Chapter Text
We begin with Branch and Poppy getting ready for the party together…Branch is helping Poppy with her dress and fixing her hair... Meanwhile, she is a bundle of stress…that is before King Peppy steps into the room.
“Good Morning, you two.” King Peppy smiled at them both, despite the lack of energy in the room given by an aggravated Poppy at the sight of her father. Branch greeted the king nicely, while the princess kept her arms crossed giving her father a stern look.
“You can’t stay mad at me forever, sweetheart.”
Poppy's arms remain crossed as she scowls at her father. Branch is just doing his best to keep his mouth shut... he doesn't want to get on the king's bad side today.
“Poppy, I just want what's best for you... why won't you accept any of the suitors I put forth?” King Peppy spoke softly, hoping she would at least be somewhat open to the idea.
“Because I don’t know any of them…these are strangers to me, Dad.” She pouted, looking anywhere but at him.
King Peppy took a seat on an empty chair next to her. “But that's why we're throwing this party in the first place... it's so you can meet them and get to know them..."
“Have you ever considered the fact that maybe….just maybe, I wanna fall in love with somebody on my own terms?” She was beyond aggravated. It might have been a tradition in this family…but it didn’t feel right for her personally.
King Peppy was stern with his next words.
“The most important thing in a marriage is not to fall in love with your partner... but to love and respect them... if you can feel respect then you will be able to love them... this is not the right time to fall in love... you need to find a partner whom you can respect…does this make sense?”
Poppy was silent to his question, only watching Branch help her tie the corset on the back of her new party dress. She sighed as a mixed feeling of dread washed over her body, she didn’t want things to go this way…respect? This felt more like a business deal, a send-off, not love.
When Branch finished tying Poppy's corset... they stood in front of the mirror together... she looked frustrated... but at the same time, her face showed that she was thinking of something deeper than just anger... Branch was still keeping his mouth shut, but trying to make her feel better with eye contact that only two best friends for years could share.
King Peppy smiles at her, seeing his daughter fully dressed and ready for the ball. She looks at her father with a face that indicates that she's still not happy about this party, but she also knows she can't get out of it... so she just smiles weakly at her father.
“I promise you’ll thank me for this one day…now try to be ready soon, my dear.” King Peppy shined her an encouraging smile before exiting the room.
She watches as her father leaves... turning back to the mirror once again. She is still annoyed and angry but she tries to calm herself a little bit because she knows the party is unavoidable... Branch keeps looking at her reflection. He can tell Poppy is increasingly getting more upset by the minute…but he’s unsure what to say.
“I’m sorry you had to be in the middle of that.” Poppy apologized, giving him a sympathetic look. Branch shrugs... it’s not like she made him join the conversation, so he felt like an outsider looking in more than anything.
“It's okay, it's not your fault... and your father... you know he just cares about you a lot... I guess he just wants what's best for you.”
Poppy couldn’t help but frown at his comment, this was not how this was supposed to go.
“I know…it’s just that…this isn’t how I imagined my happy ending you know? I wanted to be in love…not in-respect.”
Branch was quiet and thought about her words carefully, he had never thought about it for himself either... would it actually be possible for her to find love in this scenario?
He chose his words carefully, trying to comfort a stressed Poppy. “You know... being in love is not the end all be all... and it may sound strange... but being respected sometimes is-“
“It’s like my dad isn’t even hearing me! This is my life and I should be able to choose how I fall in love, if I fall in love, when I fall in love! This is how my mother and him did this but…this isn’t how I envisioned this at all.” Poppy was clearly upset, pacing around the room nervously... she was not even listening to Branch's advice. He was trying to help her, but she was too focused on her own thoughts and it was frustrating him slightly. Branch let out a little sigh, watching her. He kept his eyes on her, still trying to come up with the perfect words to say.
“Poppy...” Branch tried to get her attention again.
“Yes I know I may have made some stupid mistakes in my teen years as a princess, but being a queen, shouldn’t I get a say in how I marry and when? Shouldn’t I get an idea about who I should be ruling with? Im just so infuriated that he wont listen, like he can't hear m-”
"Poppy!" Branch finally snapped, which caught her by surprise. She finally stopped pacing and turned to face him with a startled look. "You need to get yourself together before the party starts..." Branch's tone was more stern than he had realized, though as she stared him in the eyes he saw a look of pure stress and guilt.
