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Chapter Text

The day Toad came to the castle to be a servant was the day he would live to regret for the rest of his life. The castle was ridiculously intimidating and it gave Toad the impression that maybe he should’ve done a slight bit of research before coming to work at the castle.

His anxious thoughts were only amplified when he saw the black banners lining the walls. Funeral banners, he suspected, but couldn’t be sure.

“Why is everything so dark?” Toad wondered aloud to the person showing him around the vast castle. Toadette’s eyes sparkled slightly as she turned back to smile at him.

“We’re mourning the loss of the late King Boo.”

Toad noticed her voice didn’t resemble that of a person in mourning. More someone who was completely unaffected by such a tragic matter. Almost as if she didn’t really care.

Toad held back a surprised squeak when upon rounding the next corner he almost ran straight into two obviously Royal individuals. A gorgeous woman, with a proud and solemn look on her face, accompanied by a man with a look of almost regret painting his sharp features.

Toad quickly shuffled to the side, bowing at a ninety degree angle to signify his respect. The royals passed by without a second glance.

Only once he looked up, watching the two walk away, did he see the woman exchange a few short words to Toadette. Toadette’s eyes seemed to light up when she spoke to the woman, he observed.

When Toadette said her farewells to the woman and came over to where he was rather obviously staring, Toad opened his mouth before he could stop himself. “How did he die?”

“Who?” Toadette asked, eyes still trained on the woman, her pink dress barely touching the ground as she walked with such a light step.

“King Boo.” Toad breathed out, finding his eyes following the pair as well, unable to look away.

Toadette’s lips turned upwards into a small, yet rather obvious smile. “He died at his own brother's hand.”

Later, alone in the servants quarters, Toad realised how odd her response had been. At the time he didn’t digest the interaction fully, quickly being hurried off to get to work. After all, what good was a servant who only stood around asking questions?

Toad knew he shouldn’t, but something inside of him made him get back out of bed, walking through the corridors once more. The castle was dimly lit, only one or two candles every few feet. He supposed that was due to the late hour.

A good servant would go back to bed. Even knowing that though, Toad continued to walk, body completely taken over by the thought of King Boo’s tragic end.

His brother had killed him.

Toadette had said that much. And yet, Toad had no idea who King Boo’s brother was. That question was the one that found him lurking around walls as he followed Royal portrait after portrait. In search for one very specific name.

He stopped, dead still. Breathing coming out a bit stifled, Toad’s eyes strained in the dimly lit halls. The last portrait hanging was blocked from his view. A man stood in front of it, a candle on the ground next to him as if he had just set it there.

Though, the candle was half burnt out so Toad was doubtful the man had only just arrived.

The man, he realised, was the Royal he had seen earlier in the corridors of the castle. His memorable flash of red hair and the two horns that separated him from looking human were obvious identifiers.

His face was blank, no emotion in his eyes. The cold dim look that had taken over him made Toad shiver, hair on his arms standing on ends. This man was terrifying to the young servant. The dark look tugging his lips paired with the shimmering scales that lined parts of his cheekbones served to darken his look.

When the man’s candle finally flickered out, the final embers falling onto the tray it was held on, he bent down. Collecting the ashy remains of the candle, carefully avoiding the wax, the man stood up once more. His posture however, had drastically changed. The earlier regal stance and self confident body language had turned into a broken and sorrow filled vessel.

It was almost hard to watch, a man in such rich clothing, donned with jewellery and golden seams was slouching in defeat. It made Toad other worldly uncomfortable. The hierarchy he had always known represented those few royals and ridiculously rich people as confident and self assured. Here this man was, the epitome of desperation, drab in fine wear.

Toad had become entirely immersed in his thoughts, not noticing that the Royal man had already left the portrait hall.
He stepped forward, feet a little uneasy beneath him. Something about this entire castle creeped him out. As much as his curiosity was getting the better of him, he was still anxious to find out more about the late King.

He came to a halt in front of the massive portrait, hanging square on the wall. The strong facial features reminded you of the man standing before the portrait earlier. His pale eyes a similar colour to the snowy hair framing his face. Rings of darkness lined the bottom of his eyes. Light stubble dotted his jaw.

Although, despite his pale and tired expression, a small glimmer of light appeared in his eyes. A light that had obviously been crushed and stolen away many times.

Toad found that he felt nothing but pity for the Late King Boo. A man who seemed to be nothing but alone in this world.

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It was only a few days later that Toad came to learn who the man admiring King Boo’s portrait was. He was called, rather suddenly, to attend a hearing of sorts. Arriving at the wide room, Toad made sure to stand off to the side, out of the way of the important looking officials entering the doors behind him.

Crowded by the officials was the man who resembled a monster. A hush fell over the crowd when they entered. It seemed this room was a court, and the defendant had just entered.

“Prince Bowser, you’re standing trial accused of the first degree murder of your older brother, the late King Boo. Defendant, how do you plead?”

The man looked down, his eyes filling with tears as a slight tremor ripped through his body. “Not guilty, your honour.”

The crowd murmured again, snorts and giggles were audible despite officials hushing. Toad watched, millions of questions growing on the tip of his tongue.

This man was a murderer? He was the prince? He had murdered his brother?

It didn’t make any sense. The man who had stood for way too long in front of his dead brother's portrait could not be the same man who killed him.

Throughout the trial Toad brought jurors and the judge refreshments. He went to serve the same woman he had seen the first day of his placement at the castle, but was stopped by Toadette.

“Continue doing your job.” She said, voice cold and low so as not to interrupt the testimonies of detectives in the background. “Don’t go near the Princess.”

“Princess?” Toad repeated, staring at the pink clad woman. She had tears streaming down her face, but her eyes were cold. A cold shiver ran through Toad’s body.
This woman scared him.
Although he couldn’t help but notice her coldness towards the entire trial, Toad could tell this woman was conflicted. It was enough to be sure of that when her lip trembled every time the judge said the former King’s name.

