Unconditional: A Broppy Story

Part IV

I forgot to when I published it, but I added a picture of what Queen Cyan's castle would probably look like in the last chapter. Enjoy this chapter!

The moment everyone heard her scream, Lavender, Poppy, Branch, Barb, Holly, and Val were all sent to the great hall in the castle. The guards escorting them were nervous about the outsiders, especially the three who weren't Pop Trolls, but since they didn't appear to be a threat, they let them be.

"So... Branch... what do you like to do for fun?" Poppy asked, hoping they could bond just a little.

"I don't have fun," he replied flatly.

"Pfft, tell that to the girl who left your house with her face red," Barb laughed. Branch just glared at her.

"Why did you bring our enemies here?" he whispered to Lavender.

"They asked," she replied. "And they're not our enemies, they're Princess Poppy's friends."

"Sister, anyone who isn't from here is an enemy," Branch reminded her as the doors opened for them.

"Oh, Branch, you worry too much."

"Presenting Her Royal Majesty, Queen Cyan of Ornery Grove!" a steward announced as the middle-aged queen entered from another door and stood in front of her throne made from hand-carved mahogany.

"Hi, Mom!" Lavender greeted, approaching her first.

"My little ray of sunshine!" Queen Cyan said cheerfully as she hugged her daughter. "I missed you so much, but what are you doing back so early? I thought it would take you two weeks to come home."

"I took this thing called a Caterbus!" Lavender answered. "It was way faster than riding Mister Bubbles and big enough for me to bring some of my new friends with me!"

Cyan looked over at Poppy, Barb, Holly and Val and whispered in Lavender's ear, "Lavender, darling... did you know some of your friends are Country and Rock Trolls?"

"Yeah. So?"

"No, no. If it doesn't bother you, it doesn't bother me," Cyan insisted, and approached Poppy. "You must be the princess of Pop Village."

"Yes, but you can just call me Poppy," she replied. "I decided I will marry your son to help both of our kingdoms."

"Thank you, Poppy," Cyan said with gratitude. "This means a lot to us."

"I hope I have a long-lost brother," Branch said, "because I'm not marrying anyone."

"Excuse me, ladies," Cyan said to the others. "I need a word alone with Prince Branch."

With that, Cyan pulled Branch aside and everyone else left the room.

"Okay, first of all, how did you hack into my bunker's system?" Branch asked. "I put it on lockdown and set it to 'paranoid hermit!'"

"You don't think you got your brains from your father, did you?" Cyan replied. "Branch, you know the kingdom is overpopulated. If we don't get the help we need, our people will starve and in case you haven't heard, Pop Village will continue suffering with every life they lose. But our people have trust issues and don't think a peace treaty is enough."