Chapter Five: Simphony Ville

"Scissors, paper, glue, glitter, treads... playlist, gloss, panties, dresses, bikini (you never know), pants, coat, shirts, cardigan... hm... shampoo, conditioner, soap... tickets," Smidge checked all items in Poppy's travel bag. "We should check the food as well..."

"Calm down, Smidge." Poppy laughed, sitting on top of her bag to get it zipped. "I'll be gone for about four days, not the whole month."

"We've never been apart for so long." Smidge sniffed dramatically. "I'll miss you so much."

"I'll miss you, too." Poppy hugged her friend. "But take it as a test. You'll be in charge until I come back, it's your chance to prove you can lead."

"I'll just lead the pep talks and bigger issues... like kids tangled in a hairball or something."

"I couldn't leave everything to you right away; I'm sorry, Smidge." Guy Diamond showed up in front of Poppy's door. "There you are! Guy, please don't forget that the parties must end at two in the morning so everybody can get their rest."

"I'll take care so every party will be a blast; don't worry, Poppy." Guy said, with Tiny agreeing with him on his shoulder.

"And please, remind Biggie that some kids are vegetarians now and during break he must serve organic fruit."

"And yo-o-o-ou, Queen Poppy..." Guy said in his autotune voice. "Make sure Tiny gets a cousin soon." He teased.

Poppy choked on her lollipop, turning as red as the berries she was packing. She wasn't ready for that kind of teasing. She didn't even know how to come up with a reply, - if any was needed. She was nervous enough to spend that much time alone with Branch already; each comment sent alert signs through her brain. She didn't need anyone laughing at her at the moment.

They had only two brief make-outs and she already knew she had to take her time to refocus when they broke apart. Branch could easily make her forget some basic things like: her name, what time it was and that she was a queen. Poppy was annoyed at the endless laughing from her friends, so she picked her bags and left her pod while they were rolling on the floor. She could use some time alone, indeed.

"Do you need a hand with that?" Branch was waiting for her at the base of the tree. She smiled and handled him one of her bags. She wondered where his own bags were. Knowing Branch he wouldn't have packed just the essential for the trip, but also a collection of guides and safety gadgets. "I'm dying to show you my baby." He said, pulling her towards the edge of the forest. "It was hard to keep it a secret, but here it is!"

Indeed, Poppy didn't know how he could have kept it a secret - from herself of all people. It was some sort of mechanical mini-catterbus. She reached closer and saw it had seats - seat belts - of course - a wheel, tires and a lot of space to fit their bags in. She looked in the front to some shiny-purple gadget that got her attention.

"Cooper and D helped me with this one. It's a portable radio. Isn't that awesome?"

"You're saying..." Poppy took a while to take it all in, looking at that vehicle for a few seconds. "You've built this?"

"Well, duh." Branch answered, placing her bags in the trunk. "I can build a Greygon monster in a couple of hours, did you think I couldn't put this thing together- ooof?" He was abruptly interrupted by Poppy's tight hug. She was so proud of him - of the things he could do. She felt bad for the time he was excluded from the village; how other trolls didn't see how great he was?! She wished she could take back all the isolation, the jokes, the suspicious glares that were directed at him. He was a misplaced genius. "Huh... Poppy... as much as I enjoy your hugs, we should get going."

Reluctantly, she let go to meet his boyish grin. She grinned back and he opened the door for her. He was really excited about getting to test his invention. As soon as she clicked the seatbelt he started the engine, heading towards the road.

"So, the first stop will be Symphony Ville, right?" Branch said, placing the map in front of her. "Can you check if we're on the right track? I'll keep my eyes on the road and drive safely."

"Of course," She answered, opening the map. Safety would always come first for him.

