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Chapter Text

A little bit of magic.

Chapter one:

Creek had never seen a troll like this in his whole life and he knew from the expression of surprise on the face of Poppy that she had not either. The troll standing before them staring at them with wide eyed concern had grey skin and black hair, his ears were longer and finer pointed then theirs and there were a pair of grey and black wings which looked almost like those of the dragonfly on his back. “Hi there.” Poppy said softly trying not to frighten this winged troll any further than he already was. “Are you a fairy troll?” The princess asked him as gently as possible.

He gave her a nod in answer to this, while his wings fluttered nervously behind him and then the grey troll said to her. “I am a fairy troll.”

The pink troll gave him a wide smile saying to him reassuringly as she did so. “We won’t hurt you. I am Poppy and this is my brother Creek.”

“I am Branch.” He said in turn, was watching them closely as he said this, clearly taking the time to look at the pink troll and purple troll with no wings standing in front of him.

“I’ve never seen a fairy troll before.” Creek admitted his voice soft with awe as he stared at the other male troll taking in every detail of him while he was able to and finding himself utterly enchanted by the other male.

The grey troll smiled slightly and then said softly to him. “I’ll admit that I’ve never seen a bright troll before either.”

“Is that what your people call us?” Poppy asked rather thrilled by the idea that they were called something so nice by the fairy trolls.

Branch confirmed this by simply saying to her. “Yes.”

Creek was very curious about this rather handsome stranger. “Do fairy trolls really have magic?”

“Yes, Creek we all have magic some more powerful than others…Mine is not as powerful as some other fairy trolls though.” Branch said this last part because he was keen to make sure that they knew that his power was not very strong, he did this in the hopes that they then wouldn’t ask him to perform magic for them unless they really needed him too.

“Are all fairy trolls grey?” Poppy asked moving a little closer to him as she did so, being careful not to fight the fairy troll.

“No…I’m cursed…It happened a long time ago.” Branch admitted with a careless shrug, trying to hold down the negative feelings and the bad memories which welled up inside him every time he spoke of his curse.

Creek frowned at the other male troll, being cursed didn’t sound like a good thing and so he said to him as he also came closer to the other troll. “That sounds very nasty.”

Branch let out a deep sigh as he realised that the purple troll could see right through him, the grey fairy then spoke to the prince of the bright trolls. “It is rather nasty yes, but I’ve grown used to it…More than likely I will always be like this.”

“Why will you be like this always, is there no cure to the curse?” Poppy asked feeling sympathy for this troll as she asked the other troll question.

The head of the grey troll went to one side, as he considered how to answer this question from the pink troll in a way a none magical troll would understand. “There is a cure to my curse, but getting it right is rather complicated.”

“Can’t you tell us the way to get rid of the curse?” Creek asked him softly feeling compassion for him filling him.

Branch shook his head and then answered the question with a touch of sadness to his voice. “The magic of the curse won’t let me…I can’t even tell any troll who did this to me.”

“Wow I am glad I’ve never been cursed then.” Creek said with clear relief in his voice as he spoke to the fairy troll.

The grey troll gave him a small smile and said in a dry honest voice. “I can’t say I blame you for that feeling, trust me being cursed is a real pain.”

These words drew a chuckle from both trolls. “Are you alone?” Poppy asked him looking around curiously to see if any other fairies were going to come out of the undergrowth and join him.

“If you mean do I have family then yes, I have my sister and father. If you mean am I out here on my own then the answer to that is also yes, but I will have to go back to the party I snuck away from soon or I will be in trouble with my family.” Branch told her smiling more widely than he ever had before now, he found himself rather liking both these clearly curious but friendly trolls.

As soon as the other troll said he would have to go back soon, Creek found himself wanting to see him again and so he quickly asked him. “Could we meet you again?”

The teal eyes of the grey troll came to rest on the prince, he had to stop himself gasping, Branch had the brightest and most amazing eyes which Creek had ever seen and they spoke to him of an amazing soul hiding under the grey colouring he now had instead of the one he was born with. “I would very much like to meet you again. May I bring my sister to meet you both next time?”

“That would be wonderful!” Poppy said with a grin for the other troll excited to meet another fairy troll, while Creek nodded as she spoke to him.

The grey troll was glad that the princess and prince were happy to meet his sister and then asked the pink troll softly. “When shall we all meet up again then?”

“What do you say tomorrow at lunch time?” Creek asked Branch finding himself eager to see the fairy again troll as soon as was possible.

Branch gave him a nod then said to the purple troll. “That sounds good to me.”
Poppy grinned at the grey fairy again and said enthusiastically. “Good tomorrow, lunch time it is then.”

With a nod to them the fairy troll slipped away into the forest in order to head back to his family and the party which he had escaped. As Branch made his way back he found himself feeling glad he had met those two trolls, the prince had been rather attractive and for the first time in a long time he had felt himself being attracted to another troll. The grey fairy was aware that Creek wasn’t a fairy troll which might cause some issues with the other fairy trolls, but on another level Branch didn’t care, if he could come to love Creek and win his heart in turn he would consider himself blessed. The fairy troll also found himself hoping that maybe, just maybe Creek might be the troll who would could break his curse at long last.

Creek watched Branch go until he could no longer see him anymore, the fairy troll had stirred his heart inside him something which hadn’t happened in a long time and this was a fact which made the purple troll smile to himself. When he looked away from the direction in which the fairy troll had vanished he found his sister watching him closely. Poppy grinned widely at her brother as he looked at her, before saying to him. “I’ve not seen you look at a troll in that way since Guy Diamond and you broke up.”

“Poppy don’t go jumping to conclusions or trying to match make! I know you mean well, but it usually never ends well.” Creek said in a firm voice glaring at his sister.

The pink troll held both hands up towards her brother in a gesture of surrender as she said to him. “I promise that I won’t interfere in things. I am just happy to see you taking an interest in another troll at long last.”

“Yes well, it’s still new so don’t go planning any weddings yet.” Creek warned his sister as he turned and started to make his way back to the troll tree.

Poppy took the hint, she said no more about their meeting with the fairy troll, instead she followed her brother home trying to hide the smile on her face from all the other trolls. The princess didn’t want any of them to know about Branch yet, she wanted to give her brother and the other male troll time to get to know each other and maybe fall in love. Poppy knew she shouldn’t meddle, so instead the pink troll decided to hope that things would go well for them and that she would try to make sure that Branch and Creek spent as much time alone together as was possible in order to help them form a romantic relationship.

The princess really did hope that her brother would fall in love with the grey troll she felt it would do him the world of good to fall in love with another troll after his relationship with Guy ended so badly. This had been one of the few times that Poppy had lost her temper with another troll, she had hit both Diamond and Biggie. It had taken the pink troll months to forgive them both for starting to date behind her brothers back and even now Poppy still wasn’t completely happy with what they had done to Creek.

As he made his way home the purple troll was lost in thoughts of Branch he knew his sister was right this other troll had intrigued him, the fairy troll was very handsome and he had also been very kind towards him. Creek had to admit that he was really looking forwards to seeing the grey troll again, he had to wonder if there might be a way for him to get Branch alone so he could get to know the handsome male troll better. There was so much which intrigued the prince about the fairy troll, so much he wanted to ask Branch as well as lot he wanted to learn about both him and his people. Creek hoped that Poppy would keep their meeting with the fairy troll to herself, as worry that she wouldn’t made its way through the princess Creek turned to his sister and said to Poppy. “You won’t tell any troll about Branch will you?”

Hearing the concern in her brother’s voice Poppy instantly sought to reassure him, so she shook her head at Creek and said to him. “No, not yet maybe when he knows us and trust us better, but for now I thought it would be better to keep meeting a fairy troll between us.”

“Good I am glad to hear that.” Creek said feeling very relived when his sister said this to him, he smiled to himself and then turned his thoughts towards to seeing Branch again tomorrow.

Chapter Text

Chapter two:

When Branch reached the party he had snuck away from earlier in the day, the prince stopped at the edge of the forest clearing, he watched wistfully as the colourful fairy trolls danced together in ornate knots glowing with magic and bright with colour. The grey fairy troll sighed, he hated parties, hardly any troll ever asked him to dance, he usually spent the most of evening standing at one side of the dancefloor alone and bored out of his mind. Slowly Branch walked over to Suki standing by the side of the dancing, he could see that his sister was looking for him and hoped only she had noticed he had been away from the party, he didn’t need another lecture from his father about his responsibilities as the high prince of the fairies and one day high King of the fairy trolls. When the grey fairy troll reached the side of his sister at last he said to her softly. “Hello sister were you looking for me?”

Suki jumped in surprise as her brother asked her this question from behind her, the bright red pink fairy troll quickly turned around, she glared at her brother and placed her hands onto her hips as she asked him with anger clear in her voice as she did so. “Did you have to sneak up on me like that?”

Branch shrugged at her and said unapologetically to the female fairy troll. “You know I can’t help being good at sneaking around it’s one of the only reasons that I’m still alive because of my weak magic.”

The orange haired fairy troll let out a sigh and softened her stance towards her older brother, she knew he was right. “Sorry, I know your right. I’m sorry for being angry with you. Did you wander off somewhere?”

“I went for a little walk in the forest nearby that’s all. I needed to get away from all of this just for a little while…Did father notice I was gone?” Branch asked her in a soft but worried voice.

Suki shook her head at her brother, as she heard the worry in his voice the princess sought to reassure him Suki said to him gently. “No father didn’t notice. I can’t say I don’t understand why you wanted to get away from all this, no troll at these events ever asks you to dance accept me and our cousin or our uncle. Did you see anything interesting while you were out in the forest on your walk?”

When the hot pink troll mentioned their cousin Onyx and uncle Oak, it made Branch think about his uncle which made his skin crawl as it always did and hate build up inside him when he thought of their uncle. There were a few reasons for Branch’s hatred for the older male fairy troll, there was the fact that he was always touching him in ways he didn’t like in the slightest and trying to kiss him. The worst part of it all was that uncle Oak was the one who was behind his curse which made Branch hate him all the more. The grey fairy troll knew all of the things which his uncle wanted from him in exchange for breaking his curse on him, because Oak had told him them at the time of his cursing, but the grey fairy troll refused to give him anything that he wanted from him and so Branch remained cursed.

As the grey troll noticed the bright green hair of Oak coming his way he through the fairy trolls at the party muttered to Suki. “I’ll tell you later, lets dance so I can avoid Oak.”

Suki gave him a nod, she didn’t understand why her brother didn’t like their uncle as he was always very nice to her, but Suki accepted that it was just one of those things she would never understand about her brother and so she went out onto the dancefloor with her brother. The siblings danced well together, they drew admiring looks, though most of them were directed at the beautiful Suki rather than her grey cursed brother. When the music they were dancing to finished, the brother and sister left the dancefloor side by side, Branch had to hold back a groan as he noticed their cousin and uncle waiting for them at the edge of the dancefloor. Onyx was a really nice troll and the prince felt that it was a shame he was Oak’s son as Branch felt sure they could have been good friends without his father’s interference. As Suki and Branch came to a halt before them, the two male trolls politely bowed to the princess and prince of all the fairy trolls. “Oak, Onyx it is good to see you both.” Branch said courteously but coolly in greeting to them.

“It is good to see you both too.” Oak said in return smiling slightly at Suki and very widely at the grey prince.

Onyx smiled at Suki, held a hand out to her as he asked the princess. “Would you do me the honour of dancing with me cousin?”

“Of course!” The hot pink troll said happy to dance with the green skinned and purple haired troll.

As they glided off onto the dancefloor Oak watched them go smiling and then turned his attention to his nephew asking him in a low but commanding voice. “May I have a word with you?”

“No you may not.” Branch said giving him a glare and trying to walk away from him.

Oak grabbed the prince’s arm in a tight grip and squeezed it hard saying to him. “We will talk or I will tell your father you left the party again.”

Not wanting any trouble with his father Branch reluctantly went with his uncle, once the older troll was sure they were out of sight he pinned the grey fairy troll to a tree and held him there. “So, are you ready to give me what I want from you yet nephew?”

“I’m never going to give you what you want from me! Let me go.” Branch told him firmly while anger boiled up in him and he tried to push Oak away from him.

The older fairy troll used his stronger magic to hold the prince’s wrists against the tree, he cupped the face of his nephew stroking over his cheeks. “Come on now Branch, no other fairy troll is going to ever want you while you are grey like this.”

As Oak touched him the grey fairy troll felt his skin crawl again, he hated being touched like this by his uncle, at the same time thought Branch was glad that so far his uncle wasn’t doing more than just touching him like this in this encounter between them. The prince felt sure this was just because Oak was worried he might get caught doing something which he wouldn’t be able to explain his way out of if they were found by other fairy trolls. “Stop touching me!” Branch hissed at him unable to get away from the troll which his uncle was pinning him to.

“Oh no I am not going to stop, sooner or later you’ll have to give in and let me have you.” As he said this Oak made an attempt to kiss the grey fairy troll, but as soon as the older troll tried this Branch turned his head away from him sharply.

“I promise you if you try kissing me I will make you regret it.” The prince promised him his voice filled with anger and disgust at his uncle’s actions towards him as he always was.

The older green haired troll grinned at the other male fairy troll and said to him. “Aw Branch, you know you want me, just like I do you. There is no reason to hide it.” He gently kissed the cheek of the prince and stroked his hands along the arms of the grey troll which were still pinned to the tree with Oak’s magic.

“I do not want you and I will never want you in any shape way or form, in fact I hate you! You are a disgusting and perverted old troll as far as I am concerned.” Branch told him turning his head to glare at his uncle.

Oak quickly grabbed his lips with his, as soon as the older troll did this the grey troll brought his knee up aiming for a sensitive part in order to get him to stop kissing him. The green skinned troll let out a huff of surprise, he stumbled back away from the prince, his magic releasing the arms of Branch as he fell to the ground hissing in pain from this unexpected attack on the part of the grey fairy troll. “Next time you try to kiss me I will do a whole lot more than just hit you were it matters!” The grey fairy troll promised the older troll with sincerity before he pushed away from the tree and then turned away to go back to the party.

“You can hit me as much as you want Branch, but sooner or later you’ll give in to me and give me what we want, you’ll have no choice after all because we both know no troll will ever break your curse.” The green fairy troll said in a matter of fact tone of voice to the prince.

Branch looked back at him, his face had a disgusted expression on it and he said to his uncle with nothing but honesty. “I would rather stay grey for the rest of my life than give you anything you want, you old pervert!” After he said this the grey troll made his way back to the party, Branch found a quiet spot at the side of the dancefloor to watch the other fairy trolls as they danced.

The grey troll was well aware of the moment when his father came to stand at his side a few moments later, but he said nothing to him, instead Branch waited for him to say something to him and eventually the king said softly to his son. “I saw you leave with Oak a while ago is everything alright my son?”

“Oh yes father everything is fine, uncle and I we were just talking.” Branch said smoothly not wanting to trouble his father with what had been happening between them out in the forest.

“He is a good troll Branch.” The bright blue skinned and orange haired king troll said encouragingly to his son wanting to get him to talk about what had happened between them while they had been gone.

The prince wrinkled his nose at the high King of the fairies, it was clear to Branch that his father was trying to find out if something was going on between them and so said to him gently. “Yes he is a good troll father, I trust his advice and that is all I see him as an advisor and a member of our family nothing more.”

As soon as Branch said this the high King of the fairies relaxed next to his son, Sage had noticed his brothers unhealthy interest in his son and he had been concerned about it for some time now. The King felt he already had enough to worry about with his son being cursed without his single minded younger brother trying to force Branch into some sort of relationship which his son clearly would never want. Gently Sage lay a hand onto the arm of his son, surprised by this the grey troll turned a wide teal blue eyed gaze onto him, as this happened shame made it’s way through the King, he knew he had been distant from his son and pushing him a lot since the death of his wife a year ago Rosemary, but Sage hadn’t realised the damage that this had been doing to their relationship until this moment. “I hope you know if something was happening between you that you didn’t like, you could come to me and talk about it.”

Quickly the prince looked away from his father, this reaction to his words sent a dagger point of pain into the heart of the King. Sage knew right then and there that there something was wrong with his son, something had been done to Branch or was being done to him that he didn’t like and he’d been keeping it from him because of the distance which had built up between them. “Branch, my son please…What is wrong?”

The grey fairy troll moved away from his father saying to him angrily. “Why would you care? All you ever do is criticise me, absolutely nothing I do is ever right or good enough for you father.”

Sage swallowed hard, the word father was said by his son so coldly and without emotion that he felt sure he should have been frozen to the spot by it. The blue troll could see the anger and the pain in his son, he’d been so involved in his own pain at the loss of his wife and making sure that Branch would be ready to take over from him when the time came, that he hadn’t stopped to consider the fact that his son might be in pain and need support as well as time to mourn the loss of his mother as well as himself. “I’m sorry…I’m really sorry Branch, I’ve been unnecessarily hard on you since your mother died…I just wanted you to be ready in case I died suddenly like your mother…I realise now though you needed my love and support while you mourned your mother, the three of us should have mourned her together not apart as we did.”

Branch glared at him before saying to his father in a strong steady voice. “I was not alone when I went through mourning the loss of my mother, I had Suki and she had me, we did just fine without you father. What makes you think now you’re though wallowing in your self-pity that I want anything to do with you anymore or that I would want to be close to you again like we were before mother died? I go to Suki when I have problems now, you’d be the last troll I would ever talk to about anything anymore father.” After he said this the prince turned his back on his father intending to walk away. Sage caught hold of Branch’s arm, for a few moments they stood frozen like this, then slowly the grey fairy troll looked over his shoulder at his father and ask coldly. “What is it father?”

“I’m sorry Branch I really am for all of it.” Sage told him he meant this words, the King felt as though there were a gapping whole between himself and his son and he hoped that maybe somehow or someway he could start to close the gap which now stood between them.

The prince shrugged at his father as he said to him. “So your sorry, what do you want from me father my automatic forgiveness? Because if that is what you want from me, then I don’t think I can give it to you. If you’ll forgive me father I am going back to the royal pod for the night.”

Sage went to object to Branch going home, but he stopped himself from doing this, instead he gave his son a nod and said softly. “Very well my son, sleep well.”

Quietly and quickly Branch made his way back to the royal pod, this was a pod which was coloured with all the colours of the rainbow glowing with a soft light. As soon as he was inside, the grey troll leant against one of the walls of his home and then Branch let out a noise of pure frustration. The grey troll felt very dirty after being touched by his uncle, he decided that before bed he would have a wash, the prince got his bed clothes, towels, poured some scented oils into the bath and then ran the bath. When it was ready the grey troll shed his clothes, he got into the bath, as Branch lay in the tub he let his mind wander back over the day and things which were to come. Meeting Creek had been wonderful and given him hope something he was determined to hold on and he was very much looking forwards to seeing the other troll tomorrow. The grey troll was also aware that in a weeks’ time he would have to choose his head body guard and the five other body guards, these were a much sought after positions, this was because of how close they were to the royal family, they were protectors, friends and confidants, they had the ear of the royal family and in the case of Branch these trolls would be close to the troll who would one day be King. The grey fairy troll prince already had some ideas on those trolls he would choose to be his body guards for the rest of his life or until they could no longer perform the office any more.

Chapter Text

Chapter three:

When Suki came home from the ball she made her way directly to her brother’s room, she was curious to find out what it was that Branch had seen while he had been away from the ball. The princess knocked on the door to her brother’s room, a few moments later the door opened and Branch smiled at her before saying to Suki. “Hello sister come on in, did you enjoy the ball?”

The red pink fairy troll came into her brother’s room, they sat down on the bed together and answered her brothers question with clear happiness in her voice. “I did enjoy the ball. So will you tell me what happened to you while you were out in the forest?” She asked this question with clear interest.

“I met two bright trolls, a brother and sister named Creek and Poppy, they were really nice, I am going to meet them tomorrow at lunch time. They would very much like to meet you…Will you come with me to meet them?” Branch asked her hopefully a slight deep grey blush colouring the cheeks of the grey troll as he spoke about the two trolls he had met.

Suki noticed the blush instantly, she felt hope waking inside her that maybe one of these two trolls had caught the attention and romantic interest of Branch and so she said to her brother reassuringly. “I’d like to meet them…I noticed you and father talking at the party are you alright?”

The grey fairy let out a deep sigh as he heard the concern in his sister’s voice and sought to reassure Suki as best as he could. “Father apologised to me…He wants to make things right between us, but I find it hard to forgive and forget…I know he loved mother, but so did we. I find it hard to forgive him for the way he behaved towards both of us.”

Suki put an arm around her brother and said softly. “He has been much harder on you than he has been on me since our mother died…Which was not fair of father in the slightest.”

Branch gave her a small smile. “I am just glad that I was the target of his anger, I couldn’t have born it if father had hurt you.”

“Oh Branch.” The orange haired princess whispered softly touched by the way her older brother wanted to as always protect her from any kind of harm. “You carry far too much weight for such a young fairy troll.”

“We both do…I am so very glad I have you my sister.” The grey prince admitted his voice soft, he lay a gentle kiss onto the cheek of his sister.

Suki returned this gesture after she did this the princess spoke to her brother. “And I am glad I have you. You were and are my pillar of strength big brother.” The two siblings smiled at each other and then hugged after a few moments Suki asked Branch. “Do you think you will ever be able to forgive our father for abandoning us after mother died?”

“I don’t know…What about you sister have you forgiven him yet?” The grey prince asked her softly.

The hot pink fairy troll shook her head. “No…He hasn’t even tried to apologise to me yet…I think I remind him to much of mother.”

Branch hugged Suki again before saying to her. “Oh Suki I’m sorry. If father can’t see you for yourself then he is a fool…There is something I want to tell you…Something I have wanted to tell you for some time now but have been afraid to tell you…”

As he said this the princess instantly noticed the worry in the voice of her brother and concern filled her. “What is it?”

Branch answered this question softly. “It’s uncle Oak…You have always wondered why I dislike him so I’ll tell you he has been perusing me in a romantic way…He wants me for his own and I hate him.”

Suki was absolutely shocked by this confession from her brother, but now at least she now knew why Branch disliked Oak so much and knowing what she did now the princess couldn’t blame him for feeling this way. Her thoughts drifted back to the ball, Suki remembered that their uncle had taken her brother to one side after she had gone onto the dancefloor with Onyx and she suddenly felt horror go through her causing Suki to ask him with great concern. “Did something happen when I went to dance with Onyx?”

Branch nodded before he whispered to his sister. “Yes he did.”

The horror inside the princess grew, she took hold of the shoulders of her brother and looked into his eyes asking him as she did so. “Did Oak try to do something to you?”

“Yes…He pinned me to a tree with magic and tried to kiss me…But I got myself free.” As Branch told his sister this he felt disgust crawl over his skin because he was remembering Oak touching him and the grey troll couldn’t stop himself from shuddering.

“Is this the first time our uncle has done this to you?” Suki asked him as gently as possible aware of the fact that her brother was finding this hard to talk about even to her. The grey fairy troll shook his head at his sister in answer to this question, the princess felt terrible for her brother, she couldn’t believe she had thought that Oak was a good troll for such a long time. Gently the hot pink fairy troll asked her brother. “Has he been doing this for a long time?” Branch gave his sister a sad nod, Suki couldn’t find any words to say all she wanted to her brother, instead she hugged him close, the princess decided to suggest something to Branch and so she then addressed him once more. “You should tell father about this.”

The grey troll prince let out a deep sigh and said to her. “I can’t…I don’t know how to tell him and I don’t feel I can talk to father about this kind of thing anymore and you know that Suki.”

“I know, but maybe if you talk to him about what has been happening, then father can get uncle Oak to stop what he is doing to you.” The princess said reasonably to her brother.

Branch shook his head at his sister. “No…We both know that more than likely father will just think what happened is my fault or uncle will convince him that I am either lying or blowing things out of proportion.”

Suki sighed she knew that her brother was likely to be right about their father’s reaction if Branch made such a confession to him, the hot pink troll decided to say no more on this subject anymore and so instead the princess said to her brother. “We should get some sleep if we are to meet the bright trolls tomorrow.”

“You are right we should.” Branch said in agreement.

Slowly Suki got up, she smiled down at the prince saying to him gently. “If uncle does anything again tell me?”

The grey troll got to his feet, he walked with her to the door of his bedroom, he let his sister and said to her softly. “Of course I will, good night sister.”

“Good night my brother.” Suki turned and walked away down the hallway towards her bedroom and entered it closing the door behind her. Branch went to close his own door and then made his way to bed for the night looking forward to tomorrow and seeing Creek once more.

When Branch woke the next day, he was full of excitement, he hadn’t felt like this for such a long time, this unexpected feeling left the grey fairy prince daring to hope that maybe Creek could be the one who could break his curse at long last, Branch knew that for this to be possible that he would need to risk his heart. The prince wasn’t sure that he was ready to put his heart on the line just yet, instead Branch decided to get to know the male bight troll better. The grey troll put on a simple black shirt and black trousers, he brushed out his black hair, washed his face and then made his way to breakfast. When he got there his father was already there, quietly Branch made himself hot chocolate, then toast, he buttered it and then put black current jam onto the toast and placed it onto a plate. Once he had done this the grey prince carried his hot chocolate and toast into the room, he set his plate of toast and mug of hot chocolate down on the table and then sat down. The King of the fairies looked across the table at his son, Branch quietly ate his toast and jam without looking at his father and Sage felt guilty all over again for his actions towards his son so he tried to reach out to him again. “Branch…”

“Yes father what is it?” The prince asked formally.

