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Pauline closed the door behind her after she entered her office. Glancing at the bouquet of roses in hand, she brought it to her nose and took a nice long whiff. Her lips curled into a wide smile upon inhaling the fresh clean floral scent. She quickly glanced around in her office and noticed she had an unused glass vase on one of her shelves. She grabbed the vase from the shelf and placed it on her desk before placing the bouquet in it.
Pauline received the dark red roses from a flower store on her way back from her daily stroll. Outside of the shop were impressive layouts of a variety of beautiful and exotic flowers; there were even some types she had never seen before. Figuring she had time before having to head back to City Hall, she stopped and smelled some of the flowers on display. Although all of them smelled divine, her favorite was the roses without question. She figured she was too enamored with them because one of the store employees asked if she wanted to take some with her. She initially declined; however, the employee offered to give them to her free of charge. Pauline astutely noticed his jittery body language, tremulous stuttering, and the strong blush on his cheeks as he addressed her. She smiled inwardly because it was painfully clear this young man was crushing on her hard. It was something she was all too familiar with seeing that a lot of men – and women for that matter – acted similarly in her presence. A part of her wanted to ask if he indeed had a crush on her, but she took mercy on him and again turned down his offer. The employee looked crestfallen but told her the offer was available anytime should she change her mind before returning to his duties.
Pauline felt a little bad about turning down his offer, seeing he appeared to be a nice guy who respected her boundaries and didn’t try to force anything on her. After thinking about it for a minute, she called out to the employee and told him she would take the roses after all; however, she would pay for them. The employee, however, refused to accept a single coin from her and paid for the roses out of his own pocket. Pauline asked him if he was sure because she had no problem purchasing them. The employee nodded his head and told her it was OK. Flattered by the gesture, she thanked the man by hugging him and pecking him on his cheek, causing his face to turn as red as her suit. He thanked her before wobbling back to work while saying this was the best day of his life to himself. She giggled at his reaction before returning to City Hall.
After putting down the vase, Pauline walked across her office to the cathedral window and took in the New Donk City skyline. Outside of a breeze that almost claimed her favorite hat, the weather outside was perfect. Despite its challenges, she loved being New Donk City’s mayor, and she knew she was popular with the citizens considering she won reelection in the most lopsided vote in New Donk City history. This was evident in how many people flocked to her during her walk. She didn’t mind it, for she always loved to engage with the people. She smiled contentedly as she admired the view one more time before returning to her desk. Her derriere barely connected with her chair when her desk phone buzzed. She sighed with a smile before pressing the active button.
“Yes?” Pauline asked in a professional tone.
“Um, Miss Mayor,” a nervous female voice spoke from the other end, “sorry to disturb you, but you have some visitors. Would you like to see them, or should I tell them you’re busy?”
“Shelly,” Pauline sighed again, “how many times must I say that there’s no need to apologize for buzzing me? That’s part of your job.”
“S-Sorry, I-I mean I understand Miss Mayor,” the secretary named Shelly said. “It’s a habit of mine I’m still working on. Nonetheless, about your visitors…”
“Hold on, let me check my schedule first,” Pauline answered and placed Shelly on hold while shaking her head with a smile. Shelly was a young woman who was anxious when it came to authority. However, she was a productive and diligent worker who knew how to take care of business. The main thing Pauline admired the most about her was her self-reliance. She didn’t have to tell Shelly what to do; most of the time Shelly took care of the task Pauline wanted to have done before she could even ask. The one thing holding Shelly back was her lack of confidence addressing people, but that was something Pauline was confident would get better with more time and experience.
Pauline smiled again and placed Shelly at the back of her mind before perusing her schedule for the day. She saw she had nothing of great importance to tend to at the moment; therefore, she decided to see who was visiting her.
“I’ll be right out,” Pauline informed Shelly after taking her off hold. She rose from her chair and did a last-minute smoothing of her suit as well as making sure her hat was on straight before heading out to meet her visitors. She stepped out of her office and prepared to greet them before freezing in her tracks in surprise upon laying her eyes on her two guests.
One was a short man who she was all too familiar with; she recognized that large bulbous nose and dark bumpy mustache from anywhere. He donned a red buttoned-down shirt, a pair of light blue denim jeans, a plain fitted red baseball cap over his messy brown hair, and a pair of crisp white sneakers. This was rather different from his normal outfit of a red newsboy cap with a red letter ‘M’ inside a white circle, red long-sleeved shirt, blue denim overalls, white gloves, and brown heavy leather boots. The smile on his face exuded warmth and friendliness, one that used to engender butterflies to float in her tummy. Now, it was just one that was happy to see an old acquaintance.