It was a lovely morning. A few bunnies hopped out of the way as the car passed, a golden cricket hissed at them, the cold autumn air felt delicious on her cheeks and her skin soaked in much needed vitamin D. The trees whizzed by and she adjusted herself on her seat, feeling the need to put her feet on the dashboard, but kept them down, knowing it would probably set Branch off about getting it clean. Instead she reached for the radio and the sound of "Trolls only wanna have Fun" invaded her ears, making her smile approvingly.

"Your favorite song," Branch pointed out, full of himself.

"I really like this one, but it's not my favorite." Poppy replied, cheerfully.

Branch almost stepped on the brake pedal. He felt like he had just descended several steps on his 'knowing Poppy' rank. Flabbergasted, he couldn't turn his head to stare at her - eyes on the road! - and missed how she was pleased with herself, making him confused like that.

"Wannabe?" He tried and she shook her head.

"Nope."

"It's impossible; you sing those songs every day!" He protested. He knew her well, those had to be her favorite songs.

"That's the thing." She had a smart tone in her voice, laughing at the look on his face. "I don't sing my favorite song in public."

"Why not?" He felt slightly better that it wasn't a matter of lack of observation on his part.

"It's corny..." Her cheeks turned red and she tried to hide them with her hands.

"Well..." Branch said, reaching from the gearbox to grab her left hand with his. "I bet by the end of this road trip I'll figure out your favorite song."

"Ha!" He had just triggered competition. "You're on!"

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Pennywhistle was right. As soon as Branch reduced the speed and Symphony Ville came to view, Poppy had to hold her breath. It was amazingly beautiful. The golden trees, the sheep-notes jumping around happily, the Indian patterns and the Taj-Mahal inspired curves... not to mention the sound of violins welcoming the visitors.

"By classical, I thought they would go for a Greek kind of decor..." Branch mentioned, just to keep his analytical side sharpened, but it was visible in his face that he was fascinated as well. It was what they had hoped to see the first time they visited.

A few trollings recognized Poppy as she passed and flew alongside the car, laughing and touching the curious machine. Some older Classical trolls were sitting down shaving the sheep and knitting comfortable tapestries. It certainly was a place where time slowed, where children could play safely and flutes and violins were treasured companions.

"Pop Queen is here!" Someone shouted in excitement and Branch pulled over under a tree, where it felt like a good place for a car to be. Poppy noticed all eyes were on her, and so were Branch's. He offered a hand to help her stand up and suddenly, she felt aware that he was assuming a position as her companion and protector.

"What an inspiring visit, Queen Poppy!" Trollzart flew directly at her, giving her a kiss in each cheek, acting like they had been friends all their lives.

"Conductor Trollzart," Poppy said, "What a delightful place Symphony Ville is!" She felt Branch shifting behind her and immediately introduced them. "Have you met Branch?"

"We haven't been properly introduced; it's a pleasure, sir. You're mostly admired for what you did at the World Tour."

"It's my pleasure, Sir... and I didn't do anything." Branch retorted. Actually, he had thought of himself pretty useless during the whole commotion.

"Nonsense!" He added. "If you had not jumped in front of Queen Poppy, we wouldn't be here to tell the story."

"That's true." Poppy said, squeezing his hand and giving him a reassuring smile. "He's been saving me for as long as I can remember."

"Would you like to dine with us? I'll get two guest rooms prepared so you can spend the night." A Classical Troll stood by Trollzart's side, taking notes of everything he said.

"Oh, we don't want to trouble you." But Trollzart didn't let her finish, waving his hands so she had no option but to accept his welcoming gesture.

"It's no trouble at all, we've just had our hospital rebuilt and we were going to celebrate it with this big opera and gala afterwards."

"Gala? I didn't bring any clothes for that..." Branch said quietly, obviously distressed about the whole social event he would have to endure.

"We can fix that." The formalities between both royal members were very clear and dull to watch. Branch agreed to attend just to make Poppy happy, but he didn't see the need for a party. If there was one thing Branch would have to teach himself about dating the Queen, it was the fact that sometimes there would be occasions and protocols he would have to follow through.