“What were you plans for the day?” The King asked hoping that he could maybe spend some time with his son.

Branch answered this question with a cold smile for his father. “This morning I am going out with my sister and staying out with Suki until after lunch until early afternoon. Then when I get back home and until I go to bed I have all of my classes and magic practice, then archery and sword fighting which you insisted I learn because I wasn’t good enough at any of it. This is the same thing which I do every day father and please don’t think about taking my time with my sister away from me I would be very upset if you did that.”

Sage gulped, he found it hard to know that he had consumed so much of his son’s day that Branch clearly had no time for any kind of light hearted fun save in the mornings until just after lunch. “I see…Well I was hoping we could spend some time together today.”

“Why, so you can take me to another council session to show me how little I know or how stupid you think I am? trust me I know how those work now father and I am in fact up to date on all debates.” Branch told him as he finished eating toast.

“No that is not why I wanted to spend time with you. I told you I want to make up for what happened between us and I think us spending some time together would help with that.” Sage told him meeting the gaze of his son with a serious one.

Branch sighed deeply and shrugged at him. “I have no interest in that at this time father.”

Before the green king could say any more Suki came into the room and chirped cheerfully at the pair of them. “Good morning father, brother!”
“Good morning Suki.” They both said in greeting to her.

The princess settled at the table and turned her attention to her brother. “Are we heading out after this Branch?”

“Yes sister we are.” The grey troll confirmed with a nod.

After he said this Suki started to eat her breakfast, Branch mean while took his empty plate and mug into the kitchen and then cleaned them up. A few moments later Sage came into the room, he spoke to his son in a soft but pleading voice saying to him. “Please Branch spend this afternoon with me.”

“I can’t father, if I skip my lessons, by your orders I have to make up for them the next day, with no excuses save if I am sick or hurt.” After he spoke Branch made his way back out of the kitchen, leaving a voiceless Sage behind him and spoke to Suki. “I will meet you in the courtyard down stairs.”

The princess gave her brother a nod, he left the room and made his way down stairs. The high fairy King came back into the main room of the pod and looked at his daughter saying to her. “Do you hate me too?”

Suki shrugged at him and then answered her father’s question. “I have less reason to hate you than Branch does. I am still not happy about what you did or that my brother had to act as my shield from your attacks.” After she said this Suki took her washing up into the kitchen, cleaned it up and then headed out to meet her brother in the castle court yard. Branch was waiting quietly for Suki, his sister came up next to him, she smiled at her brother and then said cheerfully. “Let’s go!” Branch gave the hot pink fairy troll a nod and together they set off into the forest in order to meet the two bright trolls.

Chapter Text

Chapter four:

Branch was utterly thrilled to see that Creek and Poppy were waiting for them in the clearing which the three of them had met in the day before. He found that his eyes were fixed on the purple bright troll and then suddenly there was a mixture of expectation and nerves inside him and Branch felt this had to be a good sign that this could be a troll he could fall in love with. The grey prince walked into the forest clearing with his sister at his side and said in greeting to the two bright trolls. “Hello Poppy and Creek, it is good to see you both again!”

“Hey Branch!” Poppy said cheerfully to him.

Creek smiled softly at the fairy troll, he felt thrilled and glad to see him again and said to Branch. “Hello Branch it is very good to see you again.”

The prince felt joy flood through him as the purple troll told him he was glad to see him again. “This is my sister Suki.”

“Hello, it’s wonderful to meet you both.” Suki told them smiling at Creek and Poppy.

Poppy looked at Suki and felt her heart skip a beat, this fairy troll was beautiful and elegant, her hair was ornately braided and wore a simple long sparkling cream strapless dress. “Umm hi there.” The pink troll blushed brightly as she stumbled over her words.

“It is wonderful to meet you Suki.” Creek said politely.

Branch moved towards the purple troll and pink troll asking as he did so. “So what do you both enjoy doing?”

The purple prince answered this question first because he could see that his sister was still stunned by Suki to answer this question just yet. “I love to read, I meditate and do yoga every day, I enjoy playing the harp and I love to write poetry whenever I get the chance to.”

“Oh you play the harp how wonderful!” Suki enthused and then said to Creek. “My brother also plays the harp.”

The purple troll quickly looked at Branch and asked him. “Really?”

The fairy prince blushed brightly as Suki pointed out his skill with the harp to Creek. “Yes, it is true I play the harp, I started learning when I was very young and yourself?”

“I began to lean to play the harp as a child too. It would be wonderful to play the harp with you some day.” The purple prince troll said with sincerity to Branch.
“I would like that very much.” The grey fairy troll said a small smile appearing on his face as he spoke to Creek.

The two male trolls moved closer together as they started to talk about what music they knew and could play together as a duet. Suki looked at Poppy and smiled at her, before walking up to the side of the pink troll and said to the other female troll. “Those two seem to be getting along well which is pleasing to see.”

The pink princess troll smiled at the female fairy troll. “Yes, as you say it is pleasing to see. I have wished for a long time that my brother would find a troll to love. His last relationship ended very badly with the one he loved betraying him in a terrible way and I wouldn’t want to see him hurt once more.”

Suki looked at the other troll with understanding in her eyes as she said to Poppy. “Oh I see…Be assured that Branch would never hurt some troll knowingly, however my brother has never given his heart before so he is a little inexperienced when it comes to love…I will admit I have looked forward to Branch falling in love for the first time. I hope your brother will be kind to my brother.”

Suki telling her about Branch’s lack of knowledge when it came to love made her realise that she needed to make sure to tell her brother that the grey fairy troll was inexperienced, so that Creek would understand that Branch might not react to things in the same way as more knowledgeable trolls might do. “Creek would never want to hurt another troll because he knows how painful such things can be.”

“Good I am glad to hear that.” Suki said feeling relived by the words of the pink troll, she had to admit that Creek looked like he would be good for her brother and Suki had to admit she was rather intrigued by the beautiful bright troll standing beside her. “So, tell me about yourself Poppy, what are your past times?”

“I love to sing and dance, I scrap book all the time and adore glitter!” The pink troll told the fairy troll and then asked her in her own turn. “What about you what do you enjoy doing?”

“Oh I enjoy composing music, I also create jewellery and I also enjoy dancing.” Suki told her with a smile on her face.

“Would you consider composing me a song?” Poppy asked with interest.

The hot pink fairy troll was instantly intrigued by this and so asked her. “I’d be honoured. What would you like the song to be about?”

This question from the other female troll caused the pink troll to be quiet in thought for some time and eventually Poppy said to Suki. “I would like it to be about how wonderful first love can be.”

“I think I can manage that. Is this for a troll you are considering wooing?” The fairy troll princess asked her feeling a cold dread settling in her tummy that Poppy might say yes to this question.

The pink bright troll chuckled and shook her head. “No…At least not just yet. I just want to have something ready for when I find that troll if that makes sense.”
“It makes a lot of sense to me.” Suki tells her with a smile.

Poppy lets out a relived breath. “I am glad that you don’t think my request is to strange.”

The hot pink troll shook her head at the other female troll as she said. “Oh not it’s not that unusual at all to me, because singing and music is part of wooing for fairy trolls.”

“I had no idea that was the case.” The pink troll said carefully squirreling this nugget of information away.

“Yes indeed, music, song and dance are important to us.” Suki told her with a smile.

“That’s the same for us!” Poppy told the princess with great enthusiasm.

The fairy troll smiled widely she felt happy to have found some common ground between them. “It is good to know we share that.” Suki looked over towards her brother and Creek they seemed to be lost in a deep conversation and the hot pink troll wondered what it was they were discussing together so earnestly.

Branch was sitting on a rock next to Creek, he liked being close to this other male troll like this, as Creek made him feel content, safe and warm inside, the grey troll thought that this was a good sign for their growing relationship. “I am very glad we met yesterday.” Creek said interrupting the thoughts of the fairy prince.
The grey troll smiled at the purple troll. “I am happy about it too. I look forward to being able to get to know you more over time.”

These words from Branch utterly thrilled Creek, because he had been feeling the same way about the other male troll. The purple prince gently lay a hand on top of one of those of the grey troll and Creek said to him in a soft voice. “I want to get to know you too Branch, you are a very special troll and I am not saying that just because you are a fairy troll.”

The grey prince blushed when the purple troll said this to him. “Thank you, Creek it means a lot to me to be seen by you as special and not just because I am a fairy troll.”

Creek longed to ask Branch if he was single but the purple troll felt that it was a little too soon in their relationship to ask him this question and so Creek instead said to the other male troll. “So you said you only have your father left…”

The grey fairy troll nodded and said with clear pain in his voice. “Yes my mother died three years ago of a sudden illness. It hit us all very hard.”

“I’m so sorry.” Creek said softly and squeezed Branch’s hand in his offering the other troll comfort. “I know how hard it is to lose a parent, my father died five years ago…He had been ill for some while…So we were expecting it in some way, but that doesn’t make it easier.”

The fairy prince squeezed the hand of the purple troll as he had done to him as he said gently to Creek. “Losing a parent is never easy.”

The purple bright troll gave him a god of agreement as he spoke to Branch. “I am glad I had my mother and sister to help me through the loss of my father.”

Branch wondered if he should tell Creek what had happened after his mother had died, after a few moments of thought the prince decided that since the other troll had trust him with his hurt he would trust Creek with his pain in return. “My father was so involved in his own loss and became so critical of me, that I and my sister were left to support each other.”

“That sounds terrible…I couldn’t imagine being treated like that on top of loosing my father.” The purple prince confesses looking at him with compassion in his eyes.
Branch gives him a sad smile as he said to the other male troll. “It wasn’t easy for me…I won’t lie about that, I was and am just glad I took the brunt of my fathers anger rather than Suki.”

Creek gave the grey fairy prince a nod. “Yes I can understand that sentiment, I would never want any troll to hurt my sister either.”

Slowly the two male trolls turn to look at their sisters, they were both glad to see the two female trolls were getting along, Creek and Branch looked back at each other and shared a smile. “I think given time our sisters could become romantically involved.” The purple troll whispered to the grey, feeling delighted by this idea.

Branch grinned at the purple troll at his side. “I think that would be wonderful.”

“You do?” Creek asked his eyes wide with wonder.

“Indeed I do.” The grey troll assures him, his eyes full of joy at the idea that his sister might have found a troll to stir her heart.

The bight troll prince asked him curiously. “So marrying a troll who isn’t a fairy troll isn’t a problem?”

Branch shook his head at the other male troll and then explained things to him. “No it’s not an issue to fall in love with or marry a troll who is not a fairy troll. There are two ways for a troll who was not born a fairy troll to become one which makes such relationships much easier. Either they can be turned into one by the King of the fairies or if they truly love one of our kind and confess it then this act will transform them into a fairy troll.”

This explanation caused Creek to ask him. “Do either of those things happen often?”

“Not often, but sometimes.” The grey prince told the other troll honestly.

“Has a fairy troll ever chosen to leave the fairy kingdom?” The purple troll asked wondering as he did so if that was even possible.

The male fairy troll shook his head. “We don’t can’t leave for too long our, because magic leaves us and we die if we do so.”

These words made the purple bright troll wanted to know how long the two fairy trolls might be able to stay with them so that maybe they could come visit them and see their home once they knew each other better. “How long is to long?”

“Usually only six months and that is really pushing things it would be better to return in four Why do you ask?” Branch asked him hoping deep in his heart that Creek might want him to come and stay with him for a long period of time at some point.

The purple prince blushed slightly and then answered this question from the other male troll. “I thought it might be nice for the two of you to see our home. If you don’t like that idea then maybe we could see your home…That is if we can do so.”

Branch was thrilled that Creek wanted him to visit his home and for him to visit his home. “It wouldn’t be a problem for you to see our home and I would very much like to see your home as well. The day is getting on and I am afraid Suki and I must return home.”

The purple troll let out a deep sigh of disappointment. “I understand.”

“Don’t worry we can meet again soon.” Branch assured him, taking the hand he was still holding from earlier lifted it to his lips and kissed the back of it.

Creek gasped and blushed a deep shade of purple when the fairy troll did this to him and stuttered out. “I’d…I’d like that…When can we meet?”

“What do you say to this time next week?” Branch asked him lowering the hand from his lips but continuing to hold it.

To be honest the bright troll prince wasn’t sure that he could wait that long, but Creek decided that he would do his best to wait to see Branch again. “That would be wonderful.”

Reluctantly the grey fairy troll released the hand of Creek, they stood up and went to join their sisters once more. They both smiled at them as they came towards them, Suki and Poppy were both glad to see their brothers growing closer and neither of them had missed Branch kissing the back of Creek’s hand an action which had delighted them both. “Is everything alright?” Poppy asked Creek and Branch curiously as they came towards them.

The fairy prince gave her a nod and then answered this question. “Yes, it is just time for Suki and I to return home. I was telling Creek I would come to visit you both in a weeks time..Would you wish to join me sister?” Branch Asked Suki.

The fairy princess quickly nodded and said with great enthusiasm. “I’d love to come along! Poppy will you join us as well?”

“Of cause I shall.” The pink troll assured her with a cheerful smile.

With their next meeting now organised, Branch took one of Creek’s hands into his, he kissed the back of it, met the grey blue gaze of the purple troll and said to him. “Until next week then.” The purple troll struck dumb by the actions of Branch could only nod.

The grey troll nodded back, reluctantly he released the hand of the bright troll prince, then he and Suki set off back towards their home. The two fairy trolls turned back once to wave good bye to Creek and Poppy who waved back with enthusiasm. Once the two fairy trolls were out of sight the pink troll turned to her brother, there was a clear twinkle in her eyes which caused Creek to say to Poppy. “Don’t say anything just don’t!” The pink troll chuckled but held her piece on the subject of Branch as the two of them set off back towards their own home. Poppy decided that she would talk to Creek later about the innocence of Branch when it came to romantic relationships at another point in time before they met with the two fairy trolls again.

Chapter Text

Chapter five:

The evening after they had met with Branch and Suki, Creek and Poppy sat together in his room, the pink troll had finished telling her brother what the hot pink fairy troll had told her about Branch. The prince gave her a nod of understanding as she finished speaking, he smiled gratefully at his sister and then said to her. “Thank you for telling me that. It’s good to know that when it comes to romance and relationships Branch is inexperienced.”

“I thought it was best that you understood his background just in case the two of you started to become close or romantic.” Poppy told him trying to hide her hope that they would become a couple. After a few moments of silence between the two siblings, the princess looked at brother and then asked him in great concern. “When do you think we should tell Suki and Branch that we are in fact the prince and princess of the bright trolls?”

The purple troll sat in thoughtful silence for a few moments when his sister asked him this question considering it from all angles before answering it. “I think it would be best to tell them when we see them next. I think if we wait to long we will find it hard to tell Branch and Suki the truth.”

Poppy gave him a nod before saying to her brother. “I think that sounds like a good idea. I have to admit I am looking forward to seeing them Suki and Branch once more.”

“So am I they are good trolls.” Creek said softly to his sister, smiling to himself slightly as he thought about the grey troll.

The pink troll instantly noticed the smile on her brother’s face, she didn’t say anything about this to her brother, but it gave her hope that maybe Branch would be the troll that Creek could fall in love with and make a life with. The prince of the bright trolls was completely lost in thoughts of the grey troll, he was a clearly handsome and kind troll, and Creek had to admit that Branch was making him think that maybe he could open his heart to another troll once more, something which the purple troll had never thought he would ever do again. The purple troll found himself wondering if Branch was thinking of him and missing him just as much as he was missing him right now. Creek thought it would be wonderful to have Branch and Suki come to visit himself and Poppy for a while, but he knew in order for that to be possible the fairies would either have to hide what they were from the other bright trolls or Poppy and he would have to tell the tribe about them. The idea of telling the tribe about the two fairy trolls filled him with concern, which had Creek leaning towards seeing if Suki and Branch hiding what they were from the other trolls. “Poppy what do you think of the idea of having our two new friends come to visit us, if they could hide the fact that they are fairy trolls from the other members of our tribe?”

The princess contemplated this idea for a few moments and then said to her brother. “That sounds like a really good idea. It will be interesting to ask them if they are able to hide the fact they are fairy trolls and if so how they do so.”

“You are right it would be interesting to see. It would be fun to show Branch and Suki our home and introduce them to our friends and culture.” Creek said to the pink troll with a large smile on his face.

Poppy chuckled before saying to her brother. “Goodness I wonder what they will make of all our singing and dancing! Let alone what they will think of hug time!”

It was Creek who chuckled this time and spoke with laughter in his voice. “They will probably go away thinking we are all crazy!” The laughter between the siblings grew as they thought about the likely reaction of their two new friends to their way of life. After a few moments the laugher of the two trolls died away and Creek said to his sister in a curious voice. “I have to admit it would be really interesting to see their realm too…I wonder what it is like?”

Poppy shook her head at him, shrugged and then said. “I have no idea…Maybe we could find something about it in the library?”

“That’s a great idea!” Creek enthused getting up from his seat starting to walk across the room towards the doors to his rooms.

The pink troll also got up, together they left the prince’s room and made their way through the troll tree to the library in the troll tree, so they could see if there was any information on fairy trolls to be found there. As soon as they got into the library the siblings instantly set to exploring the library looking for books which might help them and they found a few which made mention of the fairy trolls. The information in the books told them many things they already knew, but these books also told Creek and Poppy that fairy trolls lived for hundreds of years and that the first born child either male or female could rule the tribe, both of these were facts which surprised and fascinated the siblings. They also discovered that the fairy trolls liked to swap gifts as a sign of affection or love and each gift meant something different, it all depended on the flowers, metals, plants, metals and shape which was chosen for the gift. Creek and Poppy made sure to remember this fact and hoped to ask Suki and Branch about this tradition of gift giving amongst their people. The prince had to admit knowing that gift giving was a way for fairy trolls to show affection made him really want to find a gift to present to Branch to show he cared for him. Creek also found himself wondering if Branch kissing the back of his hand had meant more to him as a fairy troll than it had to him as a bright troll and the so the purple troll turned his attention back to the books to see if maybe he could find the answer to this here.

Eventually Creek found a small slim volume on fairy troll wooing traditions, the prince quickly took the book from the shelf and stashed it into his hair so that he could read it later. The purple troll turned away from the shelves he made his way back out into the open area of the library and called out to Poppy. “Are you done looking?!”

“Yep!” The pink troll called out coming out from between some other shelves and smiling at her brother widely. “I found nothing you?”

Creek leant into his sister and whispered not wanting to be overheard by any of the other trolls. “Yes, come on let’s go back to my room.”

Together the two trolls went back to Creeks room, they went inside shut the doors behind them, then went into the study, where Poppy turned to her brother and said excitedly. “Well what did you find?!”

The purple troll carefully pulled the book out of his hair and showed it to Poppy. “This book on fairy troll wooing traditions.”

“Oh, wow that should be good to read!” The princess said with enthusiasm.

Creek nodded in agreement to this, he sat on one chair, then gestured at the other for his sister to sit in it and said to her as he did so. “Sit down and I’ll read what the book says to you.” Quickly Poppy did so and once she was comfortable Creek read out his sister. “The first thing to know about fairy trolls when it comes to winning a mate they choose to do so through a formal wooing proses known to them as the finding of the magical heart.”

“That’s a nice name.” Poppy said softly.

The prince gave his sister a nod of his own. “It is. To begin a wooing is a simple enough thing, a fairy troll will approach the one they have chosen take their hand and kiss the back of it.”

The pink troll let out a noise of delight and then said to her brother. “That is exactly what Branch did to you!”

“Poppy…” Creek said with a groan of desperation.

“What?” Poopy asked him with false innocence.

The prince of the bright trolls shot his sister an unamused serious look before speaking to her. “That is not funny. Please be serious about this.”

“I am being serious Creek, Branch kissed the back of your hand! He was clearly trying to start wooing you.” The princess told him folding her arms and glaring back at Creek with her determination clear as she did this.

The purple troll sighed deeply, he knew that Poppy was right that Branch appeared to be trying to woo him something he had not expected after such a short acquaintance, but at the same time he worried his sister was reading too much into it and so said to his sister with clear doubt in his voice. “I’m sure your romantic imagination is just running away with you. I am sure kissing the back of the hand can mean more than one thing between fairy trolls.” After he said this Creek turned his gaze back to the book and started reading to the princess of the bright trolls again. “Fairy trolls will only ever kiss the back of a troll’s hand if they are truly interested in wooing them.”

Poppy instantly burst out in laughter and said in between her laughter to her brother. “See I told you! Branch is wanting to woo you!”

Creek blushed a deep shade of purple as the pink troll said this to him, it was becoming very clear to him that the male fairy troll was being brave and following his heart for the first time which was guiding him towards himself a fact which thrilled Creek all the way to his own battered and scared heart. The thoughts of what it might be like to be wooed and married to Branch was disturbed by Poppy asking him with interest. “So if Branch is wooing you like I think he is what will Branch do next?”

Creek shook himself out of the last of his revelry and looked down at the book in his lap reading what it said to his sister. “The second step is the acceptance, this is when the one who has had their hand kissed, kisses the hand of the one wooing them and saying I accept.”

After he said this the princess asked her brother curiously. “Are you going to do that when you see Branch next brother?”

The purple prince didn’t answer this question straight away, instead he sat quietly thinking about what his sister had just asked him and what it might mean for himself as well as Branch. As the prince thought about what it might be like to be with the grey troll for the rest of his life again, his heart picked up it’s pace, happiness and warmth filled him, as this happened to him Creek knew the answer to this question. “Yes…Yes I will, I think being wooed would be nice and doing things this way would give us both time to get to know each other better before we decide to marry.”

“I think time would be good for you both too…” Poppy said softly smiling gently at her brother.

Creek smiled back at the princess and asked her. “What about you sister?”

The pink troll frowned at her brother asking with confusion. “I don’t understand what about me?”

The prince of the bright trolls explained her question to his sister. “Are you going to think about wooing Suki and don’t think about telling me you don’t like her that way because I could see the way you were looking at her.”

Poppy was stunned that Creek had noticed her feelings towards the hot pink fairy troll which meant that it took her some time to answer this question from her brother. “I don’t know, we’ve only met once after all.”

“Weren’t you the one who told me sometimes all it takes is one meeting to know you’ve found the right troll?” Creek asked his sister with a small smile.

The princess glared at her brother. “You would throw that back at me.”

“Hey you wanting me to fall in love with Branch and make a life with him and don’t you dare deny it! Why can’t I encourage you to follow your own advice?” Creek asked her his voice gently but firm.

The pink troll sighed, she knew that her brother was right, it was no good saying one thing to him, but not then doing it herself. “If I still feel the same way about Suki as I did when we first met then yes I will start wooing her.”

“Good.” Creek said, he wanted his sister to be happy and if Suki made her happy he was going to be the last troll to object to it. The purple troll decided not to say anything more on this subject to Poppy and instead turned his attention back to the book and started to read it out to his sister once more.

Chapter Text

I'm going to be away for a few days I should be back soon at least in a week and have a new chapter ready.

Chapter Text

Chapter six:

Branch and Suki had discussed their two new friends and the way that Branch had kissed Creek’s hand in the room of the princess for several hours until Suki was happy that her brother was not only serious about beginning to wooing the purple troll but also starting to fall in love with him. Once the princess was happy with all of this she had teased her brother about all of this causing him to both blush and laugh all at the same time. The grey prince had in his own turn teased his sister about the attraction he had noticed she had for Poppy, which caused Suki to playfully hit him and tell him to shut up. After this the siblings had eaten lunch together in Suki’s room talking as they did so about the two bright trolls and their ideas for what they could do with them at their next meeting with Poppy and Creek. Some hours later Branch was on his way back to his own room in the castle to get ready for his afternoon lessons when Oak stepped into his path and dragged him into a dark corridor. “Hello Branch. You seem far to cheerful today.”

“Oak…Let go of me, I need to get ready for classes.” The prince told in a low whisper of a voice.

“Oh no I don’t think so.” The older fairy troll told the younger, he quickly used his magic to hold both Branch’s wrists and ankles to the wall, so that this time the grey fairy couldn’t kick him as he had last time.

“Stop it!” Branch said to him instantly getting angry with him.

Oak just grins at him and whispers in a suggestive voice to the other male fairy troll. “You know I’d stop doing this to you if you’d just gave me what I want from you.”

“No.” Branch said stubbornly determined as he was always not to give Oak any of the things he wanted from him.

The older troll gave him an evil smile, before kissing him firmly on the lips cutting off all further arguments from going on between them. As Oak did this to him the prince struggled refusing to kiss back and trying to get away from the green haired fairy troll. He ignored his struggles, the green haired troll started stroking over Branch’s shirt for now, but wanting to go a whole lot further than this. As the older troll touched him like this the prince gasped in surprise and disgust, and Oak took full advantage of this pushing his tongue into the younger troll’s mouth. The moment that his uncle did this to him Branch bit down hard on his tongue, he let out a yell of pain backing away from the grey troll, this act instantly caused his magic to let the younger troll go. The prince glared at his uncle and said to him in a low as well as angry voice. “I will not give you any of the things you want, no matter what you say or do to me. So for the last time just leave me alone!” Before Oak could react to this or try to punish him for biting his tongue Branch fled to his rooms. The grey troll went to his rooms because he knew this was a safe place were his uncle could not lay a finger on him due to the strong protective magic his mother had placed on the rooms when he had been born and where still there despite her death.
Quickly the fairy prince darted into his rooms, he slammed one of the door shut behind him, the grey troll leant against the doors and panted hard for a few moments. Once Branch caught his breath he rubbed his mouth with the back of his hand, the grey troll crossed the room, the grey fairy troll sat down in a chair in the main room, he placed his head in his hands and then let out a deep sigh. Oak was becoming not only more obvious in his attempts to force him to give in, he was restraining him more each and every time, it made Branch worry what he might try to do next to force him to give into him. After all Oak was already taking their encounters a lot further than he ever had before and becoming more bold and confident in taking what he wants from him.

