the throne. Is that sort of thing important to you, Bowser?"

"Not really," said Bowser. "Though I will admit that sometimes, leaders need to be replaced, revolution realized." Peach raised an eyebrow at him. "You know, rebellion?"

"I don't understand either of those words," she said.

"Really?" Bowser sat flabbergasted by this gap in her knowledge. "Well, a revolution is when large numbers of people gather together to kick the current leaders out and put in new ones, or use a whole different system of rule."

"Why would anyone want to do that," Peach asked, honestly perplexed. "Whoever's in charge is in charge, those are the rules. My brother taught me that." Bowser shook his head, rubbing his temples.

"Listen, sometimes the people in charge do the wrong things," Bowser said patiently. "Or they keep all the coins for themselves, instead of distributing them to the common people. Or they start wars and try to conquer people, take their lands. And when people don't like that, they get together sometimes and try to kick the people in charge out."

Peach's face slackened, her eyes unfocused as she seemed to wrestle with this new concept. Of course, Bowser thought. As sweet as she seems, she was born into royalty. She can be educated in many things, but her tutors aren't likely instructed to tell her how things really are for the common man. He wished he'd thought of that before.

After a few moments, Peach brightened. "Well, what would make most people happy," she asked earnestly. Bowser sipped at a glass of water and grinned.

"Well, knowing where they're going to get their next meal from is one thing. Shelter's another. Most folks would be fairly content to have those two things secured, especially if they can also find steady work. Something that might make them able to get a little ahead if they really keep at it." Peach nodded, still upbeat.

"Shelter, as in a house? I only ask because I don't think there's enough houses for everyone to have one."

"No, no, it doesn't have to be anything so grand as that, Princess." Bowser got up and headed over to the bookshelves, in the non-fiction section. He sanned the books until he found one he wanted, and brought it over to her. "Here. This book covers dozens of ways to create affordable housing for anybody with even the most meager means. Take this with you when your brother takes you back home."

Peach took the book, hopped off of her chair, and hugged him. So caught off-guard was he that at first Bowser just stood there, mute. Finally he relented and embraced her in return for a few moments, catching the disapproving glares of her guards by the door. He released her gently then and smiled at her. "Come on. Let's go to the kitchens and have something to eat," he said.

Together, followed by her guards, a boy and a girl walked down the hallway, friends from very different walks in life. It would be a moment the two guards would remember until their dying days.

Douard had served the ruling family of the Empire all of his adult life, in one capacity or another. His father had also served the country's leaders. His entire lifetime had been spent wholly immersed in politics. Yet nothing in his years could have prepared him for the sort of meeting he stood witness to.

It had begun with Prince Nurik extending formal greetings to Prince Tangerine and his guards and servants. They arranged themselves on the opposite side of a long table dominating the center of the Audience Chamber, Tangerine scowling like a man with a stomach full of acid. His response to Nurik's welcome was to signal for a servant to lean into him, whereupon he drew out a dagger and slit the toadstool's throat, spraying blood all over the floor and edge of the table.

"I'll do that to my own people," Tangerine growled. "What do you think I'll do to yours if they don't get out of the Tegal Swamps?" He shook the dagger off and sheathed it, flapping one hand back at his people to remove the body.

From there, the entire meeting was spent with Prince Nurik trying to explain that he had no contact with or control over those particular Imperial soldiers, and Tangerine countering with belligerent dismissals about such details and thinly veiled or outright threats against the entirety of the Seventh Magistrate territory.

Douard witnessed all of this, and about an hour into the discussion, if it could be rightly called that, he began to disengage from the two Princes, watching the guards and servants, seeking some sign of subtle treachery. Such heated exchanges and overtures were often the perfect distraction from the real action, subtle acts taken by professional spies and saboteurs while nobody was looking. That perfectly summarized most politics, in his mind.

Despite his best efforts, though, another hour went by, and the elder koopa saw no hint of skullduggery. When the second hour concluded, Prince Tangerine sent one of his men to fetch his sister, as they were leaving Gora Empire post-haste, with a parting promise that soon enough, things were going to get bad.

Douard didn't stick around to confer with Prince Nurik the way he usually would. Instead, he made his way for Meechum's quarters to relay what had transpired. The Captain o'the Guard would have to instruct his people to be on their sharpest guard.

