The following morning, Poppy wasted no time getting ready. She planned to go for a walk with Creek, the very Troll she was engaged to.
But first, she was going to visit her father, King Peppy.
“Hi, Dad!" Poppy greeted as she went inside his pod.
“Poppy!" King Peppy exclaimed with delight. “You're just the Troll I wanted to see!"
“What is it?" she asked.
“There's something I wanted to show you," he replied, and took her hand. The old king led his daughter to a dresser, and pulled out a light blue box.
“What's this?" Poppy asked.
“This..." Peppy opened the box, “... was your mother's."
Poppy gasped in awe. It was a pearl necklace with a pink shell.
“It's beautiful," she gasped.
“She wanted to see the ocean," her ​father explained. “I met someone who had, and he sold me this necklace so I could give it to her. She loved it because it made her feel as if the ocean was with her. She wore it on our wedding day, and I felt that you should wear it on yours."
Poppy took the necklace and put it around her neck. She held the shell in her hand.
“Thank you, Dad," she said, smiling. “I promise I'll take good care of it."
“I know you will," King Peppy assured her, and gave her a hug. “I love you, Poppy."
“I love you too, Dad."

🔻🔺🔻🔺🔻🔺🔻🔺🔻🔺🔻

As Poppy and Creek strolled through the woods, they talked about their plans for the future, enjoyed the tranquility of nature, and Poppy eventually began singing.
Wise men say
Only fools rush in
But I can't help
Falling in love with you
Shall I stay?
Would it be a sin
If I can't help
Falling in love with you?
“Poppy, you have the most beautiful voice," Creek sighed.
“You think?" she asked.
“I know," he replied. “You're also kind, beautiful, loving, and you have a heart as big as a mountain."
Poppy smiled and continued singing.
Like a river flows
Surely to the sea
Darling, so it goes
Some things are meant to be
Poppy and Creek began to dance together slowly.
Take my hand
Take my whole life, too
For I can't help
Falling in love with you
Creek then cupped Poppy's face with his hand and drew her closer to his face.
Ohh, I can't help falling in love
With you
Poppy's eyes fluttered shut and...
They heard a twig snap.
The two Trolls looked around, and held each other close. Poppy saw something in the bushes and felt her heart beating quickly.
It was a Blue-tongued Lizard.

Poppy and Creek ran through the forest as fast as they could. Blue-tongued Lizards weren't a very common species, but they were five times bigger than Trolls and would eat anything they can catch.
Then, Poppy found a tree branch hanging over a ravine. She would grab the branch with her hair and she and Creek would swing across. If they hurried. The two lovers reached the edge of the ravine, Poppy wrapped her arms around Creek, she shot her hair out and grabbed the branch. But just before she could pulled them up, the lizard clenched its jaws shut around Poppy's body!
“Poppy!" Creek exclaimed as his fiancee cried in pain. The lizard's teeth sunk into Poppy's skin and blood drenched her body.
“Creek... do something..." she whimpered. Creek was terrified. He wasn't sure what to do.
Then, he climbed up Poppy's hair, onto the branch. He then heard cracking as the branch began to give in. Creek took one last glance at Poppy, who looked on in confusion as well as in pain.
“I'm sorry," he whispered softly. With that, he jumped out of the tree and landed on the other side of the ravine. He got back up on his feet and ran off.
Poppy felt her bones break, and her heart. Her own fiance left her to get eaten. Eventually, the branch broke off the tree and once Poppy's hair was retracted, it slammed into the lizard's face. As it cried out in pain, Poppy was tossed aside and landed right next to a boulder.
The lizard got bruised, but he shrugged it off and headed for the kill. Poppy felt nothing but pain, both physically and emotionally. The last thing she saw was the beast crawling towards her...

She doesn't get eaten by the lizard, by the way. Just in case you were scared.

I may need your help on what happens between Poppy and Branch during her stay with him. I have ideas, but I don't think they're enough.

Until next time.