Chapter 5 When the Time Comes

Poppy skipped down the hall humming a tune she's known since she was a child. She looked forward to finding Branch and started to feel a little upbeat again when she remembered overhearing her husband saying she wanting to sing and dance again and be able to do it in the castle. Poppy has to keep in mind she can't do it at night as Clay said. She didn't care to see what it might attract.

"Where's that humming coming from?"

Poppy stopped.

"It's coming from this way."

Poppy smiled and waited for the sources of the voices to appear around the corner. She knew who they were. She leaned against a wall and her eyes widened when a stone under her left foot sunk under her weight and the wall behind her slid away. She lost her balance and fell backwards.

"Poppy, look out!"

She braced herself for impact but it didn't came. The princess open her eyes to see Branch holding her in his arms.

"You alright?"

Poppy nodded and leaned against her husband for support. Grandma Rosiepuff caught up with her grandson and sighed when she saw everything was ok.

"Thank heavens." She said. "You shouldn't run off like that again Branch. You know it worries me."

"I'm sorry, Grandma." Branch said.

Poppy regained her balance and walked towards the open passage way. It led to a room that smelled like dust and had a atmosphere of neglect. Poppy pulled open a curtain and shield her eyes against the dust and sunlight. Once the dust settled and her eyes adjusted, she saw she was standing in a room filled with instruments of all kinds and a stage that has seen better days. It was a music room. Poppy turned when she saw Branch and Grandma Rosiepuff walked in.

"Oh, we haven't used this room in years since…"

Branch was about to glare at Grandma Rosiepuff when she beat him to it so he backed down.

"Since when?" Poppy asked.

"Since Branch and I were almost killed by a Bergen years ago."

Poppy's eyes widen.

"What?"

"Branch was nine when it happened." Grandma Rosiepuff said.

Branch's expression went from concerned to sour in an instant. He was not fond of that memory. Grandma Rosiepuff noticed and pulled her grandson into a hug.

"It's ok." She said reassuringly. "It's in the past."

"You almost died if John didn't step in and fired that flaming ball of trash into it's eye." He said.

"We were camping in the forest when it happened." Rosiepuff explained to Poppy.

"John Dory was trying to get Branch interested in camping but it didn't quite stick. He was never much of an outdoors kind of troll like his oldest brother. Branch used to sing before going to sleep and we all were about to turn in for the night when the Bergen that must've wondered from his troop found our campsite and tried to capture us. I was taken while Branch hid in the woods and John saved me and we chased the Bergen away. It took us two hours to find Branch and when we did he said he would never sing again."

Branch looked away from his grandmother and wife.

"That's awful." Poppy said. "Not being able to sing after one bad experience."

Grandma Rosiepuff nodded.

"He had the voice of angel." She said. "Even though the castle is hidden by a strong barrier Branch still won't sing so we closed this room off and hadn't used it since."

"But you can use it." Branch finally spoke up. "Just don't sing at night and don't ask me to sing with you."

Poppy felt like she was punched in the stomach. She was glad she had a place to sing and make music but it hurt when her husband said he was never going to join her in a duet. She want to hear him sing if Grandma Rosiepuff said he had a nice voice. Why hide it from the world? Wounds heal over time don't they? But she knew better then to argue.

"Ok." Poppy said.

For the rest of the day, Branch, Grandma Rosiepuff and Poppy cleaned the music room and polished and repaired the instruments. It was a small room so it didn't take to long to clean the dust and grim that gathered over the years. Poppy played some of her favourite songs on a ukulele she found and sang a little. She wanted to continue when she noticed that sun was setting and remembered her promise. She can't sing or make music at night. She help put the instruments away and the three left for dinner. After the meal was over, Poppy walked up to her room alone. She sat at the desk and assembled the scrapbook she was working on earlier and added new page. She just finished when she noticed the moonlight stretch across the wall in front of her. Poppy turned to see the moon was almost full.

"That's right. The full moon is the day after tomorrow." Poppy said as she left the new page to dry on the desk and got ready for bed. As Poppy emerged from the bathroom, she noticed Branch wasn't in bed. Was he ok? Should she look for him?

"I don't think he'll ever tell her. He's scared of losing her."

Poppy turned when she heard Floyd's voice in the hall. She went to the door and carefully opened it. She saw Floyd and Spruce talking to each other as they stood in front of her room.

"I don't blame him but he can't keep this a secret forever." Spruce said. "We have to do something. You know what happens to you and Branch during the full moon phase."

Floyd winced and turned away from his older brother.

"Don't remind me." he said. "I can never come to terms with it."

