Mad Queen 2
Branch looked nervously at the Fuzzlings who were guarding the doors of Trollstopia. Smidge was standing by his side, looking like she was about to knock him out. He couldn't stop walking from one side to another, listing mentally all the loving words he wanted to tell the only girl who ever held his heart.
He hoped the city was safe enough for her. He wanted her to feel welcomed and stable to stay. It took him years to rebuild and adequate their home to be fire-proof. Branch had talked to everyone in a big speech that morning. Their only job was to make Poppy feel at home, but to avoid forcing contact if she showed any resistance. She had been living among the rock trolls, after all. Perhaps she wasn't used to hugging as much as before.
He still cringed at the memories when he was forced into a hug when he was gray and he didn't want Poppy to feel like he did then.
Hair, Branch hoped he could make her feel at home. Their last meeting wasn't the happiest one and he still dreamed of her helplessly staring at him, completely confused, asking for help, having lost all references to who was trustworthy.
"I don't know how I got here. What is going on?" Poppy had said that day. The side of her head was bleeding, soaking her blue dress.
"It looks like you burnt the whole city!" Branch yelled in desperation, causing Poppy to go stiff like she had suddenly run out of air.
She was covered in superficial burns then, but the urgency to save their people made him turn his back on her and focus on saving everyone and leaving her disconnected words for later. His heart screamed he owed her an explanation, but saving hundreds of trolls from imminent death needed to be a priority. His own broken nose would need to be put on hold until later.
Only there wasn't a 'later'. After days, when the fire was put out and he returned, covered in ashes and wet from the firefighting, he couldn't find Poppy anywhere.
Branch was on the brink of desperation then. The possibility that she did something stupid to save someone rippled in his mind, causing his thoughts to grow turbulent. It was like Poppy to put herself at risk without thinking. He couldn't prospect the chance of her being lost in the fire, he would never accept that his girlfriend could be dead.
She would have died thinking he was a deceiver. He couldn't bear the thought of never having a chance to explain to her what had really happened.
As the last resort before venturing himself into the forest in a rescue expedition, Branch mailed every troll he knew. He couldn't understand why he did that, perhaps it was one of those hunches' life dropped down when a cosmic answer was needed. But it felt like a miracle when Queen Barb, of all people, answered his letter saying that Poppy had arrived at Volcano Rock City looking confused and hurt, but she was safe and recovering.
The survivalist held Queen Barb's letter to his heart, barely keeping his tears from falling. The love of his life was fine and he went straight to King Peppy dying to share the overwhelming news.
"Sir!" Branch called from outside the Royal Pod. The door was open so he didn't think twice before barging inside like he had done a few times before. "Sir!" He called again, spotting King Peppy sitting on a corner, surrounded by hair from some project of his. "She's fine! Poppy is-"
"Shhh!" The older troll stood up at once. Poppy's name made him rush to the door and close it before returning to Branch. "Don't speak of her so loudly." Confusion crossed Branch's features. The letter that was being held dearly dropped a few inches. "Nobody else must know where she is."
"I… I don't understand, Sir." Branch stared at his King already grasping the heaviness of the subject. It dawned on him a second later that Peppy saw what had happened as well.
"Her pod was full of buckets of fuel, Branch." The King looked away to hide all the pain he was feeling. "You saw them, too."
"I saw Poppy holding an empty bucket… Sir…" It was serious. It was more than serious. The situation was so critical that he couldn't even put the words together to imply the queen had burnt down her kingdom even if in the heat of the moment - quite literally - he had accused her of doing so. Hair, he owed her a river of apologies.
"I cannot understand what happened, but I won't see my girl being accused of killing trolls. It will destroy her." The King stated. "As far as I know we're the only ones who witnessed anything suspicious."
"But Sir, we must go to her and…."
"How would you describe her the last time you saw her?" King Peppy firmly asked, puffing up his chest like he did in the old days. It was a rhetorical question.
In the middle of the screams and sirens, Branch could recall seeing Poppy on the floor, looking around, trying to understand what was going on while she fought to stand on her injured legs. She didn't look terrified as everyone else. She wasn't even moving to help anyone. She was just sitting there. Watching.
"She looked… mad. Sir."
"Exactly." the king hissed in agreement. "She snapped and something triggered it."
Branch clenched his jaw then. He looked away and pocketed Queen Barb's letter.
"We must protect her." Peppy continued, "her image, at least." Branch couldn't see how keeping her away after a catastrophe would help, but it seemed her dad had enough time to think things through. "We focus on rebuilding. Everybody will be eager to help and with our endless positivity the cause will be taken as an accident. No one will question it."
