It was a splendid ceremony.

It felt like the entire kingdom was in attendance — the event was held on the Castle green, and not one blade of grass could be seen for all the toads, Yoshis, Birdos, and Hooskis standing up and down the lawn, all the way to the Castle steps. Their cheer was thunderous as she walked down the aisle, and every time she waved, she was rewarded with screams of glee, and cries clamoring for attention: "This way, my lady! Look this way!"

She gave them her most enchanting smile, and tried to keep disdain from reaching her face. Cretins. She drew immense pleasure from their ignorance, but pitied them all the same... Just a little.

The bedlam continued as she went along, slowly -- the toads carrying her long train could only move so quickly. But she didn't mind, she wanted to bask a little, because she knew she looked fabulous today: herlong gown was in her best colors, green and dark violet, and her hair bounced around her shoulders in free ringlets. The purple roses threaded into her braids contrasted nicely with their fiery color, and with each footstep the toes of her heels caught the sunlight, dazzling the cheering crowd.

At last, she reached the base of the steps, where her future awaited her. Giant pots of spring flowers stood sentry on either side of the staircase, and between them the red carpet continued upward, terminating at the feet of Toadsworth, her second in command and staunchest ally. He was outfitted in white today, with purple stitching, as was Mario: the Champion stood stiffly beside the Kingdom's steward, hands clenched behind his back. She smiled at him, and he nodded.

"My lady." Her attention turned back to Toadsworth, and more importantly, what he held in his hands: something sharp and priceless and glittering, seated on a royal red cushion. "Will you kneel?"

She obeyed, and behind her, the din of the crowd died down, until an apprehensive silence gripped the Castle green. Toadsworth spoke loudly.

"Will you now take the oath, my lady?"

"I will," she responded.

Toadsworth continued: "Will you solemnly swear to govern the people of the Mushroom Kingdom according to our laws and customs?"

She smiled. "I will."

"Will you, in all your judgements, solemnly swear to pursue justice in its purest form?"

Her smile widened. "I will."

"Will you solemnly swear to serve and protect your people, from evils both without and within?"

"I do so solemnly swear."

"Then receive the crown, my lady, the fifth Queen of the Mushroom Kingdom. Receive the crown and our love, hopes, and dreams." Toadsworth carefully lowered the crown, glittering like a thousand jewels in the strong sunlight, down onto her head. It was heavier than she expected, but she could not contain her glee as she looked up at Toadsworth. His eyes were glowing with pride, and he offered her his hand.

"Rise Your Majesty, Queen Colette!"

She took his hand and rose, and when she turned, the crowd erupted into utter chaos once more, chanting her name, screaming her name. She saw mania in their excitement, and tears on their faces, and she smiled serenely as she waved at them again. It was a struggle to hide her scorn.

Fools.

***

The celebrations ended at sundown, but Queen Colette was not ready to turn in for the night, oh not yet. One more thing, and then she could head to bed.

She led Toadsworth and a line of guards down through the Castle, following a staircase that spiraled deep into the earth. When they hit solid ground again, the tall stained-glass windows, cheerful tapestries, and warm light had gone; there was nothing but dankness and darkness down here, and rows of empty cells.

Well, save for one.

The only occupied unit in the dungeon lay beyond a metal door. It was a small place, and the cage itself only filled half its volume: in the other half was a guard's table and chair, a tray filled with torture devices and extra chairs, and a small fire pit for the sake of keeping its occupant at least marginally warm.

Oh, and Mario — the Champion stood just inside the doorway, overturning the coals in the fire pit with his bare hands.

"Here you are," Colette said. "I had wondered where you'd gone." Mario had disappeared right after the crowning, and she hadn't seen him since.

Mario said nothing, just kept fiddling with the coals, and Colette narrowed her eyes. He may bear more acute observation... She turned from him — Mario's behavior wasn't the reason she'd come down: she was here for a smile before bed.

"How goes the war?" she asked. "Any progress?"

Beyond the cell's bars, chains rattled, and there was a sharp intake of air — Colette had woken her up. More rattling as she tried to straighten herself up — with each arm chained to opposite corners of the cell, it wasn't easy. More heavy breathing, and then a gargled rasp — something that was trying to be words, but didn't quite get there.

Toadsworth smacked his staff on the bars of the cage, making the woman beyond flinch. "She asked you a question, wench," he said.

The woman coughed and then tried again. "I said... I'm doing fine, Colette. How are you?"

"Egad!" Toadsworth exclaimed, slamming on the bars of the cage again. "That's Your Majesty, you knave! She has been crowned, and so help me, you'll treat her with the respect she deserves!"

"Crowned?" the woman rasped. Her head lifted, and through a curtain of tangled, unwashed hair, Queen Colette could see one astonished blue eye.

"Oh yes," Colette said, clasping her hands nonchalantly. "You didn't know, Peach? It happened today. I thought I told you."

Princess — former Princess — Peach stared at her, her mouth flopping open with abject disbelief, an expression Colette found supremely hilarious. Then she swung to Toadsworth and gasped, "Toadsworth! Please wake up! Can't you see what's happening? She's controlling you, she's controlling everyone! You can't—"

"Shut your mouth, filth!" Toadsworth hissed. "Or I'll see to it that you eat pig slop again. Pig slop!"

"Mario," Peach said desperately. "Mario, please listen to me: this is all a trick! Colette isn't the queen! Somehow, she's tricked everyone into—"

"Stars' sake, are you still talking?" Toadsworth began banging on the bars again, drowning out the woman's protestations. "This is edging on intolerable, Your Majesty. How long must we bear this woman's insolence?"

"Indeed," Colette said with a sigh. "She should be using every breath she takes to fight the poison, yet she wastes them trying to convince you two of stupid fantasies. So I suspect that we'll be free of her soon."

"Huzzah," Toadsworth said with joy.

Beyond the bars, Peach clenched her teeth. "I'm not going anywhere!" Colette was displeased to hear a note of strength in her voice, even as tears raced down her grimy face. "I won't succumb to something as petty as this."

"Brave words," Collete said, "but I hear your clock ticking, sister."

Peach bit her lip, but glowered at the queen. "I'm not your sister. And I'm not going anywhere."

Colette tilted her head and studied her, really studied her. The edges of her lips pitched downward — that strength wasn't coming from nothing. Colette could sense the poison still in the woman's system, but it was slowly being cycled into a state of dilution by a stronger force. A purer force. Colette's lips drew back, creating a smile with teeth.

"Oh my," she said. "Wish power? No wonder you're still this strong."

Peach jolted. "H... How do you know about that?" she asked.

Now Colette's smile was cold. "Annoying," she commented, "but an opportunity nonetheless. Let's see the true extent of your willpower, sister."

She lifted her index finger and pointed straight at Peach. The colored nail elongated like a shot, flashing through the bars of the cage and jabbing Peach right below the heart like an arrow. The woman was flung against the wall, chains rattling loudly.

"AUGH!" She crumpled, down as far as the chains would allow, and Colette watched with cold amusement as her face went snow white and the veins in her neck turned dark blue, almost black. Her pupils withdrew to near pinpoints, and saliva poured from her mouth, dripping to the floor. Her breaths rattled and grew weak, and she wheezed as she struggled to draw breath.

Toadsworth shuddered. "May we be excused, Your Majesty? I'd rather not watch this."

"Indeed." Colette yawned. "It's getting late, and we're all exhausted. Let's retire." She let Toadsworth, the guards, and Mario exit first, then paused to give Peach a sinister smile. "Have a restful night," she said sweetly.

She shut the door, leaving Peach to her spasms and wheezes, and went to bed.

—