The Queens turn:

It was Peppy who first realised that Branch was his daughter's soul bound mate, he wondered why he had been so blind to the signs of it before now, but at the same time as the old king puzzled over this he knew that he hadn't seen them because Branch had hidden it so well. The blue troll had also stayed well away from the rest of the trolls making it almost impossible for anyone to have realised what was happening to Branch. It pained Peppy to know that the blue troll had been dealing with a one sided bond without any help since most likely his early childhood. The king also knew that without a doubt Branch would have been in a lot of pain when his daughter had fallen in love with Creek.

Knowing that Poppy knew nothing about soul mate bonds which was really his own fault for not telling his daughter about them in the first place, the former King settled Poppy down one afternoon and then explained everything about soul mate bonds to her. As her father explained things to her Poppy's eyes slowly became wider and wider When the old troll had finally finished talking the Queen burst out with. "So, that's why Branch always knew when I was in trouble!"

"Yes, Branch is clearly very good at controlling the bond between you both which to be honest doesn't surprise me. He can feel you all the time but more clearly when you need him and he can follow the bond to find you were ever you are. The bond between the two of you is the reason you that you both glow when you share love, the glowing is a sign of that bond, it was when that happened that I knew what Branch was to you. Soul bonded mates are rare Poppy extremely so, it is a very special bond daughter as you are his and he is yours completely. Branch had been through so much hurt in his life so I am not surprised that he learnt how to repressed the bond between you both and then did it. Poppy I have to tell you that Branch…Branch would have been in a lot of pain when you began to love Creek…It would certainly explain why he didn't like Creek and why Branch became even more well depressed around that time too. To be honest with you being in love with Creek for the amount of time you were I'm surprised that Branch managed to keep himself going."

The pink troll stared at her father wide eyed with horror, she couldn't believe that her loving Creek would have hurt the one she loved with all her heart. Poppy was also distressed by the thought that this could have caused him to give up completely, silently the pink troll thanked heaven that Branch was far too stubborn to just give up on life. "Dad how do I make sure I can use the bond between us too?"

Peppy smiled as his daughter asked him this question. "You need to close your eyes and concentrate on Branch and your love for him." Poppy did just as her father directed her too and when she felt their bond for the first time the princess was amazed by not only by the strength of it but also the love it contained. "Now open your eyes, you should now be able to sense Branch and be able to find him no matter where he is just as he can you."

Now the Queen knew how to use the bond she was determined to go and find her soul bound mate and have a long talk with him about the bond they shared. Poppy could now quiet clearly feel the pull of the soul mate bond she smiled at her father, stood up and said to him. "If you will excuse me I'm going to go and talk to Branch."

"Just remember not to be too hard on him."

"I will." Poppy promised, before she left the royal pod and then started to follow it through the tree towards Branch.

On the other end of the soul mate bond the blue troll felt it when for the first time Poppy reached through their bond to find him. Branch froze, as she had never done this before and it made him worry that somehow he was in some form of trouble or that he had caused the one he loved pain. Out of pure instinct the blue troll went to shut down his side of the bond, but a familiar voice behind him stopped Branch dead. "Don't even think about it." Poppy came around the blue troll to stand before him, she put both hands on her hips and looked up into his blue eyes. "I felt you trying to do whatever that was and I didn't like the feeling of it at all. So, my soul bound mate when were you going to tell me about this and how long have you known?"

Branch gulped, he could see that Poppy was not angry with him but the blue troll could tell that she was clearly upset with him for hiding their bond from her and Branch couldn't blame her for that. After a few moments, the blue troll answered her question. "I was going to close down my side of the bond but I guess I won't be doing that again. As for when I was going to tell you…I wanted to let you settle into being Queen before I sprung the fact we were soul bound mates on you. How long I have known…Um well since…Since you were about five."

Poppy couldn't help but stair at him as Branch confessed all of this to her. "You've known about this for that long! Oh Branch, you are mine and I am yours and I wouldn't have it any other way my soul bound mate. I love you Branch."

The blue troll blushed brightly and then said in a soft low voice. "I love you too Poppy…I just didn't think I deserved you…I didn't think I deserved anyone after grandma died…"

All at once the Queen could feel it suddenly through the bond for the very first time his sadness and his love for her. All at once Poppy understood those wonderful feelings she had felt when his hair had wrapped round hers all those years ago and for that brief moment back in the Bergan castle. The Queen realised now that their soul mate bond had always been there humming in the back ground of her life. It had been that constant comforting presence in her life which she had never really understood but had never left her it was wonderful to know now that all of the time the presence had belonged to the troll standing here before her…It really did fill Poppy's heart with joy to know that Branch had always been there for her even if she hadn't known about it or understood it and now she felt that it was time for her to be there for him. Quickly the pink troll hugged the blue, he instantly returned the embrace and as Branch did so Poppy spoke to him. "You were always there, you were always with me I just didn't know it. I always wondered how come every time I was in danger you would turn up to save me and now I know the answer. Dad told me that when I fell in love with Creek it probably hurt you a great deal…Did it?" The Queen asked as she drew back from the hug and held him at arms length her eyes locked on his. Seeing the look of pure concern on her face Branch decided lying to the one he love at this time would be a bad idea so he gave Poppy a single nod in answer to this question. "I'm so sorry Branch, I hurt you so badly…But you didn't give up…I'm so glad that didn't give up." The Queen moved one hand, she moved his leaf jacket to one side and gently placed the hand on his chest over his heart. This action on her part caused the blue troll to take a deep breath and then Poppy felt it through the bond the residual of the terrible pain of her loving Creek over him had caused her soul bound mate. "Oh Branch…"

Slowly Branch smiled at her. "I'm alright Poppy…I'm alright."