Pauline’s eyes shifted to the other visitor: a strikingly beautiful woman who was a head taller than the man but shorter than the mayor. The woman in question had long golden blond hair that cascaded down her back slightly past her waist underneath a white floppy hat with a pink ribbon. The rest of her outfit consisted of round sapphire earrings, a pink scarf with white polka dots tied around her neck, a snow white short-sleeved form-fitting blouse, a long pleated pink skirt, a dark pink belt with a pink jewel encrusted in gold, and a pair of white-grey strapped high heels. Pauline had to admit this woman had a great sense of style; it even got to the point where she felt drab in her red pantsuit by comparison. Like the man standing next to her, the woman had a warm and friendly smile that really accentuated her beauty. Pauline believes she has seen this woman before but can’t quite put her finger on where at the moment.
“Ah, Pauline,” the man spoke with an Italian accent, snapping the mayor out of her thoughts, “it’s so nice to see you again.”
“Likewise, Mario,” Pauline nodded at the man with a smile. “So, how’s everything been?”
“Everything’s been fine,” Mario answered. “How has everything been with you?”
“Busy, but well,” Pauline answered. “I see you decided to switch up your wardrobe a bit.”
“Ah, yes,” Mario chuckled as he rubbed the back of his head. “I wanted to try something different from my usual overalls.”
“It looks nice on you,” Pauline complimented with a small genuine smile, causing Mario to blush some. She returned her attention to the blonde woman, who was standing patiently with an amused smile, before smirking teasingly at Mario. “Well, Mario. Aren’t you going to introduce me to your companion?”
“Ah, pardon my lack of manners,” Mario’s blush darkened as he rubbed the back of his head again. He turned to face the woman before speaking again. “Princess, this is Pauline, mayor of New Donk City. Pauline, this is Princess Peach Toadstool. She is the leader of the Mushroom Kingdom.”
Pauline’s jaw dropped when she realized she was standing before royalty. She’d heard of the Mushroom Kingdom and Princess Peach; however, she had never experienced either of them in person until now. Further, she had never been in the presence of royalty before, so this was a new experience for her. The only knowledge she had about situations like these came from books and television shows. There was one thing she did know what to do, however.
“It’s an honor to meet you, your Highness,” Pauline said as she bowed before the princess. Since she wore a pantsuit instead of anything with a skirt, she felt bowing would be better than curtsying.
“Oh, there’s no need to bow, Mayor,” Peach spoke as she covered her mouth trying to hold back a giggle. “We are visitors in your domain. If anything, I should be the one showing respect to you.” True to her word, Peach curtsied before the New Donk City mayor.
Wow, even her voice is majestic, Pauline thought to herself with a tad bit of jealousy, not that she would admit it aloud. As she scanned Peach once more, she finally remembered where she had seen the princess before. This was the same woman who was in those posters and billboards plastered all over the city, much to her disgust, with that huge and dare she say hideous monster that advertised a wedding between the two. Needless to say, the would-be bride did not look too keen to marry such a beast, and she couldn’t blame her. Also, she along with other sentient species from different kingdoms were coerced to witness the nearly unholy matrimony at the Honeylune Ridge on the moon. Pauline admired Peach’s spunk with the way she prevented that monster from placing the biggest band she had seen in her life on her. Fortunately, Mario arrived just in time to crash the fraudulent wedding because it appeared that Peach was wearing down both physically and mentally from resisting that foul creature. In addition, she had to admit that Mario looked rather dapper in that white tuxedo although she was creeped out by the hat that appeared to have a pair of eyes. It’s been two months since that event, and she never expected to see the princess and Mario together inside the city hall.
“Oh, that’s not necessary,” Pauline smiled as she mimicked Peach by placing a hand over her mouth while resisting the urge to giggle herself. She stood to her full height as she became more poised. “Now, if you don’t mind me asking, is there a reason you two have come to visit me?”
“Oh, yes,” Peach spoke. “We are here to sightsee New Donk City. Mario told me about how wonderful this place is and although I have visited this city before, there are apparently some things I haven’t experienced. Mario offered to show me as many of those places as possible, including this pizzeria he couldn’t stop gushing about. He told me how great the pizza is here. I've never eaten pizza before, so I’m excited to try it for myself.”