Even after the day at court had ended, Toad found his eyes following the Princess. She went to talk to Prince Bowser despite the courtrooms prying ears and gossiping tongues.
What shocked Toad the most was the genuine happiness on the Princess’s face when she talked to the half monster, half man.

“You there! Toad! Take this evidence back to the safe room.” The judge snapped at him. Toad sighed, making his way past the observers to pick up the plastic bags.

His hands froze when he touched the bag, however. Inside one was a wine glass, the rims scraped a little as though it had been hurriedly cleaned. The other bag had a small vial that loudly read ‘poison’.

“Toad! Hurry up!”

Toad breathed in and out, steadying his shaking hands so as to not drop the evidence.

When he finally made it out to the corridor however, he realised he was well and truly lost. The castle was too big to memorise and Toad had never felt the need to memorise the cellars.

Therefore, he was well and truly lost.

But when Toad rounded the next corner, he was delighted to hear someone speaking. Ready to ask them for directions, he stopped short when he recognised the voice.

The Princess. Remembering the creepy way she conducted herself at the trial, Toad took a step back.

Inside the dim room, darkness surrounded the Princess. In fact, Toad wasn’t sure there was anyone other than the Princess inside the room. That couldn’t be right though, Toad could hear the Princess speaking.

“Just leave me alone! You’ve lost this battle already.” The Princess spat, hands coming down to fix her dress.

Toad flinched at her harsh tone. However, no matter how much he strained his eyes he couldn’t see anyone other than the Princess.

“I shouldn’t have ever trusted you, Boo.” The Princess whispered, just as the lights flickered back on.

And Toad found her staring right back at him, blue eyes wide.

Chapter Text

Dread filled Toad as he watched The Princess get up, eyes wide and blood shot. She looked like the epitome of crazy to him.
“You there!” The Princess snapped. Toad flinched at her harsh tone. “What are you doing, disturbing me?”

“I-I don’t know. I’m sorry, your highness, I promise I didn’t mean to.” Toad couldn’t help the panic in his voice, the ill ease he felt from just being in the same room as her was too prevalent to ignore.

She huffed, sighing out as she considered him. Then her eyes narrowed dangerously, zeroing in on the bags labeled evidence, clutched in his hands. “What’s that?”

“Evidence from your trial, your highness.” Toad responded. He felt the cold look the Princess gave him before he saw it.

“My trial.” She scoffed. “What trial is this to someone who’s life is a trial itself? This is no trial to me, no. It’s a test. A test meant to break me. But do I look like someone who would fail that test?”

Before Toad could respond, she turned away from him. “No. I am not. I’m innocent, truly.”

Toad felt entirely uncomfortable now. Here he was, a lowly servant, being told the Princess’s inner thoughts. If it did not feel so wrong, he would’ve questioned further the crazed expression she wore. Or the way she didn’t even make eye contact with him. As if she wasn’t actually talking to him.\

After a few beats of silence, Peach waved her hand at Toad. “You’re dismissed. Leave my sight now.”

Bowing hurriedly, Toad ran from the room as quickly as he could. This Princess made him wildly uncomfortable. Her very mannerisms chilled him to his core. Yet he couldn’t help but see a broken, lost soul beneath her crazed ramblings.
Though, what would he know?

Toad could not sleep that night. His mind was far too preoccupied by other thoughts. Thoughts of the Princess, the late king and his brother.

The evidence of a murder had been in his grasp, just hours before. A murder that which the tale of it had run rampant across the Kingdom. The public didn’t need a trial, it seemed. They had already decided on the guilty party.
Prince Bowser.

Without a lot of thought, Toad found himself walking through the castle corridors, treading lightly in the dark of night. Despite his lack of a goal, he had a destination in mind.

King Boo’s portrait still hung on the wall where he had last seen it. This time however, instead of seeing the Prince, standing before it he saw a very different, more peachy, figure.

The Princess, he realised.

She sat incredibly calmly, opposed to how frantic she had been the last time he saw her. Even from the bad angle and dull lighting, Toad could tell she was crying. If not by her face, by the choked noises she made. Her entire body shook occasionally with the force of her sobs.

“Boo.. Why do you continue to haunt me? I’ve made mistakes, sure.. but am I not also the victim here?” She cried, bringing her hands up to sob into her sleeves. Her nightdress was strewn across the floor, no care for the way she was kneeling whatsoever. Toad supposed that her dress wasn’t important to her at the moment.

Her words brought chills to his arms. Terror filling him at the broken sound of her cracked voice.Toad watched her, bewildered. Who was she talking to?

She had said Boo which he assumed meant King Boo.. but he was dead. The portrait of him was just that— a portrait. The blank look on the young King’s face was not one easily mistaken as a real person.

Yet the Princess didn’t seem to be looking at the portrait anyway. Her eyes focused instead on the empty space next to her. The air around her seemed to have a slight wind, rustling her hair. Although this supposed breeze wasn’t enough to jostle nearby tapestries.

“I’m the victim too..” She wailed into her expensive fabrics.

Not being able to stomach anymore, Toad found himself walking away. He had seen the Princess be cold and shallow, devoid of emotion and full of fake charm and charisma. And here she was. Sobbing on the dusty corridor floors.

It didn’t feel right. To have such a beautiful, rich woman crying on the floor.

Toad found himself, once again, feeling that pang of sympathy. This time not for either brother, Boo or Bowser. His sympathy was entirely given to the Princess.
Who not only seemed to be distraught, but also going mad. As Toad wandered back to the servants quarters, he could hear the faint sound of a two way conversation.

Though, he could only hear the Princess’s voice.