“It's not the most ideal situation... But what can we do? Your father will keep insisting that you choose a husband for the kingdom and you can't keep refusing.” He made a good point here, but still.
“I know, I know…I just wish he realized how useless it all makes me feel.” Poppy said with a frown, letting go of the anger and just feeling the sadness come through. She attempted many fake smiles in the mirror, almost as a way of practicing for when she would leave her pod.
Branch's look softened and his ears drooped as he could see the sadness in her eyes. He hated seeing her this way, he just wanted her to be happy. “I get it, and I know this is a hard thing for you to accept, but you can't change the way things are... you need to choose a husband, and the party is the best place to meet your future suitor.”
He watched her struggle. He could see through her fake smiles too, though he was unsure if she knew he could. Though being stern was what she needed, he felt guilty for it, knowing she was unhappy.
"Here..." After a moment of silence, he suddenly spoke up, deciding to stand by her side in support. He stepped towards her, opening his arms to offer her a hug. Poppy felt overwhelmed by the sudden gesture, but she didn't resist as she allowed herself to be hugged by him. Her feelings of sadness and despair slowly began to fade as she felt Branch's warmth surrounding her. Though she was still stressed about the party, she felt at ease with her best friend next to her.
Branch continued to hold her, giving her a small squeeze at the end. Though his tone had been much more stern beforehand, it was as if his words got through to her somehow.
“It's a shitty situation, but you just gotta stay positive, you may end up liking one of these guys... I mean... I'm sure you're getting your pick of the best-looking Princes in the kingdom... and they're likely rich and powerful too... so you could do much worse?” Branch tried encouraging her this way, but in reality, she couldn't care less about any money or powers her suitors possessed.
“I guess we will see, won’t we…maybe he will be hot…or maybe I’ll just be miserable?” Poppy smiled weakly, perhaps there would be some good-looking guy out there. A face she could be ok with seeing, living with, and sleeping with for the rest of her life. The thought of that was downright terrifying and even saying it in her head now gave her anxiety.
"Like I said, you just gotta stay positive..." Branch smiled slightly as he tried to sound sure, but deep down he was worried for her too. He had no idea if her father would force her hand eventually and make her choose a suitor…and if that suitor would even suit her.
“That’s so ironic coming from you, you know that right?” She smirked a bit for the first time today, which was refreshing for him to see.
Branch smirked back at her, shaking his head with a sarcastic smile. “Whatever… let's get going... we're gonna be late for the party.” Branch nudged her playfully as Poppy rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help but smile at Branch's playful attitude. Though she was still stressed out, she was beginning to feel a little bit better with him by her side. She nodded at him and they both began walking to the party, ready for whatever it would throw at them.
~
The duo headed out of her pod and to the party, side by side as they usually did…Poppy looked great thanks to lots of care and preparation. There were a lot of other trolls here, some just here for the fun of it, others for the chance of winning Poppy's heart.
She stood at the top of the stairs nervously chewing on her lip. Branch could read through the act she put on as she held her dress up to make it down the stairs. He stood beside his best friend at the end of the stairwell before she eventually nodded to Branch appreciatively and went off on her own..she had to go mingle with the prince per her father's request…not that she was happy about it, but that's beside the point.
It didn’t take long for a Prince to come up to Poppy and kiss her hand. She seemed flushed and uncomfy but she faked the confidence for her own sake. If she was confident maybe they would feel threatened. Wanna leave? And then she wouldn't have to get married at all, BOOM, problem solved!
Branch notices her anxiety play out on her face and feels bad for her... this is not what she expected or wanted... but he knows that her father has ordered her to look at her suitors.. so he keeps watching the interaction between Poppy and the Prince. He also looks a bit old... the prince looks to be in his 40s and REALLY interested in poppy, gently stroking her hand while talking to poppy. She was not feeling it, whatsoever.
Thankfully Creek stole Poppy away from the creepy prince. Branch wasn't particularly the biggest fan of Creek…at all. But Poppy looked relieved that she was no longer in that situation with the other man.
“Oh thank god Creek…you just got me out of the most awkward situation.” Poppy chuckled with a thankful expression.
Creek took this as his opportunity to speak to Poppy, It had been a while after all. He started dancing with her while having a small conversation. “I could tell that he was... don't worry about it... I don't want you to be stuck with that creep... are you okay now though?"