The following day, Ardin watched as the children he was teaching under the guise of James Maybrick sparred with one another. He'd been hopeful that they wouldn't realize how out-of-date the maneuvers were that he'd been teaching them, and thus far, his hopes held up.

"Moxy, why aren't you trapping Trim's other hand," Bowser asked, standing next to Ardin suddenly. The toadstool assassin maintained his composure, however, and just nodded to Moxy to encourage him to do what his friend suggested. The sparring continued, and Bowser, smelling of soap and sawdust, leaned down close to him. "Captain Meechum wishes to see you, Mr. Maybrick. Soonest is best."

Ardin grunted and rose to his feet, casting a look into Bowser's eyes. He suspects something, Ardin thought. He isn't sure what, but he suspects something. He sauntered toward the main keep alone, and when he took one quick look back to the soccer field, he saw that Bowser was still watching him.

Into the keep he went, taking a winding, looping path to Edward Meechum's office. He knocked once and was immediately answered by another guard in full battle dress, Meechum behind a small metal desk with pen in hand, papers before him.

"Come in, Mr. Maybrick," Meechum said without looking up. Ardin took a few steps in, and though he expected the doorto shut behind him, it didn't. "Mr. Maybrick, your current agreement with Prince Nurik is to train our young permanent guests in defending themselves, yes?"

"It is, aye," Ardin grunted.

"I have before me an extension contract, Mr. Maybrick. It details an agreement to aid in the defense of his castle and its denizens in the event of openly declared warfare with the Mushroom Kingdom."

"Did the talks go that badly," Ardin asked, trying to sound genuinely concerned. Meechum didn't look up, instead pushing papers across the desk with a pen.

"You have 48 hours to decide. If you will not sign on, we will ask you to leave the village and not return until the atmosphere is less bloody. And Mr. Maybrick?" Now Meechum looked up at him, steepling his fingers. "I've looked into your background, sir. Or tried to, anyway. And do you know what I discovered?" Ardin remained silent; he'd been through this sort of dialogue before. "Nothing, sir. I found nothing. You are a phantom, even in your homeland.

"I've also watched your instruction, and can say with certainty that you've never worked with children before, only adults. The techniques you are teaching most of our children are obsolete, and can get them killed in a real fight if they face professionally trained soldiers with any experience. Bowser alone you teach adult techniques of use to, due to his size. He can hold his own, thanks to that.

"But this is just a job to you," Meechum said, looking back down to his papers. "So either extend your contract, or leave. You have two days." Ardin took the papers and showed himself out, holding back mad laughter all the way to his rented room.

Only hours remained before his task was complete.

Prince Nurik, youngest son of the Emperor, stood on his balcony as night fell, watching the sky darken inevitably toward the day's end. He had tried to be diplomatic with Tangerine, truly. Shocking as the Mushroom Kingdom's heir behaved, he held for him no enmity; passion could drive men to madness, he knew. No man or woman of any kind had ever lived a life fully without at least a singular spark of that lunatic impulse.

Still, mad or no, Prince Nurik could not simply sit idly by while the situation deteriorated even further. He would personally lead an entourage of his soldiers to the Tegal Swamps to demand the Impirial troops there withdraw at once. No officer could refuse an order from any of the Princes; such was law in the Empire for generations. Only a sealed edict from the Emperor himself could override such a command.

He would leave Meechum in charge in his stead. Douard would be the natural choice, but Nurik wanted him along on the trip, for the sagely old koopa held the respect of almost every soldier who ever served in the Empire. Once the chief tactician for the Emperor, soldiers still studied the manual he'd written when he was but fifteen years old.

Besides, Meechum's good with the staff and the children, he reasoned. Prince Nurik pushed away from the balcony railing and turned around.

There, standing in the doorway with a black, round clay ball with a burning fuse, was a male toadstool in dark gray assassin's leathers. Nurik's mouth drooped open, yet no words escaped him. The toadstool gave him a crazed, toothy smile, left eye twitching.

"All hail the Mushroom Kingdom," the toadstool said, rolling the bomb forth and pulling the balcony window shut as he darted away. Prince Nurik managed to get halfway to the window when the bomb went off, and the course of history in all Famicom changed forever.