Branch shuddered and not for the first time he wished that he could tell some troll what was going on between himself and Oak and hating his uncle for making this impossible. The stupid curse meant he could tell any troll what had happened to him or the details of what Oak was doing to him, it turned Branch grey which made him ugly to other trolls and it bound his magic meaning he could only use a small amount of it. The breaking of his curse required him to truly love another troll, and for him to have to be willing to give up everything to protect that one troll. Branch let out another sigh, for the longest time all of this had seemed impossible but after meeting Creek a small amount of hope had crept in on Branch. The grey troll knew that he needed to hide his feelings towards the other troll and meeting him from his uncle, or Oak would more than likely go after Creek in order to prevent them from becoming a couple.

Branch really didn’t want to go to his lessons this afternoon but he knew that he had no other choice, the grey troll quickly but carefully gathered up all of the things he would need in order to go to his classes and once Branch was sure he was ready to go the prince made his way through the castle to his class room. When he came into the class room Branch frowned as his teacher was not there, but his father was standing there looking out of the window of the room at the forest before them and this caused the grey troll to ask him in confusion. “Father what are you doing here?”

Sage turned to look at his son, he smiled at the grey troll and then the king of the fairies explained what he had done to Branch. “I wanted to be able to talk to you. When you told me, you couldn’t get away from your classes to spend time with me I decided to stop them. I’ve made sure the teachers and the court know this was my decision and royal command so you will not receive any trouble for this. I will admit that after watching you closely recently, I have come to know that there is no more you can be taught, you are as ready as you can be to be high King of the fairies some day”

Branch looked at his father with utter shock before saying in a stunned tone of voice. “You listened to me for once.”

The high fairy King felt pain and sorrow pricking him as he son said these words with so much surprise, but Sage was determined to try to heal the relationship with his son, so he walked towards the grey troll saying to him as he did so. “Yes my son I did…I realise now that I should have been listening to you for some time now, after all you are not a child any more Branch, you are almost a grown fairy troll…And a wise, strong and kind troll at that too, something which I wish I could say I had more of a hand in helping you to become then I have so far. I want you to be able to talk to me and confide in me as you used to be able to…I know I am asking a lot of you my son, I don’t expect things to change overnight between us, but don’t shut me out and let me try to rebuild our relationship. Your mother would want…”

The grey troll interrupted him angrily as the fairy King started to say this last part to him. “Don’t! Don’t you dare to tell me what my mother would have wanted for us! You don’t have the right to tell me that anymore!”

“I’m sorry, your right I shouldn’t have started to say that Branch. I just want us to be close again so much and I hate what has happened I truly do.” Sage confessed coming to stand by his son, gently he placed a hand on one of the arms of his son. “Please, at least talk to me.”

“What would we even talk about?” Branch asked him quietly, not even sure how to start talking to his father again.

Sage was quiet in thought for a few moments looking for a good neutral subject to talk to his son about before eventually asking the grey troll. “Do you still play the harp?”

“Yes father I do still play my harp and I have been continuing to improve and Suki has composed me a few pieces to play now, something which I find myself enjoying a great deal.” Branch told him feeling this was a safe enough subject to talk about with his father, then after a few moments of silence after answering this question the grey troll decided to take the chance and open up a little to his father and so said to him. “I am even beginning to sing once more…but only some of the time, it depends how I feel on that particular day.”

“It is wonderful to hear that you have started to sing again, you always had a magnificent voice and I shall be very glad to hear it raised in song once more, hopefully with more joy then last time. I think that at this time it is understandable that you would only want to sing when you are feeling in the right mood to do so. Would you care to join me for a game of chess in the evenings?” Sage asked his son very much wanting to try to spend regular time with Branch each day to try to help build their relationship back to what it had once been.

The grey troll had to admit he was a little unsure about this request from his father because of the amount of time which had passed since he had last taken part in the game. “I haven’t played chess for a very long time now father and I am unsure that I would make a good match for you anymore.”

“I would still like us to play together again, I am willing to help you to learn chess once more and you will only get better with practice my son. I would also like to hear you sing and play your harp once more, that is as long as you feel able to honour me by playing for me.” Sage told him hoping with all of his heart that Branch would agree to the game of chess as well as to playing the hard and singing for him, he felt that doing these things together would help bring them close once more.

“Very well I will try chess again father and I shall consider playing the singing and playing the harp for you again.” The grey troll promised him, he felt that if his father was willing to try to mend things between them then the least he could do was try in return.

“Thank you.” Sage said feeling utterly thrilled that Branch was at least willing to give him this one chance to make things right between them again.

Despite just only moments ago deciding that he would take time to think about playing his harp for his father Branch decided that he would take the chance to help things along between them by offering to play for his father and so he asked Sage gently. “Would you like to hear me play the harp now father?”

The high fairy King felt a thrill of shock and joy go running through him as his son offered to play the harp for him once more without him having to prompt him to or asking him too. “I would be honoured to hear you play once again my son.”

“Good, then let us go to my rooms and I shall play the harp for you, then we can dust off my old chess set and try to play chess together.” Branch told his father, smiling Sage gave his son a nod, then the two male trolls set off side by side to the rooms of the prince of the fairy trolls so that they could start to spend some time together.

As they walked along together Sage and Branch were totally unaware of Oak watching them scowling darkly at their backs, he didn’t like the fact that his older brother and nephew were starting to become close again. Seeing this happening made him realise that he needed to set things in motion earlier that he had thought he would need to. Oak had been planning for a very long time for how he could over throw Sage and take the kingdom from his older brother and make Branch his before his older brother realised he was the one behind the curse on his son. Oak smiled darkly to himself, he looked forward to seeing the expression on the other troll’s face when Sage was his captive and discovered his plans for Branch and the true power his son couldn’t use because of the curse he had placed on his nephew. Oak slipped away to his hidden room to begin to gather all of the items which the green haired troll knew he would need to perform the dark curses which would begin his take over of the fairy realm.

Chapter Text

Chapter seven:

As the next week passed by the relationship between Branch and his father slowly started to improve, Sage was treating his son like an adult and actually referring to him as one around other fairy trolls, this fact delighted Branch because it meant that by fairy troll tradition this made him an adult troll and thus imparted more freedom over to his life onto the prince. The fairy prince was now spending part of his afternoon with Sage playing chess and talking to him about various subjects without touching on anything to personal just yet. Now he was closer with his son once more Sage knew more than ever that there was something still bothering his son, but he was reluctant to try to talk to Branch about it just yet and ruin the progress he had been making. At the same time the fairy King was aware of the fact that there was something else happening to Branch, something which was making him happier and Sage had to admit that he was wondering if perhaps for the very first time his son might have found a troll to love. This idea delighted the high king of the fairy trolls, as Sage had always hoped that there would be some troll, be it fairy troll or not who would see his son for how wonderful he really was despite being cursed in the way he was.

On the day when Branch was to meet with Creek again the grey fairy troll felt as though he was floating on air, he was so excited to see the other male troll again that his insides felt all aflutter and the prince hoped he could start to show Creek more of his feelings for him during this third meeting. Branch was determined not to rush the other troll when it came to their relationship, after all thanks to his sister the prince was now well aware of the fact that the purple troll had been hurt before now. The blue troll had taken the time to find the perfect first wooing gift for the other male troll. He truly hoped that Creek would wish to be wooed and won by him, while at the same time part of Branch was terrified that Oak would discover he was falling in love with the other male troll and seek to harm the purple troll. This concern caused the fairy prince to make sure that he hid his growing feelings for Creek from his uncle as well as he could and not tell any other fairy troll other than Suki about what was happening to him.

Suki and Branch met in the courtyard, for this meeting the two fairy troll siblings had organised to bring a picnic to have with Poppy and Creek and with the basket over the hot pink trolls arm the prince and princess of the fairy trolls made their way through the forest to the clearing where they were to meet with the other two trolls. When Branch and Suki came into the clearing they were quick to notice that Creek and Poppy were not there yet, so the two fairy trolls settled on the grass of the clearing, together they set out a blanket, before the siblings began to get out the picnic which they had brought with them to share with the other two trolls.
So it was that when Poppy and Creek came into the clearing they let out surprised gasp, they were amazed to see the wonderful picnic waiting for them. Suki and Branch had looked up at the sound of their entrance, the four of them smiled at each other and eventually Poppy said to the two fairy trolls in a stunned tone of voice. “This looks amazing.”

“Thank you.” They said together, the sibling fairies then shared a look before they chuckled.

Quickly Poppy made her way over to Suki and they sat down together on the blanket, this left Creek and Branch staring at each other neither one wanting to look away from the other. Slowly they walked towards each other, once they were standing opposite each other it was the purple troll who said to the grey. “I read a book all about the wooing traditions of your people and there is something I have to say to you Branch.” After he said this Creek took Branch’s hand in his he carried it to his lips, softly the purple troll kissed the back of it before flicking his eyes up towards Branch and saying to him in a gentle voice. “I accept Branch.”

Slowly the grey troll smiles at him, Creek found himself stunned by the joy and the light he could see in the bright teal blue eyes of Branch in that moment. “Thank you Creek. I am honoured by this, I want you to know I will not rush you…We will take our time.”

“Thank you, Branch I am glad to know you are willing to give me all the time I need.” Creek said gratefully, truly glad that the fairy troll wasn’t going to make him move any faster than he wanted to, after he said this the purple troll took the hand he had kissed into his and squeezed it gently.

Branch tugged Creek gently towards the picnic as he said to him. “Come on let’s eat.”

The purple troll gave him a nod of agreement, they went over to the picnic, they sat on the blanket side by side, a few moments after they sat down the male fairy troll picked up a small cake and held it out to Creek with his fingers. The prince felt himself blushing but he opened his mouth and accepted it from the fingers of Branch, as the fairy troll started to feed him he had to admit it was a wonderfully decadent and intimate act which made him feels as though he was the centre of Branch’s universe right now and nothing outside of them existed any more.

Grinning widely to herself Poppy looked away from the couple and to Suki sitting next to her, to find that she was watching her brother and Creek together with a soft smile on her face. “Those two are adorable together aren’t they?” The pink troll said to the hot pink fairy troll.

Suki turned her gaze to Poppy, she smiled softly at her companion, her happiness for her brother was clear in the voice of the orange haired troll as she said to the pink troll. “Yes they are. I think our brothers could be very happy together.”

“I think so too…I would like to be as happy as them.” The pink troll admitted wistfully to her companion.

“I can agree with that.” Suki told the pink troll with a small smile.

Poppy met the gaze of the female fairy troll and then said to her. “Creek and I were talking about Branch and yourself coming to visit us…But we wondered if there was someway for the two of you could somehow conceal your wings from the other trolls…As much as we like your wings I’m not sure we would want the whole tribe knowing the fairy trolls are real right away.”

Suki gave the pink troll a nod of understanding. “We can use a concealment spell to hide the wings…I can understand what you say about not wanting the whole of your tribe to know about us right away. How long were you thinking of having us stay with you both?”

“We’d thought about a week to begin with. I’ll admit we hadn’t discussed what we were going to tell the other trolls about you both.” The pink troll confessed blushing slightly as she admitted this to the female fairy troll.

Suki chuckled slightly as Poppy confessed this to her, the fairy troll considered this problem for a few moments and then said to her. “Why don’t you tell them we are from another tribe and you are showing us around. It’s not that much of a stretch of the truth to say that.”

“That’s true good idea thank you Suki.” Poppy said with a bright smile for the other female troll, then she decided to tell her the truth of her own station within her own tribe. “Look before you come to visit us there is something you need to know…Creek and I are prince and princess of our tribe…”

The orange haired troll gave her a startled, wide eyed look and couldn’t help but ask Poppy redundantly. “You’re a princess?”

“Yes.” The pink troll assured the other female troll with a smile.

Slowly Suki smiled back at Poppy saying to her softly as she did so. “Well that I didn’t expect to hear, but well I think it is only fair to tell you that…my brother and I are royal too, we are in fact the princess and prince of the fairy trolls.”

“Wait…You two are a prince and princess too!” Poppy exclaimed loudly, it was in fact such a loud exclamation that it caused Branch and Creek to look at her with surprise, noticing that the two male trolls are now looking at her the pink troll then said to her brother. “Creek, Suki and Branch they are the prince and princess of the fairy trolls!”

Creek turned with a wide opened mouth to Branch and whispered out in a shocked voice. “You are the prince of the fairy trolls.”

“I am.” The grey troll confirmed with great tranquillity.

Knowing that Branch was in fact his equal sent a wave of joy and relief sweeping through Creek, he smiled slowly at the other male troll and then said to him. “I am the prince of my tribe as well.”

Branch was thrilled to hear Creek say this. “I am glad to know that, it will make things easier for us if we decide to marry after the wooing.”

“You mean we might not marry…?” The purple prince asked the other male troll feeling a stab of pain and a twisting feeling inside him which he had not expected to feel after knowing Branch and that he might love him for only a short time.

Instantly hearing the hurt tone of the voice of Creek the male fairy troll took both of the purple prince’s hands into his, he squeezes them and said to him. “That will depend on your answer to my proposal of marriage when I make it…I wouldn’t imagine of assuming you would say yes if I were to ask you to marry me at this point…I think this would be the case because I have only just begun to woo you in hopes of making you mine.”

These words spoken so calmly but kindly by Branch eased the pain which Creek had been feeling and he said in a relived tone of voice to the other prince. “Oh that makes a lot of sense.”

Branch kisses the back of one of Creek’s hands and then the other before saying to him. “I very much hope to win your heart for my own Creek and I would be very honoured for you to become my husband when the time comes. Now you have accepted that I wish to woo you in hopes of marrying you, I can as is tradition for fairy trolls at this time present you with your first gift.” Branch released Creek’s hands, leaving the purple troll feeling oddly bereft, out of his hair the grey troll brought a simple braded leather bracelet, which had beautiful silver and brightly coloured glass beads of purple, blue and green woven into the pattern of the leather. Branch held this bracelet out to Creek saying to him in a polite but formal voice. “I hope you like my humble gift.
”
“Wow…Branch that’s amazing…” As he spoke the purple troll held his wrist out to Branch, who with a small smile on his face tied it around his wrist carefully.
“Thank you for accepting my gift.” The grey troll told him looking at him with those eyes full of light again.

Creek smiled back at him feeling thrilled to see the other male troll so happy. “I have been reading the book I found, I know this gift means you wish us to be bound together, heart body and soul.”

Branch chuckles softly and then says to him. “It would appear one of your kind was wooed by one of ours before then.”

“Yes it would.” The purple prince told him and then he said softly to the other male troll. “We would like Suki and yourself to visit us for a week…Well at least just this first time.”

“That would be wonderful, what do you think sister?” Branch asked his sister, feeling thrilled that Creek wanted him to come and stay with him and his sister for a week.

Suki was quick to notice how happy her brother looked when he asked her this question, this was an expression which filled the heart of the hot pink fairy troll with absolute joy and so she said to Branch with a smile on her own face. “I have no objections to it brother, in fact Poppy and I were talking about it…We can hide our wings for a week so they don’t unnerve the other members of their tribe and they are going to be told we are visiting from another tribe. The one thing we need to think on is what we will tell father so that we can get away from the castle for a week.”

Branch was thoughtful for a few moments and then said to his sister. “We will tell him we have made two new friends and wish to spend time with them…Father has said he considers me an adult now so that should make things easier for me.”

“Father called you a grown troll?!” Suki asked shocked, utterly stunned that her brother had not told her this news sooner.

The grey troll gave her a nod. “Yes.”

“Oh Branch that’s wonderful news.” The hot pink troll said going over to him and then hugging her brother.

As Branch returned his younger sisters hug, the two other trolls shrugged at each other they had no idea what this meant but it was clearly important to the two fairy trolls so they didn’t question it. As the two fairy trolls broke the hug and moved slightly further apart, they noticed the confused looks on the faces of Poppy and Creek and chuckled again, once this dies down Branch spoke to them explaining what this had meant. “My father saying I am no longer a child means in fairy troll law I am an adult and I have more freedom to do as I wish and because of this Suki can be classed as being in my care because she is my sister. This means we can come and see you both if we wish which we do.”

Creek let out a happy noise before tackling Branch hard causing the fairy to fall onto the grass of the forest clearing chuckling, the purple troll also laughed, then their eyes met and both of them went quiet. Slowly the male fairy troll lifted one hand he stroked it along the cheek of the purple troll above him, and then down to his chin, before running his thumb lightly over the lips of Creek. These intimate gestures caused the purple prince to gasp and sigh in delight at the same time, before he could say anything to Branch the grey troll was kissing him gently on the lips for the first time. As the fairy prince kissed him Creek felt an explosion of pleasure go through him, followed by a feeling of wonderful joy and warmth. Slowly the the purple troll started returning this kiss, which was sweet and undemanding on the part of Branch and made the purple prince fall slightly more in love with Branch than he had been a few moments ago. Creek felt utterly blessed and overwhelmingly grateful to the invisible forces of life, to have found this gentle troll who was willing not to push him for any more than he was willing to give him. Slowly they broke this first kiss, carefully Branch sat up, effortlessly lifting Creek into his lap as he did so and once he was sitting up the fairy troll closed his arms round him holding the purple troll close to him. The purple prince looked into those amazing eyes and he felt sure he could see light in the very depths of them again, but it was quickly gone once more leaving him to wonder just what it was he kept catching glimpses of in the eyes of Branch. Pushing this question aside for later consideration Creek snuggled close to Branch resting himself against the strong broad chest of the other male troll and letting out a happy sigh. “This is perfection.” The purple prince told him in a soft satisfied voice.

Branch smiled down at him and said in agreement. “Yes it is.”

Suki looked at Poppy she couldn’t help but think that if her brother was willing to take this chance with Creek than she should also take a chance with Poppy, so she took the other female troll’s hand and led her away from the two male trolls wanting to give them some time to be alone together and to have some time to herself alone with Poppy. Once the orange haired princess was sure they were far enough away from their brothers not to disturb them or be disturbed by them Suki turned her attention back onto Poppy. “I know we have only met twice but…But…” The voice of the fairy troll ran out she didn’t know how to say what she wanted to, so instead the orange haired troll gathered up her bravery, then took one of Poppy’s hands into hers and kissed the back of it and then met the wide pink eyed gaze of the other female troll.

After a few moments of unusually stunned silence from Poppy, she quickly pulled Suki’s hand to her lips, she kissed it and then said in a soft voice which shook slightly. “Suki…Yes…Yes I accept.”

“Thank you.” The fairy princess said with happiness and relief clear in her voice as she spoke to the other female troll.

“I will admit that I had hoped that maybe you would wish to woo and win me just as your brother wishes win mine.” Poppy confessed to the Suki blushing slightly as she said this.

The orange haired fairy troll smiled widely at Poppy as she says to her. “It appears if all goes well for all of us our families will be tied together tightly.”

“That’s true.” The bright pink troll said agreement to the words of the female fairy troll. Hand in hand the two female trolls sat down on a nearby log and Poppy addressed the fairy troll at her side. “I think our brothers are going to be very happy together.”

“I hope so…But right now I want to talk about us. I have no first wooing gift to give you, I hadn’t planned to ask to woo you just yet…It just kind of happened…There is one thing I can do as a gift, that is if you aren’t afraid of my magic.” As Suki finished speaking to Poppy she was blushing brightly.

“Magic…I’d love to see some.” Poppy said her voice full of breathless anticipation. With this permission given to her Suki lifted the hand she had been holding, she turned it over so the palm was up towards her, then the hot pink toll started to glow slightly, she placed her shimmering middle finger gently onto the palm of the pink princess then began to draw a symbol there in glowing hot pink light. This light sent a wave of warmth through Poppy and she could feel the power of this trolls sitting before her it was strong, but she wielded her magic with kindness. “What is that?” The pink troll asked the fairy princess in a whisper as the symbol drawn in light on her hand vanished into her hand.

“That was for protection, it will mean that no dark magic can ever harm you.” Suki told her in a soft voice as she gently closed the fingers of the hand she had just drawn onto up.

Awed by this simple but clearly powerful gift Poppy took Suki’s hand into hers once more, before she lay her head onto the shoulder of the other female troll and then said in a whisper. “Thank you for giving me such a protection.”

Slowly Suki put her arm around Poppy’s shoulders and held her close as she, the fairy princess felt sad that she would have to leave the side of the troll she was coming to love and so the hot pink troll said softly to the other female troll. “I wish we didn’t have to go home again I just want to stay here with you….I really hope Branch can convince father to let us come and see you both for a week.”

“I hope so too for all of our sakes, I don’t think I could live with only being able to see you for a few hours once a week every week.” Poppy told the fairy troll with honesty, feeling hurt on the inside that soon Suki would have to return home and she would have to wait a whole week in order to see her all over again.

After this the two female trolls lapsed into silence, they where more than happy to sit together quietly and just enjoy being together. After a few hours Suki let out a deep sigh, as much as she didn’t want to move the fairy troll knew that her brother and herself needed to make their way home again and so she said to Poppy in a regretful voice. “I need to get back to Branch as we should be making our way home for the day.

These words caused to Poppy to let out a deep sigh of her own, she looked at the pink fairy troll sitting beside her and kissed the other female troll on the cheek before saying to her with a ting of pain in her voice. “I wish you didn’t have to go home, but I understand Suki.”

Together they stood up, Poppy took Suki’s hand into hers, then side by side the two female trolls made their way back to the clearing where they had left their brothers alone together. When they came into the clearing they found the two of them snuggled against each other with Branch leaning back against a tree and Creek in his lap, the two of them were fast asleep. “Awww.” Poppy said softly at the sight of them like this together.

“It seems almost criminal to have to wake them.” Suki says sadly to the other female troll, before she released the hand of the pink troll, she then approached the two sleeping male troll’s and touched her brother gently on the shoulder in order to wake him up.

As soon as his sister touched him Branch’s eyes popped open, he looked up at his sister and sighed deeply. “We need to be going, home don’t we?”

“Yes, I’m sorry brother we do.” The orange haired troll told him regretfully.

Branch gently kissed Creek on the lips, still asleep the purple troll murmured in pleasure as the grey troll did this, slowly the purple troll’s eyes opened and he started to kiss the other male troll back. They kissed for a few moments, taking their time to enjoy this moment, before they broke the kiss and Branch said regretfully to Creek. “I have to go home. Will it be alright to meet you both here again in a weeks time?”

“Of course, we will look forward to it.” Creek assured Branch while Poppy nodded enthusiastically, they both felt glad that the siblings would see them in a week rather than longer.

The grey fairy troll smiled at the prince in his arms and as he stood up keeping Creek in his arms Branch as he did so the fairy prince said to both of them. “Good I am glad you both agreed to this, hopefully we can tell you both then if our father will let us come and stay with you both for a week.”

As Creek set his feet on the ground he locked eyes with Branch and said to him in an honest voice. “I’ll be hoping with all of my heart that he says yes.”

“So will I.” The grey fairy said truthfully before giving the other male troll a brief kiss on the lips and when Branch broke this short kiss Creek let out a groan of disappointment. Hearing this noise made the fairy prince want to just kiss him again and not return home but he knew he had to, so reluctantly Branch made his way across the clearing to start to go home, when he realised Suki wasn’t with him at this time and turned to look at his sister. The grey troll instantly noticed she was giving Poppy a gentle kiss on the forehead, he caught the gaze of Creek and they both raised their eyebrows but said nothing about what was happening. After she had done this Suki came over to her brother and then without saying anything about what had just happened between his sister and Creek’s, Branch and Suki made their way home in silence both thinking about the trolls they were coming to love.

Chapter Text

Chapter eight:

In a well hidden room with in the castle of the fairy trolls Oak worked slowly but surely on preparing to begin his dark magic, he was being very careful not to be noticed by his brother before he was ready to put his plans into action. As he worked on the dark magic the green haired troll couldn’t help curse his brother, if only he had been born with the stronger magic out of the two of them or if Sage had been a female fairy as they were not allowed by the law to take the throne, then he would have been the high King of the fairies. Then he would have married Rosemary, she had been such a beautiful troll and he had loved her with all of his heart. Years later Oak had married his wife Mist as part of an arranged marriage and had never loved her in the way he had Rosemary though he had cared for his wife and did care for his son.

After Branch had grown he had started to see more of Rosemary in him, it had been this which had caused Oak to curse him as he hated seeing so much of the troll he loved and couldn’t have in the younger troll. After Rosemary had unexpectedly died from a terrible accident, Oak had found himself wanting to use the dark magic to make the kingdom his as it always should have been, as well as to make his nephew his life partner and into the twin of his mother. Oak smiled evilly to himself as he looked at the spell to change Branch into a female for hi, it was ready for his use, now he could move on to getting the spells ready to take the kingdom and throne from his brother.