“I um..yeah I’m ok now.” She smiled at him, he might have been her ex, but Poppy appreciated the gesture.
“That's good... I'm just glad you're feeling more at ease.” Creek took Poppy away in his arms, spinning her around the floor as they danced. Even though she cared for Creek, it was a different kind of caring. He still seemed to have feelings for her, which made her uncomfortable. But she didn't want to make anything awkward
Meanwhile, this situation makes Branch feel kind of uncomfortable... he's looking at his best friend talking with Creek of all people... but he keeps a brave face and tries to remain calm and collected... Creek seems like he's still interested in going after Poppy, and if he thought it would work in his favor, then he had another thing coming. He knew she wouldn't be going down that road again.
“There are way too many trolls here tonight, you know I'm social but…even this is too much,” Poppy said nervously, looking anywhere but in Creek's eyes as they danced.
“Well, they are all here for you princess. I know you've been wanting to bump into me all night so…here I am.” Creek took this as an opportunity to flirt because of course, he would.
Poppy felt conflicted, Creek didn’t treat her the best in the past when they had dated, but they had a connection once. Would she…god no she wasn't desperate! Or was she? I mean she didn't have much time or from what it seemed like so far, a decent selection of suitors here. What was she even supposed to say? She didn't wanna hurt his feelings either but, she felt rather awkward. So she didn't speak for a moment.
“I miss what we had…don't you?”
Creek leaned in for a kiss... at this point, he was being quite forward and pushing his luck... or maybe he hadn't gotten the hint that Poppy was not interested... or maybe he thought he could change her mind. Creek was playing a dangerous game, and at this point, if he didn't notice that she was starting to get uncomfortable, he was playing it too far.
“Creek!...Creek.” Poppy laughed nervously, the dance between them stopping as she pulled away slightly. “..I..I’m really sorry, but I can’t.”
He was taken aback by this. “Can't what? Poppy, I know you're still not over me..." Creek smiles, but the smile is getting more deranged... He was getting too confident and seemed to be getting increasingly close to Poppy now and could also see that he was about to try and kiss her... AGAIN!
“Don't take this the wrong way Creek, I just, no.” She said honestly, still trying to be the kind princess she was and holding back any unhappy thoughts.
“Do you remember what we had? If it was good before then why can't it be good now? Why won't you just let it happen?” Creek seemed to get a bit annoyed at her hesitance.
“You ruined us, remember?” She surprised herself when blurting this out, it was a feeling deep down that she hadn't managed to say or think until this very moment.
“I know I've made a few mistakes in the past but we were young and I have grown a lot since then... so can't we give this whole thing another shot?”
“Im sorry but that's over. I'm your friend now, nothing more.” Poppy said firmly.
“But Poppy... I just wanna have one kiss... it's not gonna kill you..."
“Leave her alone Creek, she doesn't want to kiss you." Branch says in a voice that's full of annoyance. He must have been watching this entire time. Creek's eyes widen as he looks really surprised that Branch is confronting him like this. So he pulled away from Poppy and stared at Branch. Meanwhile, Poppy's mind was spiraling…god it was like high school all over again.
“This is none of your business, gray troll.” Creek spatted, standing in front of Poppy with a smug expression.
Creek and Branch both stare each other down for a moment... though Branch feels his anger rising... He feels his control slipping away. This is his best friend that Creek is threatening right now. Branch wasn't having it though... his blood was boiling at the sight of Creek still attempting to make a move on Poppy.
“Seriously Creek?… I'm not interested. And don't speak to Branch that way!” Poppy said while moving closer to Branch. She was more upset with Creek's “gray troll” comment than the attempted kiss.
Creek scoffs at this, laughing off her demand. "Oh, I'm not supposed to call him by what he is? So what do you want me to speak to him as if he's not just a gray troll?!" Branch just stares at Creek, his eyes narrowing... the grip he held onto at the end of his vest tightening... he's about to lose control in this moment. Creek's smirk turned to a frown... he was still mocking a bit, but it had started to get under his skin. He knew that Branch was about to snap.
"Look Gray, she and I were together before. She wanted me before. If I really put my mind to it, I'm sure I could get her to fall for me again." Creek says, clearly not noticing that he is pushing Branch's buttons.