"I see… it will be a secret." Branch nodded in defeat.
"And you will lead the reconstruction team." King Peppy continued, taking Branch by surprise, "We need your skills. Trollstopians will need a ruler."
"That's Poppy's job, Sir."
"You're Poppy's boyfriend. Eventually you will become a King, too." King Poppy pointed out, ignoring the younger troll's sudden panic.
"I'm sorry, Sir, but I do not wish that kind of position," Branch felt a familiar kind of rush making his stomach drop. He broke down in sweat when he realized the path the conversation was leading to. Even if he ever married Poppy, it was never his intention to get a title. He would be happily - and title less - at her side, supporting her in everything, without having to step up as a leader.
"Prince Regent seems to fit." The King was not listening to him. He played with his mustache while his thoughts wandered away.
"This is outrageous, Sir. Poppy, she-"
"She needs to return to a dream city, just like it was before the fire." His thick brows furrowed and King Peppy took a threatening step towards Branch, making the younger troll feel cornered, but in the end, the King turned to his desk where a steaming kettle was placed.
"Perhaps the best title could be Temporary Leader, then?"
"Tomorrow," tea was calmly poured in a cup and Branch gulped, seeing that his protests were ignored. "I'll reunite everyone to introduce you as Prince Regent and you start reconstruction immediately."
"If you do not stop fidgeting, I will knock you out, your highness." Smidge said with little patience. The mocking tone she used since he was crowned made Branch understand that they weren't friends anymore. Their relationship was cold and the conversation was strictly about work. The emotional distance that had made them grow apart didn't reach other friends, like Biggie, who seemed to have an eternal supply of support for when Branch was feeling weak.
"I'm sure Queen Poppy will be delighted to see you." Biggie put a hand on Branch's shoulder, which caused them both to realize the survivalist was trembling from head to toes.
Branch wasn't as optimistic. He had a feeling the Pop Queen didn't want to see him. There wasn't a good explanation for her never answering his letters. He always wrote to her first, but when he didn't get a response, he mailed Queen Bard to ask how Poppy was doing.
A buzzing sound interrupted his anxious thoughts. The Fuzzlings, Smidge and Biggie looked up to see the Anglerbus circling above the electric fence before landing outside the wall.
"Open the gates," Branch ordered. He intended for his voice to come out strong to show the powerful command he had on his subjects, but it came out squeaky and unsure. Smidge snickered at his side.
The steel doors opened and dust raised from the odd choice of transportation Rock Trolls had. An intense wind made their hair fly back. A side door opened and, as if in slow motion, pink toes carefully stepped on the floor.
Branch's eyes trailed from her feet, up to her ankles where a tattoo was evident in one of them and a spiked anklet on the other. Then her beautiful legs were covered with fishnets. The dark jeans skirt and ripped black top almost stole his breath away. She had a pierced nose and several earrings. Her bright pink hair now waved with black streaks.
For a second, she looked sad, staring at the floor with little confidence that was so unlike her. Then she lifted her eyes and stepped forward.
Smidge broke into a wide smile and opened her arms. Poppy spotted her and grinned, calling out her name before running towards her tiny friend.
Branch watched when both girls engulfed each other in a tight hug. His stomach felt hollow and envy needed to be pushed away before anyone noticed he was bothered that Poppy would go first to Smidge.
"My gosh, Poppy, you look hot!" The yellow helper said, causing the pink girl to roll her eyes at the exaggerated compliment.
Biggie was next, and he held Poppy so tightly he couldn't help himself but lift her in the air, spinning like two silly trolls.
The sound of laughter was bitter to Branch's ears. He had to force himself to take one deep breath after another to keep the tears and his dignity in place.
It was only after she stared longingly at Biggie, touching his cheek to notice he had grown longer sideburns, that Poppy turned her attention to the teal troll who was stiffly waiting for his turn.
"Hi." She stepped closer, shyly tucking her hair behind her ears.
"Hello." Branch answered, not knowing what else to do or what to say. He wanted to hug her, he wanted to kiss her. He was desperate for contact, but she took a step back, keeping a safe distance between them.
He had time to study her face. She looked a little older, as did he. Her matured features only favored her beauty. Small changes needed to be studied. Branch could stare at her forever.
"C'mon, Poppy. You're staying with me tonight." Smidge came forward, breaking their spell.
Poppy readily agreed, stepping sideways so she could avoid brushing against the Prince Regent, as Branch was now known.
"I cannot wait to hear all about your adventures at Volcano Rock City." Smidge said while they walked away as if Branch wasn't even there.