Totally unaware that his uncles plans for him were coming closer to being fulfilled Branch was sitting in his room playing his harp, the grey troll was feeling so happy after his last meeting with Creek that he found himself singing happily along to the music which he was playing. When the fairy prince finished playing and singing, he let out a happy sigh glad to have found a troll who made him feel so much joy at long last. The grey troll jumped as his father said from the doorway of his room. “I am glad to hear you singing so joyfully again my son.”

“Hello father, you surprised me.” Branch admitted as his father walked into his rooms and closed the doors behind him.

“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to frighten you, I was just so pleased to hear singing in such a happy way that I didn’t want to disturb you. May I ask what has made you so happy my son?” Sage asked Branch gently as he sat on a chair beside his son.

The grey troll took a few moments to think about how he wanted to answer this question without giving away that he was falling in love with another troll to his father, as Branch didn’t want Oak to find out what was happening to him. Once the grey troll felt sure that he had the right answer to this question from his father in his mind he spoke to Sage. “Well the truth is father that Suki and I met two trolls who were not fairy trolls on our walks in the forest at lunch time…And over time they have become friends to us and they have helped me find happiness once again…The two of them have in fact become such good friends that with your permission Suki and I would like to visit them for a week, may we do so?”

Sage was surprised to find out that Branch and Suki had found two new friends, but at the same time it delighted him to know that his son had found two trolls to allow into his life, the King of the fairies found that he didn’t care that they were not fairy trolls like them just that these two trolls where helping to make his son happy once more. “That is wonderful news Branch, I am happy to hear you have made some new friends and that they are making you feel happier than you have been before now. What are their names my son?”

Branch was glad to hear that his father sounding so happy that he had made friends who were helping him to become more cheerful and so the grey troll answered this question from Sage quickly. “Their names are Creek and Poppy. They are very nice trolls…They are not scared of Suki or myself because we are different from them, in fact they like us as we are and they never try to make us use our magic for them in any way, unless we wish to.”

Sage smiled slowly at his son, he could tell from these words from his son and the way that Branch said them to him just how special and important the two other trolls where becoming to his son. The fairy King had no intention of discouraging this relationship with two nonmagical trolls in fact he was determined to encourage it as much as he could and so he said to his son with a bright smile on his face. “They sound like good and kind trolls. I trust you Branch, you are a full grown fairy troll after all now and I know you have a wise head on your shoulders and that you will take good care of your sister if I let you go to stay with them. So I have no objections to you both visiting them for a week all I ask is you take a magic mirror with you so that if there is a problem you can get in touch with me.”

The prince gave his father a wide smile, he felt thrilled to know that Sage trusted him to take care of his sister. “Thank you father, it means a lot to me to know that I have your trust. I understand that you would want me to take a magic mirror with me in case Suki and I run into any kind of trouble.”

“As I said before now you are a grown troll now Branch, I have to let you find your own way and spread your wings. I just hope that you will still feel able to turn to me if you should need to and understand that no matter how old you get that I will want to keep you safe.” Sage said to his son with a little smile feeling very nervous inside that Branch might think he was trying to smother him.

Slowly the fairy prince smiled at his father, he did understand he would want to keep him safe after loosing mother so unexpectedly and so Branch said to his father. “I will always come to you for advice father, I am still learning my way after all and I have no intention of trying to run before I can walk and you are my father I understand that after mother passing away in the way that she did that you would want to keep me safe.”

The high King of the fairies was so glad that his son understood his protectiveness of him. “I am glad that we are becoming close again.” Sage confessed to his son smiling at him softly.

“So am I father…I don’t think that I realised just how much I missed you until we started to talk to each other again.” Branch admitted to his father with a small smile for him.

Sage gently put his arms around his son and hugged him close for the very first time since Rosemary had died. “I missed you too…I missed both of you. I am so glad we are mending things between us and I intend to start trying to heal the relationship between your sister and myself too soon.”

Branch was surprised by this hug from his father, but he quickly returned the hug from his father, saying to him as he did so. “I am glad to hear you are going to spend some time with Suki too.”

After a few moments the two of them slowly they broke their hug and then Sage had an idea which he felt was worth suggesting to Branch so he spoke to his son. “If your friends would like to they can come here to visit us too. I would make sure they were protected from harm and I would very much like to meet the two trolls responsible for making you happier.”

“I am sure they would love to see our home and I am glad to hear that you wish to meet Creek and Poppy I am sure they will enjoy meeting you too father. I shall make sure to ask them when we see them and to tell them you wish to see them and are willing to make sure no harm comes to them when they visit.” Branch told his father feeling very glad to hear that Sage was happy that he had made friends and wanted to bring them to visit their home so he could get to know them.

The high King of the fairies smiled at his son, he felt truly happy to see that Branch was looking forwards to being with his friends once more. The fairy King had to admit he rather hoped that maybe one of these two trolls would open his sons heart to love for the very first time and maybe be the one troll he would choose to marry. “I’ll leave and let you start to organise anything you wish to take with you for the week, just please don’t forget to take the magic mirror.” After he said this Sage left his son to pack for his trip.

Branch was thrilled that his father had said yes to him and Suki going to spend a week with Poppy and Creek, he felt a little bad that he had not told his father that he was falling in love with Creek, but he didn’t want to risk Oak catching wind of his growing feelings for the other troll especially as Creek had no magic with which to defend himself from an attack from his uncle.

The grey troll decided to go and tell Suki the good news about their father’s agreement to them being able to spend a week with Creek and Poppy. Branch makes his way out of his rooms towards those of his sister, when he arrived at the doors the grey troll knocked, a few moments later Suki answered the door and as soon as she noticed it was Branch standing outside her door she said cheerfully to him. “Branch it’s good to see you, do come on in.”

Branch did so and once the door to the room was closed the grey troll turned to his sister with a wide smile on his face and said to her. “Father said we can go to visit Creek and Poppy for a week, but he wanted me to take a magic mirror in case we run into any trouble, I thought this was a reasonable request from our father so I agreed to take one with me. Father also said he trusted me as a full grown troll to be able to take care of you…Suki…Father seemed very pleased that I found friends…I didn’t want to tell him that we were starting to fall in love them just yet, as it’s still early days in our relationships with Creek and Poppy after all.”
As her brother told her that their father had said they could go and visit Creek and Poppy Suki felt a thrill of delight go through her and she said to him in thrilled tone of voice. “That’s wonderful!”

“It is! I can’t wait to see Creek again…I feel bad for not telling father I am wooing Creek, but I want to give myself time to get to know him better and for our relationship to grow stronger before I tell father about us. Please promise me you won’t say anything to him about this either.” Branch said to his sister pleadingly.

Suki understood why her brother wouldn’t want their father to know about his feelings for Creek just yet and so she gave him a nod before saying to him. “Don’t worry I won’t say anything to father about your feelings for Creek.”

“I won’t say anything to father about Poppy either.” Branch promised his sister with a gentle smile on his face.

“Thank you.” Suki said feeling relived that her brother was willing to keep her secret from their father without her even having to ask him.

The fairy prince having given his sister this wonderful news followed it up with the second piece of good news about their father. “Oh I almost forgot to tell you, father has said now he has started to try to repair our relationship, that he wants to try to mend his one with you.”

Suki was pleased and surprised by this news from her brother and she couldn’t help but ask him in an awed tone of voice. “Father really wants to build a better relationship with me too?”

Branch gave her a nod and then said with joy clear in his eyes. “That’s what father said and we both know he is a troll of his word.”

“Yes he is.” Suki confirmed smiling at his brother glad to hear this.

“I’m going to head back to my rooms and start to get things ready for our trip…My thought had been to be packed with what we would need for the week, then tell Creek and Poppy when we see them next week we can stay, if they say it was alright with their mother for us to visit them then we could meet up with them a day or two later to start our visit. How does that sound to you?” Branch asked his sister eager to see if Suki would like this idea of his.

The fairy troll princess nodded to her brother and then said to him. “Yes I think that sounds like a great idea.”

“Good I am glad you agree with it. I’ll get back to my room now and start getting organised.” After he said this Branch gave his sister a hug and then set off back to his rooms in order to start preparing for his trip to see Creek for a week. Two of the first things which Branch packed were the magic mirror his father had asked him to make sure he took with him and another two gifts for Creek.

Chapter Text

Chapter nine:
Branch went to bed with Creek on his mind and in his heart, he was thrilled to have found a troll who seemed to accept him just as he was, but at the same time the grey prince was concerned that if the other male troll came to visit him here in the land of the fairy trolls that Creek might become attracted to one of the more colourful and powerful fairy trolls in the land. This very idea made the heart of the grey troll want to wither inside him and die, but then Branch reminded himself that Creek had agreed to his wooing and seemed to have genuine romantic feelings for him and it was with this heart-warming thought that the grey troll finally drifted off to sleep.

The grey troll hadn’t dreamt of anything for a very long time, so Branch was extremely surprised to find himself walking through a field of flowers the blooms of which rivalled the hews of the rainbow, above him was a sky of pitch back night it was also sprinkled with thousands of white hot glowing stars. All at once Branch became aware of a figure approaching him through the flowers, the grey troll suddenly realised that it was Creek coming towards him and as they met amongst the rainbow flowers the purple troll smiled at the troll he loved and missed so deeply despite only having been parted from him for a short while. “I was hoping we might be able to meet like this.”

“You came looking for me in your dreams?” Branch asked he was clearly bot surprised and happy because of what the other prince had achieved in order for them to meet again.

Creek nodded, he took both of the fairy princes hands into his and smiled at him widely as he said to the other troll. “I was glad I was able to do this…My family doesn’t have magic as strong as yours…But I remembered that when I was younger reading that our family does have a little magic thanks to the fact that one of our ancestors was a fairy troll and left a little of it’s magic in us.”

As the guru explained this to him a chuckle worked its way out of Branch and he said to Creek. “That certainly explains how you managed this…After all dream meetings like this take very little magic.”

“Can we meet like this again? I mean if you would like to?” The purple troll asked the fairy troll blushing slightly and looking away from the other prince as he did so.
Branch squeezes his hands as he says with a soft, but reassuring smile on his face. “Yes of course we can, it would give us the chance to spend time together and I would enjoy that a great deal.”

Creek quickly looked back to the grey troll, he felt thrilled and surprised as Branch said this to him. “You would?!”

The fairy prince didn’t answer this question from the other troll, instead he used the hold he had on the hands of the purple troll to pull him closer, Branch then placed a short, but soft kiss onto the lips of the other male troll. Creek’s eyes shot wide with surprise, he gasped in wonder into the kiss, the purple troll found that here in the dream that he felt less frightened of how own feelings than he had before now. Creek acted quickly he thrust his fingers into the hair of Branch and wound his other arm around the waist of the grey troll never wanting to let go of him and pulled him in for another longer kiss. As the they kissed for the second time the pair of male trolls closed their eyes wanting to enjoy the kiss as much as was possible. Slowly the grey troll gently placed his hands onto the shoulders of Creek, he held onto him feeling suddenly weak and warm inside all at the same time. A strange feeling moved through Branch, it was so strong and deep it made him catch his breath and break the kiss with Creek for a moment, but the hold which the purple troll had on his head didn’t let him move far. “Creek…” Branch said the name softly his voice full of love, as he realised that he had found a troll to truly love at long last.

Creek smiled at him softly, he closes his eyes, then gently brought their lips together yet again, he was loving every moment of kissing Branch, he’d never felt this way kissing Diamond, it was as if there was some kind of deeper love binding them together, one he’d never felt before, but now Creek had experienced this love he never wanted the feeling to end. Slowly the purple troll broke the kiss their eyes opened and met, the two male trolls smiled at each other and then placed their foreheads together. “I hope I can help you to break your curse.” Creek said with a smiled for the other male troll meaning these words with all his heart, as the prince found himself really wanted to see Branch free of his curse at long last so that he could finally be the fairy troll he was always meant to be.

“I hope you can too. I want to be free at last, I wasn’t to know what I was supposed to look like, I also wish I could use my magic as I was meant to. I know with you at my side that I won’t give up until I have found my freedom.” Branch told him determinedly as he gently squeezed the shoulders of the purple troll.

Creek felt so very proud of the determine troll in his arms, he knew that for Branch fighting the curse which had been on him for so long was an incredibly hard and brave thing for the grey troll to do. “You can be free Branch I know it.”

“Thank you Creek.” The fairy prince said gratefully to the one he knew his heart had chosen to love truly, Branch wanted to tell Creek that he loved him truly, but the fairy prince knew that because their relationship was just a fledgling one that now wasn’t the right time to do so and so for now he grey troll decided to keep this new and very powerful feeling to himself.

The purple troll drew Branch out of his thoughts by saying to him in an awed voice. “Your glowing.”

Startled by him saying this the grey troll looked at himself, sure enough his limbs were surrounded by a gentle blue light. “That’s never happened to me before…Usually my magic is grey…”

Creek didn’t understand what was happening to the fairy troll exactly, but he decided to trust that the magic of the fairy prince would not harm him and a few moments later this trust was rewarded when the blue light washed over him. To Creek the magic felt like the softest of feathers, it was so gentle with him but the purple prince could sense the great power hidden in it. “It’s amazing…” Creek said to Branch, his words faded as he looked into the eyes of the grey troll and saw that light again, however this time it was so very bright it could have rivalled the sun, this was a light like Creek had never seen before and it was directed at him, this fact awed and humbled him. “You are so very special Branch don’t let any troll ever make you believe other wise.” After he said this the purple prince kissed the other troll softly on the lips once more and the dream faded as Branch woke to a new day.

The grey troll found himself waking with a smile on his face and lightness inside him which he could not recall feeling before except for when his mother had still been alive. Branch felt sure he could feel that the curse within him had weakened a little because he had found the one troll he could love truly and felt he could be with forever more. The fairy prince lay quietly in bed thinking about the dream from last night, it had given him a lot of hope for the future and the grey troll also hoped that maybe it would have set some of his full magic free allowing him to fight the powers of his uncle next time Oak tried to use his own magic on him. The fairy prince got out of bed, he wished he had told Creek when they had met in their dreams that his father had said he would be able to come and visit him, but as he had not all Branch could do was hope that they met in their sleep again and he could tell Creek his good news then.

Branch had been having a wonderful day after this until Oak had come up at his side while he was in the garden on his knees tending to his mother’s favourite flower, as soon as the grey troll had realised that he was there a cold chill had gone through him and he had felt a brief flare of fear that Oak might have sensed the changes happening inside him so he asked as he stood to face the older troll. “What do you want uncle?”

“Oh come now, you know what I want Branch…You could save yourself and all of the other fairy trolls of the kingdom so much trouble if you would just let me have what I want.” Oak said softly, he placed his hands to the chest of his nephew and stroked his hands over the shirt covering the skin he longed to caress.
The grey prince didn’t hold back the shudder of disgust which went through him as his uncle did this, and he swatted the older fairy troll’s hands away. “Stop touching me! I hate you! You’re a disgusting old creep!”

After he said this Branch tried to go passed his uncle but the older troll grabbed hold of his arm, he pulled the younger prince to him before pushing him to a garden wall and forcing a piece of enchanted fabric into his mouth to silence him. As the prince went to try pull it out Oak grabbed his hands, he pushed them to the wall using his magic to pin them there, while he did this he also used his magic to pin his nephew’s legs against the wall and then he spoke to Branch in a low gloating voice as he struggles helplessly against his magic. “You can’t escape me this time.” The fairy prince glared at his uncle, Oak ignored this look, he pushed the leaf green jacket of the prince open and then started to unbutton his shirt while Branch writhes against his magic. “Sh, Branch relax.” Oak told him starting to glow with the light of his magic as he stroked over the now revealed chest of the grey troll. As he noticed this light Branch fought the magical bonds more than before, he didn’t want to relax or accept what was happening to him or what his uncle was about to do to him with his magic. At the same time as the fairy prince fought the magical bonds of Oak he desperately held the magic which one dream with Creek had set free inside him from making itself known to his uncle. “Come now Branch, there is no escape this time, surely you can see that.”

Branch shook his head at Oak, he could feel his magic sparking into life inside him, it was so strong that the grey fairy troll just couldn’t contain the magic any longer and all at once it spilt out of him heading like an arrow loosed from a bow straight for Creek. The moment the grey blue magic connected the two of them to each other both male trolls instantly felt this bond happen. This bond forming was the last thing which the fairy prince was aware of before the inky darkness of Oak swept in on him and he knew nothing more.

The hands of the purple troll went to his head he felt Branch’s entire being scream out towards him while at the same time he was aware of the magic of the grey fairy troll tying their hearts and souls together with his powerful magic. Creek was frightened by the pain and fear he was aware of coming to him from Branch and he knew without words that the one he loved needed him and that the magic of the fairy troll would guide him to the other male troll. The purple prince was also at awed at the amount and depth of the love he could feel coming through the magic to him, though he didn’t have much magic the prince reached back to Branch burying his own feelings into his heart along with a promise he would keep no matter what. “I am coming! I will save you.” Creek jumped out of bed and started to frenetically prepare for the journey and any ordeals which might be ahead for him in order to reach Branch.

Chapter Text

Chapter ten:

When Poppy came into her brother’s room she could instantly tell something was very wrong with him from his frenetic behaviour, as well as the way he was packing things into a sensible back pack and instantly she asked him with great concern. “Creek…Creek what is it?”

“Branch, he is in danger and Suki might be too.” Creek told her his voice full of urgency, he took a deep breath and then said to his sister. “Last night we shared a dream…Then this morning…” The words of the purple troll faded to nothing, he reached up and placed his fingers on his chest over his heart and looked deeply distressed.

Fear spiked inside Poppy and shad couldn’t help but asking in a shaking voice. “Brother are you alright.”

“Yes and no…I…It’s so difficult to explain all which has occurred.” Creek told her his voice and eyes lost in thought, he felt as though Branch’s powerful magic and love which the troll prince felt for him had burnt his insides and left its mark there eternally. “Branch…He joined us somehow, tied us together, with love and magic, it’s so strong…I can feel him Poppy and he’s in lost, as well as in so much pain and so frightened…Poppy I’m frightened for him.” The purple troll closed his eyes, his hand became a fist against his chest a single tear stole its way out from his eye and over Creek’s cheek as he said softly to his sister. “I can’t leave him like that.”

Poppy very gently lay a hand onto the arm of her brother and said softly but observantly. “If you can feel Branch through this bond then maybe he can feel you. Try to send him hope and love Creek, try to keep him fighting.”

“You are wise my sister.” The purple troll told her, he took a deep breath, let it out, Creek closed his eyes, and then gently sought the bond it was warm next to his heart. The purple troll touched it mentally and then sent love as well as hope towards the other troll as Creek did so he was sure he felt something inside Branch grow stronger, but he could also feel something else something cold, ugly and deeply evil at the same time and it sent a wave of terrible fear and nausea through Creek as he then said to his sister. “I have to go to him now!”

“Creek what is it?” Poppy questioned fear in her for her brother and the one she loved in her voice.

“I’m not sure but it felt horribly evil and terribly dangerous!” Creek started to make his way out of his rooms to go to the kitchen for food supplies and as he did this his sister came after him.

“Creek wait! I’M COMING TO!” Poppy cried out to her brother following him along the corridor, unwilling to let him go alone into such danger and darkness.

The purple troll stopped walking he turned to look back at his younger sister, Creek knew that his sister could be stubborn and would probably follow him even if he said no so reluctantly the prince said to her. “Alright you can come.”

“Thank you Creek…” Poppy paused for a moment before saying softly to him. “We should tell mother where we are going.”

Creek looked at his sister and said with a steely determination. “I want to, but mother would probably try to stop me…I can’t be stopped Poppy…I’m the only hope my Branch has and I won’t leave him.”

Poppy had never heard her brother sound like this in his life before now and she knew without a doubt the feelings which Creek held for Branch where much deeper and stronger than anything he had felt before now so the pink troll gave him a nod and said. “Then we won’t let her stop us from going to help both Branch and Suki.”

With a nod Creek followed his sister to her rooms, she packed quickly but sensibly into her own back pack, she slung it up onto her back and then together they went to see their mother. As soon as they entered the main room of the royal pod Queen Pansy looked up at them, it took only one look at her children to know something had happened to them, she came onto her feet and asked her children in a deeply concerned voice. “Creek…Poppy what is it?”

Creek stepped forwards and answered the question from his worried mother in a serious voice. “It’s a long story mother and I am afraid that we have very little time in which to tell it to you. I fell in love with a troll, a very special troll, he is in danger and I need to go to him now, because I cannot lose him and I will not be stopped from going to Branch.”

“Branch…” The Queen looked closely at her son and she could just about see it in the air around her son great magic and she said in a voice which was both awed and troubled. “A fairy troll…You fell in love with a fairy troll, the two of you are bound…Hearts, minds and souls…True love…Creek you can’t you mustn’t go into their world it’s dangerous.”

Creek took a deep breath before saying to Pansy gently but firmly. “Mother, I know you are worried, I know you don’t want to lose me like you did my father, but I have to go. I have to! I can’t leave him like that…”

“You can Feel him?” The older pink skinned troll asked her son clearly shocked by this admission from him.

“Yes and I know Branch needs me.” Creek explained to his mother as best as he could.

Poppy came to stand by her brother. “And I am going to.”

Pansy was very worried for both her children, but she knew to keep her son from Branch would not be right with the bond he now shared with the fairy troll and the Queen also knew that if he went then her daughter would to. So as much as the old pink troll didn’t want them to go because of her own fears for their safety she knew that she had to let them leave and go to the fairy troll kingdom, while she stayed behind to care for the kingdom and kept the belief in her heart that her children would be safe. “Poppy…Creek…I do not like it, but I do understand…All I ask is you both travel safely and please come back to me in one piece.”
Creek smiled at her gratefully, he walked over to his mother, the prince hugged his mother and kissed her cheek. “We’ll come back, or let you know we are alright as soon as we can mother I promise.”

“Thank you.” Pansy said to her two children appreciative of their understanding of her concerns for them, before giving each one of them a hug and then saying to Poppy and Creek.

Together the siblings made their way to the kitchen, the two trolls collected some food and water for their trip through the fairy kingdom then left their home. Side by side the siblings made their way through their village side by side and set off into the forest where they had met Branch and Suki. Creek let the bond he had to the grey fairy prince guide him onwards, he knew exactly when they reached the barrier between their world and the magical kingdom of the fairy trolls. The purple troll turned to his sister who was standing beside him and then said to her gently. “Last chance to turn back.”

Poppy glared at her older brother and then said to him firmly. “Not happening! Ever!”

Creek chuckled slightly at the younger pink troll it made him glad to know that his sister was so determined to come with him, he took her hand into his and then stepped through the barrier with Poppy. The world beyond wasn’t light at all, there wasn’t a hint of sunshine it was an overcast grey as though at any moment it was going to rain. The forest around them was full of lifeless black trees, a low curling mist clung to the ground winding around the grey grass. “This is horrible…It looks like the whole land has been cursed.” The pink troll said in a soft and concerned voice.

Creek looked around, he had to admit his sister had a point, this place didn’t look in the lest safe or welcoming, but it just made him feel even more than determined than before to help the other male troll. “We need to get to Branch as well as his family and quickly…I’m sure they are the only ones who can do anything about the state of the kingdom.”

Poppy gave him a nod of agreement, they then started to make their way through the forest Creek carefully using his bond to Branch in order to find the right direction to the castle. The purple troll was terrified about what might be happening to his soul mate, this was a new idea for Creek, but thinking of Branch as his soul mate and true love seemed somehow natural to him. They had not been walking through the forest for very long when vicious looking dark wolves with glowing red eyes stepped out of the darkness and into the path of the siblings growling threateningly at them. Creek and Poppy took up defensive stances, then slowly one of the wolves came forwards, it came directly towards the purple troll, it sniffed him as this happened the prince began to glow softly causing the black wolf to sit in front of him. Poppy leant into her brother and whispered to him. “Do you think maybe their here as some kind of boarder protection and because your bound to Branch they won’t hurt us?”

Creek gulped nervously, nodded and then said softly to his sister. “I think so…” The other wolves stepped out of the darkness and sat in front of the purple prince all looking at him and Creek shot his sister a confused look before asking her gently. “Do you think they are expecting to follow us now?”

Poppy shrugged and gave her brother a helpless look. “I don’t know brother, but I do know that we better get on…It’s already dark here and it will only darker as night comes.”

“Your right.” Creek said in agreement, so they set off once more going around the wolves, but instead of staying were they had been the wolves just started to follow them through the dark woods.

The pink troll looked at her brother and said to him with a shrug. “Well it looks like they are coming with us.”

“Yeah it does.” The purple troll said with resignation to their presence on their trip clear in his voice.

When it became too dark for the trolls to go any further through the woodland they made camp, the two trolls made a small fire so as not to draw to much attention, they ate some of the food which they had packed and once this was done the siblings then settled down to sleep. As they did this the two trolls were aware of the wolves circling them watching over them and protecting them from anything else which might be in the shadows.

As soon as he was asleep Creek sought Branch in his dreams, after searching for the other troll for some time he finally found the troll he loved. At the sight of the Branch horror filled him, the fairy prince was so pale that he was almost white, Branch lay on his side amongst the remnants of the beautiful field in which they had met in the last dream. The purple troll rushed over to Branch, as he got closer he could see cruel spiked black chains circling his wrists, his ankles and neck digging into the pale male troll. As well as this Branch was gagged and blindfolded and there was some kind of dark energy around his whole body clearly keeping him from being able to be free.