Branch's hands begin to shake as the anger wells up inside of him. He grips his fist tightly, fighting a losing battle not to just lunge for Creek's throat. He grits his teeth as he stands up. "If you don't back away from her right now, I'll make sure you regret it." the anger was dripping with his words.
Creek stares him in the eye, his smirk still plastered on his face. "Or what?" Creek taunts him, getting way too close for Branche's liking. He was definitely pushing his buttons on purpose now.
“Guys…please don’t.” Poppy huffed, trying to pull Branch back.
"Stay out of this Poppy... this is between me and him," Branch says harshly, he seems like he's trying to shield Poppy from Creek by keeping her close. He keeps Creek in his gaze, his eyes wide as he is still gripping his fist tightly.
Creek raises an eyebrow at Branch, still taunting him. “Come on, you think I’m scared of you? You’re a freak.” He keeps pushing buttons which causes Branch to shake a little bit. He seems like he truly wanted to do something, to lash out at Creek.
“What is the meaning of all this?” King Peppy said roughly, catching both trolls off-guard. Every troll is watching in shocked silence as the king speaks up in front of everyone... the guests are all surprised by what the king has to say... the king looks really angry... he's staring straight at Branch and Creek who were making a big scene. Creek and Branch both freeze at the sound of the King's voice, looking over towards him as the shock of the moment finally hits them both. Creek glances at Branch as if to gauge whether Branch would say something or not... but he remains silent, his anger finally fading away at the sight of the King. Branch spoke up eventually since neither of the other two did.
“Creek was making Poppy feel uncomfortable, sir. I wasn't gonna stand for that.” A small murmur of whispers echo the room at the sound of Branch's response. The King's looks remain a tight frown, clearly not enjoying the situation at hand.
“I did nothing of the sort, we were having our own conversation.” Creeks said defensively. This led to Branch and Creek arguing again until King Peppy cleared his throat.
“I said, enough. Poppy…continue with the rest of your suitors. And Creek, you can give my daughter some space for now, thank you.” King Peppy said roughly, gaining a weak and shaky “yes sir”, from Creek. Creek gave Poppy a sad look while walking away.
Creek’s look hurt her, but this was the best for her… even if she did feel guilty. Creek had hurt her before and he was likely to do it again if he was given the chance. So her heart hurt a little, but she knew this was for the best… she knew she was doing the right thing. And she was also glad it was over and that Creek was gone, for now.
Branch watched as Creek left, his eyes shifting back to Poppy to make sure she was okay. “Are you ok?” he asks softly.
“Don’t worry about me. I’m a strong princess, I don’t need to be protected.” Poppy said, feeling her control of this situation slip more and more by the minute.
"That's not what I was asking,” Branch says softly. He can't help but feel a little proud of her for being able to stand up for herself. "I'm just letting you know I have your back."
"I know you do," Poppy says with a small smile, she can't help but get a little embarrassed from all the attention they have drawn. Now the room is filled with whispering... everyone was talking about what happened and Poppy just can't help but feel a bit uneasy, after everything that just happened.
"Princess!" A voice calls out from across the room. She looks over to see a prince waiting for her. "My turn." She gulped a little bit, her father was watching from afar and she knew that it was important to try and make a good impression. She was starting to feel overwhelmed with all the attention... the entire room was staring at her at this point as the prince waited for her to come near, what other choice did she have?
At some point, The Pop Princess was starting to feel exhausted after dancing for hours on end. She began to feel stressed out as the whole room was watching her, judging her with every man that she danced with. She was starting to feel trapped, like this was no longer worth it and she just needed to leave, needed to get away while her father wasn't looking.
~
Poppy was thankful that she was able to sneak away and finally find some time for herself, the library was one of the quieter rooms, with so many books and so little noise. Even though she was still feeling exhausted, she was happy to have a moment to sit down in peace. But then her thoughts came flooding back to her... the suitors... Creek... her father's order... the entire thing seemed hopeless. She started to stress out again and felt like she wanted to leave the palace entirely. But she knew what she needed to do to become queen. it’s the same thing her mother had to do before she passed. She sunk to the floor, feeling exhausted by everything going on... her head started to sink into her hands as she tried to deal with the flood of emotions... it was all too much to deal with. At least she could have some peace in this situation, well that was before she heard a soft knock at the door.
“Please go away, whoever it is.” Poppy said, not wanting to see anybody.
