Un Fiore Per Te

O~o~O

"He loves me...He loves me not."

Two petals fluttered in the wind, down the hill that she sat upon. Princess Peach watched them twirl away into the deep orange horizon. The sun was setting on the land, as well as her mood.

Two stems picked clean of petals lay at her side, neither having given her the answer she wanted. And she could already tell the final flower in her hands would not either. She let out a sigh, and leaned into her arm. Four petals remained. Thousands of other daisies swayed in the breeze in the fields all around her, but she would not pick any more. She felt bad for severing the beautiful blooms from their rightful place. No, not for a silly old superstition that wouldn't even provide truth. She felt childish for letting her hopes be brought up by a plant. The daisies only served to entertain her whimsy, and nothing more.

She watched the flower, turned it in her hand. Four petals. One answer. "He loves me...He loves me not." she whispered, moving to pick the rest off. "He loves me..."

"Ah, Princess!" she heard his voice before she heard his approach. He always had a way of treading softly wherever he went. She did not have to look to know he was avoiding stepping on the flowers. "There you are. I have been looking for you."

He came closer, and she turned to look at him. The mansion was in the distance behind him, and the soft glow of the lanterns in Smashville were beginning to grow brighter in the fading sunlight. His big, kind eyes reflected the gold evening. His shy smile made her heart flutter in her chest.

She acknowledged him with a nod. "Mario. I hope you haven't been looking for very long." she patted the space beside her, and remembered the flower in her hand. She abruptly averted her eyes and felt her face grow warm. What were the chances he would recognize what she was doing?

Mario shook his head as he came to sit next to her. She was aware that he was watching her, but she couldn't bring herself to face him. "No. Princess Daisy told me I could find you here." after a moment, he must have realized she wouldn't look at him, and he reluctantly turned his head away. She bit her lip. "Ehm...The sunset. It is nice."

Looking to the ground, Peach felt guilt bloom in her chest. Small talk from Mario was rare. Normally, conversation was so easy between them. She quickly ran a hand through her hair and adjusted the way she was sitting. "Yes. Yes, it really is quite exquisite." she found herself agreeing, trying hard not to grimace.

The last petal on the flower in her hand stirred in the breeze. Peach looked down to the stem with a sigh, but made no move to pick it off. The answer burned in her mind. An even number of petals always led to the same conclusion, which she didn't want to hear again. He loves her not.

Out of the corner of her eye, she watched him glance periodically to the flower she held. He obviously had a question. But Peach wasn't sure he was going to ask. She kept her back rigid and straight, while Mario leaned back and rested on his elbows. In the distance, through their silence, soft music and laughter came from Smashville.

Peach looked at the field spread out before them, and then blinked. "You came looking for me?" she asked, remembering what he said. "Did you need me for something?"

He turned to her as she turned to face him, and he met her eyes only briefly. "Ah. No. I just, I realized I have not seen you today." he gave a guilty smile, before his gaze fell to the stem in her hands. "If you are busy, I can go."

"Oh!" Peach shook her head, and she just noticed Mario's soft smile as he regarded her. "Not at all! I'm not busy. I appreciate the company." she gestured like she was about to say something else, but decided to leave it. She couldn't exactly admit that she actually loved his company more than anything else in the world. At least, not to his face.