When Creek reach the side of the grey troll the purple prince got on his knees by the fairy troll, tears were gathering in the grey blue eyes of the prince and he reached out to try to touch Branch but as soon as he did so the dark energy swirled up, it formed a clawed hand and went to grab him. Quickly the purple troll moved his questing hand back, he looked down at the grey troll feeling utterly helpless, and the tears which until now he had managed to prevent falling spilled over. The prince quickly noticed that as the tears landed on the dark mist they created gaps in it, as soon as one of the gaps were big enough Creek reached through the gaps his tears were creating, he touched Branch. The other male troll was so cold to the touch that deep fear set in for the purple troll and this could be heard in his voice as he whispered to the fairy prince. “Branch…Please try to fight, try to hold on for me. I’m coming for you I promise.” Creek noticed that his tears had now cleared enough of the mist that he could kiss the cheek of the grey troll and so he did just that.

Branch glowed softly after the purple prince did this, though this brought Creek some joy he hated seeing the way that the other troll was confined and he didn’t know what had been done to him, but he was sure with everything within him that Branch was in pain and frightened. “Don’t let this darkness win Branch, your stronger than it and I know it.” Creek told him his voice firm, his belief in the power which the fairy troll held was absolute.

As the dream started to fade the purple troll kissed Branch on the cheek again and said softly. “I will come and I will save you.”

When Creek woke that morning he was filled with even more determination than he had been before, the purple troll made breakfast, for himself and his sister. When Poppy woke Creek gave her a meal, once they had eaten he gave the scraps of meet to the wolves who ate it gratefully, after they ate the same female wolf from the day before came over to Creek she lay her head against his hand. The purple troll stoked over her head, the other wolves sat watching, all at once the purple troll realised they knew, they knew he was here to help Branch and they would follow them as well as protect them.

“I understand now, these wolves will protect us and come with us. We must go.” Creek said softly but firmly to Poppy.

“It is good to know that they will protect us. Yes, let’s go.” The princess said to her brother with a nod and once more the siblings set off towards their goal with the pack of wolves following along closely behind them as they walked through the forest.

Chapter Text

Chapter eleven:

Branch was lost in utter darkness, he could feel he was lying in a bed, he could also feel that there were heavy chains around his neck, ankles and wrists his voice and sight had been taken from him by Oak’s dark magic causing him to feel both frightened and lost. He was very much aware of the fact that his uncle was using his dark magic to do things to him and was trying to get him to wake up. The grey fairy refused to do so, because he didn’t want to see what his uncle had done to him or to be made to submit to anything more which Oak might want to do to him if he woke up. Branch had despite what Oak had done to him had felt Creek’s presence, the kisses on his cheek and had heard the other male troll’s promise that he would come to save him. The fairy prince knew that the one he loved would keep his promise, but at the same time he was very worried that Creek would resent the bond of true love he had formed with him without his permission and would never say he loved him.

Oak was beyond furious with the situation he found himself in, he had managed to change Branch into a female version of himself which looked just like Rosemary had, save for not having her colours because that would require undoing his first curse on Branch something which Oak did not want to do at this time, but yet somehow though the magically weaker prince was managing to resist all of his attempts to wake him up after the transformation and capturing of the fairy kingdom with his dark magic. Oak wanted Branch awake so he could take the blindfold off of him, so that the former prince could see that all his attempts to resits him had been futile and so that he had an alive troll he could mate with instead of Branch in this unresponsive state. He glared down at the other fairy troll, then he said to the transformed grey troll in a low threatening voice as he gathered up some of his dark magic. “You better wake up Branch or I am going to curse your sister and your father!”

The grey troll could hear these words in the darkness, he didn’t want Oak to hurt the rest of his family just because he wouldn’t surrender to his uncle, to him it seemed better for him to wake up and let the older fairy troll do to him what he wanted. So very reluctantly Branch came back to himself letting out a groan around the gag in his mouth in a voice he didn’t recognise as his own as he woke up for the first time since his uncle had set his plans into action. When Oak heard this noise leave the younger fairy troll he grinned down at her evilly, he stroked over the new curves of Branch’s now female body saying to her as he did so. “Well hello there. I finally have what I want.” Oak took the blindfold off of the grey troll, he pulled her head up by her hair and made Branch look down at her new naked female body as well as his naked form before saying to her in a low deadly voice. “You look so magnificent like this, just like I imagined your mother would look under me as I took her. In a few moments I’m going to mate you Branch. We will marry and I will rule the kingdom with you as my captive mate.”

Branch struggled against the heavy chains holding her down to Oak’s bed, he let out a dark chuckle before saying to her. “I wouldn’t bother if I were you, the chains are far to strong for you to escape them. You are mine now!” The grey troll whimpered in fear around the gag, this reaction made the older fairy troll grin down at her with an evil look in his eyes. “No troll is going to stop me now.” Oak told his helpless captive as he gently stroked his hands over the skin of the grey troll, before running them to his breasts and cupping them in his hands.

As his uncle started using his fingers to touch her new nipples, a hitherto unknown pleasure washed through Branch and she couldn’t help the gasp of delight which left her. When Oak heard this noise come from her he gave the grey troll a devious grin before saying to Branch in a self-satisfied voice. “You’re so wonderfully responsive my pet. I am going to enjoy mating with you Branch.” Oak tweaked the nipples of the grey troll causing him to arch up and moan under his uncle. “That’s it good girl, let yourself enjoy it.”

Oak teased the nipples of Branch using his fingers, mouth and tongue, in alternating ways causing her to moan over and over again, she felt so good, her insides ached in a way which the grey troll had never experienced in her life before now and Branch hated her uncle for making her feel like this. Slowly Oak moved one hand down over Branch’s body, he gently stroked over the new entrance into the now female Branch who let out a long wanting moan around the gag a noise she despised hearing herself for unwittingly making. The older fairy troll carefully slipped a finger inside Branch, the grey troll whimpered, it felt strange but good to feel something inside his new whole. “Do you feel that inside you Branch?” The grey troll gave him a nod in answer to this question, Oak pulled the finger out of the other fairy troll and pushed it back into him again causing Branch to moan and arch in pleasure once more. “Good I am glad you feel it and seem to like it so much pet. As soon as I’ve teased this little whole wide enough I’m going to push my cock into you and mate you.”

The grey troll whimpered in terror as Oak told her what was going to happen to her, she pulled against the chains hard, this was a reaction to his words which had Oak laughing at him cruelly. The older fairy troll started to thrust his finger in and out of Branch hard and fast causing her to toss her head and start moaning in pleasure helplessly. As soon as he felt that the whole became ready Oak ruthlessly pushed a second finger in to Branch’s whole along side the first finger saying to her in a ruthless voice as he did so. “That’s two fingers Branch, just a little more and you’ll be ready for my cock to enter you.”

Branch struggled hard against the chains, he writhed and cried out in a mixture of pleasure and shame as Oak teased his new sensitive insides with his fingers while he licked over her nipples. She could feel a pleasurable pressure building inside her body and when the fingers of his uncle left him Branch let out a cry of distress around the gag because she knew what was going to come next. Oak smiled to himself he was finally getting everything he wanted, his dark magic had rendered his brother powerless, all of the fairy trolls were imprisoned forced to serve him by the use of his dark magic even his own son who had dared to stand up to him when he had set his plan for the kingdom in motion. The whole kingdom and Branch were his at long last, just as they always should have been, now he would have his true heirs from the grey troll and Oak would make sure to raise them to follow his footsteps.

Oak lined his cock up to enter Branch, who closed his eyes and turned his head away unable to look as his uncle took him for the first time. Suddenly there was a massive bang from the doorway into the room, the door to Oak’s bedroom flew open and Creek came running into the room closely followed by Poppy. The purple prince had a sword drawn ready for action, as soon as he noticed what was happening Creek yelled with all of his might. “BRANCH! Get off of him you now!”

The older fairy troll laughed darkly as he threw on a robe and approached Creek oozing confidence as he did so. “Well my…You must be the one who Branch fell truly in love with and therefore the one who gave him enough magical power to resist some of my magic. Putting an end to you should be easy little bright troll, you haven’t the power to stop me.”

A few moments after he said this dark magic swept into the room, Oak became completely black, with glowing red eyes, his fingers changed to long sharp pointed claws and the dark troll let out an evil laugh. Out of the darkness came vicious birds swooping towards Creek like arrows, instantly the wolves who had travelled with the siblings leapt forward tackling them down to the floor of the room preventing them from attacking Creek who determinedly approached Oak. The black troll threw the dark magic forward at Creek, the purple troll cried out in pain as it hit him and Oak chuckled darkly before saying in a gloating voice. “Your useless! Destroying you will be easy!” The evil fairy troll picked the prince up in his dark magic and started to squeeze him with it.

As Creek cried out in pain and fear, and then started to choke slightly, when the grey troll heard what was happening and caught glimpses of it to anger burned its way through Branch, she wasn’t going to let Oak hurt the troll she truly loved and right then the grey troll knew he would do whatever it took to stop him from doing this. A white-hot heat pulsed through Branch as soon as he made this decision, the fairy prince filled with bright blue light, which caused Oak to turn and stair at him. “No…No…” He whispered fear clear in his voice, the attention of the older fairy troll was so fixed on Branch that he was unaware of his inky black magic dropping Creek onto the floor of the room. The purple troll just about managed to push himself up on his elbows to look at what was happening with awe filled grey blue eyes.

All at once blue light flashed out of Branch, within this light she became a he again, the blue magic released the grey troll from the bonds, and gag as soon as this happened the prince screamed out in a voice which was filled with fear and anger. “CREEK!” This caused more light to spill out of the prince, he floated up from the bed but was still laying down, colour was filling Branch his body flowing outwards from his heart, the skin turned teal blue and his hair changed to royal blue. The coming from Branch light grew in intensity, it started to burn the darkness in the room away, yet did no harm to Creek or the wolves even as Oak howled in pain and was dissolved away into nothing by the blue light. Suddenly there was one last bright blinding flash of blue light, which was so bright caused the purple prince to close his eyes, a few moments later it went out and Branch fell back down onto the bed. Creek slowly opened his eyes, it appeared everything had been turned back to normal by this power which had just come from the blue troll. A few moments after this happened Poppy, Suki and Sage came running into the bedroom, seeing the now blue troll lying motionless on the bed both Suki and Sage cried out. “Branch!” Before dashing over to the bed side by side, to stand on one side of the bed looking down at the now blue troll.

Poppy quickly came over to Creek, she carefully helped her brother up, she could see that he was cut and bruised in several places causing her to ask in an urgent worried voice. “Are you alright my brother?”

“I’m fine…Just a few cuts and bruises thanks to Branch. Is Branch alright?” Creek asked Sage and Suki with his concern for the other troll was clear in his voice as he asked them both this question.

As her father covered his son up with some sheets from the bed, the hot pink skinned fairy troll looked at him and shook her head before saying to him. “I don’t know…All of his adult magic came free at once, Branch is now the fairy troll High King and as well as both of those things happening to my brother the curse which had been effecting him is gone too…it was a lot for Branch to take all at once…”

Sage looked at Creek and said to him in a straightforward voice. “You are the one my son chose. I can feel his magic around you…I can see that the two of you are bound together…Who are you, both of you?”

It was Suki who answered this question from her father rather than the other two trolls. “Father, this is Poppy and Creek, they are the princess and prince of the colourful trolls, they were the ones we had been planning to visit before all of this happened. What we didn’t tell you is that I am wooing Poppy and Branch had already started a formal wooing with Creek before Oak struck and I know my brother loves him with all of his heart.”

The former High King looked away from Creek, he stroked his son’s hair and then said softly to Branch with a touch of distress to his voice. “One sided true love. Oh Branch, you swapped one curse for another…”

“What do you mean?” Poppy asked Sage fear in her voice as she did so.

“True love is extremely powerful young one. My son is bound to your brother, yet he has given all he has today and your brother has given nothing.” The former King told her turning his gaze to Creek as he spoke.

The purple troll glared at him, and said in an angry, but steady voice. “I resent you saying that to me, I gave him a promise I would come and I did my best to save him from that dark thing.”

“My younger brother…He was my brother…When I said you had given nothing you miss understood my meaning and that is my fault I should have explained it better than I did just now forgive me…I am distressed by everything which has happened here…Branch’s soul, body and heart are bound to you, are you bound to him? He gave you his true love, did you give him that same love back? My son became all he was supposed to be in order to save you, you did all you could to save him but the rest…” Sage looked back at his son laying in Oaks bed and then said in a soft tearful voice which broke slightly as he spoke. “He won’t wake up without it, he can’t…Becoming the High King takes a lot of magic, as they carry a lot of power, I’ve never seen or heard of a High King with magic which is this strong before now. You are what kept him going and you are the only troll who can bring my son back, but no troll can make you love him enough to do so.”

Sage turned his full attention back to Branch, before going to lift him out of the bed, Creek stopped him by saying in a determined voice. “I am bound to Branch, when he tied us together I reached back, I am just as tied to him as he is to me and I want to be the one to carry Branch.”

The once King went to object to this idea, but Suki lay a hand on her father’s arm and said to him firmly but kindly. “Let Creek do this father, you told my brother you thought of him as a grown troll so trust Branch’s choice.”

Sage looked at his daughter for a few moments with indecision clear in his eyes, then he gave her a nod and with Suki at his side he stepped back from the bed. Creek made his way over to the bedside, he looked down at Branch, he looked so different with his colours and yet he was just the same as before. With tenderness Creek gathered the sheets around Branch, then slowly he lifted the blue troll up, he placed a soft kiss to his forehead and said with silent tears running over his cheek. “Your safe now, Branch it’s all over. I’m here…Just like I promised…I’m here. Would you show me to Branch’s room?” Creek asked Branch’s father locking gazes with him ignoring the tears he was shedding.

The once King was touched by the sight of these tears and he found himself admiring this young troll for the way he was carrying himself in this situation despite the fact he was clearly in distress. “Yes of course.” Sage showed him the way to the other male troll’s room, once there he carefully drew the sheets of Branch’s bed down so that Creek could lay his son down, which the purple troll did with the upmost care. Now they were in a lighter room Sage could see that Creek was bruised and cut badly in several places and so asked him. “Do you want to go and see a healer?”

The purple troll shook his head at Sage and said with steely determination clear in his voice. “I won’t leave Branch again.”

“Then I’ll bring a healer to you.” Sage told Creek smiling slightly glad to see that the purple troll would not leave his son alone.

“Thank you.” The prince said softly to the older troll glad that Sage wasn’t going to try and get him to leave Branch and would send the healer to him instead.

Sage knowing that he could trust Creek to take care of his son left the purple troll alone with Branch, the prince didn’t even turn around as the fairy troll left the room, instead he took the blue troll’s hand into his, he sat on the side of the bed and said to him softly. “I…I am bound to you Branch and I will not let you go. I will not leave you alone, I don’t care how long it takes you to wake up I will be right here waiting.” Creek gently placed a kiss onto the forehead of Branch, but it wasn’t enough for him, he wanted to kiss him and hold him, however at the same time Creek was unsure if this would make things better or worse for Branch. So instead he sat on the side of the bed holding onto Branch’s hand with one of his, while at the same time Creek combed the fingers of his free hand into the royal blue hair of the new High King begging him in an emotional voice while more tears ran out of his eyes and over his cheeks. “Please wake up soon…I am waiting for you and so are your family”

A short while later when the healer came to treat him Creek didn’t move from his position by the bedside of the troll he loved, instead the purple let the healer work around him all the while keeping his attention fixed on Branch. The female healer noticed this fact as she treated his wounds but said nothing to him, she just let Creek carry on with what he was doing and she smiled to herself softly glad to see that this troll clearly loved their King.

Chapter Text

Chapter twelve:

Sage realising that Creek would keep his word and not be moved from his son’s side had a comfortable chair brought into the bedroom for the purple prince so he could sit beside the bed of his son in comfort. Creek sat by Branch’s side day after day, the purple troll held onto his hand and stroked over the dark blue hair of the other male troll talking to him about all sorts of things, while at the same time growing concern for Branch ate at him for the inside. Creek never left him, he basically lived in the rooms of the blue fairy troll and nothing any other troll said would move him from those rooms. Seeing that Creek refused to ever leave Branch’s rooms even for sleep had has caused Sage to have a small but comfortable bed brought into the bedroom of his son for the purple prince to sleep in every night and to make sure that meals were taken to the troll bound to his son.

Creek was however not the only troll to be looking after Branch or to be worried for him Poppy, Suki and Sage would also all spend time with the new high King and the worry of these other trolls for him was also very clear. Poppy had been the one out of the two siblings with the use of a magic mirror to contact their mother and tell them the news and that it looked likely that Creek and herself would be here in the fairy land for some time to come. Suki and Sage had assured the Queen they would take good care of her children and this had reassured Pansy a great deal as she knew fairy trolls were creatures of their word.

For Sage seeing the devotion of the purple prince showed to his son made him realise that Creek really did care about Branch and this made him respect the prince more than he had before. The former King just hoped that this caring would start to turn into love and that somehow the feelings of Creek would be enough to bring Branch back to them at last. At the same time Sage was becoming aware of the fact that his daughter and Poppy were partaking in a formal wooing, something which did not upset him but in fact made him glad for them.

It was now two weeks since Branch had passed out and nothing about his state had changed in the slightest, Creek was even more concerned about him now than he had been before and he knew that the others were as well. Gently the purple prince stroked his hand over the dark blue hair of the other male troll, he addressed him in a gentle and caring voice. “Come on Branch wake up please. Your father and sister are both so worried about you and so am I. The curse which was on you is over at last, don’t you want to see yourself without it marring your life anymore? You can wake up, I promise that your safe now…Your uncle is dead Branch, he won’t hurt you or anyone you care about ever again and you know I always keep my word to you…I love you…I really do love you so please wake up.”

When there was no reaction from Branch to this confession of love bitter disappointment swept through Creek as he had hoped then now he had finally said these words to the other male troll it would wake Branch at last, but it appeared that this had made no change to him. The purple troll found himself suddenly afraid that nothing would get Branch to wake up and this was something which he wasn’t willing to entertain in the slightest. Then slowly the hand which Creek had been holding tightened on his, as this happened joy and awe went through the purple troll, he gasped with surprise and then Creek called out in an urgent voice to Branch. “Branch?! That’s it come on Branch! Open your eyes for me.”

The eye lids of the blue troll fluttered, he groaned and then Branch opened his eyes, slowly they focused on the purple troll, the bright teal eyes were full of love and light as they looked up at Creek, feelings which were just as apparent in his voice as Branch said softly to the purple troll. “Creek…You’re here…I’m sorry…For everything.”

Gently Creek placed a finger to Branch’s lips in order to silence him, he gazed at him with soft eyes as he said to him tenderly but firmly. “Sh, you don’t need to say sorry to me, none of this was your fault. None of it! I was happy to come here and save you.” After he said this the purple prince took his finger away from the lips of Branch to allow him to speak to him again.

“Thank you…” The blue troll said gratefully to the purple prince feeling relived and glad that the one he loved wasn’t angry with him for everything which had occurred. Creek carefully helped Branch to sit up in the bed, making sure that the blue King was comfortable against the pillows after he had done this. The fairy troll was awed to see himself as blue, but his attention was soon taken away from this fact as the one he loved then assisted him to drink some water and eat some crackers before laying the fairy troll back down in the bed. As soon as Branch was settled back down in the bed Creek took his hand back into his and sat back down on the chair by the bedside. “I should take away the bond I formed with you…I’d only just begun wooing you after all.” The fairy troll said in a soft voice to the other male troll locking gazes with him again once more.

Creek tightened his hold on Branch’s hand and shook his head before saying vehemently. “No! I don’t want you to take it away…I…I like it…The bond feels right, like something I had been waiting to happen to me for all my life. You make me feel emotions I never felt when Guy and I were together, I know this is love, one so much deeper than I felt for Guy. Your father told me what the bonding meant…You are my true love and soul mate and I want you to know that you are mine. If you will let me I want to be with you forever.”

Branch found himself utterly awed by the fact that Creek wanted to stay bound to him and that the troll his heart had chosen wanted to stay with him for always. “But what about what happened to you with Guy?”

Creek squeezed Branch’s hand in his and said in a soft but firm voice. “That is the past and you are my future. Yes he hurt me I will never deny that, but if I had not had that experience and met you, then I might never have known what I was missing in life. I love you, my whole being is yours every last part of it, I think that was the case from the very first meeting between us. If you wish to continue with the formal wooing you had intended to take part in with me then I will not object to that, but if you think that I will change my mind about us then you are very much mistaken my High King of the fairy trolls.”

The eyes of the blue troll went wide with surprise when Creek told him of his feelings and called him the High King of the fairy trolls, then the teal eyes of the fairy troll softened, Branch lifted the hand holding his he kissed the back of it gently before saying to him. “Please kiss me Creek.”

With a happy smile and a nod for Branch Creek came to his feet, he leant over the blue troll and kissed him gently on the lips. The blue troll put his arms around the troll he loved holding him as the two of them kissed, he let out a happy hum, kissing Creek made him feel so wonderful and helped to rid him of the memories of his uncle and what Oak had done to him. The purple troll was careful not to overwhelm the still recovering blue troll as they kissed for the first time since Branch had woken up. Slowly the broke this first kiss, their gazes met, then slowly the eyes of the blue troll clouded with tears as he started to recall what had happened to him before he had broken his curse. Wordlessly the purple troll lay alongside him in the bed, he gathered Branch into his arms, Creek stroked over his back as the blue fairy troll clung to him crying. The purple troll wished that he could take the pain the other troll must be feeling from him or that he knew what to say to make the tears stop, but the purple troll knew he could not and so instead Creek held him close and comforted Branch to the best of his abilities.

Slowly the tears of the blue troll ran out, still the purple prince did not release the one he loved from his hold and after a few moments of silence Branch spoke to him in a small vulnerable voice. “Stay with me and don’t let me go right now please.”

“I won’t I promise.” Creek told him trying to hold the tears he wanted to cry for Branch in so as not to add to the pain the other male troll was already feeling and so he swallowed the tears back saying to him bravely. “Try to rest now and try to forget it ever happened…I know it’s easy for me to say that…”

Quickly Branch shook his head at Creek and said to him firmly. “No, it’s good advice…I don’t want to think about what he did to me…But I do want to remember that this brought us together and bound us together. Rest is good to…” The blue troll yawned, but he continued to hold Creek close as they lay together on the bed, slowly Branch closed his eyes and fell asleep beside the troll he loved.

Creek smiled down at the troll in his arms, the purple troll gently kissed him on the forehead and whispered to him a promise he was determined to keep. “I won’t ever let another troll hurt you like that ever again.”

Later in that day when Sage came to check on Creek and Branch he found the two of them together in bed and fast asleep and as soon as he noticed this the eyes of the old King went wide. He knew that Creek had never left the chair before now, save to sleep, this made Sage hope that his son might have woken for the first time, he desperately wanted to tell both his daughter and Poppy this news, but until Sage could be sure that Branch had woken he decided to say nothing and so instead the old King sat down in the chair were Creek usually sat and watched over them both.

The purple troll woke first, still in that blissful warm space of being half awake Creek nuzzled into Branch, the blue troll let out a deep happy sigh in his sleep his eyes open slowly, he smiles softly at the sight of Creek laying next to him. The purple prince kissed Branch softly on the cheek, the fairy King smiled gently as he did this, then he caught the lips of Creek with his own in a short but sweet kiss. The two trolls smiled at each other when they broke this kiss, it was only then that they noticed that Sage was there and watching them smiling kindly at them and as he noticed they had seen him the once King said softly to Branch. “I am glad to see you are awake my son and free of your curse at last.”

“Father.” The blue fairy troll said softly clearly delighted to see him there.

Quickly Sage stood up, he moved towards his son, Creek moved back a little, allowing the former King to hug Branch close to him as he said softly and tearfully. “I was worried we were going to lose you Branch. I’m so happy that you are alright and have taken your place as High King at last.”

Branch clung to Sage for a few moments returning his hug, before they broke the hug and Creek took the still recovering blue fairy troll once more into his arms. “I’m sorry I am still weak father.”

Sage shook his head at his son saying to him as he did so. “Hush now, no need to apologise for that! You went through a lot all at once and it is understandable you would be weak after it. Take your time to recover and enjoy being with your bonded. I want you to know that I am proud of you and of the troll you have chosen as yours. I feel sure that when the time comes Creek will make you a good husband and the consort.”

The blue troll is instantly thrilled when his father tells him this, Branch smiled up at Sage and said softly and gratefully. “Thank you, father I am so happy to hear you say that.”

“Good, all I want is for you to be happy my son and if Creek is the one to make you happy then I am happy to accept that fact. I shall leave you now and go tell Suki and Poppy you are awake and recovering. They will want to see you is that alright with you Branch?” Sage asked his son gently not wanting to overwhelm him as he was only just starting to getting better.

Slowly he nodded to his father before saying to him. “I would like that, but please tell Poppy and my sister that I am still very tired and weak.”

“I will make sure to tell them that.” Sage promised him before leaving to go and talk to Suki and Poppy about coming to see Branch.