She heard the double tap on the door... she wanted to pretend he could not hear her... but it was Branch. She wanted to just not respond and continue to sit alone, but she knew he wouldn't just leave. So Poppy sighed and looked up again, waiting for the door to open.
"Are you alright?" he says, his face concerned as he enters the room. He wanted to check on her and make sure she was okay after everything that had happened
“Branch this is honestly difficult for me…I can’t have my life be this way…with snotty creepy perverted princes who only want me as a vessel of royalty and to have their child!”
All of her thoughts were coming out at once, and her words just spilled out in an unorganized mess...
Branch felt his heart sink... he had a sinking feeling that when he entered the room this was how he would find Poppy. So he quickly rushes over to her... his hands wrapping around her shoulders to try and comfort her. "I know... I know... I know this isn't easy at all... but we need to push through it. It's for the kingdom." Branch was trying to find his words... it was obvious how much this was hurting her. She was struggling to breathe..it was like she was having a panic attack and he had never seen her have one of these, at least not this bad.
"Deep breaths," Branch says softly, rubbing her back. "Just focus on my voice and breathe slowly. It's okay..." There was nothing he could say or do to make this easier for her... he just needed to be by her side and make her know she wasn't alone despite how hard this all was. He helps her regulate her breathing and after a while, she finally starts to calm down. She's still sniffling but she's not sobbing anymore.
"Better?" Branch says softly, his grip on her shoulders loosens as he looks into her eyes to try and see how she's feeling. She still had tears in her eyes, but she was able to finally get it under control. He wanted so much to just wipe the tears off her cheeks, but he knew this wasn't the time.
“Not better…my life is fucked.” She frowned.
"Your life is not fucked…” He paused, maybe he needed to try and be positive for her again? “There are still so many suitors who haven’t gotten the chance to dance with you yet!" Branch says softly, he’s trying to convince himself just as much as he’s trying to convince her. There has to be at least someone decent enough for her.
She was upset and stood up. “You don’t get it.”
"Try me," he says softly, his expression shifting. He's starting to realize that he doesn't quite get it like he thought he did. He thought he could comfort her just by assuring her that all the suitors couldn't be like that. But her feelings are running deep.
“I don’t wanna be married at all..not right now..and not like this.”
“Well, why don't you just delay the wedding process then? Why don't you just take your time with this?"
“Because I don’t have a choice!” Poppy said, unsure of what the real-time limit here was.
"What do you mean you don't have a choice? does your father just expect you to get married immediately?"
“We need to talk, right now…about your behavior.” King Peppy suddenly enters his expression a mixture of anger and concern. He stares at Poppy with a glare, expecting her to have a reason for sneaking away like this.
“My behavior?” Poppy couldn’t help but chuckle at his tone, while upset in the same breath. “I went to your party, I danced, and I did it all to make you happy! I absolutely hated this!”
King Peppy stares her down for a moment before finally speaking. "I understand that, but my decision is final. Do you understand that? You are going to get married. You will pick a suitor. Do you genuinely understand how difficult it would be to rule this kingdom alone? How difficult it’s been for me?”
“I don’t wanna be alone, but I wanna get married on my terms, my own time!” Poppy protested, putting her foot down, literally.
King Peppy sighs... he wasn't used to her being this defiant. "You don't have a choice in this matter, you will marry by the end of the month and that's final." King Peppy was getting frustrated with her already... she was pushing back more than he expected her to.
“But... but-“Poppy started saying something back to King Peppy... but her words were cut off by the sharp look King Peppy flashed her.
"I'm not here to argue. You will follow my orders, is that clear?" the King said in a firm tone.
“This isn’t fair, a month? A month is not enough time!” She felt tears welling in her eyes.
King Peppy sighs, feeling a twinge of guilt now as he hears her words. "We need to get this wedding over with... do you understand? You can't be making me look bad to my people."
“Fine, look good for your people, be the king you think they deserve. You may be a good king but you're a terrible father.” She said standing up and leaving Branch and King Peppy behind.
"Poppy... wait-" Branch calls after her, but she ignores him and storms out of the room. King Peppy sighs and just stares at Branch, still feeling a tinge of guilt for his words. He looks at him now.
"You should probably go after her."
Branch doesn't answer the King, he knows what he has to do. After a few seconds, he leaves the room as quickly as he can. The King watches him leave and then sits down on one of the library chairs, he rubs his forehead and sighs... he would have to find another way to convince her.