He had a title, he was respected by all citizens, but Branch had never felt so powerless in his life. He turned around, noticing a tingling sensation on his toes. A strangled sob escaped his lips when he couldn't hold his pride any longer.
Biggie stepped closer, offering a friendly shoulder.
The survivalist dropped on his knees, wailing like a child that was left out of a tag game.
"I messed up, Biggie. She hates me."
Smidge wouldn't stop talking about the changes in Trollstopia. She took the long way to her pod, which now was hanging close to Milton's vet center. The place where downtown used to be got rebuilt into a sheltered market. The food carts were all arranged in a circle and tables with chairs were placed in the middle with big halls between them so evacuation would be quickly archived if needed.
Poppy noticed most trolls stared at her when she walked in, but not a single one stood to come say hello. They all nervously gossiped between themselves, talking about her clothes, her hair and the sad eyes she didn't even know she had. The pink pop-rock troll tried to ignore the words that reached her. She noticed, though, that the badges they were all wearing looked oddly familiar.
"Smidge," Poppy interrupted her friend, who was getting them ice creams before resuming their walk, "are those the Fun Badges from the Metroll?"
"Oh…" Funny how you stop to notice things once they become a routine. "Yes, I have mine, too." Hers had somehow ended up hidden under her dress. "We were against them at the beginning, but once we had an accident with a predator - before the wall and the fence - and the scanning system ignited a siren that warned us that Keith was dragged out of the monitored area. The Fuzzlings were there in a blink and saved him."
"Keith!" Poppy looked horror struck.
"He just lost a toe. It could have been so much worse." Smidge kept walking, showing Poppy the overelaborated water slides where kids were lining up to have their turn. The Fabyrinth looked bigger and much more difficult to walk through. The Fun Dungeon had three floors of games and was turned into one big arcade. They all had sensors on the doors and a list of trolls who were inside, being constantly updated.
"What about privacy?" They arrived at Smidge's pod and she checked in with her badge. There was a red light outside the door that immediately turned green when she stepped inside. "Safe and sound" it read.
"Poppy," Smidge ended her ice cream and noticed her friend hadn't even started hers and it was already melting down. "I'm sure you heard about the fire."
The former queen frowned and clenched her jaw. It was a surprise that Smidge didn't know she had been caught in the middle of the commotion like everybody else, but she smartly kept silent to understand where her friend was getting at.
"We had many casualties then. Many got lost and some didn't make it. Hair, we thought you were one of them." Smidge's voice waved with emotion and she sniffed before her nose started running. Poppy's eyes softened. "But once we heard you were living at Volcano Rock City it was such a relief that somehow… it got easier to accept the idea of being monitored, you know."
"Oh, Smidge…" Regret ran over Poppy like a train. She had no idea her friends had thought they had lost her. She wasn't thinking clearly then, she didn't think about anyone's feelings she just… had to go away. "I'm so sorry I left…"
"No," the smaller troll jumped on her bed so she could be as tall as her queen. Eye level was required for her next words. "I saw what happened. I know why you did it. Nobody blames you for leaving."
"You saw…?" Poppy paled. She braced herself for the accusations and she had made up her mind a long ago that she wouldn't fight them. She would just… take it all.
"Branch shouldn't have kissed that girl."
It was a blow she wasn't expecting. She was ready to be called a murder, an insane queen who destroyed her village, but she wasn't ready to have that horrid scene thrown in her face. Like a spell, her eyes filled with tears that instantly fell from her face. It was like Poppy's body had a will of its own. She just couldn't control them.
"We all know games have limits. Branch wronged you and, honestly, I still haven't forgiven him." Smidge first were trembling with anger. Poppy could feel the waves of fury that reddened her friend's eyes. She would kill Branch with her bare hands if she was allowed to.
Poppy had been blindly in love with Branch. They were barely scratching the surface of their relationship when it went down the drain. The game of Truth or Dare that fateful night was suggested to introduce the new friends who had arrived in Trollstopia that week. Inside Biggie's pod, Smidge, Poppy, Branch and Creek were spinning the bottle with six Rock Trolls whose names they hadn't memorized at that point.
The smell of cupcakes invaded the pod. Biggie was rocking Mr. Dinkles who was almost falling asleep, so Poppy stood up to take the new batch out of the oven.
It was Creek's turn to ask and the bottle started spinning fast and with an odd certainty that his victim would be the troll he despised. The cruel fate was confirmed and the Guru grinned evilly at Branch before formulating his question.
"Truth or Dare?"