The blue troll looked at Creek and said to him softly. “I’m so glad to hear that my father is proud of me and happy with my choice in you. I would never want to choose another troll over you, because you loved me even though I was an ugly grey colour.”

The purple troll gently stroked the cheek of the one he loved in a caring gesture and said in a firm voice. “You were never ugly. You were always amazingly handsome to me.”

Branch’s eyes widened as joy and wonder went through him, gently he kissed Creek on the lips, the purple prince pressed his lips back against those of Branch, he deepened the kiss drawing a gasp of surprise and then a small moan from the blue troll. That moan made Creek feel desire flood through his body, but aware of Branch’s frigidity at this time and what he had so recently ben through the purple troll kept what he wanted from the other male troll in check and after a few more moments of enjoying the lips of the other male troll Creek broke the kiss. Branch smiled at the one he loved, he felt so happy and comfortable right now and the blue troll never wanted it to end, Branch close to Creek and letting out a contented sigh.

“I’m glad to see you so happy.” The purple troll told him as he stroked over the blue troll’s back enjoying having Branch close to him.

A few moments after this the door to the bedroom opened, Suki and Poppy slowly came into the room, they came over to the side of the bed and both smiled down at Branch relief clear in their eyes. Suki gently took one of her brother’s hands into hers, gave it a squeeze as she said to him in a soft but emotional voice. “I was worried about you. I am so glad you are alright at last.”

Branch squeezed his sisters hand back. “It’s good to see you too. I’m so glad to see Oak didn’t harm you or father. How are things between Poppy and you going?”

“They are going well.” Suki told him blushing slightly as she made this confession about her relationship to her older sibling.

Poppy gave him a bright smile from the side of his sister and said to him. “Creek was very worried for you, he never left your side…in fact he has been living here in your rooms since you passed out two weeks ago.”

Branch turned wide eyes onto Creek, who groaned in embarrassment and groaned out to his sister. “Poppy…Did you have to say that?”

The pink troll ducked behind the fairy troll princess who chuckled before saying to the clearly embarrassed purple troll. “I think your sister just wants Branch to know how much you care for him.”

“You really said here all the time?” Branch asked Creek clearly shocked by this new information.

The purple troll nodded to the one he loved, he was blushing brightly, but kissed the forehead of Branch before saying to him. “I was, I refused to leave you, after all I promised I wouldn’t and I didn’t. I wanted to be here in case you woke up and needed me.”

“I will always need you.” Branch assured him with a soft smile.

Creek returned this smile, he felt utterly thrilled, as well as honoured to know that the blue troll wanted him to be with him always. Poppy and Suki fought hard not to react to this adorable moment, as they didn’t want to make them more embarrassed than they already were and somehow jeopardize the new and still growing relationship between them. Suddenly Branch let out a yawn, Suki smiled softly down at her brother, she took her hand out of his, took Poppy’s hand into hers, pulled the pink troll out from behind her and said softly. “We’ll let you get some more rest.”

Branch felt horrible that he was so tied, but he knew he needs rest to recover, the blue troll nodded tiredly at his sister even as his eyes were starting to close. Seeing this Poppy and Suki left the room, quietly shutting the door behind them and leaving the couple alone together once more. Creek stroked over the hair of the blue troll in a calming gesture, seeking to sooth Branch to sleep, he watched smiling as once more the one he loved fell asleep beside him clearly feeling safe and happy laying in bed beside him. The purple troll put his arms around Branch, he watched over his sleeping love waiting for Branch to wake again and hoping that with his help the other male troll would grow strong once more.

Chapter Text

Chapter fourteen:

Over the next few days Branch recovered slowly but surely from his ordeal at the hands of his uncle, and no matter what happened Creek never left his side, it was he and Sage were the one who helped Branch when he started to stand and walk again. Over the same time both Suki and Branch had noticed that the time spent here in their magical world was making the magic which Creek and Poppy had inherited from their fairy troll ancestor become stronger.

So the fairy troll siblings had taken the time to teach both the bright trolls how to handle their new magic. Branch and Suki had in fact greatly enjoyed giving the two trolls they loved magic lessons and it was clear from the overwhelmingly positive reactions of Creek and Poppy to these lessons that they enjoyed them too. This prosses had brought the two couples even closer to each other than they had been before now and knowing that Poppy and Creek had some magic made Branch and Suki feel more comfortable that they could defend themselves from any magical attacks should they ever need to.

One day as Branch sat with Branch on the window seat sitting in Creek’s lap and looking out of the window at the garden bellow he spoke to the one he loved. “I know you have stronger magic than you did when you arrived here Creek, but I was hoping that you wouldn’t mind if I placed a magical protection onto you…I just want to be sure you are safe.”

The purple troll looked down at the one he loved, he could easily comprehend why Branch would feel the need to keep him safe and so said to him. “I understand love and I feel the same way about you. So what do I need to do?” The purple troll asked Branch curiously.

“Give me your left hand and I will draw a magical symbol there to help keep you safe.” The blue troll said to him, holding out his hand for Creek to put his in.
The purple troll did as the one he loved told him to being careful of the blue troll’s wings as he did so, he watched in fascination as Branch started to glow blue and then carefully drew a shining magical symbol onto the palm of his left hand. The feeling of Branch’s magic close to him made him feel warm inside as it always did and so Creek decided that he would ask the fairy troll what this meant at last. “Branch, why is it when ever I feel your magic I feel warm inside?”

As Branch continued to draw the symbol onto the hand of the one he loved he smiled softly to himself and answered this question. “It means your magic and mine are complimentary, which will make things easier for us going forward from here in our romantic relationship. It also means our magic will always recognise that of each other and knows that it is no threat.”

Creek gave him a nod of understanding as he said to the fairy troll. “That makes a lot of sense and it is good to know that our magic is compatible.”

Branch finished making the magical protection on the one he loved, he leant back against his chest and held the hand of the other troll in his as he said softly. “There all done.”

“Please could place protection on you too?” Creek asked the grey troll curiously, find himself filled with a deep desire as he so often was now protect Branch from any and all harm and if this would help him then Creek wanted to use his magic to do so.

“Of course you can.” Branch assured him with a happy smile, he felt very thrilled to know that Creek wanted to use his magic in order to protect him, this he felt was a good sign for their growing relationship.

“How do I place protection on you?” The purple troll asked him inquisitively.

The blue troll slowly folded his wings out of the way, he turns around in the prince’s lap to face to Creek and held out his left hand to him. “Take my left hand into yours, concentrate on wanting to protect me, let your magic come forwards, then use the fore finger of your right hand to draw onto the palm of my left hand whatever symbol pops into your head.”

Creek gave him a nod of understanding, he did as Branch directed, as his purple magic glowed around him he carefully drew a symbol onto the palm of the blue troll’s left hand with his right hand. When he finished, Branch looked up from the purple flower glowing on his hand to Creek, the purple troll caught his gaze and smiled softly at him. As the glowing light seeped into his skin Branch gently kissed the prince on his lips, slowly he kissed back, the blue troll slipped his arms around Creek moving himself so he was kneeling between the legs of the other male troll. As Branch does this the prince let out a groan of desire, he placed his hands onto the back of the fairy King carefully not to harm his wings and stroked over his back. A shiver of pleasure went through Branch as Creek did this to him, the blue troll found himself feeling unafraid of the feelings which were waking inside him, this was so unlike his experience with Oak and Branch found himself treasuring it. When the purple troll felt Branch shiver under his touch he broke the kiss saying to him softly and with concern in his voice. “Are you alright? If you want to stop because this is to soon or too much for you…Then tell me.”

“I’m fine, it felt good…Please don’t stop.” Branch told him bringing one hand up to stroke his hand through the hair of Creek and then started to kiss him again.<

The purple troll was awed and thrilled that Branch was willing to trust him in this way after his previous experience, Creek is determined he would not rush the one he loves and that if Branch wants him to stop at any time then he will let him do so without complaint. They continued to kiss, stopping from breaths and only to start to kiss all over again, as the kissing continued they where becoming slightly deeper than the one before it. Branch was loving every moment of this experience, it was sending wonderful warm waves of pleasure through him and he felt so safe in the arms of the one he loved in was a total contrast to Oak and the blue troll felt truly happy to have fallen in love with Creek of all trolls. “I love you.” Branch whispers between their kisses.

“I love you to.” Creek says softly in return when they break from the next kiss after the blue troll told him this.

As they continued to kiss the fairy King started to unbutton the shirt of the other male troll, Creek moaned softly in desire as Branch did this, this sound morphed into a louder moan of pleasure as the blue troll stroked his hands over the chest of the other male troll. As the kissing carried on, made bold by Branch taking off his shirt Creek pulled the shirt of the one he loved out of his trousers, he put his hand under the shirt and gently stroked over the back of the blue troll. The fairy King broke the kiss, he moaned loudly in delight because the touch of the one he is boned to brings him so much pleasure and makes Branch feel utterly blissful. “Uh Creek that feels so good. More please.”

“Your wish is my command.” Creek said tenderly, before carefully removing the shirt from the one he loved glad as he did so that they were specially made not to hurt the wings of the fairy troll. He carelessly dropped the shirt onto the floor before starting to kiss his way over the chest of the blue troll starting to push him back down against the pillows of the window seat.

“Ah, ah, Creek.” Branch groaned out, his pleasure at what the other male troll was doing to him was very clear in this moment.

Creek smiled to himself feeling ecstatic to be making the blue troll to feel so good and only stopped kissing the chest of Branch long enough to ask him. “Yes my beloved what do you desire from me?”

“More, ah, I want, uh…I want more!” The blue troll told the purple troll in a voice which was laden with bliss.

“Of course.” Creek told him laying him back against the pillows of the window seat fully, he came up over Branch, he continued to stroke over his chest and kissing it too, the purple troll really wanted to touch the blue troll in a more intimate way than this. Creek however held back on his own needs wanting to give Branch time to experience the full delights of the realm of pleasure before they moved onto the next step in their relationship.

Branch started to undo the shirt of the purple troll, then he began to tug it off of him, Creek helped him to get the shirt off of him, the blue troll took delight in throwing it away onto the floor with his own shirt. As they kissed after Branch did this their naked chests made contact, wrenching a gasp of delight from both of them and they relished in the way this experience made them feel. Branch stroked over Creek’s back, they kissed and touched each other on the chest and lips enjoying every moment of pleasuring each other.

It was hours before the two of them stopped kissing and pleasuring each other, by this time they were both breathing hard and very aroused, Creek ached with his whole being to go further than this but he knew he wouldn’t without Branch giving him the permission to do so. Creek carefully broke the hold Branch had on him, the prince stood up by the window seat, the purple troll gently lifted the one he loved up into his arms and Creek then carried him over to the bed. When the prince reached the bed Creek carefully lay Branch down there, before laying in the bed beside him covering them over in sheets and saying to the one he loved in a loving voice. “I love you Branch.”

“I love you too Creek.” He said with a bright smile for Creek, then after a few moments of silence Branch addressed the other male troll once again. “Thank you, this was wonderful…I really enjoyed it and I hope we can do this again and maybe go further next time.”

The prince kissed the blue troll on the forehead before saying to him in return. “I am glad you trust me enough to want to go further with me. I want you to know that I am more than happy to go at whatever pace you feel the most comfortable with.”

“I will always trust you, because I know you will never hurt me. I am glad to know that you are willing to let me take my time with this.” After he said this Branch nuzzled closer to Creek and let out a small cute sleepy yawn.

The purple troll closed his arms around him and watched with a gentle smile on his face as the one he loved fell asleep against him. Once Creek was absolutely sure that Branch was fast asleep and wouldn’t hear him he whispered softly to the now sleeping troll. “I love you so much Branch. I promise that I will never hurt you, I will always be by your side and never let anything or any troll ever hurt you again.” As he made this promise Creek knew without a doubt that he wanted to be married to Branch before he went home to his land. The purple troll wanted to be married to the fairy King so that no troll from his home could prevent him from coming back to this land at the side of the troll he loved with all his heart.

Three days after this Onyx came to see Branch, the moment he came into the room Creek turned to look at the fairy troll, as set eyes on him the resemblance of this troll to Oak had him letting out a low pitched angry growl and his desire to defend Branch from any harm came to the surface instantly. The purple troll glared at the other male troll, then the prince started to glow with magic and quickly put himself between the cousins, clearly ready to defend Branch from this fairy troll should there be the need to do so. Gently the King lay a hand onto the arm of his protective bonded one, he stroked his hand along that arm in a soothing motion and said to Creek softly but firm voice. “It’s alright Creek, this is Onyx, Oak’s son my cousin and he is a good and kind troll. Trust me when I tell you that Onyx is nothing like his father he would never hurt me.”

The purple troll relaxed a little when Branch told all of this to him, but Creek still eyed Onyx suspiciously a reaction which the fairy King completely understood. To show he meant no harm to Branch, the younger fairy troll spread his hands wide to show the purple troll he held no weapon and spoke to both Branch and Creek starting to glow as he did so. “I can understand the reaction of prince Creek to my presence here, he worries that I will hurt you as my father did, I promise you that I will do no harm the one you love Creek. You may check me for weapons should you so wish to prince Creek.”

Creek took Onyx at his word, he went all the way around him the younger fairy troll looking for any weapons and unable to see any weapons he nodded and then spoke to the cousin of the one he loved in a serious voice. “I can see you are not carrying anything which might harm Branch, but I still don’t want you getting to close to him.”

“I understand.” Onyx said with humble acceptance of Creek’s wish to defend Branch from any danger he might present to the fairy King. He turned his attention onto his King, as he stood at what Creek deemed a safe distance from him, he bowed low to the blue troll and then addressed Branch is respectful and formal language. “My King, I come as my fathers only child to offer my most humble and inadequate apologies for all he did to you, your family and the kingdom. I swear on my life, my magic and all I hold dear that I had nothing to do with any of it, nor would I ever do you, others or this land such harm. I wish to ask you for your permission to abandon the last name of my father’s line, I wish to be known from here on as my mother’s son and by my mother’s last name.”

Branch was unsurprised by this heartfelt apology from his cousin and he knew that Onyx meant every word of this apology to him. Hearing Onyx ask him to have his last name changed from that if his father to his mother caused Branch to take a deep shocked breath, it was extremely unusual for a fairy troll to ask such a thing of the High King of the fairies, because this meant that his father’s family name would now die. This change of name was also something which only the Hight fairy King was able to give a fairy troll permission to do and there had to be a good reason for the request to be made to the King. Branch couldn’t deny that Onyx had a good reason not to ask him for permission to change his last name to that of his mother and so the blue troll gave him as nod as he said to his cousin. “You have my permission to change your name from that of your father to that of your mother. I want to assure you that I know that you had nothing to do with what your father did to me, you are a good troll my cousin and I exonerate you from all of Oak’s actions.” As he said this last part Branch lit with his blue magic, it went towards Onyx and lay over his shoulders and back, once this was done the blue troll addressed the other male fairy troll again. “This magic I have placed onto you will tell all fairy trolls I have forgiven you and do not hold you accountable for what your father did. It will also tell the record holders that I have given you permission to change your name.”

Onyx smiled at his cousin he felt glad and relived that Branch was willing to let him change his last name to that of his mother and the younger fairy troll was glad that his cousin knew that he had nothing to do with anything his father had done. Onyx bowed to his King once again, then to Creek before saying to the blue troll with a small playful smile appearing on his face as he did so. “I think you for your kindness and understanding my cousin and I want you to know that I wish nothing but great joy, happy days for all your lives and many children to you and prince Creek.” These words made both Branch and Creek blush and share a shy, but loving look, Onyx chuckled slightly at their reaction to his words and then swept back out of the rooms leaving the couple alone together once more.

“Many children huh?” Creek asked Branch with a cheeky grin on his face as he closed the distance between himself and the one he loved, when the purple troll reached Branch he swept him up into his arms, Creek started to carrying him towards the bed saying to him softly and light-heartedly. “Well I’d hate to disappoint the other fairy trolls.” Branch gave him a playful thump on one of his shoulder in response to this, Creek then chuckled and captured the lips of the one he loved with his own as he continued towards the bed.

A week after this Branch was at last strong enough to leave his rooms for longer periods of time and so he went with Creek to go to the stables were the wolves were being held so that he could thank the wolves who had helped to protect Poppy and Creek on their journey. The High King of the fairy trolls brought his magic forwards so he could communicate to the wolves, as it surrounded the pack Branch spoke to them in a grateful voice. “Many thanks for defending the one I love on his journey to save me I am very grateful to you all.” They bowed to the young king accepting his thanks to them, before dashing off into the forest to go back to protecting the kingdom as well as the fairy trolls and the King from harm. There was only one of the wolves which didn’t leave it was the same wolf which had first come over to Creek, she instead padded over to the purple troll and sat before him. Through the glow of his magic the she wolf told Branch she was called Glow and that she wanted to stay with Creek as she liked his energy, seeing the look of confusion on the face of the purple troll as they communicated voicelessly with each other Branch chuckled and then explained to Creek. “She wants to stay with you…Her name is Glow and she likes your energy which is an important thing to her.”

Creek smiled at her he felt thrilled to hear the reason that the female wolf wanted to stay with him, he stroked over her black silky fur before saying to her. “Hello Glow, thank you for choosing to stay with me.”

Branch grinned at the purple troll glad to see that he was happy to have Glow staying with him and then said to Creek. “It is a good sign that she likes you and bodes well for your acceptance by my people and the creatures of my land.”

“Good I am glad to hear it, because I don’t want to leave here before I am married to you as the consort of the High King of the fairies.” Creek told him with great determination.

The fairy King was utterly shocked by these words from the one he loved and couldn’t help but ask. “You…You really want that?”

The purple troll nodded, he took both of Branch’s hands into his and said. “I don’t care about this whole formal wooing. I know you wanted to give me time but I don’t need it…I realise that now. As soon as you are well enough I want to marry you.”

“Creek are you sure? Because if I ask you to marry me and you say yes there would be no way back in my culture that is a promise that cannot be broken. You also need to know that if you marry me as my consort you’d carry all our pods.” Branch explained carefully to the bright troll wanting to be sure that Creek knew what he was doing and saying in this moment as well as the fact that there would be no way back from this promise.

The prince gave the King a firm nod as he said. “I am sure…Please Branch I want to marry you more than anything else in the world! I want to go home to my mother as your consort. After that I want to be able to then return here with you and build a life by your side.” After the one he loved said this to him Branch was so shocked, pleased and overwhelmed all at the same time, he could feel tears wanting to come and a cry of shock wanting to leave him, so he covered his mouth with his hand, then all at once the tears started to leak silently out of his eyes. Seeing this sight instantly caused concern to surge through the purple troll, quickly Creek to put his arms around the troll he loved and ask him in deep concern. “Branch are you alright?”

Weakly Branch leant against him, he nodded in answer to this question from Creek while he continued to shake, cry and was clearly unable to speak to the one he loved at this moment. The purple troll swept Branch up into his arms he carried him through the castle, back to his rooms, the other fairy trolls were so used to seeing their King in his arms that they simply made way for him. Carefully the prince used his foot to open the door to the rooms of the fairy troll and then close it behind him, Creek carried him over to the bed as Branch continued to cry against him, he carefully lay him there and lay down alongside the troll he loved, Creek then combed his fingers through the hair of the blue troll trying to sooth him.

When at long last Branch managed to stop crying and bring his tumultuous emotions back under control, the King looked at Creek with tears still on his eye lashes, but his eyes where full of light and love which the purple troll loved to see in his eyes and the fairy King said in a soft and shocked voice to the other male troll. “I love you so much Creek…And I am so very glad you want to marry me so much…I had no idea you’d changed your mind like this.”

When Branch said this to him Creek blushed slightly and cast his eyes down a little, before saying shyly to the other male troll. “I changed my mind about the wooing a while back…There was just never a good time to tell you about my change of heart before now, there has been so much going on for both of us…But I am glad I have finally told you how I felt. All I want is to marry you and spend the rest of my life at your side as your consort and I am more than willing to have our pods…In fact I rather look forward to the experience.”

Branch smiled widely at him he was thrilled that Creek felt this way about being with him and having their pods in the future. He gently stroked over one of the purple troll’s cheeks for a few moments in a gesture of intimacy, then slowly the blue troll took his hand away from the other male troll’s cheek, he rolled over in the bed, and then he opened the top draw of the chest of draws by the side of the bed. Creek wondered what the other male troll was doing, but didn’t ask him and instead waited quietly to see what the one he loved was up to. Branch he brought out of the chest of draws a small black box, the blue troll rolled over holding the box, as soon as the purple troll noticed the box his eyes widened in awe and surprise, Branch opened the small black box to show to Creek that it contained a gold ring in the form of an eternal celtic knot band. “Will you marry me Creek?”

The purple troll stared at the ring with wide awe filled eyes, it was so beautiful, Creek had never seen anything like it in his life before now, he instantly knew he would always treasure this ring. At the same time though Creek had no absolutely idea how Branch had managed to get this ring considering he had been with the one he loved at all times and so Creek asked him in a shocked voice. “How…How did you even get that ring?”

Slowly the blue troll smiled at him pleased to have managed to surprise the one he loved with the ring and he then said to Creek. “I asked my sister have it made for me and sneak it to me during one of her visits.” The purple troll chuckled amused by the level of cunning and planning which Branch had put into getting the ring for him without his noticing him doing so. Branch gulped, he felt a little nervous that the one he loved hadn’t answered the question yet and so he asked Creek for a second time. “So, will you marry me Creek?”

“Yes Branch I will marry you.” The purple troll told him holding out his hand so that the King could place the ring onto his finger and seal there promise, which he did very gently.

As soon as the ring was on his finger Creek felt their magic binding them more closely together and sealing their promise to each other causing them both to let out sighs of bliss. The purple troll then gently cupped the face of one he loved between his hands then kissed him softly on the lips. Instantly Branch hummed with delight, the blue troll placed his arms around Creek and used his hands to take hold of the back of his shirt. The two male trolls enjoyed kissing for some time, before they broke the kiss, shared a loving smile and settled down on the bed to talk about what they would do now. “We should tell your father and sister our news.” Creek said to him with a gentle smile.

The blue troll gave him a nod of agreement and then said to him. “Yes we should. We should also tell your sister…But right now I just want to lay here with you.”

Creek gave him a wide smile and then said in agreement. “I totally agree, telling them can wait for a little while.”

Chapter Text

Chapter fifteen:

Several hours later Branch and Creek left the bedroom together and made their way out of the room to find their sisters so they could tell them that they were bow betrothed. Eventually the couple located their sisters cuddling in one of the many grottoes in the garden of the castle, Creek and Branch watched them cuddling feeling happy to see them becoming closer. When Suki and Poppy noticed that their brothers were there watching them they blushed slightly, but didn’t release each other. Suki was the one out of the two female trolls who spoke to them. “Hello you two, you both look very happy.”

Creek smiled at her and said to the female troll. “We are very happy thank you Suki…We have some news for you both.”

“Oh, really what news is that?” Poppy asked them with a mixture of curiosity and excitement hoping that the news they had to share with them would be good.
Branch answered this question with a wide content smile on his face. “I have asked Creek to marry me and he has agreed.”

Suki and Poppy both let out noises of delight immensely happy to hear this news from them. “Oh, that’s wonderful to hear!” Poppy said coming up to hug them one by one, she was followed a few moments later by Suki.

Suki smiled softly at Creek. “Welcome to the family, brother.”

Creek was thrilled when Suki said this to him. “Thank you sister, we are going to find your father and tell him our news now.”

“I am sure he will be pleased by it.” Suki assured him with a wide smile.

Together the couple made their way back into the castle, Branch led Creek to his father’s rooms, they knocked on the door and it was quickly opened by Sage who smiled softly at the couple. “May we come in father?” Branch asked him smiling at his father.

“Of course.” Sage opened the door wide and gestured them inside asking as he did so. “How can I help you both?”

Branch looked at Creek, who smiled at him and gave him a nod of encouragement. “We’d like you to marry us.” Branch told his father.

Sage smiled widely at the couple, he was thrilled to hear this new from his son and the pleasure he felt in his voice was clear as he said. “I’d be honoured to marry both of you. When would you like to hold the wedding?”

“As soon as possible. I want to be married to Branch before I go home.” Creek told Sage in a firm voice.

This resolved statement from Creek surprised Sage at first, but as he noticed the expression of determination on the face of Creek he knew that the purple troll was very serious about this. “Creek…You’d become a fairy troll which would mean that you would only be able to travel back to your home for short visits do you understand?”

“Yes, I understand all of that Sage, but I have made up my mind, I am going to marry Branch and build a life here with him.” Creek told him giving Branch a loving smile, before turning his attention back to the older fairy troll and saying to Sage. “My future is here now.”

Sage smiled widely, he was glad to hear Creek say thing, he lay a hand onto Creek’s shoulder as he said to him. “Good I am happy to hear you say that and I welcome you to the family, son.”

“Thank you, father. May I…Would it be in some way rude or in bad taste to go to were Branch’s mother is so I may great her and give her our news?” Creek asked them both in a gentle voice.

Branch’s eyes lit with joy as Creek made this inquiry. “No its not in bad taste, in fact I think it is a wonderful idea. What do you think father?”

Sage nodded as he said gently. “Yes, I think Rosemary would like that very much. I will start to get things ready for a small intimate wedding for you both. Make sure to tell Onyx the good news, won’t you?”

