A Smash of Kings

Chapter 9: Steel Fox

King Marth sat in his chair, watching his large army feast on their midday lunch; he could not enjoy the loud and boisterous stories told by Shulk of Mario's Rebellion. Roy, however, seemed to be laughing alongside Corrin and Robin. Just as the sun disappeared behind a few large white clouds, Roy noticed the look on his King's face and stood from the wooden table. He crossed the grassy camp until he got to Marth, who did not even notice him until he was mere feet in front of him. When he got to his King, Roy bowed his head and greeted him, but Marth did not return the pleasantries. Instead, he kept staring at the road beyond them, brooding.

"Your Grace, is everything okay?" Roy asked.

"I've just been thinking... About Lucina and Ike," the King sighed, shaking his head, "They set off for Sarasaville four weeks ago tomorrow. According to Lucario, it takes just under two weeks to get there by horse. Who's to say that they weren't intercepted by some Flower Soldiers on the road, or in the city? Or wandering raiders and bandits—"

Roy shook his head in doubt, "They're too good of warriors to be caught so easily."

King Marth leaned forward in his chair, his elbows on top of his knees, and he rested his hands on his cheeks, anxiously. Roy waited patiently for his King to speak up, which he did seconds later. "What if they got captured? What if the two most important advisors were captured, and maybe executed, by the Flower Princess?"

"I doubt that they got caught at all, My King; they're probably a day or two away," Roy assured, "Like you said, four weeks tomorrow, right?"

King Marth put his head down briefly, then looked back up at Roy, who rested his hands on the pommel of his sword. When the King rose from his seat, Roy straightened up and waited for him to speak. And, after a few seconds of thought, Marth spoke, "We simply can't risk it now. We have to advance on their position and attack."

"Attack Sarasaland?" Roy nearly gasped, dumbfounded, "If you'd let me speak my mind, Your Majesty, I'd say that your idea is mad. Not even a week ago, you were skeptical of increasing our guerrilla activity... Now you talk of total war?"

"What else are we supposed to do?" Marth asked, though he did not search for an answer, "Daisy has forced our hand. I only regret it took me so long to come to this conclusion. "

"We have to at least wait a few more days; maybe Lucina and Ike are just running behind schedule," suggested Roy.

Annoyed, Marth sighed, "We'll wait two more days. If Lucina and Ike do not return before then, we're going to march."

****

After leaving the Hylian Archives, Luigi and Peach put their disguises on again. As they crossed the great library's stone floor, they heard loud noises from outside, possibly cheering. Confused, Luigi approached a nearby Castle Town guard, who leaned on the wall, and asked, "Is something going on today?"

"You haven't heard?" the guard responded in a low, monotone voice, "Green Greens was attacked by a team of Gerudos and Koopas. Dreamland has finally answered the High King's call to arms."

Before Luigi could ask another question, Peach tugged onto his arm. He turned to face Peach, who pointed at something outside. When Luigi looked at what Peach was pointing at, Luigi saw that it was a large parade. Many of the residents of Castle Town surrounded a street, in which several members of the Hylian-Toadstool army marched on the street valiantly. As Luigi and Peach left the library, they saw four horses pulling a wooden stage. On the stage were High King Mario, with his sword in one hand and his scepter in the other, Princess Zelda, dressed in a new white and gold dress with her crown, and Warden Dedede, wearing his traditional red and gold outfit and holding his great big hammer. They waved, not noticing Luigi and Peach hiding amongst the crowd. In the many weeks in which Luigi and Peach researched the juicy history between Hyrule and Dreamland, things had changed drastically: first, the Siege of the Gerudo Border had ended after a failed counteroffensive; then, Green Greens and Butter Building were supposedly attacked by Ganon's forces; now, Warden Dedede, most likely influenced by Lord Kirby, decided to support High King Mario's claim to the throne. Behind the stage of the monarchs, they saw Lord Kirby and Lady Samus, each also dressed up for the parade, riding their horses. As Samus, wearing an extravagant orange and green dress, waved at the cheering crowd, Kirby looked tired, his eyes forward on Hyrule Castle.