The Monster and the Reluctant Groom [Dimentio x Luigi]

(8) - The Groom

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- - - - - Try as they might, Dimentio was true to what he meant when he said that he would not allow Sapphire to leave until his demand was met. - - - - -

- - - - - Of course, Jewel tried to smuggle Sapphire out of the village many times, but was met with failure after each and every attempt. - - - - -

- - - - - "A groom for me before a groom for you!" - - - - -

- - - - - So, with much reluctance, Jewel gave in and went to Adrian for help. - - - - -

- - - - - Unfortunately, with no pre-arranged marriages, convincing someone from the village to marry Dimentio would be... tricky, to say the least. - - - - -

- - - - - People still heard the rumors, so it was time to see who believed them. - - - - -

- - - - - Adrian and Jewel took to the public, going to every eligible young man who could marry and said that they were looking for a groom to wed their firstborn child. - - - - -

- - - - - Thinking that the two were trying to find a groom for the town darling Sapphire, a handful of young men all jumped at the chance to marry. - - - - -

- - - - - However, upon learning that the "bride" in question was not Sapphire, many of the suitors declined. - - - - -

- - - - - As for the few who weren't deterred after learning they wouldn't be wed to Sapphire, they all rejected the monster within an hour of meeting him. - - - - -

- - - - - Each rejection was worse than the last. One of the rejectors went as far as trying to Game Over Dimentio in cold blood when his back was turned. - - - - -

- - - - - All of the options in town were used up, and now people were catching wind of suspicious activity once again... - - - - -

- - - - - Jewel was beginning to lose hope, but Adrian refused. - - - - -

- - - - - If not for Jewel or Sapphire, Adrian wanted to at least give his son one last chance before he could truly do nothing else. - - - - -

- - - - - Adrian remembered the kindness he was shown when he came to the Mushroom Kingdom, so he set off in hopes of gaining favor with the king once more. - - - - -

- - - - - However, Adrian had forgotten that the king was ill the last time he came to the kingdom, and did not know that he had already passed on... - - - - -

- - - - - Since the king had died of his illness, the late princess had stepped in as the new leader. - - - - -

- - - - - However, the illness that the king had been inflicted with soon infected the entire kingdom after his passing, and the residents had befallen a plague. - - - - -

- - - - - The new princess was powerless to stop it. The disease was taking Game after Game, and she was no closer than the king had been to finding a cure... - - - - -

- - - - - However, the story does not lie with the princess, but instead with the two men in her court. Mario and Luigi. - - - - -

- - - - - The brothers Mario and Luigi had settled long ago in the kingdom after their late foster father Game-Overed and they were left on their own. - - - - -