Spruce placed a hand on Floyd's shoulder.

"We know. You took this harder then Branch and Clay did."

"I can't even say it. I'm not…"

"We know. None of us are. This is just a cruel punishment for something our ancestor did centuries ago. We'll find a way to end it someday. Let's go find Branch. I bet he's hiding in his workshop."

"Or maybe in the passage ways like last time."

Poppy waited until her brother-in-laws were out of sight.

"So their family has been cursed for a long time because of a crime their ancestor committed." She wondered out loud. "That's beyond unfair! I should help Spruce and Floyd find Branch so we can all talk about it."

Poppy put on a pink robe and slip out into the hall. She was hoping to see Branch's older brothers but found nothing but an empty hallway. They must've turned a corner. She thought as she walked the path she saw her in-laws take. Little did she know, she was being watched. As she walked, she passed two shadows hiding in another room. Spruce, Floyd and John Dory watched the princess go down the lower floors after grabbing a nearby torch before looking at each other and nodded. Their plan was working. Poppy will know the secret tonight.

Poppy walked down the stairs while gripping the wall beside her. She didn't care about hurting herself she just wanted to find Branch and ask him some questions. When Poppy reached the bottom of the stairs, she walked towards Branch's workshop and noticed the door was ajar. Didn't he keep it locked up at night? Poppy pushed open the door to find no one was there. She was about to close the door when she remembered what Spruce and Floyd said. Branch had more then one hiding place in the castle. Poppy also noticed something else. Branch had one toolbox and it was missing. Did he leave it…? He has to be there. Poppy closed the door and went to the music room. She knew the stage needed repairs and Branch could be there.

"What's going on?" John Dory asked when he saw his sister-in-law emerge from the basement and head towards the stairs leading to the second floor.

"Where's Branch?"

"Maybe he's not down there." Spruce suggested.

John Dory punched the wall next to him in frustration.

"That troll will be the death of us!" He said. "He has to tell her!"

"Don't worry."

The trolls turned to see their grandmother walking towards them. A bag in her hands.

"I have a Plan B."

Meanwhile, Poppy arrived at the music room. She found Branch's toolbox but no sign of her husband. She frowned in disappointment. She should've known. Who does construction in the middle of the night? Maybe he'll work on it tomorrow. Poppy thought as she turned and left. She didn't care to search the passage ways so she went back to her room. Making sure the curtains were closed because the light from both sun and moon have been bothering her lately, Poppy climbed into bed and turned off the light. Poppy laid there waiting for sleep to take her away when she felt the weight next to her shift.

"It's just me." Branch said.

Poppy nodded. She's sleeping with her husband from now on it didn't surprise her like it did before.

"Where were you?" Poppy asked. "I was worried. Was it something I said."

"No. It's…" Branch stopped.

"What?"

"You didn't know what happened. My brothers left years ago because of a disagreement with John Dory and I was too young to join them. I wasn't close to Spruce and Clay like I am with Floyd but they were better company then John Dory because he was so demanding. Plus I couldn't leave grandma alone. She could handle John Dory's attitude but not me leaving. I'm the youngest."

Poppy listened carefully while remembering what Floyd said earlier. Branch had abandonment issues and if she leaves he'll hurt himself or worse…she shook her head for she didn't want to think about it. She tried to turn on the lamp on the nightstand next to her when she saw nothing happened. The lamp didn't turn on.

"What are you doing?" Branch asked.

"Trying to turn the light on." Poppy answered. "I think the lightbulb is out."

"I'll change it tomorrow before I fix the stage in the music room."

"About that. It hurt me when you said you didn't want to sing with me. I thought we could do that together sometime."

Branch sighed and pulled Poppy towards him.

"I'm sorry for that. I just can't sing. I can't risk it."

"Even during the day?"

Branch pondered his wife's words.

"Maybe…I could. Maybe in the future."

Poppy smiled. "Thanks. Good night."

With that, Poppy fell asleep.

"That was close." Branch thought as held his sleeping wife in his arms. He didn't have a fun evening. First his grandma ordered him to give her his ring used to hide his demon form (even though it won't work during the full moon, he rather have it in his possession) and he found out he had enough restoration potion to last until the night of the full moon which he hid in a place only he knew about and doubt he'll be able to get more in the future. His family was trying to get him to tell Poppy about the curse. He knew he had to but now wasn't the time. It didn't feel right. Not only that, Branch promised he'll try and sing with his wife someday but he hasn't sung a note in years. He didn't know what his singing voice sounded like now.

"I have to tell Poppy about the curse." Branch thought as he rested his head on his pillow and closed his eyes.

"She has to know."