They were taken to a big curvy castle that dwarfed the whole city. The west side of the castle, with a perfect view of the sunset, was composed by half a dozen rooms and the servants opened doors that stood right in front of each other, revealing twin bedrooms. A small cupid-like Classical Troll took some measures from Branch and briskly turned to Poppy taking hers as well.

"The clothes will be ready by the time you finish refreshing." One of the servants said, pointing Branch to his room and closing the door behind him before he could protest. Poppy was taken to her own room and had her own door closed. They certainly were in a hurry, the pink queen observed. They had to make some new arrangements to fit their last-minute guests, so she thought it would be better to just go with their recommendations.

Her room was bright and charming, with a big fluffy blanket on top of the bed. Looking on the other wall, Poppy found double doors with golden decorations and quickly went to explore. She came inside the biggest bathroom she had ever seen. The tiles were green and silver; a big white bathtub stood in the middle and a side-table was prepared with grapes and champagne.

Classical Trolls certainly knew how to live...

The castle was a carousel of aesthetic delight. There were so many details to take in. The bathroom ceiling had frescoes of classical operas pieces, conducting the narrative impressively like a great maestro.

The warm water was heaven to her sore muscles. Being in the car all day made her stiff and crunchy, so she stretched her arms and legs as far as they would go, splashing some water around. She felt a tune coming up on the back of her throat and smiled. Two and three notes were out before she could stop herself. She picked up some grapes and stuffed her mouth, remembering that she couldn't sing her favorite song. She didn't want Branch to overhear and figure out which one it was. He had never won a single bet against her and he wouldn't start now.

Sometime later, she heard noises from coming from the room outside and unplugged the water, wrapping herself in a towel before peeking from the door. She spotted a cocktail black dress had been placed on the bed, matching jewelry and a small shiny crown with it. It was obvious that Trollzart wanted everyone to spot her miles away.

Her pink skin certainly did a wonderful job overshadowing the black dress. The V cut on the back made her feel exposed, but she liked the general look altogether. She had little trouble adjusting the small crown on her ponytail, but just in time there was a shy knock on the door. She invited a small servant girl into the room, who smiled happily at her and offered help with the hair.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but you can't go with that ponytail." She said.

"Why not?" Poppy asked, looking at her through the mirror, still trying to attach the crown.

"It's an opera piece, if someone seats behind you they won't be able to watch the show." Point taken, Poppy allowed the maid to comb her hair down until it was tied in a perfect knot.

"Excuse me, ma'am, your hair is done. I'm going to help Mr. Branch with his." She said, fluttering her wings towards the door. "His helper asked for my assistance before I came inside."

"Oh, that bad?" Poppy snorted.

"It had something to do with nunchucks..."

"Ohhhhhh..." Poppy could barely contain her laugh, Branch probably hid one or two... or a dozen weapons in his hair. "Good luck with that. I'll just wait by the end of the hall. I saw a small library there."

The white shelves were interestingly carved into the wall and Poppy found a collection of real books and not of scrapbooks, like the library in Pop Village. She had a feeling, again, that Pop Trolls were like twelve years old playing adults and failing miserably. 'Should we... take life more seriously?' She reached up and picked a book about healing therapy for old trolls.

Glass shattered behind her, making her turn around abruptly... only to find Branch standing there with a half chalice in his right hand and barely aware that he had just spilled whatever he had been drinking.

"Oh my... did you cut yourself?" She approached, taking the glass from his hand and looking at him relieved that there wasn't blood. "Did you trip?"

He might as well have tripped on his jaw, for it hung open; he could barely mutter anything comprehensive. He looked very gallant, Poppy noticed. He had a black suit and his hair was combed back and tied so it was as down as it could be - being a little spiky and all. Branch didn't blink, he just stood there, solid like he had been playing freeze-tag.

