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A few weeks have passed by in quite the blur with all the repairs that had to be made to both the moving castle and their new shopfront. Not to mention, Howl's injuries had been more severe than he originally let on, leading to Sophie and Markl having to tend to the famous wizard in bed, something Howl surely took great advantage of due to his love for being doted upon. Despite Wizard Suliman declaring that the return of Prince Justin would mean the end of the war, peace treaties take much more than well-meaning intentions to craft, so the war has continued as the discussions have been occurring between the two warring kingdoms. Wizard Jenkins and Howl Pendragon, though the aliases are one and the same man, have been obligated to make appearances at both courts, his firsthand experience on the frontline of war being called into question at every turn in the discussions for peace. Howl wouldn't be surprised if the slowness of the peace discussion means the war would last at least another year, the figureheads of each party not wanting to compromise an inch to keep their people's best interests in heart.
All of that to say, Howl is extremely surprised when an invitation to attend a royal ball in honor of Prince Justin's return to court arrives at the moving castle and is even more surprised when the invitation lists Sophie's name first. Sophie, naturally, had been overtly excited yet cautious that they had received an invitation to the castle in an attempt at peace this time. They both have trepidation about returning to the very place where Wizard Suliman had tried to lure Howl into a trap and kill Sophie to prompt the wizard out of hiding. With the acceptance of the invitation to attend the ball, Sophie and Howl have had many discussions between the two of them about safety procedures they would need to implement to ensure they are not separated from one another again. The fear of being separated is especially a concern since the battle at the hat shop because the ring Howl had once gifted to Sophie that directed her to Calcifer would not be an option anymore due to the fire demon's freedom to wander to his content. He is no longer tied to Howl's heart and is not magically bound to the hearth of the castle, but more often than not, the fire demon can still be found returning to the castle every night. The plethora of logs Sophie keeps stacked near the hearth is a temptation rather hard to ignore, after all.
The night of the royal ball is finally here and Howl stands before the full-length mirror in his bedroom, smoothing the collar down on his finest suit as he converses with his exasperated apprentice.
"But, Howl! You don't understand!" Markl nearly shouts, kicking his feet in annoyance as he sits on the edge of Howl's bed.
"I don't understand what, Markl?" Howl inquires, now moving his ministrations onto his head and face, ensuring there is not a lock of the raven-colored hair out of place and no blemishes to be seen on his perfect skin.
"You weren't feeling well when I heard what the Witch of the Waste had said about Prince Justin!" the young apprentice reminds his master, his eyes and nose crinkling as he thinks poorly of the blonde prince in question.
"And whatever did the Witch of the Waste have to say about the lost Prince?" the older man asks, satisfied with how his hair appears in the mirror and turning his full attention onto the lad before him.
"When Sophie kissed his cheek when he was still Turnip Head, that's what turned him back into a Prince!" Markl reveals, disgust evident on his face.
"I'm failing to see where you're going with this, Markl," Howl admits, sitting on the bed next to his apprentice as the wizard slips a pair of sleek black shoes on his feet.
"She said that Sophie is Prince Justin's true love and that's why he was reverted back into a human!" the young boy practically shouts, needing Howl to understand just what dangers may present themselves at the castle should he and Sophie attend the royal ball as they intend. "You can't let Sophie go to this ball because then Justin might try and take her away to the palace! I don't wanna lose Sophie, Howl! Especially not to some stuffy prince!" he sniffs, tears pricking the corners of his honey-colored eyes.
"I see. Markl, that's certainly a valid worry and concern for you to have, but I'm not threatened in the slightest by Prince Justin," the raven-haired wizard admits, blue eyes shining with both mirth and confidence.
"And why not?"
"Well, there are complexities with true love just like there are any circumstances."
"Meaning?" Markl practically demands, springing up from the bed and his eyes now filling with hope instead of the sadness that had been found mere moments before.
"Just because Sophie is Prince Justin's true love does not mean he is Sophie's true love. Are you following along?"
"So, true love doesn't always have to be returned?"
"No, dear Markl. That is one of the cruelest designs of true love, sadly,"
"Then who is Sophie's true love?" Markl inquires, his eyes as round as saucers as he contemplates this concept with all the focus and determination a boy his age can.