Pauline audibly gasped at Peach’s admission of never having pizza. Pizza was one of her favorite comfort foods; there was nothing better than sitting back in her comfort clothes and chowing down a large New Donk style pizza slice, especially on a weekend after a long week of work. She took a quick glance at Mario, who nodded with a ‘I couldn’t believe it myself’ smile on his face before returning her attention to Peach.
“Also,” Peach continued, “I asked Mario to specifically bring me here because…I wanted to personally speak with you.”
Pauline was taken aback at Peach’s words, for she couldn’t help but wonder why the princess of the Mushroom Kingdom wished to speak with her in person. It couldn’t have been anything political-related; there would’ve been an appointment scheduled or something else of that nature, otherwise. Regardless, she quickly regained her composure and reestablished eye contact with Peach.
“I’m sorry to drop this on you so suddenly,” Peach smiled apologetically, “but Mario told me so much about you that I knew I had to meet you in person.”
Although she was still focused on Peach, out of the corner of her eye Pauline noticed how Mario’s smile dropped and body language became more frazzled. He gulped mightily as he nervously rubbed his hands together. He looked like he desperately wanted to be elsewhere, and for some reason it amused her.
“However,” Peach continued, “I know you must be a very busy person, something I can assuredly relate to, so I completely understand if you don’t have the time to do such a thing.”
“Not at all, your Highness,” Pauline shook her head. “My schedule’s free right now, so I have the time to speak with you.”
“Oh, good!” Peach clasped her hands together as she smiled while skipping some.
Pauline had to admit the princess’s perkiness was cute. Regardless, her curiosity started to get the best of her. “So, what is it that you wish to speak with me about?”
Peach became serious as she looked around the lobby, at Shelly who quietly sat at her desk in awe of her, and Mario – who still looked uncomfortable – before returning to Pauline. “I’m sorry to ask, but I would like to speak with you alone. Can we go somewhere more private?”
Pauline’s eyes widened at Peach’s request. If her curiosity hadn’t been stimulated before, it certainly was at its peak now! Despite that, a professional smile formed on her face. “Sure, your Highness. We can meet in my office.” She gestured to Peach to enter her office, which the princess gladly did after giving Mario a small confident nod and smile, before turning her attention to Shelly.
“Shelly, I’m not sure how long this will be, but take any messages and schedule any visitors to come back at another time while I’m with the princess. Understood?”
“Yes, ma’am! You can count on me!” Shelly assured the mayor with an overzealous salute.
Pauline smiled at Shelly’s enthusiasm before locking her eyes on Mario. “I’m sorry Mario, but do you mind waiting out here?”
“No, not at all, Pauline!” Mario chuckled nervously while rubbing the back of his head for the third time. He did it so fast he knocked his hat off, almost making Pauline laugh. He blushed a little as he picked it up and placed it back on his head.
“Thank you, Mario. Hopefully, we won’t keep you waiting too long.” Pauline acknowledged Mario with a nod and smile as Peach did before stepping into her office. She turned around and prepared to close her door. However, a mischievous grin broke out on her face as she looked at Mario again.
“If you’re bored, I’m sure Shelly here will be more than happy to keep you company!”
Both Mario and Shelly blushed at Pauline’s teasing, with Shelly being more mortified. The poor girl trembled violently, and her face turned so red a full breakfast could be prepared on it. Pauline winked at the two before closing the door.
She briefly wondered if she went too far considering how shy Shelly was, especially around men. However, she knew Mario was a perfect gentleman who would do anything to make her as comfortable as possible. She smiled as she walked to her desk, noticing that Peach was standing by a chair patiently waiting for her. She observed Peach’s manners, and that made her smile widen some as she took her seat before gesturing to the princess to take hers. She watched as Peach gracefully sat in her chair and brushed her skirt some with her hands before locking her eyes with hers. Pauline felt like her head was shackled in place as Peach’s eyes seemed to have some sort of magnetic pull on her; she couldn’t look away if she wanted to. Regardless, she regained her composure and confidently gazed back at her visitor, wondering what it was she wanted to speak with her about.
~~~
Heavy silence filled the office as both women continued to observe each other. Pauline found herself subtly checking Peach out again whether she was conscious of it or not. While doing so, she wondered if her imagination was running wild because she swore Peach was sizing her up as well. The thought of it made some heat creep up to her cheeks to the point where she had to look away for a second. She mentally kicked herself for being the first to blink so to speak, but she immediately returned her focus to the princess.
“Before we begin,” Pauline cleared her throat, “may I offer you anything to drink?”
