Branch sat on his throne at Troll-Village with a frame held gingerly between his cerulean hands. The picture in the little frame portrayed a very pink and very happy looking queen complete in her gown and crown. Though her expression and position oozed happiness and positivity; Branch couldn't help but have this tug at his heart. The large leafed crown wouldn't stay on that hyper bobbing head. That intricate gown of leaves and fabrics would just get tangled up in her feet and slow down her exuberant need to dance and run.
Worse still; he could feel the darkness trying to creep back inside of him. He could feel the vibrant blue/indigo of his hair fade in to something less eye grabbing. Just so slightly. He highly doubted anyone else would even notice the difference. The almost oceanic color of his little body dimmed as well. Less of a reef and more of a pool...
Suddenly startled from his thoughts with a gentle clearing of the throat. The little frame held so delicately in his hands shot up in the air and before those hands could grab hold again the picture clacked to the stone floor and shattered.
Bright blue eyes darkened instantly as the scowl he had worn for many years returned to his shining face. Those eyes shot straight to the perpetrator.
She was young too. But as most trolls are she was almost entirely happy. His being startled and the picture being broken didn't even seem to faze the dopey smile on her face. She had a little book clutched within her pale yellow hands.
"What do you want Honey?!" Branch demanded as he straightened himself back in his chair. Absently he adjusted the leafy half crown on his head.
HoneySuckle-as her full name was- was a very pale yellow young troll. She had been designated by Poppy to Branch to be his helper in managing Troll-City. As queen, Poppy did not have enough time to rule at the Troll Tree in Bergen Town and the trolls that wanted to stay and continue their lives in the forest they had built within twenty one years. So she had named Branch sort of the prime minister and assigned him a random, bubbly, organized assistant that obviously he hated.
Her hair was kept swept back low in a ponytail that trailed to her heels. The color ranged between a firey orange with shots of a lighter yellow and dimmer spots of nearly brown. Her wide little nose was bright orange too while her eyes were a more gentle, almost, hazel orange. She liked to dress in whites and greens that made no sense to Branch on a good day.
Today wasn't a good day.
HoneySuckle smiled and cocked her head goofily to the side, "Queen Poppy sent you something Mr. Branch!" As she thrust the thick little book towards him.
Branch's face immediately brightened and the gasp he hadn't realized he took just made HoneySuckle giggle while he snatched at the book.
He could remember the times her scrapbooking drove him absolutely insane. What was the point? There wasn't a point. It just made her happy...Now it made him happy.
With a wide smiling face he opened the cover and started to read. Sneakily HoneySuckle walked up beside and somewhat behind him to read it too.

My Dearest Branch,

Everything is going so great at the troll tree! The Bergen come to party every day! Bridgette and King Grisle have set their wedding date and all of the trolls in the troll tree AND troll village have been invited! So I need you and HoneySuckle to arrange it and make the invitations asap!

See you soon, my dearest friend,
Love Poppy

"Oh wow..." HoneySuckle exclaimed quietly while covering her surprised mouth with a dainty yellow hand.
Branch jumped again because he hadn't realized she was reading behind his back to begin with. He slammed the little picture book shut and shood her with his hands to stand back in front of him.
"Don't do that Honey! It's creepy!" He reprimanded.
But she could see the difference in his color already after reading what Queen Poppy had wrote. He was trying to be stern but couldn't stop smiling as he ordered her to do as the letter instructed. She laughed and did a bobsy little curtsie before skipping out of his room.
Branch made sure he was alone and that Honey had left before he leaned back comfortably in his chair and smiled lovingly at Poppy's handwriting and pictures.

"Love sick!? Daddy! I think you have Branch confused with another troll!" Poppy sighed exasperatedly.
She had Satin and Chenille fussing over her wardrobe in front of a grand mirror. Readying her for the party. Of course she needed a formal gown and one to really party in...so this would take the better part of the day. And the entire time her half-senile father kept badgering at her that she needed to be getting married too. Branch loved her, it was obvious, and no one else had offered to go save the kidnapped trolls.
Well.
Branch hadn't offered to help either.
But to her father Branch was the best thing since Trolls and Bergens made their truce. Which also wasn't that long ago...but again...half senile.
"Daddy, come on. I have enough to think about without trying to picture myself marrying Branch and trying to make him happy on a daily basis. He did make me lose my color once."
"Ah," Peppy chimed, "And he's the one that brought all of our colors back. And I seen the way you two looked at each other. He would go to the ends of the earth for you. And if he would go to the ends of the earth for his queen he would do the same for his people." Peppy had placed his old large hands on both of his daughters dainty shoulders. She had been turned from the mirror and in respect the two girls stopped fussing while her father was being so lucid.
Their eyes connected and Poppy's glistened with tears to watch the lucidity in her fathers start to dim again. His smile turned from wise to that as if he were looking at a fussy toddler. It broke her heart to see her father leave her this way and that he had no control over it. She embraced him gently and he patted her back absently.
Noting the change in atmosphere; Satin and Chenille started fussing over Peppy and led him out of the room in search of something to eat and maybe to encourage him to take a nap.
Poppy waited to them to leave before she slowly sunk to the floor and hugged her knees. Everyone expected her to be strong and happy. Positive. The light in their lives. And she was...But she needed this moment to lower her head and grieve for the slow loss of the only family she ever had.

Bergen on the other hand had a very different style.
Bridgitte was standing with her skrawny little arms out to her sides while other Bergen fussed around her attempting to make a wedding dress. Needless to say it was ill fitting and very oddly colored. But she seemed over the moon over the progress and giggled in her odd, high pitched yet deep, voice. King Grisle watched from a chair in the corner of the room and every so often ordered this or that. This made her even happier that he was so involved in how she would look on their big day.
"Oh this is so wonderful!" She exclaimed.
"Only the best for my Lady GlitterSparkles!" King Grisle said in his most kingly way. He knew her name was Bridgitte. But the name her had met her under stuck with them as a loving pet name between the two.
Her dress was a mish mash between the jump suit she had met the King in-and what they could best interpret as rainbow because of the trolls having disguised her hair.
Lets just say if humans existed in this world a hobo wouldn't be caught being marrieed in it.

Next time: The Bergen wedding and will Poppy realize how deep Branch's love is for her?