Mr. Dinkles snored softly and Biggie stood up to place him on his crib. Smidge noticed Poppy was taking too long to return and decided to go help her while Branch decided which challenge he would take.
"Dare." Branch answered, nervously looking around, seeking the soft presence of his girlfriend for support.
"So, it is…" Creek crossed his arms smugly and pointed at a girl who was barely able to sit up straight, being completely wasted from all the beer she had been drinking with her fellows. "I dare you to kiss her."
The survivalist's eyes darkened. He looked at Creek with so much hatred he was unrecognizable for a second. The girl giggled by his side and before he could say anything Branch was yanked forward having the stranger's lips covering his for a nauseating moment.
A flash of pink crossed the pod through Branch's peripheral sight, a tray full of warm cupcakes fell on the floor. Smidge saw the moment the survivalist opened his mouth and a glimpse of tongues touching confirmed she was not mistaken.
Branch pushed the girl away, looking pale like he had seen a ghost, but Smidge couldn't care less about his feelings at that moment. She jumped out of the pod frantically running after her best friend, but there was no sign of Poppy anywhere.
"I punched his nose." Smidge explained proudly, "it wasn't half of what he deserved, but he got a taste of my fists. I could have knocked a few teeth out, but the fire started and… well…"
"There's no need for violence." Poppy gave her friend a small smile. The queen never changed. Her essence was the same. The same pureness, the same smile and sisterly attitude. "The past must remain in the past."
At that moment, Poppy tucked a strand of wild hair out of her eyes and something flashed from her fingers. Smidge took a step forward to take a closer look and her jaw dropped once she saw what it was.
"Oh, my Guh! Poppy!" Taking her friend's hand up to her face, Smidge didn't even blink as Poppy's status became evident. "You got married!"
Blushing, Poppy retreated her hand and stuck it inside her pocket.
"I did."
"So, we have a King, too!" Smidge's smile grew, still with a hint of disbelief. "You came to claim the throne! We'll get rid of Branch and Creek and everything will be just like it was before!"
"No, Smidge, it's not that simple…" Poppy sat down, feeling weary after the long journey and from all the emotions she had to revive. "I'm widowed."
A chilly breeze entered the pod and the lamps turned on outside, compensating for the weak light of the setting sun.
Smidge stood there like she was a victim of Freeze Tag. Poppy felt the need to take the ring off her finger and hide it in her hair. She should have known better and taken it off before walking into Trollstopia. She didn't want anyone to pity her. She was ashamed enough about the track her life had taken as it was.
Licking her lips, Poppy looked away, seeing all the trolls in the distance entering their pods. The red lights turned green when they checked themselves in, illuminating the branches and leaves like a giant Trollsmas tree.
Strong and tiny arms wrapped firmly around her. Poppy returned the hug, internally wincing and shutting down her face to avoid any unnecessary display of emotions.
"I'm so sorry."
"It's okay. It's been a year. I'm done grieving." Poppy sounded nonchalant and stepped away, awkwardly trying to keep distance from her best friend.
"So, I assume…" Smidge dried her eyes, shrugging. "You're here for the memorial and then you'll be leaving again."
"Well, funny you should mention it." Poppy put a hand in her hair and moved around for a few seconds, then she drew it back with pieces of paper. "I thought everybody knew about this."
Poppy handed her the letter, sat down, hunched forward and waited. Smidge speed through the letter, becoming shocked line after line.
"As far as I know the crown has always been inherited by the sovereign's children, but I can pass it on if I do not wish to be queen anymore, which is the case here." Poppy spoke slowly, so she could be fully understood. Smidge looked up from the letter in confusion. "I'm not fit to rule anymore."
For a moment Poppy thought she needed to explain herself a little more. Smidge looked betrayed. It was probably the most absurd thing she had ever heard. The strong and yet, sweet as cotton candy queen that had been her best friend, loved her position. She was raised to be an outstanding leader and was loved instantly by everyone who met her.
It made absolutely no sense.
"It explains why Creek has been campaigning for a while…" Smidge frowned. "He's been suspiciously nice to everyone since you left."
Creek had seen the kiss, too. It was rumored he even rejoiced when he thought nobody was looking. Being sensitive to someone's aura, he must have sensed then that Poppy was too hurt to resume her life.
Mentally changing the subject, Poppy could see all the questions running through her friend's face. Why she chose to give up on being Queen was the biggest question that wouldn't be voiced at the moment.
"Branch is the best you've got." Poppy rolled her eyes at Smidge's raising protests. "So, there's no choice, if I want to break free."
