The Elder

It took her two weeks acting innocent and inquiring the elders about what they thought of other trolls. Poppy wasn't ill spirited, but when it came to Branch, she was as overprotective of him as he was of her.

Rudy Fafard was a young troll a couple of years older than the Queen. He was the kindest troll and obsessed with all sports he could learn. Since they were children many of the pop trolls placed their bet that he was the one who would first capture princess Poppy's eyes. He was a perfect suitor. Handsome, athletic, kind, he had a great sense of humor and he helped everyone that needed a hand.

It seemed Rudy's grandmother, Bernadette Fafard, had a knitting group with other ladies her age and throughout the years they filled her head with ideas of being a future king's grandmother.

While they knitted great works of hair-art that decorated pods and parties, the subject became ironic and sarcastic when the Princess became Queen and she showed no interest in choosing a partner.

Rudy didn't look that interested either. His efforts concentrated in learning mixed martial arts, biking and surfing on glitterfish. Bernadette found the dream of climbing up to royalty growing distant as the wrinkles started to mark her face.

Then no one other than Branch came along. The most improbable pair seemed to capture the Queen's attention like a magnet. And he showed no interest in claiming the throne. He acted like a consort, helping Poppy around, but never sharing her activities like a true king would.

Of all people, the Bergen-obsessed boy was the chosen one and Bernadette felt that life was unfair to her charming Rudy and she couldn't help but feel cranky and bitter.

She developed a vile tongue. The sharp words were spoken to anyone who sat next to her. She made sure Branch wouldn't fool anyone on her watch. If he ever became king, the whole town would know about his missing marbles.

When Queen Poppy narrowed down the probable trolls who were spreading rumors about Branch, she could hardly believe the adorable old granny of her good friend Rudy was the one who was holding a grudge.

That situation couldn't go on, so Poppy invited Bernadette for a friendly chat.

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

The growl beast watched when the unsuspicious troll walked to a deserted area of the city into the nest zone. The territorial predator growled in the shadows, getting ready to spring after the old troll.

It lowered in the bush, waiting quietly until it was time to jump out of its hiding place. The troll approached, unsuspiciously humming a song. The growl beast flexed its legs and waited. Another step and it jumped out, baring its teeth dangerously to the old lady.

Bernadette screamed, falling backwards.

Her stomach dropped when she felt herself being thrown in the air. Her head started to spin and when she was able to open her eyes all she could see were blurs of leaves and trees, passing around in a sickening loop.

The growl continued, but it appeared the beast was as confused as she was.

When everything had quieted down and the old lady finally was able to take in what had happened to her, she realized she had triggered a trap. She was hanging in the air, wrapped in a net. Several feet from the ground, and still a couple of feet under, was the predator, who was dizzy and looking around trying to uselessly break free from another net.

They had both ignited different traps.

Frightened, she wanted to scream for help, but she was afraid she would get attention from the beast as well. So far, it seemed it didn't notice she was just a couple of feet above.

The hot morning sun hid behind a cloud and the unbearable heat soon became a breeze that cooled her spirits.

Bernadette didn't notice a red light silently beeping underneath her and, curled in anger and in fright, she cursed her best sugary words, realizing she had no way out of there. She was going to be late to the meeting with no one other than the Queen.

Poppy had invited her for tea for the first time and she wouldn't be able to go. She was one unlucky troll.

Although she was frozen still, Bernadette felt the net moving and, for a heart-stopping moment, she thought the trap was coming undone and she would have a horrible fall on the ground. But as she held her breath, she noticed she was carefully being lowered down. Her eyes found the ropes that were holding the net up, then the pulley system that was making a rusty noise. As she continued to explore, Bernadette found two teal-colored hands carefully dismantling the trap.

"Are you, okay, ma'am?" Branch asked, stretching out a hand to help her up while she struggled to free herself from the insufferable net.

"Yes, I'm okay." Bernadette answered, standing up on her own and avoiding his eyes.

"Right. I'll free the predator now, so…" Branch looked as uncomfortable as she was, "it would be wise to keep out of this area."