"To be honest with you, I'm hoping that it is me," Howl quietly reveals, his voice a ghost of a whisper, barely audible in the bedroom where Sophie cannot possibly overhear his newly returned heart's truest desire.
"Oh, Master Howl, that would be wonderful! Then Sophie would never have to leave us!" the apprentice cheers, throwing himself at Master Howl's waist and wrapping the wizard in a tight hug.
"That is my hope as well," Howl softly smiles, the corners of his lips quirking just enough to show off his shining teeth.
Only the smallest beat of silence passes before a wonderous idea comes into Markl's head that he must share it with his master.
"Are you gonna ask Sophie to marry you?" Markl excitedly asks next, practically bouncing on his feet as he helps Howl finish getting dressed by handing his master the pair of silver cufflinks he reserves for special occasions.
"Keep your voice down!" Howl hisses, swiftly covering Markl's mouth with the palm of one of his large hands. "You know Sophie has ears like a hound," he reminds, the young woman's hearing famed for being her sharpest sense.
"Sorry," his apprentice squeaks out, slightly embarrassed that in his excitement he had truly forgotten just how perceptive Sophie truly is.
"It's quite alright. But, yes, as soon as I finish my gift for her, I'll ask dearest Sophie to become my wife," Howl reveals, thinking of the half-finished carving he has stored in one of his dresser drawers. stashed behind a rather large pile of his barely worn shirts from his days living with his uncle. "Although, I did already ask her to live happily ever after with me, which I feel should encompass that question," he admits, thinking back to when he posed this arrangement to Sophie the same day she had returned his heart to his chest.
"You have to actually ask her, Master Howl!" Markl explains in an exasperated tone, wondering just how the man before him had truly kept the two of them and Calcifer alive in the days before Sophie came with the utter lack of awareness the wizard seems to possess.
"Yeah, Howl, you can't just expect a girl to read into that sort of thing," an all-too familiar voice admonishes as Calcifer comes flying in through Howl's open window, as he promised Sophie he'd protect Markl and the castle tonight while Sophie and Howl attend the royal ball in Kingsbury.
"And when did the two of you become so well-versed in the art of romance, hmm?" Howl scoffs, finishing with his act of cuffing the sleeves on his suit.
"You forget I held your heart for the better part of two decades, Howl," Calcifer deadpans, thinking back to all the times Howl tried to woo women with his guitar throughout the man's younger years before he had managed to find Sophie again.
"Plus, Sophie deserves only the best treatment from us!" Markl adds in his own opinion, having heard Howl say the same sentiment on many occasions since Sophie broke the curse that held Howl and Calcifer captive for the better part of twenty years.
"That she does," Howl instantly agrees, thinking of all the love and care Sophie gives to the three of them currently in this very room. "Well, how do I look?" he asks, spinning around in a full circle, puffing his chest out in front of the mirror as he does so.
"Handsome as always," a feminine voice answers from the doorway as Sophie appears in a floor-length cobalt blue dress that manages to show off the dip of her shoulders and soft curves of her hips.
The dress had been a gift from Howl, who insisted that he needed to treat Sophie to a dress worthy of her newly restored young age. Sophie had attempted to protest, stating the clothes he had bought her during their move would suit her perfectly well. Howl disagreed vehemently, stating he had bought those clothes when he believed Sophie to be a matronly grandmother, not the stunning young woman she reverted to once the curse had been lifted from her. Howl stops dead in his tracks upon seeing what a cutting figure she makes standing in the doorway to his bedroom, her porcelain skin peeking out of the top of the dress, offering him a tantalizing view of her exposed collarbone.
"Now, come along or we shall be late since you've been in here preening like a peacock in front of the mirror for who knows how long!" her voice snaps Howl out of the worship his eyes were performing of Sophie's beautiful form leaning on the doorframe to Howl's bedroom.
Goodness, that was a close one! She had almost caught him in the act of discussing the future with Markl and Calcifer! But, if Sophie thought he had only been fixing himself in front of the mirror, then that meant she hadn't overheard his conversation after all. Howl would take any small blessings he could get.
