Hiraeth (Luigi x Reader)

CHAPTER TWO

"[name]?" a familiar voice called out to her, cutting through the chaos of her thoughts. She turned to see Bowser, her father, standing there with concern etched on his face. His eyes widened as he took in her disheveled state. "I saw you run out of the ballroom. Are you alright?" he asked, his voice laced with worry.

A mix of emotions flooded [name]'s heart. She wanted to confide in her father, to let him know the truth, but fear and uncertainty held her back. She hesitated for a moment before finally responding, her voice breathless. "No," she lied, forcing a smile. "I just felt a bit overwhelmed. I figured some fresh air would do me good." Bowser's piercing gaze lingered on her, his fatherly instincts sensing the falsehood. But he chose not to press her further, respecting her boundaries for now. He knew he had to be patient and wait until [name] was ready to open up.

As they stood in the quiet corridor, a heaviness settled between them. It was the perfect opportunity for [name] to address the questions that had been plaguing her for so long. Summoning her courage, she looked up at her father and asked directly, her voice tinged with determination, "Dad... why are you so secretive about your duties? And why can't I leave this castle? Is the outside world really that dangerous?"

Bowser's face registered surprise, caught off guard by her forthrightness. He tried to regain his composure, wearing a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Princess, I don't think now is the time for those kinds of questions," he deflected, attempting to steer the conversation away from the uncomfortable truth. "You should be celebrating!"

Her frustration growing, [name] refused to be deterred. Her voice grew firmer as she spoke, her brow furrowed in determination. "No, I'm done waiting. I won't allow you to avoid this any more," she asserted, her words carrying an air of finality. "The truth is going to come out one way or another, so you might as well tell me and get it over with."

The weight of her newfound confidence was palpable in the air. As [name] stood her ground, Bowser's expression shifted, his features transforming from that of a gentle, soft-spoken father to the resolute face of a fearless ruler. "How dare you speak to me that way," he retorted, his voice laced with a mixture of surprise and authority. "Just because you're officially a part of the Royal Court doesn't mean you get to address me in such a manner. I am still your father." The tension crackled between them, revealing the newfound complexities of their relationship. A collision between a daughter's yearning for truth and a father's protective instinct.

[name] bit her lip, torn between not wanting to escalate the already heated situation and her burning curiosity to uncover the truth. After a moment of contemplation, she mustered up the courage to pursue the latter. "It's not fair," she began, her voice tinged with a mixture of frustration and determination. She crossed her arms over her chest, a defensive gesture that mirrored the walls she felt were being built between her and her father. "You're hiding something from me, and it's not fair. I understand that you want to protect me from the dangers of the outside world, but you have to realize that you won't be able to protect me forever."

Attempting to empathize with her father, [name] recalled the advice Kamek had shared with her earlier. She hoped that acknowledging her father's emotions in this tense moment would soften his disposition and make him more open to conversation. She sighed softly, choosing her words carefully. "I know this must be difficult for you, Dad. You're only doing what you think is best for me, but maybe... just maybe, you can find a way to trust me with the truth. I don't want to cause you any distress, but keeping me in the dark is only going to hurt our relationship."

Unfortunately, her well-intentioned words seemed to ignite the growing fire of his temper.  He clenched his jaw, a visible display of his mounting frustration. "Why can't you understand that I am doing this for your own good?!" he snapped, his voice edged with exasperation. Each passing moment made it more challenging for him to restrain his emotions. [name]'s heart sank, realizing that her heartfelt words only aggravated him further. Desperate to reach him on a deeper level, [name] took a step closer, her voice filled with a pleading tone. "Please, Dad, help me understand. Why do you feel the need to hide the truth from me? If I'm expected to share the responsibilities of ruling this kingdom, then I believe I have the right to know about the world outside these walls. I'm not a little girl anymore." Her words hung in the air, the tension palpable as she anxiously awaited her father's response.

The room fell into an thick, tense silence as [name] anxiously awaited her father's response. Her heart pounded in her chest, the weight of the impending confrontation suffocating her. Her eyes darted back and forth, desperately searching his face for any hint of understanding or compassion. Bowser's jaws remained tightly clenched, his simmering anger barely contained. Each breath he took seemed deliberate, as if he were struggling to rein in his turbulent emotions before they erupted. Finally, breaking the suffocating silence, he spoke in a voice laced with barely contained venom.

"Maybe I was wrong," he growled, his words slicing through the air like a poisoned arrow. He paused, a cruel smile playing on his lips as he gestured towards her crown atop her head. "Maybe you aren't ready for all of... this," he sneered, his disdain palpable. "So let me make something very clear to you." The emphasis on the word "very" sent a shiver down [name]'s spine, a cold foreboding creeping into her soul. "If you cannot accept the fact that you will never, ever leave this castle, then you are not ready to rule this kingdom alongside me. Do I make myself absolutely clear?"

His cruel words pierced [name]'s heart like shards of ice, chilling her to the core. She desperately tried to retaliate, to muster the strength to speak and defend herself against his cruel words, but a lump formed in her throat, rendering her speechless. Tears welled up in her eyes, blurring her vision as her trembling hands betrayed her inner turmoil. It felt as if the beast that stood before her was a stranger, an imposter wearing her father's face. Without uttering another word, she fled up the grand staircase, her feet pounding against the cold marble, leaving the shattered remnants of their father-daughter bond left behind her.

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