“Sure,” Peach answered with a small smile. “What do you have?”
“I have bottles of water, lemonade, and pop in my mini fridge.”
“A bottle of water would be nice.”
Pauline smiled at Peach as she rose from her chair and made the short trip to the mini fridge across the large office. She grabbed two bottles of water and closed the refrigerator before returning to her desk. She handed the princess a bottle before sitting down again. She watched her twist the bottle open and take a small sip before placing the bottle on the desk.
“So,” Pauline began as she untwisted the cap of her bottle, “now that we’re alone, I’ll ask again. What it is you wish to talk to me about?”
Peach took a breath before speaking. “Well, it’s something that relates to both of us.”
Pauline’s curiosity flared up again, for she wondered what Peach desired to discuss with her. “Is it something that has to do with our respective kingdoms?” she asked on a hunch.
“Oh no, nothing like that,” Peach shook her head before another small smile appeared on her face. “Although I would love to discuss policies and relations with you and the Metro Kingdom one day.”
“I would certainly be open to it,” Pauline nodded. “So, if it’s not that, what is it? I’m sorry if I’m coming across as pushy; however, let’s just say I’m very interested in this something that has to do with us.”
“Well,” Peach smiled nervously, “it certainly is something, or should I say someone.”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t follow,” Pauline said with a confused look on her face. She grabbed her bottle of water and began drinking from it.
A faint blush appeared on Peach’s cheeks as she looked down at her lap. It appeared she was fidgeting with her hands, as if she was nervous about saying what she wanted to. Pauline took another long sip from her water bottle as Peach lifted her head.
“Well,” Peach sighed softly with a slightly embarrassed smile, “it’s…about Mario.”
Pauline’s eyes widened as Peach’s words caused her to spit the water still lingering in her mouth out. Fortunately, she wasn’t looking at Peach when she did it. Spitting on anyone, let alone a princess, would be mortifying even if it was accidentally. She chuckled inwardly to herself at the thought before staring at the princess in bewilderment.
“Pardon me for asking,” Pauline started as she gradually regained her composure, “but why do you want to talk to me about Mario?”
Peach’s cheeks darkened some as she briefly averted her eyes to her lap again before returning her focus to the mayor. “It’s just that I know you and he were together in the past. He was very candid about your relationship, and he still considers you to be a good friend of his. I apologize in advance if this comes across as personal, but I want to know if, well, you still have any feelings towards him?”
To say Pauline was caught off guard would be a huge understatement. Peach was right about one thing: this was a personal question. A part of her wanted to refuse to answer and tell her how intrusive her question was. However, from their brief interaction she believed that Peach was sincere and didn’t have any malicious intent. She smoothed any wrinkles from her pants and jacket before facing Peach.
“Well,” Pauline began, “if you must know about how I feel about Mario, I will tell you. While it is true Mario and I dated in the past and although I still consider him to be a dear friend of mine, I can assure you that is all he is. Rest assured I have no intentions of having another relationship with him, and I’m sure he feels the same way.”
Peach breathed a small sigh of relief which did not go undetected by Pauline. It was apparent that the princess had some feelings for her ex, and a small impish smile appeared on her face.
“If I may ask another personal question,” Peach spoke before Pauline could, much to her annoyance, “why did you and Mario end your relationship?”
A sad smile formed on Pauline’s face as she absorbed Peach’s question. “It was a mutual decision. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed having Mario as a boyfriend, and I know he was happy with me as his girlfriend. We had a lot of great times together, and he was the best partner I’ve had in my life. However, somewhere down the line we started drifting apart. We still cared for each other, but we had different goals in life. When it came down to it, we felt it was best to end our courtship on amicable terms.”
“I see,” Peach said quietly as she nodded her head.
The mischievous smile reappeared on Pauline’s face as she witnessed Peach’s body language. She wasted little time addressing the princess, for she wanted to strike before Peach spoke again. “Now, I would like to ask you a question of my own if you don’t mind.” She watched as Peach nodded her head. “Is there a reason you want to know about me and Mario?”
Peach’s eyes widened slightly before looking down in her lap again. “It’s just that Mario told me you threw a festival in his honor and had a song dedicated to him after he helped you with the city’s issues. He even played the song for me. It made me wonder if you were still carrying a torch for him.”