"You have to marry Branch!" It was worse than a slap in the face. The impact of the news seemed to settle more wrongly in the fiery troll than Poppy herself. "Why would your dad… why? Oh, my Guh!"
"My dad has always been a helpless romantic," longingly, the memory of her father made the task look slightly less heavy. "I won't blame him for trying."
"I'm sure if he knew what Branch did then…"
"It doesn't matter. The rules are clear." Poppy interrupted. "We better rush. I won't stay here a day longer than necessary."
The brown ceiling remained the same for hours. Branch blankly stared up, curled under the blankets on that particularly cold night.
He couldn't stop thinking about Poppy and, from a vast experience, he knew he wouldn't grab a wink of sleep if he didn't see her.
The surveillance room was just under the bunker, in a big space that he carved and reinforced to settle all the hardware that was necessary to monitor the city. Branch walked in, slipping on his usual leaf vest and going straight for the main computer.
He checked his id with his fingerprint and unlocked the screen. After typing the password, he took a sip of coffee before putting the system on standby.
He had two hours to visit her without having it registered.
So, Branch left the bunker, relieved and protected by the darkness of the night and took firm steps towards Smidge's pod. His resolution faltered many times during the walk, but he persisted. Poppy was the only medicine against insomnia he knew.
The check in lights were down, as expected. Peeking inside he saw Poppy on the floor, in a cozy improvised bed. His stomach churned with guilt when he walked inside, feeling like a pervert or an intruder.
He noticed Poppy's lips were parted when he approached. They were glossy and soft and they enchanted him like a fly to a lamp.
He never had a chance to kiss her.
Branch battled himself for allowing her to go away without tasting her. He craved to feel her mouth on his all those years.
It was completely irresponsible of him, but before he realized what he was doing, Branch lightly touched her warm cheek with his hand.
A small dreamily smile spread on her lips. He sighed, watching that girl that seemed from a lifetime away.
The innocent memories of their night games clotted on his throat, making it difficult to breathe. She would hug him, play with his hair and ban all traces of anxiety away, helping him relax enough to have a full restoring sleep once he was back home.
They would talk about the growing city, how challenging it was to attend so many parties. They shared new cultural exchanges that fascinated them or, sometimes, they just enjoyed each other's presence, in silence. While one read a book and the other scrapbooked, they felt no need for words.
Now the girl that he loved was back and he felt so lost he didn't know where to go from there.
"Rob…" Poppy smoothed her cheek against his hand and Branch's heat sank. In her sleep, she turned, trying to cuddle someone who wasn't there.
A small tear escaped the corner of her closed eyes and Branch irrationally brushed it away. He was dying to bend down and claim her lips. He started to fear he wasn't strong enough to stay next to her.
Poppy fluttered her eyes open, slowly taking in where she was. As she rose to consciousness, she noticed a familiar troll sitting down next to her.
"I'm sorry. I didn't want to wake you up." Branch managed to say, swallowing down the lump in his throat.
"Well… you did." Poppy sat up. The blankets fell off her shoulders revealing a black lace nightgown.
She had dreamed of Rob. She had felt his hand digging into her hair in a gentle caress. He usually did it when she was busy scrapbooking, strategically waiting until her hands were full of glue so she was helpless in his arms.
Usually Rob would whisper some rock song in her ear and make shivers run down her spine. Poppy could close her eyes and wish it was Branch courting her, before guiltily pushing her wishes aside and surrendering to the one troll she could get.
"I missed you." Branch managed to say, bringing her back from her memories.
"It was a long time." She rubbed her eyes sleepily and the fact that she didn't reply she felt the same way didn't go unnoticed by Branch.
He felt like an idiot. In her letters Barb only formally wrote about Poppy's mental health, even when he inquired about new friends or new interests, the Queen of Rock stuck to business, leaving her private life out.
It was obvious that she wasn't alone. Poppy was beautiful and any troll with half of a brain cell would be on his knees for her.
"Did you get your father's letter?" Branch asked, not knowing what else to say.
"I did."
"So, you're back to reclaim the throne?" Branch asked hopefully. The weight of the title he was given was too much. He was dying to pass it back to her.
"No. I'm here to marry you." Poppy said simply, as if telling someone she gave up eating cupcakes.
Stunned, Branch stared at her not knowing what to say. She sighed angrily at the dreamily expression that softened his features.
She needed to correct him before he got the wrong idea.
"I'm here to follow the rules and once I pass the Crown to you, I leave."
A punch in the stomach would have hurt less.
A/N - Surprise update! I hope you all enjoyed reading this chapter. I look forward to your comments about it. :) Thank you so much for reading!