"No…No you're not. I want to do something about the pain I caused you." As the pink troll told him this her eyes where full of determination. "Do you know how I can heal the pain?" As she asked him this question, Branch quickly looked away from her and Poppy instantly knew from this reaction that he did know the answer to her question. "Tell me Branch, tell me how to heal you of the pain I caused."

He smiled at her gently, the blue troll took her hand from over his heart, held it in his and then addressed her. "Poppy I am fine you really don't need to be healing me."

"Branch…" The Queen began but she was interrupted by one of the other trolls running over.

"Queen Poppy we need your guidance!"

The pink troll groaned, she looked up at Branch and said to him with determination. "I will talk to you about this later." With that said she quickly followed the other troll to see what the problem was.

It was the first time that Poppy had felt it but she knew instantly something was wrong, the Queen suddenly realised it was coming through her bond strong and clear that Branch needed her. Quickly the pink troll dashed out of the royal pod into the troll tree and she followed their bond along. Poppy could feel the pain her soul bound mate was feeling, it was the same pain which the pink Queen had felt for only a brief moment when she had placed her hand over Branch's heart a few days ago. The blue troll hadn't let her talk about the pain in his heart since then or touch that part of his chest and the Queen hadn't had time to insist about doing either of those things because of all her Queenly duties.

Poppy eventually found the blue troll laying on one of the mushrooms under the troll tree, a female purple troll was above him and she had Branch pinned down to the top of the mushroom with her bright blue hair. The pink troll quickly noticed that the one she loved was topless this was followed by the realisation that the female troll had one of her hands on his chest over his heart. The Queen could see from her vantage point on a branch just above the mushroom that the expression on Branch's face was one of pure terror and pain at the same time. The pink troll hastily whipped her hair forwards quickly pulling the other unsuspecting troll up off of Branch and then threw her away from her soul bound mate and to the edge of the mushroom. As soon as she had done this Poppy jumped down onto the mushroom and stood between the one she loved and the other troll, with her arms spread wide and an expression of absolute anger on her face. "What do you think you are doing to Branch?!" She demanded of the purple female angrily.

"You hurt him so much! You don't deserve Branch." The blue haired troll spat out at her venomously.

Poppy glared at her, these made these words made Queen even more furious than before. "You talk about me hurting Branch couldn't you see the pain you were causing him! We are soul bound mates and that is not a bond that is for anyone to try to break." As the Queen looked around the area she could see that some other trolls had been drawn to the clearing by the all of the shouting. Drawing herself up Poppy pointed at some of them and then addressed them commandingly. "Get her away from me before I do something I might regret because she hurt my soul bound mate."

They instantly obeyed their Queen's command, these trolls quickly grabbed the purple female troll with their hair and pulled her away from the clearly irate Queen. Poppy turned to Branch, he was laying on his back staring at her wide eyed, pale and panting from the pain the purple troll had been causing him. Quickly the pink troll moved to his side, she got on her knees at his side and carefully took one of Branch's hands in hers. "I felt you…I felt your pain. Please tell me what to do Branch…Tell me how to heal you."

As he looked up at his love Branch could see the determination and concern in her eyes and knew it was time to surrender the answer to the problem of the pain in his heart to her at long last. "You need to kiss my chest over my heart and tell me you love me with all your heart."

Poppy blushed slightly as he told her what to do in order to help him but gave him a nod, gently she placed a kiss to Branch's chest over his heart and watched as that area glowed with pink light. "I love you with all of my heart Branch I truly do." The pink troll gasped as he suddenly lit up with blue light just as he had once before and then suddenly Poppy felt it the pain in Branch vanished at last, this was quickly followed by love he for her washing through the bond and over her like a wave. The love which the blue troll held for her was endless, strong and true as the Queen felt all of this her pink eyes widened.

Branch smiled up at the now wide eyed Queen. "I love you Poppy."

"I love you too Branch." She said as she helped the blue troll to get up.

When Branch was once more on his feet and when he felt steady on them the blue troll embraced Poppy in a tight hug for a few moments. Deciding that it was high time he kissed the one he loved Branch then quickly swept in and kissed the Queen letting out for the first time all of the love he had in his heart for her. Poppy let out a noise of surprise before, wrapping her arms round Branch, the Queen closed her eyes and began to return his heated kiss. As the couple kissed the two trolls glowed brightly in pink and blue showing for only the second time to all the trolls that noticed their light that they were soul bound mates and there for not for anyone to part then or ever.