“Oh,” Pauline said as her eyes widened before chuckling a little. “Well, the festival was going to happen regardless, as it’s an annual event in New Donk City. There was this large insect robot thing that was absorbing the city’s electricity before Mario defeated it. From there, he helped me find musicians to perform in the festival and restored our Underground Power Plant to ensure there would be enough power for the festival. I asked him to participate in the festival as a thank you for all he did for New Donk City. The song was meant to show my appreciation for him as a person.”
“Oh, OK,” Peach smiled. “It’s a great song, and you are a very talented singer.”
“Oh, thank you,” Pauline blushed as she shyly placed her hand over her mouth at Peach’s compliment.
“You’re very welcome,” Peach nodded with another smile.
Pauline quickly nodded as a smirk morphed on her lips. It was time to ask the question she really wanted to. “So, your Highness, I may be looking too much into things, but I have to ask anyway. Do you by chance have any feelings for Mario?”
Peach flinched in her chair with a gasp as her face gradually turned pink before turning it downward. Pauline held back a knowing and smug smile knowing that Peach’s reaction all but gave her away.
“It was that obvious, huh?” Peach chuckled nervously as she faced Pauline again.
Pauline nodded her head. “Now I know why you wanted to speak with me in private. There’s one more thing I want to ask. What is it about him that has you feeling this way?”
Peach sighed before a coy smile appeared on her lips. “To begin, he’s very kind and sweet. He treats me like a lady and shows me the utmost respect. In addition, he tries to make me laugh, which he is successful with most of the time. However, he is also very understanding in that he knows what to do best no matter what mood I’m in.”
“That sounds just like him,” Pauline chuckled, which made Peach chuckle as well.
“Also,” Peach continued, “he’s very courageous. He is not afraid to stand up for what he believes in, nor is he afraid to risk his life to come to the aid of those who are in need. He has done so for me on many occasions.”
“That’s right, he rescued you from marrying that dragon-thing on the moon,” Pauline said as her face contorted into one of disgust.
“Oh yes, you were in attendance,” Peach sighed as she shook her head. “That ‘dragon-thing’ you refer to is named Bowser. He is a powerful being who is the king of the Dark Lands. As the name suggests, it’s a gloomy kingdom filled with lava and despair. He has been my adversary for years. He desires to rule the Mushroom Kingdom and will do whatever it takes to do so. One method he seems to be fond of is trying to marry me and because of this, he kidnaps me a lot. Fortunately, Mario is always there to foil his plans and rescue me from his clutches.”
“Believe me, I know the feeling of being rescued by him,” Pauline let out a sigh of her own. “When we were early in our relationship, this large ape nabbed me and climbed atop some construction sites. Mario, however, gave chase without hesitation or concern of his own well-being. Although he got close a few times, that blasted ape would grab me and climb higher on the building. Despite this, Mario wouldn’t give up and kept pursuing us. We eventually got to the point where we could no longer go up. Mario was able to outsmart the ape by loosening up some bolts from some metal beams underneath him, causing him to fall to another beam below. We were able to get down safely; however, it was one of the most harrowing experiences of my life. For a while, I was terrified of heights because of that ordeal, but I was able to overcome it a few years ago. There’s no way I’d be in this office if I didn’t. Unfortunately, it didn’t stop there. That ape’s grandson decided to take after his grandfather and kidnapped me a few times, but Mario saved me each time.”
Peach nodded her head with an empathetic smile. “It appears we both benefited from Mario’s heroism.”
“It appears so,” Pauline nodded with a smile.
“Last but certainly not least,” Peach spoke with a blissful smile, “I find him to be really cute. Sure, he's short, but that only makes him cuter. He has such beautiful and expressive eyes, a dreamy smile that makes my heart skip, and this may be a strange one, but I adore his nose. It’s so big and cute! I just want to massage, squeeze, and kiss it all over!” At this point, the princess was practically glowing as she described the courageous plumber.
Pauline smiled warmly as she nodded her head at Peach’s words. It was clear the princess deeply admired her ex-boyfriend. “I can’t say I disagree with anything you said, although that nose was a challenge when it came to kissing.” Both women shared a laugh at that.
Pauline plopped her elbows on her desk and placed her hands underneath her chin. A slightly mischievous smile gradually formed on her lips. “Have you told him how you feel?”
“Oh dear, no,” Peach answered as her cheeks flushed a dark pink. “I’m not sure if he likes me in that way. At least not now.”
“Huh,” Pauline looked confused. “What do you mean by that?” Although she only had this conversation to go by, her intuition told her Mario would be an idiot not to be interested in the pulchritudinous princess. Besides her looks, she seemed to exude a kind and lovely personality. She would be a catch for any guy she was interested in. She was now curious to know why she felt Mario wouldn’t like her in the way she alluded to.