“We will.” Branch promised his father, as they stood up and left the old King’s rooms. Branch knocked on the door to his cousin’s rooms, but there was no answer to this so Branch shrugged at Creek and said to him. “Maybe he went to visit his mother’s grave too.”

Together Creek and Branch made their way to the grave yard, sure enough Onyx was there at his mother’s grave. The couple didn’t disturb Onyx as he stood by the grave of his mother, instead the waited quietly for him to finish tending the grave. When Onyx turned around and noticed Creek and Branch standing there behind him he gave start of surprise and said accusingly to them. “You two scared me!”

“I am sorry cousin, we didn’t want to intrude in your quiet time with your mother.” Branch explained to him in an apologetic voice.

“I’ll forgive you both this time. Have you come here to show Creek were your mother is?” Onyx asked Branch with a gentle smile on his face.

“Yes in a way…I have something to share with you, Creek and I are getting married.” Branch told his cousin smiling widely as he said this.

Onyx felt very happy for the so clearly in love couple standing before him and so he said joyfully to them. “Congratulations.”

“Thank you for your good wishes Onyx.” Branch said to him glad to know his cousin was happy for them.

“I know just how much you love my cousin. Take good care of him Creek.” Onyx told him in a very serious voice.

“I will.” Creek promised him faithfully.

Knowing like the rest of the family did that Creek would keep his word Onyx felt happy to leave his cousin in the care of this troll. “If you’ll excuse us cousin I’m going to take Creek to my mother now.”

“Go right ahead I am sure Rosemary is eager to meet him at last.” Onyx told them, before he left the grave yard himself.

Branch led Creek to a white marble headstone it was simply engraved with the name Rosemary. “Hello mother. This is Creek, he’s going to be my husband.”

Creek bowed to the grave and then addressed the spirit of Branch’s mother. “It’s wonderful to meet you at last. I want you to know that I love your son with all of my heart and I will take very good care of him.”

Branch squeezed his hand gently, then whispered. “Look.”

Creek frowned slightly then noticed it sparkling blue stars, swirling around them, he looked at the sight with awe and asked Branch puzzled. “What…?”

“It’s a fairy blessing, this is my mother’s spirit’s way of showing that she is happy and accepts you too.” Branch explained to him in a soft tear filled voice.

“Oh…” Creek said gently, he pulled Branch close to his side letting go of his hand as he did so and Creek then putting an arm around him as he did so. Side by side they stood letting the stars swirl around them, before they settled over them, they felt warm and welcoming to Creek and he smiled softly when this happened. “Thank you for the welcome mother. Don’t worry Branch is safe from him now, you can rest peacefully.”

“Thank you…” Whispered a female voice into the ear of Creek.

The purple troll smiled slightly when he heard this, he hugged Branch a little closer to him, Creek looked at him, there were tears threatening to fall from the eyes of the blue fairy troll. “Don’t cry love, Rosemary is happy for us.”

Branch looked back at him, he nodded and said in a sad voice “I know…I just wish she could be here you know?”

“I understand, but your mother is here, she is in your heart and she is part of you.” Creek told him gently.

Branch gave him a nod, he smiled slowly and said gently. “Your right and I am glad she knows I am happy with you.”

“Come on love let’s go back inside, you still rest and we have a wedding to plan.” Creek told him with a wide smile, he turned away with Branch and headed back to the castle, when they came to the edge of the graveyard Creek looked back, he was sure that just for a moment, he could see a partly transparent fairy troll who looked just like Branch, but wore a long flowing dress, she blew him a kiss then vanished from sight.

Creek smiled widely, Branch noticing this sudden smile couldn’t help but ask. “What are you smiling at Creek?”

The purple troll smiled even more widely than before as he said to Branch. “I was just thinking about what a fairy troll wedding might be like, because if there anything like those of my tribe it’s going to be a wild night.

Branch chuckled and then said to the other male troll. “It sounds like weddings in your tribe are outlandish.”

“Trust me love outlandish does not even cover it.” Creek told him earnestly.

“Would you tell me about weddings of the bright trolls?” Branch asked him with curiosity.

Creek tool one of his hands into his, he smiled widely and then said conversationally. “Well were to begin…I think with the stag beetle party…”

“Wait what does a stag beetle have to do with a wedding?” Branch asked with complete confusion.

Creek chuckled slightly and then answered the question. “A stag beetle isn’t at the wedding love, you see three nights before the wedding friends of the groom get together they take him out for a night of partying, as it’s all male trolls they call this the stag beetle party.”

“Oh…I see.” Branch said as comprehension dawned on him.

“There is a party for the bride to, called a butterfly party.” Creek explained to him.

“That seems fair.” Branch said with a nod. “What else?”

Creek shrugged then spoke to Branch. “Well the wedding itself is fairly standard, everyone is dressed smartly, vows are spoken, rings exchanged and sometimes songs which mean something to the couple are sung. Then there is a party after which can last anything from a day to week.”

“A week of partying? Does no one eat or sleep then?” Branch asked his eyes wide.

“Actually trolls come and go to the party, often they rest eat and come back to party some more…One of my ancestors wedding party lasted for a month.” Creek told Branch with a shake of the head.

“Wow that’s crazy…” Branch murmured his eyes lost in thought for a few moments before they focused on Creek and he asked him. “Is there anything form your peoples wedding traditions you would like to include into ours?”

Creek thought about the answer to this question as they made their way back to their rooms and eventually said. “Only one thing…the royal couple always plants a flower in my culture…The flowers means something to the couple.”

“Oh the flower language! I know of that we use that in wooing, I am not sure it would be the same as the one your people use but I am sure we can find something both our cultures can agree on.” Branch told him as he closed the doors to their rooms behind him.

Chapter Text

Chapter sixteen:

After a long discussion between them Creek and Branch eventually decided that on the day of their wedding that they would plant a shimmer flower in the castle gardens. The couple settled on this flower because to the fairy trolls this flower represented never ending hope and to bright trolls it meant true love.
“Now we have decided on the flower we wish to plant would you like to hear about the wedding traditions of my people?” Branch asked Creek gently as he sat down in one of the comfortable chairs in his room.

Creek gave the one he loved a nod as he sat down in another chair. “Yes please.”

“Well, we will be married in the chapel. We will be expected to dress formally, we’ll both ware crowns as you are a prince and I a King, I am sure we can find you a crown to borrow for the wedding, I know we certainly have enough of them in the vault. The couple are permitted someone to stand at their side as a witness to the wedding for their family, this comes from long ago when weddings were often organised for reasons other than love. You see traditionally these witnesses could stop the wedding if they knew one of the couple is truly in love with another or a soul mate to another and very occasionally they still do. These witnesses are asked by the two trolls being married to witness that they give all of themselves to each other, that they have no other troll in their heart and never will. After that we will then make a promise to each other, they choose the words themselves, then we will exchange rings which go onto the middle fingers. After this happens either my father or my sister will give us a blessing and state the wedding the culmination of our bond and we then share a kiss to make it binding.”
“That all make sense, but how do I become a fairy troll?” Creek asked him curiously.

Branch was more than happy to answer this question, so he explained what would happen to Creek to the best of his abilities. “Ah once the promises are made and our joining declared legal, the magic of the land will shows it acceptance of you as my husband and consort, by entering your body and changing you into a fairy troll. Your transformation into one of us will be very painful, but I will be able to use my magic to help ease this pain for you.”

Creek gave the other male troll a nod of understanding before saying to him. “I am sure the pain will be well worth it, because it will mean I am able to stand by your side for the rest of my life. Now I know that fairy trolls live for a long time, will that be the same for me even though I wasn’t always a fairy troll?”

“Yes your like span will become long like ours. You see the pain you will feel is because you are metamorphosing from a short live bright troll with little magic, to a long lived fairy troll with a lot of magic, it’s very large change if you think about it.” Branch told him gently taking Creek’s hand into his.

“You are right it will be a very big change.” Creek told him feeling nervousness bubbling up in him and bleeding into his words as he made this confession.

Hearing the one he loved sounding so concerned about what was to take place between them Branch squeezed his hand and said to him comfortingly. “Everything is going to be fine, and I promise that I will be right beside you the whole time.”

“Thank you love.” Creek said softly to Branch before giving him a gentle peck on the lips.

The couple then followed this discussion by formally announcing their intention to hold a small wedding to all of the fairy trolls by way of a royal deceleration. Creek and Branch were thrilled when the response of the kingdom to their news was positive. The heads of the various fairy troll settlements asked for permission to hold a day of celebration on the day of the wedding. Branch agreed with this idea, so he declared that the day of the wedding would be a holiday and parties organised by local government would be permitted to celebrate it.

A few days after this Creek had brought the magic mirror to Branch as he sat in the window seat of his bedroom and sat down next to Branch saying as he did so. “I’d like to introduce you to my mother and tell her our happy news.”

“I’d like that very much Creek.” Branch told him with a small smile, before saying to Creek with a touch of nervousness to his voice. “I hope your mother will like me.”

Creek gently touched his arm with one hand seeking to reassure him. “I am sure that she will love you.” After he said this the purple troll then touched the mirror with one finger saying as he did so. “Mother are you there?”

A few moments later an image of Pansy appeared in the glass, she smiled widely at her son, saying cheerfully to him. “Hello Creek.”

“Hello mother. This is my Branch.” Creek said turning to look at the troll by his side.

Pansy smiled at softly Branch. “I am glad to meet you at last. Poppy has told me about both your sister and yourself.”

“It is good to see you too.” Branch told her glad of her warm reaction to him.

“We have some news for you mother.” Creek told his mother in a serious voice.

“Oh, what news is that?” She asked her son curiously, feeling a touch of concern about what her son might have to say to her next.

Creek was feeling a little nervous about telling mother about what had happened between himself and Branch, so he took a steadying breath, before saying to her. “Branch and I are getting married mother.”

Pansy was thrilled to hear this news from Creek, but also concerned by it. “I am happy you have found a troll to love and marry…But you need to know what marrying a fairy troll will mean for you.”

Creek gave a nod as he said to his mother in a confident voice. “I do know what it means mother, the former high King Sage told me all about it. I will become a fairy troll and I will only be able to come back to visit you and my home for short visits after this happens. As you know Branch and I are bound together, I love him, I could never hope to live my life without Branch beside me. So I’ve decided to marry him, to build my life here at his side as a fairy troll.”

Pansy was quiet for a few moments, she could see and hear just how determined Creek was and Pansy knew right then and there that he had made his choice, one she wouldn’t be able to change. As she looked from Creek to Branch and back again Pansy could see the love which existed between them, along with their now very strong bond and this made her son’s choice easier to accept for Pansy. “I can see that you have thought this through Creek. It is also clear that you love Branch very much and have made your decision, so I’m not going to object to what your decision.”

“Thank you mother, I promise that I will come back to see you after I have married Branch.” Creek told her firmly meaning these words as he said them to her.

She nodded at her son and then said to him in a soft voice. “Would it be too much to ask to have a ceremony for the two of you and a party when you come home?”

Creek looked at Branch with questioning eyes, seeing him do this Branch smiled at Pansy before saying to her. “I would like that, but I am not used to large and over exuberant parties, so if things could be kept under control I would be most grateful.”

“Thank you Branch, I will make sure that things do not become to over high-spirited for you.” Pansy quickly promised her soon to be son-in-law, feeling thrilled that he was willing to partake in a second wedding and a party for her. “How are things between Suki and Poppy?” She asked her son curiously.

Creek answered this question honestly. “From what Poppy and Pansy have confided in us, their relationship is developing well and they seem very happy together. I think that if things continue on as they are that Poppy will also be marrying a fairy troll, but if they will choose to stay here or come home to you I don’t know. I am sure that Suki and Poppy will let us all know in time.”

“I see, I am very glad to know that that Poppy is happy with Suki.” Pansy said in understanding. “When will your wedding to Branch take place?”

Creek looked to Branch and it was the blue troll who told Pansy. “By the end of the month.”

With this question answered Pansy asked him another. “How long after the wedding will it be before you come here to see me?”

Branch answered this question as well. “Here in the fairy world it is tradition for the newly married couple not to leave their room after the wedding for two weeks, there are several reasons for this happening, however we should be able to come to visit you in the third week.”

“Good, that gives me plenty of time to organise the ceremony and party for you both. Please take good care of my son Branch.” Pansy said to him in a gentle voice, her desire to see her son safe was clear to Branch.

“Of course I will Pansy.” He assured her without hesitating.

Pansy gave Branch a grateful smile, she was very pleased when he didn’t stop to think before promising her this. At the same time Pansy also felt truly glad to hear that Branch was so willing to take care of Creek. “Thank you Branch. I will let you both get on now, I am sure you both have a lot to organise.”

“Good bye mother, I’ll talk to you again soon.” Creek told her with a warm loving smile for his mother.

Pansy smiled back and said just as lovingly. “Good by my son.” A few moments later the mirror went back to being to normal.

Creek let out a relived sigh, he carefully placed it the mirror on a table which stood just to one side of the window seat, before turning to look at Branch and saying to him in a voice mixed with relief and joy. “That went very well.”

“Yes it did.” Branch said in agreement to him, while at the same time feeling very glad that this first meeting with Pansy had work out so well. Slowly he placed his arms around Creek, gently but firmly Branch drew him closer, he gazed into the eyes of Creek for a few moments and then kissed him softly on the lips.

Creek eagerly responded to this loving action by returning the kiss, he gently thread his fingers into the hair of Branch and let out a moan of pleasure. Encouraged on by this positive reaction to hiss kiss Branch stroked over the shoulders of Creek, before starting to unbutton his shirt, and when at last the final button was unfastened Branch pushed it off of him.

Creek was surprised and thrilled by the way that Branch was being brave enough to taking charge of this interaction between them. As the couple continued to kiss heatedly Branch dropped Creek’s shirt onto the floor, he then removed his own shirt before he threw it to the floor with Creek’s. Branch felt wonderfully powerful right now and he was absolutely enjoying being in control of this situation. Branch broke their kiss at last, then he stroked his hands over the chest of Creek, Branch liked the way his soft skin felt under his fingertips, as well as the gasp of desire which doing this earns him from Creek.

As Branch continues to stroke over Creek’s chest and shoulders, he feels utter bliss taking flight in him and Creek let out a long low moan of pleasure. “Uh, Branch that feels so good.”

Slowly Branch smiled at him, before telling Creek in a low whisper. “I plan for this to be a whole lot better than just good for you love.”

A groan of anticipation left Creek which morphed into a moan of desire as Branch pushed him back against the pillows of the window seat and started to unfasten his trousers so he could give Creek the maximum amount of pleasure possible. As Branch’s fingers stroked lower and lower, Creek wriggled in expectation and the moment they touched him Creek felt a jolt of pleasure go through him and he moaned loudly.

Chapter Text

Chapter seventeen:

The day of the wedding finally dawned sunny and warm, Creek was both very nervous and excited about what was to come and he hoped all would go well for them today. Creek was dressed in a smart, but simple deep royal purple suite, with a blue waist coat in the same shade of Branch’s skin under which was a crisp white shirt. Sage had given Creek a silver royal circlet that had been sitting in the castle vault unused for hundreds of years, this circlet was styled as an eternal celtic knot, Creek had loved the circlet as soon as he had seen it and Sage seeing his delighted reaction to it had told Creek to keep the circlet.

As Creek combed his hair, there came a knock on the door to his room and he called out in response to this. “Come in!”

Poppy came in, she smiled widely at her brother. “You look so handsome today.”

“Thank you sister. I hope that Branch will agree with you.” Creek said to her his nervousness about today showing clearly.

Poppy walked over to Creek, she lay a hand on his arm as she said to him. “He is going to think you are the most handsome troll he has ever seen in his life I am sure of it.”

Creek put’s a hand over his sisters while saying. “I really hope so.”

“Do you have the ring?” Poppy asked him wanting to be sure her brother hadn’t due to all his worries somehow forgotten it.

Creek nodded, he drew it out of his jacket pocket and showed it to Poppy before putting it back again and saying to his sister. “Yes I do.”

As he put the circlet on Poppy took her hand from his shoulder, gave Creek a nod, as she said to her brother cheerfully. “Well then let’s go!”

Creek nodded back, then together Creek and Poppy made their way to the chapel of the fairy troll castle. As they came inside the chapel was filled with noble fairy trolls, Creek noticed Onyx sitting in the front row and gave him a friendly smile which he returned. When Creek reached the top of the chapel Suki who was officiating the ceremony was waiting for him with a happy smile on her face. Creek returned her smile, he stood with Poppy beside him, quietly to the right hand side of the aisle waiting vey nervously for Branch to make his entrance.

A few moments later the murmuring of the waiting crowd fell away into silence, Creek didn’t even notice this, his eyes were firmly fixed on Branch. To him he looked magnificent waring the tall sparkling crown of the high King of the fairies and a suite of royal blue which shimmered in the light as Branch walked towards him next to his father. When Branch reached were Creek was standing he smiled at him lovingly and said to him softly. “You look very handsome.”

“So do you love.” Creek told him with love for Branch shining in his eyes as he spoke.

Together they turned to face Suki, she beamed a wide smile at the happy couple before she spoke to them in a clear and formal voice. “Prince Creek, do you promise before your sister and witness, that you are bound only to Branch for now and always and that there is no other troll in your heart and there will never be?”

“I ask you my sister to witness that I truthfully promise that I am bound to Branch for all time and there is no other troll in my heart and there shall never be.” Creek promised Branch faithfully.

There was a short pause in which Poppy would be permitted to object to these words if they were not the truth. When she said nothing to contradict this Suki nodded and then turned her gaze onto her brother saying. “King Branch, do you promise before your father and witness, that you are bound only to Creek for now and always and that there is no other troll in your heart and there never will be?”

Branch smiled at Creek as he said firmly. “My father I ask you to be the witness to the fact that I freely promise that I am bound to Creek forever more, I also promise that there is no other troll in my heart and there never shall be as I love Creek with all my heart.”

There was another silence, before Suki spoke once more. “As there have been no objections to your joining you may now make your vows to each other, King Branch as the higher rank you may begin.”

Branch spoke the words of his promise to Creek in a clear firm voice. “Creek I never thought I would find a troll who I could love truly in love with and would help me break free of the curse which had been blighting my life, but I found that troll in you. I love you Creek with all of my being, I promise I will love you and care for you and any of our children for all of our lives.” When he finished speaking, Branch took Creek’s left hand in his, brought the ring out of his jacket pocket and then gently slipped a white gold ring topped with three bright blue sapphires set into it onto his middle finger.

Creek had never seen such amazing stones before now, he admired the ring for a moment, before making his own vows to Branch. “Branch after the way my heart was hurt I felt I would never love again, but that changed when we met and I fell in love with you. The love I felt for you was so strong and true that it made me realise that I had found a troll who was worth giving all of myself to. I am glad I was able to free you from your curse and I look forward to building future with you. I will love you always and with all my heart I shall look after you and all of our children always.” Creek took the left hand of Branch and placed onto his middle finger a gold ring which was set with a purple oval amethyst with two gold hearts each side of it.

With their promises made Suki smiled at them and spoke. “Your promises are made, you are now legally wed, may your future together be blessed and full of love now and always.”

Branch kissed Creek softly on the lips, as they kissed Creek felt the magic entering him and the changes to his body starting, this caused him to quickly brake the kiss and let out a hiss of pain. Branch quickly wrapped his arms around Creek and brought his magic forward to help take the edge off of the pain for the one he loved. Creek lay his forehead against the shoulder of Branch, he let out a groan of pain as the wings slowly appeared through the gaps which had been ready made for them in the suite. Magic rushed through his body, to Creek it was a bit like being set on fire and drowned with cold water all at the same time, he shuddered in the arms of Branch and hoped that this feeling would pass quickly.

Just as Creek had hoped a few moments later everything settled down inside him, Creek let out a relived sigh, and Branch asked him softly. “Are you alright Creek?”

“Yes, thank you love.” Creek slowly drew back from Branch, he looked over his shoulder at the wings of dragonfly style and were the same purple as he was which now adorned his back. “I can’t believe I am a fairy troll now.”

“You have wonderful wings.” Branch said to him in a gentle voice, he reached out and touched over the new wings.

Creek shuddered, the wings were sensitive to touch and made him feel a great deal of pleasure. This fact made him decide that when he was alone with Branch again he would touch his wings and see if this caused Branch to feel as good as he did. Quickly Creek brought these thoughts back under control, he smiled widely at his new husband and together they walked back out of the chapel together. All the other fairy trolls began to cheer for them, and then they followed the couple as they made their way to the castle garden.

Side by side Branch and Creek planted the seed of the shimmer flower in a good spot in the garden, when this was done Branch turned to Creek and said to him. “I look forward to caring for our flower.”

“As do I.” Creek told him placing a kiss onto the cheek of Branch.

“Do you want to dance or shall we go back to my…Well our rooms?” Branch asked Creek blushing slightly as he does so.

Creek leant into Branch and whispered into his ear in a low throaty voice. “I just want to go back to our rooms with you, would that be considered rude?”

“No not at all. In fact I can do something about that now.” Branch told him in a whisper, before turning to the other fairy trolls and addressing them commandingly. “Please feel free to celebrate for us.”

The fairy trolls smiled at each other they knew what this meant, they nodded and then all drifted away from them back into the castle. Branch took Creek’s hand into his and the purple troll looked at his new husband saying to him when he did so. “I take it that means they know where we are going?”

“Yes, what I said, has been said many times before.” Branch told him with cheeky smile.

Creek smiled back, he gently tugged Branch’s hand and together they set off back to their rooms in the castle. Creek pulled him into the room, he shut the door firmly behind them and then turned to Branch saying to him as he did so. “I’ve been looking forward to having these three weeks with you.”

“So have I.” Branch told him honestly.

“One question…What do we do about eating?” Creek asked him with concern.

Branch chuckled softly. “The castle staff will bring food and knock on the door. So, we know we can come and get it.”

Creek gave him a nod, he drew Branch close then started kissing him, before lifting Branch up into his arms and carrying him towards the bed. Branch moaned softly as Creek did this, he was truly looking forwards to spending the next three weeks with his new husband. When they reached the bed Creek broke the kiss earning a groan of disappointment from Branch.

Creek carefully lay him onto the bed, before starting to strip himself of his jacket and shirt, before throwing them onto the ground by the bedside. Once he had done this Creek started to strip Branch of his shirt and jacket, Branch was more than happy to help Creek do this and a few moments later his clothes joined those of Creek on the floor.

Branch held his arms up towards Creek, smiling widely at him as he did so, Branch didn’t need to say a word to him Creek went willingly into his arms. Branch kissed him softly, Creek let out a moan of delight before kissing Branch back and slowly starting to strip Branch of the rest of his clothes, before pulling back and saying to Branch softly. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Branch said in return, then kissed him again, before they went back to kissing and touching each other starting to grown and moan with pleasure.

Chapter Text

Chapter eighteen:

Creek and Branch had loved spending their three weeks after their wedding alone together, at the end of this time the couple began to organise their trip from the land of the fairy trolls back to Creek’s kingdom. They were not alone with this planning as Poppy and Suki where going to be joining them on it and had added their own advice and ideas to this planning. Sage had agreed to take care of the kingdom until Branch came home, but at the same time he had insisted Branch and Suki take a magic mirror with them, in case he needed to get in touch with them for any reason. This had been a sensible request from Sage which the siblings had been more than willing to agree to.

When the morning of the start of their journey was to begin Creek looked to his husband as they stood in their rooms and said to him. “This is going to be a long journey for all of us.”

Branch smiled softly at him, before asking him with mischief dancing in his eyes. “Who said we will be walking?”

“Branch what are you up to?” Creek asked him with a mixture of curiosity and concern lacing his voice.

Branch looked at him with twinkling eyes and a kind smile. “I just want to make sure you are comfortable love and that the journey isn’t to long for all of us.”

Creek shot him a sceptical look. “I don’t believe that for a moment.” When Branch contrived to look hurt Creek rolled his eyes, but before Branch could say anything to him Creek addressed him once more. “I’m not saying that isn’t part of your reason, but I’m sure that you want to impress my tribe too.”

“Maybe.” Branch admitted a slight wobble of distress to his voice as he spoke.

Creek quickly took both of Branch’s hands into his and he smiled softly at his clearly nervous and worried husband. “Branch love, everything is going to be fine trust me, my tribe and my mother are going to love you and we don’t need to make a flashy entrance for that to be true.”

Branch let out a sigh, he relaxed slightly and then said to Creek. “I know your right, but as you said this wasn’t all about that. At least come and with me to see the transport I have prepared for us.”

“Alright.” Creek agreed giving him a smile.

Creek let Branch guide him down to the courtyard of the castle Glow was waiting for them there, as soon as she noticed the couple Glow ran up to Creek, before sitting on her haunches in front of him and wagging her tail madly. Creek chuckled joyfully as she did this and then pet the grey purple fur of the wolf saying with a huge smile of pride on his face. “Good girl.”

When Creek looked up and clapped his eyes on what was in the courtyard they went wide. “Oh my…” There were fairy guards, staff, along with his and Branch’s sisters mounted up on grey moths. Then there was the coach was like a boat of some kind, it floated a few inches off the ground, the coach was made of some sort of golden glowing substance, there appeared to be no roof and it was filled with blue and purple pillows. It was being pulled by breath taking white butterflies, which seemed to shimmer all colours of the rainbow as their wings fluttered. The coach driver was sitting at the front of the coach dressed in clothes which matched the coach.

