Hiraeth (Luigi x Reader)

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FOUR
HIRAETH

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Bowser felt his heart shatter as he watched his daughter flee up the marble staircase, immediately regretting his crude choice of words. He felt a strong desire to run after his little girl, but his advisor's dry, shrill voice stopped him in his tracks. "She needs space, your majesty," Kamek spoke cautiously. "That was quite the argument. I know you want to apologize, but right now, the best thing to do is to give her time to process her emotions."

Gritting his teeth, anger bubbling through his veins, Bowser realized that his temper was what caused the situation to escalate. He sighed in defeat, turning to his advisor, seeking wisdom. "It's all my fault. I let my anger get the best of me and hurt the one who means the most to me. How can I undo all the pain I've caused her?"

"You can't," Kamek shook his head empathetically. "You cannot undo the damage that your words have caused her. However, you can apologize for acting out your frustrations and talk things through with her, once she's ready."

Bowser absorbed Kamek's words, feeling the weight of their truth. Kamek gave Bowser a supportive pat on the arm. "She's right, you know. It's not fair for her to share the responsibility of ruling this kingdom if she's not allowed to know the truth about anything. Do you really think she won't be able to handle it?"

"No. I know she can handle it," Bowser replied somberly, a tinge of sadness in his expression. "That's not what I'm worried about. I'm worried about what she'll think of me if I tell her the truth. I don't want her to think I'm some kind of monster."

An uncomfortable silence hung between them before Kamek decided to break it. "Your majesty, you aren't a monster." Bowser quickly interrupted, "Well, we aren't exactly good guys either. We don't know how she's going to react to the whole World Domination thing." He paused, his mind swirling with possibilities. "She doesn't know that there are other kingdoms, other worlds, hell, other galaxies beyond these walls."

The weight of his words lingered in the air, causing Kamek to clear his throat awkwardly. "You're right. She could react very poorly to all of this." He made an effort to meet Bowser's gaze, silently emphasizing the importance of his next statement. "But I do know that she loves you with all of her heart. You're her father, and no amount of World Domination is going to change that."

Bowser took a deep breath, allowing Kamek's reassurance to sink in. With a sad smile, he acknowledged, "Yeah, you're right. Thank you, Kamek."

The elder Magikoopa flashed the Koopa King a toothy grin. "Don't mention it. You should go talk to her."

Bowser nodded and ascended the grand marble staircase. The tension from their earlier encounter still hung in the air as he approached her bedroom door. He knocked, his voice laced with anxiety, "[name]? Princess? Are you in there?"

However, no response came. No snarky remarks, no tearful cries—just absolute silence. Bowser maintained his composure and knocked again, this time with a touch of urgency. "[name], I understand that you're upset with me, and you have every right to be, but I want to talk to you. About everything. You deserve to know the truth."

Still, there was no reply. The lack of response sent a wave of panic through Bowser, his knocks growing more frequent and frantic. "[Name], darling, are you in there? We don't have to talk now if you aren't ready, but please give me a sign that you're alright."

Impatience overtook him, and he reached for the doorknob. To his surprise, the door was unlocked. Unease swelled within him as he pushed the door open,revealing a scene that chilled him to the core. Shattered fragments of the mirror and window littered the floor, glistening ominously in the dim light. Among the wreckage, her crown rested amidst a sprawling expanse of glass shards, a symbol of shattered dreams and broken promises.