“Well, it all started on the moon,” Peach said with the frown on her face still intact. “I’m sure you saw how Mario, Bowser, and I fell through the trap door at the wedding hall. We ended up in the moon’s core. After Mario defeated Bowser, the underground caverns crumbled, and we all fell deeper into the core. However, we managed to escape right before everything collapsed on us.
“After recovering from that harrowing escape, Mario began to approach me with a serious look on his face. I was certainly curious as to what he planned to do. I never did find out, however, because Bowser, who was unconscious at the time, recovered and shoved Mario out of the way, followed by him trying to propose to me with the Soiree Bouquet. Mario saw this and proposed as well with a Rocket Flower. It eventually devolved into a shoving match between the two as they tried to 1-Up each other. I consider myself to be a very tolerant person but, in that instant, I was overwhelmed from the bickering and having flowers thrusted in my face that I snapped at and rejected both of them. I walked away from both of them in a huff with Cappy and Tiara and headed towards the Odyssey, which is an airship Mario and Cappy used to travel to the different kingdoms. I started up the ship and eventually calmed down before calling out to Mario to head home. Both Mario and Bowser ran towards the ship; however, Mario stomped on Bowser’s head to prevent him from boarding the Odyssey. We returned home to the Mushroom Kingdom right after that.”
Pauline nodded her head as she took in everything Peach told her. There was something she wanted to know, however. “You mentioned Cappy and Tiara. Who are they?”
“They’re Bonneters, a race of ghost-like creatures from the Cap Kingdom who look like hats,” Peach answered. “Bowser kidnapped Tiara and used her as the tiara for the wedding. He even knocked the crown off my head when he nabbed me, the indignity! Cappy is Tiara’s older brother who teamed up with Mario to rescue both of us from Bowser.”
“So that explains why Mario’s hat had a pair of eyes at the Honeylune Ridge,” Pauline rubbed her chin, which Peach confirmed with a nod. “After hearing what happened after Mario crashed the wedding, I can’t say I blame you. I probably would’ve done the same thing if I were in your shoes. So, what happened after that?”
“After we returned home, Tiara and I decided we were going to visit the other kingdoms on our terms because we didn’t have the chance to do so due to being Bowser’s prisoners. We left the following day without informing anyone, which unfortunately caused panic among my people.” Peach frowned regrettably before continuing.
“During our travels, we ran into Mario and Cappy in each kingdom, including here, and that’s where I learned about the reaction of the Toads. Mario told me everyone thought I was kidnapped again, so he took it upon himself to search for me. The first place we met was in the Cap Kingdom, and it was easy to see the relief on his face after I told him about the trip Tiara and I were on. Mario and I chatted during our meetups, and I gave him Power Moons I came across at the end of each chat. Our chats were amicable for the most part; however, I noticed there was an underlying sadness within Mario no matter how cheerful he appeared. I wondered if he was thinking about what happened on the moon, so I decided to address it after I returned to the Mushroom Kingdom.
“After dealing with the aftermath of my vacation from the Mushroom Kingdom Council, I asked Mario if everything was OK. He opened up to me and told me he was disappointed in himself for the way he acted on the moon. He let his competitiveness get the best of him when Bowser shoved him out of the way and didn’t consider my feelings at the moment. He spent the next few minutes beating himself up over it before I stopped him. He broke down and apologized to me multiple times and hoped that this didn’t ruin our friendship. I told him it didn’t, of course, and apologized to him for my own behavior. We're still close friends, but I had an intuition that Mario liked me more than a friend before the moon incident. However, I don’t know if that’s the case anymore.”
Pauline’s brow furrowed after hearing everything Peach said. She took another swig of water from her bottle before addressing the princess.
“If I’m understanding everything correctly, you think what happened on the moon caused a shift in your relationship. That if Mario had feelings for you, they’re no longer there although he still likes you as a friend. Am I right?”
“Pretty much,” Peach smiled sadly. “I feel that I blew it by reacting the way I did.”
“No!” Pauline said firmly, causing Peach to look at her with wide eyes. “Don’t you beat yourself up now! You were well within your right to put your foot down. You didn’t reject Mario; you rejected his behavior. You made it clear that you still value and care for him, and something tells me he feels the same about you.”
“You really think so?” Peach asked with a little optimism.