"Hello?" She waved her hands in front of his eyes until he snapped out of it. Poppy let out her breath, not realizing she was holding it in the first place. Before she could stumble a couple of steps back his mouth sealed over hers and his arms caged her against the wall. The cold white wall behind her went unnoticed, unlike his burning skin against her front. He assaulted her mouth ardently, fighting hard to control himself and not to scare her away. She slowly allowed herself to melt into his kiss and opened her mouth for him...

"Excuse me..." They heard the small classic troll maid coming into the hall and jumped several feet apart, looking guiltily at each other. "Trollzart asked me to escort you to the theater."

Poppy could swear she saw a flash of red in Branch's eyes as he tried to compose himself, but quickly brushed that piece of imagination away. Breathing dreamily at him, she placed her hand on the arm he offered her and they followed the Classical Troll to a very long and crowded night.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Enchanted, that's how Poppy felt when the opera ended. She had tears in her eyes and stood up, clapping with all her might, whistling and crying "bravo" over and over again. Branch applauded as well, but didn't look half as cheerful as she did, rather, he looked a little bored with the whole Pagliacci who killed his own wife.

Trollzart conducted the opera beautifully and Poppy just stepped over the protocol and hugged him when they met. They sat next to each other at the giant table with several dishes and silverware, Branch made sure he occupied the other seat by her side, glaring at any male who looked at her a few more seconds than necessary.

"How many years of training until you could sing like that?" Poppy asked the Soprano Classic Troll, who had been blessed with giant curled hair.

"Since birth, I think." She blushed.

Dinner was delicious and classical music played in the background, announcing the banquet was over and they were allowed to stand and stroll through the giant hall. Poppy kept being introduced and chatting animatedly with everyone, always conscious of Branch's hands gently striking the curve of her spine.

The Soprano girl, Marigold, joined her just after Poppy managed to snag two glasses off a passing waiter's tray, giving one to Branch, who seemed to be in desperate need of some beverage.

"The conductor just told me you invited us to a feature part in your girl band concert."

"I can't think of anybody more suitable for the part!" Poppy said, opening her clutch and handling her the invitation. "We'll have a rehearsal next week, I hope you can join us."

With that said, both girls chatted the night away under the eyes of a certain survivalist troll. He just couldn't wait to have her alone again, in his car, on the way to the concert.

"Mr. Branch, how did you like the banquet?" Trollzart approached him holding a broad smile.

"It was delicious. Thank you for your hospitality." Branch managed to say, walking with the conductor, but still keeping an eye on his girl.

"You have the treatment of a King." He cupid-like troll continued, "Soon you will be one."

"Oh..." Branch had never thought about it. If he and Poppy married then... "Actually I don't think that's how things work in our village. She's royal. I'm just... her partner."

"Well..." The older and more experienced troll chuckled playfully. "You'll see." He pointed at the Pop Queen, making sure Branch took in exactly what he was getting himself into. Poppy was magnificent that night and completely oblivious about it. Like a true Queen she lit up the room and all trolls orbited around her like mosquitoes attracted to a light bulb. She had a soothing smile for the kids and a radiant laugher to odd jokes. Even the way she held her glass, so elegantly, screamed out that she wasn't just an ordinary girl.

He had to train himself, if he wanted to keep up with her. He had to match the high standards her position required. She could be a normal girl back in Pop Village, doing chores and having a light routine, but outside... - Branch looked back at Trollzart in realization - she was Her Royal Highness.

His mind was a bit fuzzy when they made it back to their rooms that night; Poppy was a little happier than usual, clinging to him in a girly way, unlike herself. When they stood by their opened doors, she stepped up on her toes, looking deep into his eyes before giving him a sweet inviting kiss on his lips. He took a sharp intake of breath, just after pulling her gently away. He could see disappointment in her eyes.

"Goodnight, my Queen." He said, smiling at her, taking the sight of her precious figure in that dress. Shyly, she stepped back and reluctantly opened the door of her suite, blowing him a kiss before disappearing inside.