"Yes, fine." Turning on her heels, the old troll marched away from the only troll she wished she didn't meet that day.

But if it wasn't for one of his traps, she wouldn't be standing there, would she?

"Thank you, by the way."

Branch looked surprised, seeing her looking over her shoulder to him, he smiled after a moment.

"Anytime."

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

"I'm so sorry, Queen Poppy. It wasn't my intention to make you wait so long." Bernadette wasn't in the mood for tea anymore, but she made it to the pink royal pod anyway.

"Well, we have time for one cup. I have a play in half an hour." Poppy replied with her usual tender smile.

"I thank you for your cordiality." Bernadette took the cup Poppy offered and blew the steam before taking a sip. "I'll be more careful next time."

"Oh," Poppy's smile fell and she looked down at the pot, pouring herself a cup as well. "There won't be a next time."

Confused, the older pop troll looked at her queen, completely at loss of words.

"I called you here to say I know you're the one who's spreading rumors about Branch." The queen didn't flick a finger when saying it. Her nonchalant face was far from the sweet and welcoming attitude she had with her friends.

Bernadette felt her gut sinking. The tea must not have agreed with her stomach. A rise of heat and sweat crawled to the top of her head, like a menopause symptom.

"Who said… who…"

"Branch is not the troll you remember." Poppy continued, looking serious, completely unreadable. "He's nice, caring and he's the one who is helping Trollstopia to grow stronger than ever."

The pod's door looked very inviting to Bernadette at that moment. The shame mortified her and there was nothing else she wished more than to see herself out.

"I wish to hear good words about Branch from now on. He could easily have left you in that trap during the night, but he skipped a party to rescue you." Poppy said, not offering an explanation about how she knew Bernadette was caught in a trap. "Respect Branch, because he can become your King, if he wishes so."

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

The survivalist was humming a song and untangling the net he had used for the trap. The growl beast had messed it up, almost cutting the ropes and succeeding to escape. Inside his garage, Branch also cleaned the cage he had caught the predator before setting it free in a distant part of the forest, with its pups.

He grinned in joy when he heard the elevator. Finally, Poppy had come inside without knocking and using the key he had given her. He made sure the bunker was locked before working on the traps, after all, with all the tools around, interruptions were not an option.

But Poppy could interrupt him any time she wanted.

Branch turned around, ready to welcome his girlfriend with the biggest hug when he saw her cat walking her way out of the elevator wearing an old-fashioned dress, big hair in a style he had never seen her wearing and a fire in her eyes that made his throat constrict.

"Hm… is it some sort of costume party?" He asked.

"No." Her voice was low and her hips swayed in a hypnotic way. "I'm ready to play my part in Holly's musical, but I needed to see you first."

Nervously, he loosened the collar of his leaf vest. Did Poppy's lips look so luscious before? Or was it the make up? Or...was it the way she was gazing at him?

She almost looked like… her.

Poppy didn't say a word. She stood in front of him with a smile. Before Branch could formulate the right words to capture what was on her mind, she placed her warm palms on his cheeks and leaned forward crushing her lips on his in a shameless and demanding kiss.

The energy of that kiss was something he had never felt in her.

She moved her hands down, slowly pulling the front of his vest away to touch his chest like she wanted to explore all of him. He felt his knees giving out and somehow ended up pressed against the wall with his girlfriend sucking all the coherent words out of him with the seductive movement of her lips.

Poppy briefly pulled away, took a breath and dived in once again. She played with his hair, she massaged his sensitive ears and pressed herself against him like she wanted to crawl under his skin.

"I love you." She whispered once they broke apart.

The girly giggles couldn't be helped when she saw the state Branch was left. His eyes were hazy, his hair spiked to all sides, his clothes were half off and he slipped to the ground with a goofy smile on his face.

"Are… are you…?" But he couldn't finish a comprehensible line. Hair, the tingling in his body was mixing his thoughts. His eyes clouded.

"I'm late." And, with a quick peck, Poppy was back to her usual self. "I'll see you soon."

The elevator screeched, taking her to the surface.