"You look as radiant as the night sky, my starlight," Howl compliments, his voice tender and gentle as his blue eyes soften exponentially as he comes to offer his arm to Sophie as he had on that fateful day he had saved her from those soldiers on the square in Market Chipping.
"I... Thank you, Howl," Sophie sighs happily, her cheeks flushing crimson, not used to receiving such compliments on her appearance. "Now, we must go or we'll truly be late. I do not wish to make a bad impression solely because of your tardiness!" she diverts the conversation back to punctuality to avoid the bubbling feelings of attraction towards the man before her.
"Sophie, dearest, haven't you ever heard of the concept of being fashionably late?" Howl quips, a barking laugh escaping his lips as he helps her down the stairs, lifting the hem to Sophie's dress to prevent her from tripping on it, especially since she is wearing her most formal shoes along with it that tend to make her a bit unsteady.
"Howl, I'm the eldest of three daughters. I did not ever have that luxury," Sophie scoffs, thinking back to all the times after her father's death that she had to help Honey manage Lettie and Martha, especially in those early days when the family was so deep in their grief for their beloved patriarch who was taken from this world much too soon.
"Well, my darling, if there's one thing you will soon learn about me, it's that I excel in this particular luxury," the wizard flippantly says with a devilish smile appearing on his lips.
"You truly are incorrigible," the silver-haired woman can't keep herself from laughing in response, swatting Howl lightly on the chest as if to chastise him.
"For you, Sophie, I could be convinced to change my ways," Howl admits, that tender tone reappearing in his voice that Sophie is quickly learning makes her weak in the knees. "If you ask nicely enough," he adds after a moment, ruining the mood, which causes Sophie to smack him in the chest again.
His laugh follows them through their entire walk from the portal door to the front steps of the Kingsbury palace.
One of the first aspects of the ball that Sophie notices, having never been to a party of this caliber was that what Honey had always told her, Lettie, and Martha was true. The music was indeed as fine as the sparkling wine her father used to share with her stepmother during their quiet nights alone after they thought all three girls had gone to bed. However, they'd often quietly creep down the stairs to see the dances their father would lead Honey to, their father humming the music for just the two of them to hear. Sophie's father had been a paragon of a man and he left quite the large hole in Sophie's heart when he passed so unexpectedly and so young.
Howl manages to break Sophie out of her silent splendor by squeezing her hand firmly in his own. He angles his mouth in such close proximity to her face that Sophie feels the ghost of his breath brush against her cheek, her silver hair fluttering softly from the slight wind that passes from the wizard's lips.
"Would you like to walk around and explore? You've never been to the palace in earnest, after all," he suggests, thinking back to how disastrous Sophie's first and only previous visit to the castle had been when she came and posed as his ancient mother.
"Sure," she breathes, closing her chocolate eyes involuntarily as a shudder travels down her spine when Howl rests one hand at the small of her back. "But, Howl, whatever will you do in my absence?"
"I think I spy Ben over there near the refreshments. I haven't seen him since our academy days and I do believe we have much to catch up on," Howl explains, thinking back to one of his closest friends and hoping he can avoid catching Madame Suliman's eyes.
"You really don't mind?" Sophie inquires, ever one to think of everyone else's feelings above her own, the curse of being the eldest daughter.
"Not at all, dearest Sophie," Howl assures, his blue eyes twinkling underneath the palace's splendid lighting. "As long as you promise me but one thing."
"And what might that be?" she challenges, barely managing to subvert her instinct to say 'anything' to the man before her, having learned through her experience with the Witch of the Waste not to give anyone else the power over her despite trusting Howl implicitly.
"While we're apart, don't give your heart to anyone," he whispers, the hand that was on the small of her back mere moments ago travelling down lower until Sophie shudders out a breath as Howl squeezes her hip through the fabric of the cobalt dress.
It takes her brain a second to recover from the shock that races through her entire nervous system at the intimacy of Howl's touch.
"I do rather believe giving hearts away to be something you are guilty of between the two of us, not me," Sophie smirks, mischief sparkling in her otherwise gentle brown eyes.