“He’d be a fool not to,” Pauline answered with an encouraging smile, which made Peach smile briefly before her face fell again.
“Mayor Pauline,” Peach sighed. “I…I’m sorry I wasted your time with this silly conversation. It’s just that I know you and Mario share a history together, and I became a tad worried and insecure when he told me about the festival and the song. I know it seems foolish, but I was jealous of you without even meeting you. I can safely say I feel a lot better after speaking with you. You seem to be a great person, and I would love to have you as a friend.”
Pauline was shocked at Peach’s words, for she couldn’t believe the princess of the Mushroom Kingdom wanted to befriend her. Although she was skeptical of her, not to mention jealous if she were being honest with herself, she inferred that Peach was a great person in her own right. Besides, she’d be a fool to turn down a friendship request from royalty. A wide genuine smile formed on her lips as she knew what her decision was.
“Your Highness,” Pauline began with the smile still intact, “I would be honored to be your friend.”
A bright wide smile broke out on Peach’s lips as she clapped her hands together in excitement. “This makes me very happy! You can never have too many friends, at least that’s what I’d like to think!”
Pauline smiled at Peach’s effervescence for the second time. She couldn't help it; the princess was just so adorable when she was like that!
“Now that we’re officially friends,” Peach said with a calmer yet still ecstatic demeanor, “I along with a couple of other friends are going golfing next weekend. It would be an honor if you could join us if you’re not busy or anything.”
Pauline was at a loss for words at Peach’s invitation. Although she wasn’t the most athletically gifted person, she liked to dabble in sports every now and then. Golf, however, was not one of said sports, but it was one she had some interest in, mostly due to watching the Mario brothers participating in some tournaments. She would have to check her schedule first, but she was sure she didn’t have anything planned the following weekend. After mulling over it for a few seconds, she knew her answer.
“Your Highness, I have to check my schedule first. If I am free, I would be glad to join you for a round of golf.”
“I understand,” Peach nodded with a smile. “We can exchange contact information before we leave. I’ll send you the location of the golf course sometime next week. Speaking of leaving, I’m sure you have business to take care of, so I won’t waste any more of your time. Besides, I don’t want to keep Mario waiting much longer. It’s been a pleasure meeting you, Mayor Pauline.”
“Likewise, Your Highness,” Pauline smiled as both women rose from their chairs. Pauline extended her hand for a handshake, which Peach happily returned.
“Oh, by the way,” Peach began as she broke the handshake, “there’s no need to be so formal. You can just call me Peach.”
A look of surprise formed on Pauline’s face, for she never thought she would be on a first name basis with someone of royalty. The look eventually became a smile. “I will do so on one condition.”
“Yes, what is it?” Peach asked, her eyes full of curiosity.
“You don’t call me Mayor. Pauline will suffice.”
“Deal!” Peach sang. “Well, I better return to Mario. There’s a good chance he’s itching to show me that pizzeria.”
“It wouldn’t surprise me one bit,” Pauline laughed, which made Peach laugh as well. Speaking of Mario, although she was someone who didn’t like to get involved in other people's relationships, she decided she would speak with him to see how he felt about her new friend. Despite not being together anymore, she wanted to see him happy and felt that the princess would be a great match for him.
“While we’re on the subject of Mario,” Peach spoke as an impish glint appeared in her eye, “seeing that we both are beneficiaries of his wonderful bravery, I have an idea how to show our appreciation.”
“What would that be?” Pauline asked with a combination of confusion and intrigue.
Peach approached Pauline and whispered in her ear, the princess's warm breath tickling her eardrum. After Peach finished, Pauline’s eyes widened at her suggestion, and some doubt formed in her chest.
“Are you sure this is OK?” Pauline asked with some hesitation.
“Yes, absolutely!” Peach flashed a wide grin, displaying a set of perfect white teeth. “Well, we better not keep our hero waiting much longer. What say you?”
“OK, if you insist,” Pauline chuckled as the two women finished their water bottles before heading out to meet Mario in the lobby.
~~~
Upon entering the lobby, Pauline noticed Shelly wasn’t at her desk, but Mario was sitting in a chair nervously playing with his thumbs. When she closed her office door, Mario quickly looked up and immediately leaped to his feet. He approached the two women and stopped a few feet short from them.
“Ah Pauline, Princess,” Mario spoke hesitantly with a nervous smile.
“Hey Mario,” Pauline said as she looked around the lobby. “Say, where’s Shelly? Did you scare her off?” She cocked an eyebrow accusingly at the plumber.