Branch leant into his stunned husband and whispered to him conspiratorially. “This was the least ornate coach and set of butterflies I could find the whole stable.”

Creek turned a wide eyed and slack jawed expression onto him, Creek shook himself out of his reaction and then asked Branch in a disbelieving voice. “You are kidding?”

“Nope.” Branch assured him with a shake of the head.

“Seriously…There is worse than this?” Creek couldn’t help but asked him utterly shocked.

Branch gave him a nod before he said with a roll of his eyes. “Oh yes there was a lot worse…You should see the coach one of my ancestors liked…Talk about over the top…All I can say for it is glitter, glitter and then some more glitter for no apparent reason…That was teamed with a team of sparkling unicorns.”

“Wait unicorns…?” Creek asked him stunned, before Branch could reply to this question Creek asked him a second question. “Their real?”

Branch shot him a look of disbelief before saying. “Well of course they are.”

“Next you’ll be telling me mer-trolls are real as well.” Creek said to him in scepticism.

“Um actually…They are…My great grandfathers brother married one…Long story.” Seeing the disbelief on Creek’s face he took Creek’s hand then guided him to the stables, with Glow following them along obediently. The stable which consisted of three buildings, one for butterflies and moths, another for deer and a third which contained the unicorns. Branch gestured at the white horned horses looking at them over the stall doors in a sweeping arm gesture before saying to Creek. “See unicorns.”

“Oh wow…But I thought no one could capture them.” Creek said with a shake of the head.

Branch shrugged before explaining to Creek. “Oh that’s very true of wild ones…However the whole thing about virgins being able to trap them isn’t exactly true, it’s those of light hearts or souls which attract them…Anyway the story of how we ended up with this lot has nothing to do with them being trapped, they came to us, they were suffering with a disease and hoped we could cure them, which one of my ancestors did, that particular herd of unicorns had come to like us and their life here so they decided to stay and serve us in return for being permitted to stay here.”

“Can I touch one?” Creek asked in a soft awed voice.

“Of course you can.” Branch took him over to one unicorn and placed Creek’s hand onto its forehead as he said to him. “This is Magnificence, he is mine, I helped to foal him.”

Creek ran his hands over his velvet softness. “Hello there.”

“You know as my consort, you are entitled to have your own unicorn.” Branch told him as casually as possible.

“What! Really?” Creek asked him his eyes full of delight at this prospect.

Branch gave him a nod. “Indeed, would you like to choose one before we go home to your kingdom or would you like to wait until we get back here?”

“Firstly Branch here with you is my home now, secondly I’ll choose when we get back, after all everything is ready for our trip, I hate to make them all wait too long and I feel sure it would take me ages to decide. Still thank you for showing me the unicorns.” After he said this Creek gave Branch a brief but passionate kiss on the lips to show him his thanks for showing him this.

Branch quickly returned the kiss, they quickly broke the kiss so that they would not become too involved in the kiss and keep the others waiting for them for to long. Branch took Creek back to the courtyard, Branch helped Creek up into the carriage, then followed him into it and together they settled down and when this was done Creek asked Branch. “So how long will it take for us to reach my old home in the coach?”

“It should take a week, rather than the three it would have normally taken.” Branch told him, before saying after a few moments of silence. “That is as long as it doesn’t rain, we’ll need to shelter then.”

“That makes sense, will there be other stops?” Creek inquired of him curiously.

Branch gave him a nod before answering the question. “Yes, of course there will be stops for an evening meal, breakfast and sleep. We can eat lunch on the journey.”

“Good, as comfortable as this coach is I don’t want to sleep in it.” Creek told him, Branch chuckled softly as he said this to him. “I didn’t know my sister knew how to ride a moth.”

Branch smiled widely at him, before telling Creek. “Suki taught her so they could travel with us with ease.”

“Ah I see.” A few moments after he said this Creek let out a startled gasp as the coach juddered once, then made its way up into the air before it started forwards. “Oh wow…I can see everything from up here.” He said looking out from the flying coach at the countryside moving under them.

“Please don’t go close to the edge, I wouldn’t like you to fall out.” Branch told him his voice edged with concern before taking Creek’s hand firmly in his own.

Creek smiled at Branch, he squeezed Branch’s hand, Creek could understand why his husband would be worried for him and said to him comfortingly. “I promise I will be careful love.”

“Thank you.” Branch said to him gratefully, before he used the hand he was holding to draw Creek close to him and lay back against the pillows of the carriage with him.

When lunch came, one of the staff came to the side of the coach, she handed across to her King and consort. “Lunch King Branch and Prince Creek.”

Smiling Branch accepted the leaf bag she was holding out to them while Branch said to her. “Thank you.”

While Creek also smiled at her and said to her gratefully. “Thank you.” She bowed her head politely acknowledging this thanks from both of them before flying back to join the rest of their party.

Branch carefully opened the leaf bag, he drew a sparkling, yellow star shaped fruit out of the bag and then holding it out to Creek asked him. “Shimmer fruit?”

“Sounds wonderful.” Creek said thankfully to Branch accepting the fruit from him and taking a large bite of it, the sweat liquid filled his mouth and he let out a contented sigh. It had taken Creek some time to get used to the food and drink of his new home land, but now he liked it very much. After swallowing his bite of fruit the wonderful fruit Creek asked Branch. “Do you have some sandwiches in that bag?”

“Yes. Here I know you like cheese and I’m happy with the ham.” Branch told Creek handing the cheese sandwiches across to Creek, he accepted the cheese sandwiches from Branch placing them to one side as he ate the shimmer fruit. Branch pulled another shimmer fruit from the bag, a few iced cupcakes and bottles of water, before he then starting to eat the ham sandwiches.

When night came they came down from the sky, the carriage came to a halt, the fairy trolls including Branch and Creek helped to set up their camp for the night. They all ate together, then Branch and Creek retired to their tent for the night, while the guards set up the watch for the night. The next morning breakfast was held around the fire in one large group before they dismantled the camp, lunch was put together and then Creek and Branch went into the carriage, the driver all mounted up and set off once more.

The second night of the journey was spent in an inn, the owner of the inn had been startled and awed by those who were staying under his roof, but he and his family had risen to the occasion magnificently. Branch and Creek had made sure to be kind and polite as well as understanding and undemanding to the owner of the inn.

After this second night the traveling fairy trolls settled into a rhythm of stopping at night to make camp or stop at fairy inns or those Creek and Poppy recommended once they crossed the boarder into the kingdom of the bright trolls.

It was the afternoon on the Sunday of the first week of travel when the tree of the bright trolls came into sight, Creek pointed at it and said excitedly. “There is the tree.”

“Oh I see all the pods you told me about.” Branch said inspecting the bright blobs of colour hanging from the tree, before he asked Creek. “Where would it be best to land?”

“The clearing at the base of the tree.” Creek told him.

With a hand gesture Branch halted their party, quickly the head of the guards flew up to his side and Branch addressed him. “Prince Creek informs me that the safest place for us all to be able to land would be the clearing at the base of the tree.”

“Then Sire we shall make preparations to land in that area tomorrow.” The head guard said formally to Branch before flying off to inform the others of the plans for the next day.

The next day they made the last part of their journey, as they landed in the clearing at the base of the troll tree, the whole of Creek’s tribe was waiting from them. Queen Pansy walked forward she watched wide eyed as her daughter dismounted with grace and ease from her moth. A few moments later a bright pink fairy troll came to stand at her side and the two held hands sharing a loving smile as they did so. Pansy then turned her attention to the magnificent carriage, from within stepped a handsome blue troll his crown and blue shimmering clothing marking him out as the fairy troll king, when his feet hit the ground, he turned held his hand out and then Creek came out of the carriage taking his hand as he did so.

Quickly Creek and Poppy made their way over to Pansy, the three trolls shared a family hug then turned their gazes to Branch and Suki who stood waiting quietly to be introduced to Pansy. Creek and Poppy held their hands out towards them, they came over, Branch taking Creek’s hand and Suki took Poppy’s.

Creek spoke first to Pansy. “Mum, this is my husband and the one I am bound to Branch.”

“A pleasure to meet you at last Branch.” Pansy said to him with a gentle smile, she was happy to see that the newly married couple were so very in love. Pansy knew from talking to Branch through the mirror that he cared for her son and these facts made the Queen so very happy for them.

“This is my love Suki.” Poppy told Pansy smiling widely at Suki.

Pansy also knew from conversations with Poppy and Suki, just how much Suki loved her daughter and so smiled widely at Suki as she said to her. “I am glad to meet you too Suki.”

Together the five trolls toured the troll tree together, the fairy trolls were fascinated by their surroundings and Creek and Poppy were gladly greeted by their people, who were eager to be introduced to their prince’s husband and Poppy’s betrothed and learn more about them. Branch and Suki were glad to discover that the bright trolls were very accepting of them and the other fairy trolls. It took the bright trolls a bit of time to understand that these trolls weren’t used to their ways, but once they realised this fact the bright trolls were careful not to overwhelm them.

For Suki and Branch and the fairy trolls who had travelled with them it took them a little while to adjust to the hug time as well as to the ways of the bright trolls. Their need to sing and party all the time and their strange foods often confused as well as fascinated the fairy trolls, slowly though All of the fairy trolls started to enjoy their time in the land of the bright trolls. Suki and Branch came to know and like Pansy, who in return began to feel the same way towards Branch and Suki and Pansy began to realise that her son and daughter could not have chosen more worthy life mates.

One night two weeks after they had arrived Suki sat beside Poppy in the pod which they were sharing during the visit and said to Poppy. “I have been thinking about what I want to do about us being together and I have decided that I want to stay here with you.”

Poppy stared at her in shock, both happy to hear this and unable to believe it at the same time. “Are you sure, you’d lose your magic, if you stay here for to long.”

“I plan to visit the fairy lands once a month for a few days to replenish my magic, if you are alright with that.” Suki said to Poppy softly.

Poppy said as she nodded to the one she loved. “Of course you can do that. I would never object to that, if it means we can be together most of the time.”

Suki smiled at Poppy she was thrilled that the one she loved liked her idea and kissed her forehead before saying softly to the princess. “At least this way it would mean that you could rule this tribe. I know that due to the wedding of our two brothers that your mother has been worried about his as have you.”

Poppy was awed by the care and consideration being shown to her and her mother by the one she loved. “Thank you! This is an amazing idea.” After she said this Poppy kissed her on the lips firmly.

Quickly Suki returned the kiss running her fingers into Poppy’s hair, after a few moments she broke the kiss and whispered to Poppy. “I love you and I just wanted to see you happy.”

“I love you too and I want you to be happy too.” Poppy whispered back, before gently capturing Suki’s soft full lips with her own once more causing Suki to groan in delight. Suki lifted Poppy into her arms and then carried her into the bedroom of the pod.

Branch and Creek as well as Pansy had also been considering the problem of how the bright trolls could be ruled now that Creek was a dairy troll. So when Suki and Poppy told them and Pansy of their plans the couple and the Queen where thrilled by this idea. At the same time thought Branch was worried for his sister and so asked her with concern. “Are you sure about doing this Suki?”

Suki gave him a nod and then said to her brother in a solemn voice. “Yes, I have made my choice, just as you made yours brother. I love Poppy I want to stay with her, I know her people need her so I will stay here with Poppy to build a life here with her and come home once a month to see to let my magic replenish.”

Branch could see that Suki had thought about this and so he looked at Poppy and addressed her in a very serious voice. “You understand that your children would be half fairy troll, they would have magic and live longer lives? And that my sister would need to be safely escorted to and from our land every month?”

“Yes, I understand all of that Branch and I promise you that I will take good care of your sister.” Poppy promised him faithfully, she took a deep breath gathered up her bravery and then spoke to Branch again. “I would like your permission to marry Suki.”

Suki turned a stunned wide eyed gaze onto Poppy, Branch could see his sisters surprise and delight that Poppy had asked him such a thing and so he smiled softly at Poppy before saying. “You have my permission Poppy.”

Poppy walked over to Suki, she took one of her hands into hers and asked softly. “Will you marry me Suki?”

“I would be honoured.” She said in answer to this before Suki threw her arms around Poppy and kissed her on the lips, loving the soft feeling of them against her own and smelling the floral scent which always accompanied Poppy.

This kiss only lasted a few moments, they turned back to their families to find the other three trolls smiled at each other, before smiling at them clearly they were all happy to see them decide to marry. “Congratulations to you both.” Creek told them a sentiment which was echoed at exactly the same time by Branch and Pansy.

“Two weddings! We have so much to plan. I can’t wait to be the mother of the bride twice!” Pansy said with enthusiasm, before blushing and saying to Suki and Branch in a guilty voice. “I’m so sorry…That was thoughtless of me.”

Suki and Branch shook their heads at her and quickly Branch sought to reassure her. “It’s alright, you have every right to be excited about your son and daughter being married and being the mother of the bride. We have no wish to take away from your excitement and I am sure our mother would feel the same way if she were still here with us.”

Pansy smiled at them feeling very grateful that Branch and Suki for clearly being willing to let her have her excitement despite the fact that their mother wasn’t there to share in it with them. “Thank you. I am sure we can weave something from the fairy troll’s wedding into ours.” She said to them softly wanting to help the fairy trolls feel as though they were part of these weddings. “I will keep my promise not to make the ceremony for Branch and Creek nothing large, I was thinking we could hold it the day before Suki and Poppy marry and then hold the party for both after.”

Creek addressed his mother at this point. “That sounds wonderful mum, I know you really wanted to hold a ceremony for us this visit. As for bringing the two sides together Branch and I planted a flower in the garden of the fairy troll castle as we do, we chose a Shimmer flower. I’ll tell you now mother that Fairy troll weddings are quite simple in comparison to our own.”

Pansy smiled at her son as she said to them all. “I am sure we can discuss the wedding and find a way forwards together which appeals to all of us and most importantly makes both of the brides happy.”

“Agreed.” Branch said to her with an easy smile.

So, it was that the five trolls settled down together in the royal pod in order to plan for the wedding of the two female trolls and the ceremony for Branch and Creek. Suki and Branch used the magic mirror in order to speak to Sage to let him to know what was going to be happening. Sage had been very happy to hear that Poppy and Suki would be marrying, he wished the couple every joy in their future. He’d also been glad when Branch and Suki had told him how Poppy and Suki planned for Suki to come home to replenish her magic every month with guards to protect her on her journey. He had requested Branch bless the couple after they were married so that their wedding was accepted by fairy troll law, something which he had been more than willing to do for them.

Chapter Text

Chapter nineteen:

Despite Pansy, Creek and Poppy doing their best to keep their tribe under control they became very excited by the news of the two upcoming weddings, however when they had started offering their help, Branch and Suki had started to organise them so that they were being helpful, rather than getting in the way. This was a surprising fact which had Poppy, Pansy and Creek smiling as it was clear to them the two fairy trolls where not only becoming used to their people, but were ready to help with the wedding and show their people how to help without turning things into either a disaster or an affair which was so over blown it wouldn’t be done before the fairy trolls had to return to their home.

After much discussion it had been settled that Suki and Poppy would plant a winter rose, a flower to which represented both love and faith and that after the wedding there would be a party for three days and then the married couple would return with Creek and Branch to spend their traditional three weeks together alone in the fairy realm before coming back to the bright trolls. Pansy had also been more than willing to allow Branch to bless Poppy and Suki so that their wedding would be accepted by the fairy trolls too.

Pansy had taken great delight in finding dresses for Poppy and Suki, this fact had allowed Branch and Creek to choose to ware two simple suites to marry in.

Pansy felt that her son should have something of his fathers with him on the day of their ceremony, she had taken her time to choose the item she felt was most appropriate. Once she had done this Pansy approached Creek after dinner as he sat with Branch discussing the elements of their upcoming ceremony. When Branch and Creek noticed her standing there, the two of them looked at her, Pansy smiled at the couple and then said to Creek. “I thought we could start a new tradition for ourselves and the tribe. I think it would be nice for you to carry something with you of your lost parent…I…I want him to be with you not only in spirit.” As she said this Pansy heard her voice catch, she could feel tears forming, but she bravely drew herself up and held out towards Creek a thick silver chain bracelet.

Creek smiled gratefully at his mother. “Thank you, I would be honoured to ware this in memory of my father and I think this is a wonderful new tradition to start for all of us.” Branch nodded in agreement.

Pansy smiled widely at her son and his mate feeling full of joy that they clearly liked her idea and Pansy was also thrilled that Creek wanted to make this a tradition for their family and all of the bright trolls top follow should they want to in the future.

The day of their small quiet ceremony dawned bright and clear, it was held at the base of the troll tree, the bright trolls were gathered together quietly to witness this wedding.

As Pansy looked down at the young couple standing before her, she was proud to be joining them in the eyes of the law of the Bright trolls, Pansy turned to Branch and said to him. “King Branch please turn to Creek and then take his left hand into your right.” With a nod Branch did as she told him and when this was done Pansy addressed Branch once again. “Branch King of the fairy trolls, do you promise that you will care for Creek in health and sickness and that you will love only him all the rest of your life?”

“I swear, I shall always take care of Creek in health and sickness and there will never be another troll in my heart for the rest of my life.” Branch said in a sure and steady voice.

Pansy then turned to her son and said Creek. “Prince Creek, do you here by promise that you too will care for Branch in sickness and health and love no other troll all your life save him?”

“I promise that I shall always care for Branch in sickness or health and I shall love no other troll for all the rest of my life.” Creek said in just as seriously to Branch.

Pansy smiled at the couple, before saying to them. “Then as Queen of the tribe and by our laws I declare that you are wed.”

Creek used the hold he had on Branch to pull him in and kiss him hard, Branch was soon kissing him back loving every moment of kissing his husband as he always did. While they kissed all of the bright trolls cheered loudly for them and their sisters and Queen Pansy grinned at each other. When the couple broke their kiss they shared a smile, before turning and running back down the aisle laughing joyfully together as the bright trolls pelted them with bright multi-coloured flower petals. Side by side Branch and Creek quickly made their way back to the pod they where sharing and shut the door behind them firmly.

The next day it was the day of the wedding of Poppy and Suki, both women were nervous about today, the couple were very grateful that their brothers had consented to be the ones to escort them up the aisle and then stand with them as they made their vows to each other in front of the whole tribe of bright trolls and those fairy trolls who had travelled to this land with them.

Poppy wore a kneel length, off the shoulder white dress, which was decorated around the hem and neckline with pink flowers which matched the shade of her skin and hair. Poppy had drawn her hair up in a simple bun, from which escaped a few strands of hair that draped over her right shoulder and woven into the bun artistically were more pink flowers.

Creek stood behind his sister smiling at her as she looked at herself in the mirror and he did this Creek said to Poppy. “You look so beautiful. I have something of fathers for you to ware today as is the tradition we have started.”

Poppy looked at him wide eyed, Creek brought out a silver chain, from which hung a bright pink stone embraced at the top with silver leaves. “Oh Creek…This is beautiful and it will go perfectly with my dress.”

Creek came up behind her, he carefully put it around her neck and then fastened the necklace up. “It looks wonderful on you. Father would be so proud of you Poppy and I know his spirit is here with us today.”

Tears gathered in her eyes, Creek caught her gaze and Poppy said gently to him with a rueful smile on her face. “Don’t your going to make me cry.”

“Sorry that wasn’t my intention.” Creek told her apologetically, before giving her shoulders a gentle but firm squeeze.

Poppy covered one of his hands with her own, Poppy gave him a tearful smile, took a deep breath before drawing herself up and saying. “I know you didn’t mean to almost make me cry.”

“Are you ready to go?” Creek asked her in a soft voice.

Poppy closed her eyes, she took a deep breath, after a few moments Poppy let the breath out, she took her hand off of her brothers and then opened her eyes once more saying in a firm voice. “Yes I am ready.”

Creek took his hand away from her shoulder and as Poppy left the room Creek walked alongside her, and when they reached the clearing and the arch that had been set up to mark the entrance to the wedding Creek held his arm out to her. Poppy smiled widely at her brother before putting her arm through the one he had offered to her and then they walked up the aisle towards Pansy.

When they reached the end of the aisle Creek slipped his arm out of Poppy’s and then stood to the left side of her. Poppy instantly looked back down the aisle waiting in nervous anticipation for her bride to arrive and when Branch and Suki stood together at the end of the aisle Poppy was once more entranced by the beauty of Suki.

Suki wore a long shimmering white dress, it fell all the way to the floor it had floaty gossamer skirts adding a magical air to Suki, the neckline of the dress was a simple scoop neckline and it had long bell sleeves. Suki’s hair had been ornately braided, and there were pink flowers woven into her hair and they match the dress of Poppy exactly. Arm in arm Branch and Suki walked down the aisle, when they reached were Poppy stood Branch took his arm from his sisters, then gently took Suki’s left hand, he took Poppy’s left hand and placed his sisters hand into Poppy’s before stepping to one side opposite from Creek. Branch and Creek shared a loving smile, before turning their attention onto their sisters and Pansy.

In a very formal voice Pansy addressed Poppy first. “Poppy, will you promise to care for Suki all her life, will you support her and love her and no other troll all your life?”

“I swear I will care for Suki all my life, I shall support her and love her and no other troll all my life.” Poppy promised faithfully.

Pansy turned a serious gaze onto Suki and spoke to her. “Suki, will you respect Poppy as our Queen and will you assist her in her rule of our people? Will you promise to care for Poppy all her life, will you support her and love her and no other troll all your life?”

Suki didn’t hesitate before making her own wedding vows. “I shall always respect Poppy as Queen of the bright trolls and aid her in her role as Queen. I promise that I will care for Poppy all my life, I shall support her and love her and no other troll all my life.”

“As Queen of this tribe I now declare you wed.” After Pansy said this she turned to Branch and asked him. “King Branch will you add your blessing to this union?”

“Of course.” As he said this Branch walked to Pansy’s side, he placed his hands under the joined hands of Suki and Poppy and then spoke starting to glow as he did so. “I Branch King of the fairy trolls give to princess Poppy and princess Suki my blessings. May their future be filled with joy, peace and love.”

When Branch stopped glowing he drew his hands away and Poppy spoke to him first. “Thank you.”

Suki addressed him next. “Thank you brother.”

Hand in hand the newly married couple made their way down the aisle, they were followed by Branch and Creek then by Pansy. As they walked the tribe cheered shouted their good wishes to the couple, while some others threw flower petals over them all.

Together the five royal trolls with the rest of the tribe made their way a short distance from the troll tree and planted their winter rose. With this done the newly married couple guided the trolls back to the main clearing, a few moments later music began to play and the party started. As Creek had told Branch the party lasted for a long time, it in fact went on for four full days and it didn’t surprise Branch in the slightest that the troll tree was rather quiet for days after the long party.

Three weeks after they had arrived for their visit to the bright trolls Suki, Poppy, Creek and Branch said their farewells to Pansy. The Queen looked at Suki and Poppy, she hugged one of them and then the other, the two of them returned the hugs. When they finished hugging, Pansy spoke then spoke to the newly married couple in a serious but loving voice. “Now be safe and let me know when you get to the fairy troll castle and be sure to let me know when you will be returning home here.”

“We will.” Suki promised her faithfully.

Pansy then turned to Creek and Branch, she embraced them both one by one, they returned the embrace, when she finished hugging them Pansy said to the couple. “You two also take care of yourselves as well and inform me when you get home.”

“Of course mother.” Creek said giving her a kiss on the forehead.

Pansy looked at her son as he stepped back from her and said to him. “Please keep in touch and come to visit when you can.”

“I will.” Creek assured her with a smile.

Pansy then turned to look at Branch. “Take good care of Creek for me.”

Branch gave her a smile before saying in a reassuring voice. “I will always take care of Creek.”

“Thank you.” Pansy said to him gratefully.

They made their way back to the transport and waved goodbye to a tearful Pansy, she was sad, but happy all at the same time about everything which had happen to herself and her children. The party of fairy trolls and bright trolls made it safely back to the castle, this was news which they had sent home to a grateful Pansy.

There was a party to celebrate Suki and Poppy’s wedding while the newly married couple spent their time in their rooms for the next three weeks. During this time Branch and Creek settled down to rule the fairy trolls, they also organised the trips to and from the land of the bright trolls for Suki, Poppy and Pansy should they wish to come with her on occasions.

When Poppy and Suki’s three weeks alone together was over, Branch and Creek told them the plans they had made, their sisters looked over the plans, they were very pleased with them and quickly agreed to what Creek and Branch had set up for them. A few days after this Suki and Poppy made their farewells to those they were leaving behind in the fairy troll kingdom, before they set off back to the home of the bright trolls, were they settled into life there as a ruling couple.

Branch and Creek also began to rule the fairy trolls together, the fairy trolls were glad to see that their ruling couple were so very much in love. The joy of the fairy troll population at seeing their King so happy and without his curse meant that they accepted Creek quickly and whole heartedly as one of their own.

It was not long after their return from the land of the bright trolls that Creek announced that he was with pod for the first time. Branch and Sage had been thrilled by the news, as had Creek’s family and when the news had been shared with the rest of the fairy trolls they had celebrated with local parties and fairs. This first child was a daughter she was named Rosemary, for her grandmother, Creek and Branch would go on to have a son after this, the couple named him Peppy for his grandfather. The couple would have many happy years together with their family and ruled the kingdom so well they went into fairy troll history as the greatest ruling couple to ever live.