"I suppose you're right," Howl concedes, his lips quirking into his trademark grin as he presses a small kiss to Sophie's knuckles. "I'll be right over there if you're looking for me, sweetheart," he promises, letting Sophie's fingers slowly slip from his hold.
Stars above, how was it that Sophie was not supposed to fall madly in love with this man with his charming compliments, endearing epithets, and tender touches? She hurriedly walks across the dance floor, trying her best to hide her blushing red cheeks behind her hands. From his position across the ballroom, Howl's smile could rival the brightness of all the stars in the night sky as he watches his starlight converse with the ladies of the palace.
During his talk with Ben, Howl's attention is suddenly drawn to the spectacle currently taking place in the center of the dancefloor.
"Whatever is going on over there?" Ben asks, sipping from his wine glass and attempting to see past Howl to try and ascertain what has captured his best friend's attention.
Howl lets out an involuntary sound of frustration as he catches sight of a familiar silver-haired woman in the arms of one particular blonde prince who had, until recently, been cursed to live out his days as a turnip-headed scarecrow. Seeing Sophie slow dancing with Prince Justin as an enraptured crowd forms around them tears Howl apart momentarily, an unfamiliar feeling settling in his recently returned heart.
"Sophie," Howl whispers, her name leaving his lips like a prayer, like a benediction.
"Are we jealous, old friend?" Ben teases, slapping Howl good-naturedly on the back.
Ah. So, that's what this particular emotion stirring dangerously in the lower part of his belly could be called. Living nearly twenty years without a heart has left Howl Pendragon with much to learn it would seem.
"And after I told Markl I wasn't threatened in the slightest..." the raven-haired wizard groans, wiping a hand across his face and in front of his blue eyes, convinced he must be dreaming.
"Is there a reason you're not dancing?"
Howl startles at the unexpected nearness of Sophie's voice for the second time this evening, his vision focusing to see that his starlight has appeared quite suddenly before him, the dance with Prince Justin quickly concluded.
"There was not anyone I wished to dance with," he answers rather immediately, so certain in his declaration that his brain doesn't need a second longer to think it before it comes from his lips.
"I see," Sophie softly says, disappointment in her voice. "I was rather hoping you'd dance with me," she continues, her mood deflating by the second as her insecurities flare within her, particularly that longstanding one where she knows that no one has ever thought of her as beautiful in her life, especially when compared to Lettie and Martha.
"I'd never turn down the chance to dance with you," Howl quickly reassures, understanding now what it means to put one's foot in one's mouth. "Shall we dance?" he asks, taking Sophie's hand in his own and walking them to the dancefloor with that radiant smile gracing his lips once more.
"I must admit that I don't know how," Sophie blushes furiously, her hand coming to rest on Howl's bicep as she nervously squeezes the corded muscles hidden beneath the suit's sleek material.
"Nonsense. I just saw you dancing with Turnip.... I mean... His Highness the Prince."
"I just swayed back and forth, Howl. That wasn't real dancing," she explains, a tinge of embarrassment in her voice, but one could not simply turn down an offer for a dance from the crown Prince of Kingsbury.
"You never learned how to dance?"
"My father.... My father was going to teach the three of us, but he never got the chance."
Howl swears in his own head, hating himself for making Sophie think of what is clearly a painful memory for her.
"You'll just need to follow my lead. Take my left hand and my right will go to your side. Your left hand goes on my shoulder here," Howl instructs as he helps Sophie position her hands appropriately for a waltz, the music for the next song beginning a bit sooner than the wizard would have liked, as he wants to maximize the amount of time his starlight spends in his arms.
"The hardest part for me is knowing when to turn," Sophie shyly admits, doing her best to follow along with Howl, her body focusing on the feeling of his right arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her body ever closer to his.
"Just let your body follow mine," Howl murmurs encouragingly in her ear as he presses their foreheads together, taking charge and leading them through a seemingly complex series of turns, never once allowing Sophie's steps to falter.
Sophie smiles in Howl's grasp, the budding witch pressing their foreheads even closer together than they had been, a shaky exhale leaving her lips in the process as she leaves all of her trust in Howl's hands and his steady feet.
