The Flame of Happiness Trilogy – Resilience
Prologue
They were cutting it close. Too close, in Lily's opinion, and she stated it several times. But, as Peppy explained to her, they had to make sure the bergens were occupied and distracted before they could make their escape. What better distraction than Trollstice, when every bergen would be listening to speeches from Chef and the king and not paying attention to what happened in the Troll Tree? Besides, the decoys weren't done yet, and the trolls had to work overtime to make sure there was at least two in every pod.
Once the wooden dolls were done and in place, which didn't happen until the crack of dawn on Trollstice, Peppy ordered everyone to pack their things and meet him in the center of the Troll Tree. The trolls packed only as much as they could carry in their hair or in backpacks, and brought the most valuable and sentimental objects with them. Everything else they could replace once they were in their new home. Children were carried to ensure they did not get lost in the crowd of fleeing trolls.
Clove took care of the baby Princess Poppy, waiting up in the tree branches for Peppy's signal. Clove, Lily, and Fern were the only warriors left in the Troll Tree following Oaken and Larch's deaths. Peppy named Clove the new royal guard, hence the reason he cared for Poppy now.
Fern approached Clove on his branch. "Movement from below. The bergens are beginning to rise and prepare for Trollstice."
Clove nodded in understanding. "Go get Branch. We must protect him at all costs." Fern hurried off to find the grey child. Ever since the death of his grandmother, the Moonlight Kingdom trolls watched over Branch and helped take care of him. Peppy insisted his godson stay with him in the royal pod, and the boy's aunts and uncle stopped by frequently to see if he needed anything. Branch had been numb to their advances for some time, but soon began to accept their familial warmth.
Lily, perched on a high tree branch, watched the streets of Bergen Town. The bergens who emerged from their homes headed for the castle first to hear a speech from their king. As morning cast its light over the town, the streets became silent. Trollstice did not officially begin until noon, when the bergens would gather to see the collection of the trolls who would be used for cooking.
Not this year. This time, the bergens are going to be severely disappointed. I'm almost sorry that I won't get to see their reactions. Lily heard chanting in the distance, and she ran towards the center of the tree where the rest of the village gathered.
"King Peppy!" Lily called as she approached the troll king. "The bergens are on their way."
"Just got finished with the hair count." Peppy assured. "All right, trolls! Stay together and keep running until you reach the exit! Those with torches should pace themselves to light the way for everyone else. Let's move!" Peppy jumped down the hole first, and the trolls followed suit. Lily ushered the trolls into the escape tunnel, making sure everyone else went down before her. She even forced her fiancé to go down before her, and she waited until Fern and Clove arrived. Clove still cradled baby Poppy in his arms, and Fern gave Branch a piggyback ride. The three trolls hopped down into the hole just as the bergens began to gather outside the cage. Fern felt Branch's grip tighten on her shoulders, and she patted his hand to help ease the fear.
Suddenly, a strong vibration came through the tunnel like a wave. "I get the feeling they know we left." Lily said.
Clove passed baby Poppy off to one of the trolls. "Get her to her father! Quickly!" The troll nodded and began passing the princess along like a baton in a relay race. Clove drew his sword, ushering Fern and Lily to go ahead of him. They ran faster than most of the other trolls, but they would glance back to make sure no one tripped.
They didn't go very far before King Peppy himself darted past them. "Whoa, wait a second!" Fern called. "What are you doing?"
"Some of the trolls need help!" Peppy called back.
"Then let us help them!" Lily insisted.
"No, you keep going!" Peppy's voice echoed in the tunnel. "No troll left behind!"
"Lily, let's move!" Clove ordered. "Trust me, he can take care of himself!"
Reluctantly, Lily obeyed. Clove outranked her, after all. Fern heard Branch whimper a little. "It's okay, Branch. Just be calm. Everything will be all right."
"Will King Peppy be okay?" Branch asked.
"Absolutely." Fern said without hesitation. She did have faith Peppy would catch up; but even if he didn't, Fern wouldn't let Branch worry any more than he already did.
When the bergens' shovels and pickaxes began stabbing into the tunnels, the trolls picked up the pace. Clove forced the girls and the rest of the trolls to go ahead. He hung back as long as he dared, looking for King Peppy. When he saw the king running up—carrying maybe a dozen trolls, no less—Clove turned and darted from the tunnel per his king's order. Clove escaped the tunnel right before a boulder of trolls nearly crushed him. The trolls all looked to the escape tunnel. It was dusty inside, and there was no sign of their king.
Clove tentatively approached the entrance. "Hello? King Peppy! Are you in there?"
"No troll left behind!" Peppy shouted right before he smashed right into Clove and sent them both to the ground. Peppy hopped back to his feet, pulling Clove up too, and the trolls cheered.
"King Peppy!" one of the teens called. "What about the princess?"
"She's safe." Peppy assured. He parted his hair to show Poppy sitting safe and sound inside, and he cradled his daughter in his arms. "But we'll all be safer the further we get from Bergen Town." He ushered his kingdom away, leading them deeper into the forest and towards their new home. They traveled for the rest of the day and well into the night. All the while, the trolls kept whispering excitedly about how they were finally free.
"I almost can't believe we did that." Fern said. She looked to the five-year-old holding her hand as they walked. "You all right, Branch?"
"Yes." Branch nodded. He yawned a little.
"Haven't been sleeping well, have you?" Lily guessed.
"Princess Poppy was fussy last night." Branch mumbled. He didn't tell his aunts and uncle that he also had been having nightmares again. The boy almost tripped, and Fern pulled him onto her back.
Clove tousled the child's hair. "Then sleep. We'll be there soon, I'm sure." Branch nodded slowly, and he got himself comfortable on Fern's back. It didn't take long for him to drift to sleep. Silence fell over the Moonlight Kingdom trolls.
"I wish his mother was still around." Fern said. "He doesn't deserve this, to be without his family."
"We're his family, aren't we?" Clove said.
"I mean his parents and grandparents." Fern said. "The ones who are supposed to be raising him."
"Fate has dealt him a bad hand." Lily said. "We must do what we can to help him."
"I believe that starts with taking him home." Clove said. "We cannot forget what we promised." Fern and Lily nodded in agreement. Before Stella died, they vowed that they would return Branch to Moonlight Kingdom. After all, he was the heir to the throne, the future emperor of the kingdom. Now that they were free from the bergens, they had to do as they promised.
"Lily, your fiancé will be welcome there, I'm sure." Fern said.
"Yes, but I do not think we can leave this kingdom quite yet." Lily pointed out. "They've been so good to us. We should repay them in kind."
"Lily's right." Clove agreed. "At the very least, we need to ensure they safely arrive in the new home Larch found for them."
"We must do more than that." Fern insisted. "We should make sure they are safe from dangers until their pod homes are built and they are safe and sound."
"I agree." Lily said.
"Then it's settled." Clove said. "We will stay in the Troll Tree Kingdom long enough to ensure they are taken care of." He gently ran his hand through Branch's hair. "Then, we take our prince home."
A/N: Ta-da! The prologue for the final installment of The Flame of Happiness Trilogy! I hope you enjoy! I know this was short, but I want to get some more work done on the story before I upload much more. I want to make sure I don't leave you all hanging for too long between chapters. Depending on the response and how much time I have, I might be able to get the first chapter up tomorrow.
TTFN! Ta-ta for now!