Chapter Text
With a freshly brewed pot of green tea and the candles he received from Mario in tow, Toadsworth slowly opened the doors to Princess Peach’s room and entered as quietly as possible so as not to disturb the still sleeping princess. He placed the candles on her dresser before approaching the bed. Pushing back her bang and placing a palm on her forehead, he noticed it was significantly cooler than the last time he checked her temperature, which made sigh in relief. Just as he removed his hand, there was a loud knock on the doors that caused him to almost rival Mario’s jumping prowess. Toadsworth thought about answering loudly but thought against it because he didn’t want to wake Peach up, although he wondered how she didn’t even stir at the cacophonous pounding. He opened the doors to see two Toad guards standing straight, ready to receive any orders from the advisor.
“Shh, keep it down!” Toadsworth admonished the guards with a harsh whisper, “Her Highness is still asleep!” He took a step to the side to show the slumbering princess.
“Our apologies, sir!” one of the guards whispered in a professional tone. “You called for us, sir?”
“Yes,” Toadsworth nodded as his face became softer yet still firm. “Gentlemen, there are two tall red-brown candles in the princess’s bathroom that are responsible for her current condition. They need to be disposed of immediately so they cannot cause any more trouble. Whatever method that is used to do so I entrust to you. I advise you to be careful, however, because their vapors are quite powerful, and I do not wish for you or anyone else to be exposed to their magic. Are there any questions?”
“No, sir,” the other guard answered while saluting the steward.
“Very good,” Toadsworth smiled briefly before becoming serious again. “I leave the rest up to you my loyal guards.” With that, Toadsworth allowed the guards to enter the room, and they wasted little time getting to work. They put on tight masks in case any semblance of aroma from the candles were still present and entered the bathroom. They grabbed the candles from the sink and tossed them into a metal odor-proof container, followed by one of the guards spraying the bathroom with rose-scented air freshener in an effort to eradicate the offending scent. After taking care of business, they saluted Toadsworth one last time before leaving as quickly as they came.
“You have to love the efficiency and professionalism of the Toad guards,” Toadsworth smiled before sighing and closing the doors behind them. “It’s too bad they’re not as strong against Bowser and his followers despite their best efforts. We are fortunate to have Master Mario and Master Luigi with us.”
Putting those thoughts out of his mind, he returned to the tall white candles standing atop the dresser and carefully lit one of them. A few seconds later the rich enticing smell of coconut spread rapidly across Peach’s room. He had to admit the aroma was nice and since it’s supposed to be the antidote to the red-brown candles, he felt he didn’t need to hold his breath and thus allowed his senses to absorb the scent. Also, it didn’t hurt to inhale some since he was exposed to a tiny amount of the spell of the other candles earlier in the day, though not anywhere near as much as the princess. I hope this works, he thought to himself as he sat in the chair next to Peach’s bed while keeping an eye on her.
A few minutes in, he was engrossed in a book he brought with him from his office when he heard some sniffing sounds, causing him to carelessly drop the book and instantly focus his attention on Peach. He saw her nose twitching at what had to be the candle’s scent – which he couldn’t help but find adorable – before smiling to himself, for it appeared that the candle was doing its job. The next thing he knew, Peach let out a groggy moan before opening her eyes and turning her head to face him.
“Toadsworth,” Peach addressed her long-time steward with confusion and fatigue in her voice as she sat up in her bed, “what’s going on here?”
Overcome with joy and tears threatening to fall from his eyes, Toadsworth dropped any signs of royal decorum and wrapped his tiny arms around the princess in a hug as big as he could muster. “Princess, I am so happy to see you awake again! I was so worried about you!”
“Toadsworth,” Peach replied with hints of bewilderment in her voice as she returned the hug. “it’s OK. I’m OK.” She smiled as she reflexively patted the elder Toad on his head. She immediately stopped and gasped at her action when Toadsworth looked at her with a perplexed expression. She felt ashamed because this was something she did with her subjects, not her advisor who was a father figure to her. As a result, she was afraid he would take offense to it and instantly thought to apologize. “Forgive me, Toadsworth! I don’t know what came over me!”
“It’s OK, my dear,” Toadsworth chuckled as he gently patted her on the back. “I was not offended, for I know it is a gesture of endearment from you. Now, how are you feeling?”
“To be honest, I’m still tired and my head hurts,” Peach answered honestly as she massaged her forehead with her fingers before taking in her surroundings with a confused expression. “Now Toadsworth, if you don't mind me asking, how did I end up in my bed?”
Toadsworth sighed as he prepared to answer her question. “Master Mario put you in there after you fainted on the balcony. Do you remember anything prior to you fainting?”
“Unfortunately, I don’t remember much,” Peach shook her head. “I know I was to have cake and tea with Mario. Speaking of whom, where is he?”
“I’m afraid he went home for the day?” Toadsworth answered ruefully.
“Oh, OK,” Peach sadly nodded her head. “Toadsworth, you said Mario carried me and tucked me in bed after I fainted, and I don’t recall much of anything before fainting. Do you know what happened here? If you do, you must tell me!”
Toadsworth let out another sigh before addressing the curious princess. “My dear, I will tell you everything in due time. However, I suggest you at least take a sip of tea. You’ve been out for quite some time, and I’m certain you could drink something now.”
Peach nodded her head without saying anything, which was all Toadsworth needed to see before he got up and poured a cup of tea from the teapot that he brought with him. He carefully handed the princess the cup since it was still quite warm and watched as she blew the steam rising from the cup twice before taking a sip. A content smile formed on her face after swallowing the tea, which in turn made him smile.
“You really do make the best tea, Toadsworth,” Peach said with her smile still intact.
“It’s nothing, really,” Toadsworth rubbed the back of his head as he blushed some at Peach’s compliment.
“It’s not nothing. You really do have a knack for making fine cups of tea,” Peach said with an affirmative tone to her voice. After taking another sip, she looked for a place to set the cup down before Toadsworth took it from her and set it on the dresser. When he returned to her side, she looked him straight into the eyes as she became more serious. “Now, I’m ready to learn about what took place that resulted in me fainting and me waking up in my bed.”
Toadsworth’s eyes became sad as he thought about how he would explain the situation to her. In addition, he was worried about how she would react to everything because he knew how hard she can be on herself when she is responsible for things that she caused regardless of how they happened. Time slowly ticked as the atmosphere in the room became more awkward due to the heavy silence.
“Toadsworth,” Peach broke the silence as she grabbed one of his hands, “your silence speaks volumes. It’s saying whatever occurred on the balcony was not good. I know you’re trying to consider my feelings; nonetheless, this is something I need to know, for I will not rest easily until I do. Please tell me what happened.”
The royal advisor felt guilty because he knew she would have to know sooner or later. Deciding not to delay the inevitable any longer, he took a deep sigh before addressing the inquisitive princess. “Brace yourself my dear, for what I’m about to tell you may shock you to your very core.”