“No, no!” Mario waved his hands defensively, “she went to have lunch.”
“Oh Mario, I’m just joking. I know it’s Shelly’s lunch break. Besides, it’s not in your nature to do such a thing.” Pauline and Peach laughed at Pauline’s teasing, with Mario joining them after recovering from said teasing.
“So,” Mario spoke after he finished laughing, “how was, um everything?”
The two women looked at each other and shared a quick nod and impish smile before returning their focus to Mario.
“Unfortunately, we have ourselves an issue,” Peach was the one to speak. She looked sternly at Mario before speaking again. “One that involves you and thus, you have to accept responsibility for it.”
“Oh, w-what would that be?” Mario gulped as he apprehensively glanced at the two towering women.
Pauline, who also had a steely expression on her face, almost felt sorry for Mario seeing how much he was wilting under hers and Peach’s presence. Her face twitched as she tried to resist breaking the façade. Fortunately, Mario was more focused on Peach – who was doing a much better job at keeping up the act – that he didn’t notice the telltale signs she was emitting. Ever since he and Peach arrived, Mario has been fidgety when it came to her and the princess. She had a hunch as to why, but she wanted to see if it was true. It felt like the answer she was looking for was just within her grasp, but she had to make sure to keep up her role.
“Well Mario,” Peach continued to firmly stare down the plumber, “it’s that…”
“Y-Yes,” Mario urged her.
“It’s…” Peach’s features gradually softened until a beaming smile replaced her austere expression, “it’s that you didn’t introduce me to this beautiful and wonderful woman sooner!” She excitedly gave Pauline a side hug before the mayor could react, causing her cheeks to match the color of her suit.
“S-So, there was no problems with you two?” Mario asked with a perplexed face.
Peach shook her head. “I’ll admit there were some misunderstandings on my behalf. After I spoke with Pauline, however, they quickly disappeared. She and I are friends now and in fact, we may go golfing next weekend.”
“Is that so?” Mario asked with a huge smile.
“It certainly is a possibility,” Pauline replied. “I have to make sure I’m available first.”
“Ah, I am happy to see you two get along,” Mario sighed heavily as he rubbed his hands together. “To be honest, I was worried when the princess asked me to bring her here to meet you because of the whole ex- thing. However, it appears my fears were unfounded, and I am pleased to see the two of you getting along.”
Ha, I knew it! Pauline triumphantly thought to herself. Something else that caught her attention was Mario verbally admitting that she was his ex-girlfriend. If he and Peach were just friends, why would he acknowledge that? Maybe he still carried a torch for the Mushroom Kingdom Princess after all, or maybe she was looking into things too much. Nonetheless, this was something she definitely wanted to pry into more.
“Oh Mario,” Peach chuckled, “did you really think there would be a catfight or something between us?” Mario responded by chuckling nervously and rubbing the back of his head yet again. “Neither Pauline nor I would ever embarrass you like that. How could we when you have done so much and be great to both of us? You have no idea how much we appreciate you.”
Both women faced each other and quickly nodded before slowly approaching Mario, much to the plumber’s confusion. Pauline stood to his right and Peach on his left, with both women placing a hand on his respective shoulders before bending down to embrace him with a small hug, making his cheeks as red as his shirt.
“Thank you for everything you’ve done for us,” Pauline spoke softly in his ear, causing Mario to flinch some followed by him giggling slightly. “You will always be our 1-Up boy.” She shared a quick glance with Peach, who nodded in response as both women simultaneously kissed Mario on his respective cheeks before letting him go and standing to their full heights.
Pauline tried to hold in a giggle as Mario’s face went completely red as his body stiffened and jaw dropped in shock. The next thing she knew, he tumbled flat on his back and stared affectionately at the ceiling.
“Mamma mia,” he said lovingly, followed by a long and dreamy sigh.
“Oh dear, I think we may have overwhelmed him,” Peach said. “It looks like the trip to the pizzeria will be delayed for a bit.” The two women glanced at the fallen plumber before giggling at each other.
It was certainly an interesting day for the New Donk City mayor. She never thought she would meet and befriend a princess who happened to be an acquaintance – or potentially something more – of her ex-boyfriend. Not only that, but she was also invited to play golf with her. Moreover, there was the bouquet of roses on her desk she received courtesy of an employee from the floral shop that was around the corner. A content smile formed on her face as she thought about all that had happened up to this point.
She knew she would have to return to her duties at some point, but for now she was going to enjoy this moment with her friends.