"See? Not so hard, is it?" he asks at the end of the song, bowing at the conclusion of the dance as is custom, an ear-splitting grin widening across his handsome features, his blue eyes continuing to sparkle in the low lights of the ballroom. "You're a natural," Howl compliments, reminding Sophie for all the world of their first meeting when he saved her from the soldiers and blob men before he soared them into the cerulean sky above.
"You flatter me, Howl," Sophie giggles nervously, unsure of what to say in a time like this, her heart beating steadily almost as if it will fly out of her chest at any given moment as heat creeps up her cheeks and neck at the proximity of the handsome wizard.
"I've been dying to tell you something ever since you saved me, Sophie," Howl admits, a worried tone of voice creeping into the statement as he locks his eyes onto Sophie's soft chocolate brown ones.
"What is it?" she nearly gasps, all of the breath deciding to leave her body as Howl swipes his index finger tenderly down Sophie's cheek.
"But I've been too much of a coward to say it," he laments, tugging Sophie even closer into his chest, not an inch of space separating them as he presses their foreheads together once more as he had done during their waltz together mere moments ago.
"Howl...?"
"I love you, my starlight," he confesses, his heart hammering and fluttering so loudly in his chest that he believes Sophie must be able to hear it clearly from where she's standing.
"Oh, you foolish man," a laugh bubbles out of Sophie, her brown eyes softening and brimming with unshed tears at the proclamation. "I love you, too, Howl," Sophie returns, throwing her arms around his neck and pulling him into her body for a squeezing hug, not unlike the one she gave him after returning his heart to his chest.
Hugs with Sophie would have to become a much more common occurrence if they can feel this good, Howl silently muses.
"Really?" Howl breathes, his voice filled with an overwhelming amount of relief and shock in just that one word.
"Really," Sophie smiles, threading her fingers into Howl's own, clasping their hands tightly together in an effort to ensure they are never parted. "How is it that you think I was able to break your curse?" she teases, a sharp inhale leaving her mouth as Howl softly presses his lips to hers, claiming her in that moment in front of the palace full of nobles, statesmen, and Prince Justin himself.
"I love you, Sophie. Now and forever, my darling," Howl whispers into her mouth, barely stopping between kisses to offer up that promise.
"I love you, Howl," Sophie promises back, happiness exploding within her chest as she feels like the most beautiful girl in all the world, to have captured the attention and love of Howl Pendragon, the most powerful wizard Kingsbury, Market Chipping, and Porthaven will ever know.
"Don't forget who's taking you home and in whose arms you're going to be in," Howl murmurs against Sophie's neck, inhaling her tantalizing scent of flowers, old books, and smoldered embers from the moving castle's hearth, the scent of home.
"What? Howl, I...."
"I saw you dance with Prince Justin earlier."
"That was just out of gratitude for saving him from being a Turnip Head the rest of his life...."
"I saw the way he was looking at you, Sophie. That was not the look of a man merely interested in showing gratitude."
"You're jealous!" Sophie laughs gleefully, never expecting that she of all people would have ever instilled feelings of jealousy in anyone, let alone a Prince and Howl Pendragon, known the kingdom of Ingary over for his flirting!
"And what if I am?" Howl inquires, mischief shining on his face without a hint of remorse.
"Then I'd say you're the most absurd man to ever exist to see that I don't have any interest in Prince Justin."
Howl drops a kiss to the crown of Sophie's head before doing the same to her forehead and then pressing a third kiss, long and slow, to her plump pink lips, drawing a sigh from Sophie's lips.
"Dearest Sophie, don't pretend you'd like me to be anything other than absurd. You rather like it," Howl teases, a devilish smile appearing on his lips, showing off his canine teeth.
Sophie can't argue that point and she leans in to take another kiss from Howl's lips.
"Besides, I've always hated turnips, ever since I was a little girl. I've always been drawn more to roguish wizards," Sophie smirks, earning one of the purest laughs she has ever heard from Howl.
Howl determines then and there that he shall have to finish his gift to Sophie immediately where he can properly address the living happily ever after scenario he had posed to her a few weeks ago when she saved him and Calcifer from defeat and ruin. He couldn't bear the thought of having to compete with Prince Turnip Head Justin a moment longer, even if the competition only exists to the two men involved in vying for Sophie's love.