(This chapter is a little short but I didn't really want to rehash the movie to much just enough)
The acknowledgement:
It wasn't until shortly before what Poppy would later call their adventures that Branch finally put the real name to the bond. The grey troll had only done that because he had been forced to by the terrible pain in his heart he had been feeling that day. As Branch lay in bed panting from the pain radiating out from his heart he cursed the fact that fate had decided that he should be soul bound mates with Poppy of all trolls. The pain he was feeling had not eased until later in that day, once it was at a level which the grey troll could deal with he had gotten up, dressed and then headed out of the bunker to forage for food.
As Branch picked some berries from high up in a plant he heard giggling from bellow him and looked down. Poppy and Creek were walking along together hand in hand, as soon as the grey troll set eyes on the couple the pain flared inside him and he winced. Quickly Branch turned his gaze away from them hoping that they would just walk past him and that he could escape back to his home quickly. Despite the fact that the blue eyed troll wasn't looking at them that didn't stop him being able to hear the couple.
"So, do I get another kiss now?" Creek asked the troll at his side.
Branch froze in the middle of gathering the berries he needed because as soon as the purple troll said those words to Poppy Branch knew exactly why he had been in so much pain earlier on. Quickly the grey troll stashed the berry he was holding into his back pack which was on the leaf beside him and they lay down on the leaf next to it. Sure enough his suspicions about his earlier pain where proven right when a few moments later searing pain rippled over him emanating from him heart. Branch quickly placed his hands over his mouth and held back the scream that wanted to escape as best as he could and prayed at the same time that their kiss would be over soon.
After some time, had passed the grey troll felt the pain ease to its normal back ground level and he knew from this that the couple had finished kissing at last. Still unsure if they were going to kiss again and not wanting to be seen if the pain flared up again Branch didn't move until he was sure that they were gone. Carefully the blue eyed troll got to his feet, he picked up his pack, put it on and made his way bunker mentally cursing soul mate bonds his whole way there.
When Poppy had left him in the bunker the first time the grey troll had felt a stab of pain and concern for her but he had refused to weaken and go after the other troll. Then when the princess returned with all the other trolls and left once more Branch had at first been very determined not to go after her and get eaten by a Bergan. But only a short while after Poppy had left on her quest Branch felt a feeling of dread sweep over him and after years of experience with their bond the grey troll knew that this was never a good thing. Quickly the grey troll gathered up what he would need for the journey, before packing it into his backpack and then leaving the bunker to set off after Poppy.
Branch followed the pull of their bond, when he found her in the spider web cocoon the grey troll almost had a heart attack he could hardly believe the state which the princess was in. There were times when the grey troll wondered how the one who he was soul bound mates with was even still alive. Despite the fact that he had lost the one he was bound to, to Creek he still felt the over whelming instinct to protect and save Poppy and did so as he always did.
Once the pink troll was safe from the trouble she had gotten herself into Branch had been quick to make excuses to her for why he came after her. After years of hiding their bond it had become second nature to him to explain away his presence whenever she needed help with easy excuses or when necessary outright lies. The grey troll was glad that Poppy was to innocent to think that he could possibly be hiding anything so important a soul mate bond from her. In fact, Branch was pretty much convinced that the princess had no idea such a thing as a soul mate bond even existed let alone that she was part of one.
Finally telling the princess about what had happened to him when he lost his beloved grandmother had been a hard thing for Branch to do. Seeing her compassion for him however brought him a joy he hadn't felt for years but despite this the grey troll was very careful with her being this close to him, that she continued to remained unaware of the fact that they were soul bound mates. His side of the bond always yearned for her when they were this close, but Branch closed it down ruthlessly reminding himself that Poppy had Creek now and no matter the pain which that this relationship caused him he was determined to let the princess be happy because he could not be happy.
When Poppy had hugged him, Branch had wanted to return the embrace and finally open the bond up to her but instead he had made himself stand there and accept it as though it was the most terrible thing in the world to be happening to him. Still he permitted himself to be held by the princess and had only remembered to start objecting to being hugged when the rest of the snack pack started to join in with the hug too.
Being close to Poppy on Bridget's head was proving to be a very difficult experience for Branch, he could feel the soul bond that marked them as soul bound mates trying to flare into life again and the grey troll could feel that the bond wanted to bind them together. Determinedly Branch kept it under control that was until he found himself helping Bridget charm King Gristle. For the grey troll this was the first time that he had ever really dared to put his feelings for Poppy into words and it surprised Branch that not only did he think of his soul bound mate in such a romantic way but also that the love which he felt for her ran so deep within his heart. It was only when Poppy gave him that soft smile and he almost smiled back that the grey troll shook himself. Branch wanted to hit himself for being stupid enough to let those romantic thoughts and feelings he held for the princess escape even if it had only been for a short moment. Quickly Branch looked away from the pink troll so that he could bring himself back under control and make sure that nothing more of his suppressed feelings for her would leak through the bond to his soul bound mate.
When they had come back to Bridget's room after her date with the King and the other trolls had let out a happy cheer that Creek was still alive Branch had instead expressed for the first time the pain he was feeling in his heart. The grey troll had been quick when asked about the noise he had made by Poppy to explain his cry of pain away as a lack of practice at being happy. Branch had been relived that this was an excuse which was easily believed by Poppy and her all of her friends.
A few short moments after this Branch wasn't able to help himself teasing her with the high five as the cloud they had met had done to him. The grey troll told himself that he only did this was because he could see how relieved Poppy was that the one she loved was safe and not because of the fact that the more time he spent in her presence the happier he became. The grey troll was still as determined as he had been before to not interfere with the relationship between Creek and Poppy or to show her the pain which he felt over it. Branch had been very pleased with himself that aside from the cry which he had quickly covered with an excuse that he hadn't even shown on the outside the sharp stab of pain that had hit him in the heart when Poppy had realised Creek was alive.
Then when she had called his name and their hair had wound round each other as it hadn't done for years Branch had felt it again, the pain as well as that overwhelming feeling of never wanting to let her go ever again and of wanting to protect the princess from everything or everyone that might wish to harm her. The grey troll quickly and ruthlessly brought himself under control and took his hair out of hers once more there were more important things to be worrying about at that time like staying alive.
Branch was so angry with Creek, not just for selling them out but also for hurting Poppy. The grey troll had been willing to let him win her from him because the grey troll had felt that Creek would be a better match for her than himself. If his soul bonded mate had not stepped in when she had, then Branch would have quiet happily have strangled him to death for betraying her like this. When Poppy the grey troll had been correct about his betrayal and the princess herself had then tried to strangle Creek Branch had to admit that he was impressed by her strength.
It was only when Poppy lost her colour that Branch knew what he needed to do…The grey troll knew that it was time to surrender to his fate. Slowly and a little hesitantly Branch began to sing to the one he had spent years loving and as he did so Branch also opened up the bond between them to let his love flow through it to Poppy. The grey troll was so very glad when his antics made her smile slowly and he felt his own happiness surge in response to this. Branch watched with great pleasure as the pink eyes of his princess widen as he sang that he loved her. Then as they touched and his true colour was returned to him Branch didn't prevent his side of their soul mate bond for reaching out to her side. When they the two sides of their bond met a long last it felt like absolute bliss to the now completely blue troll. Branch knew that he should really tell Poppy that they were soul bound mates but right now the new he felt that the new Queen had enough on her plate without the addition of that knowledge.