True Love

The rain pattered softly against the window pane. Sophie sat at the table, sewing yet another hat to pass the time. Howl and Markl were out, on what they called 'urgent business'. Sophie had been left alone in the silent house, so had taken to making even another hat.

She paused, and looked at her handiwork. Not my best, she thought. The pink ribbon was slightly off-course, and the petals of the flower on the side was horribly uneven. Sophie sighed. Howl had suggested getting into something else, like reading or writing a diary, but she had thought otherwise. After all, she did own a hat shop once…

'Hats are the only thing I'm good at,' Sophie said aloud.

She put down the needle and thread and sat on her bed, examining the purple hat she had just made.

'Am I simply destined to sit here and sew for the rest of my life?' she said, half to herself, half to the hat in her hands. 'That's it? Whilst Howl and Markl whisk themselves away, out on adventures, and Calcifer simply sits there and burns- in more ways than one?'

She laid back and let out a sob, trying to figure out how she felt. Anger? Jealousy? No. Loneliness.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Sophie sprang up, wiped her tears, and ran to answer it. Howl must be back! she thought excitedly as she flung open the door-

It wasn't Howl.

Prince Justin stood at the door, umbrella in hand, and bowed low to Sophie. She went a little pink.

'Oh- Prince Justin! To what do I owe this pleasure?' she said, taken aback.

Justin gave his charming smile. 'I was wondering if I could pop in to see you?'

'Of course- uh, come in.'

The blonde prince stepped over the threshold, brushing a droplet of rain from the shoulder of his neat purple suit. Suddenly, Calcifer piped up.

'Hey, mister prince!' he called. 'Who do you think you are, just strutting into the house?'

Sophie's eyes widened. 'Calcifer!' she scolded. 'Prince Justin is welcome. I'm sure Howl or Markl would let him in!'

'I wouldn't,' Calcifer muttered as Sophie offered Justin a seat and a cup of tea.

'Oh, wow. Prince Justin helped save me when the Witch of the Waste's curse was still upon me. I...'

Sophie pushed the mug of tea on the table towards Justin.

'I owe him one.'

Justin gave a soft chuckle. 'No, you don't!' he smiled. 'You broke my curse. I owe you ten.'

Sophie gaped. 'Just because I gave you one tiny kiss.'

'Yes- that is, one true love's kiss, one kiss to break the spell that doomed me as a 'turnip head' for my whole life.'

The prince smiled again. Sophie looked into his eyes…

'Hey, love doves!' interrupted Calcifer. 'Your tea's going cold!'

Sophie rolled her eyes. Love doves? Her heart was Howl's now.

'I worked hard heating that water!' he continued. 'Honestly. Being a working-class fire demon isn't all that easy…'

Sophie sipped her tea. I love Howl with all my heart, she thought. That 'true love' thing was just a fad… right? I could never love Justin as much as Howl.

'Anyway, where's Howl at?' asked Justin.

'He's gone out.' Sophie looked up at him again. 'Had to take Markl on some 'official business' or something. Didn't really tell me much before he just left.'

Sophie thought deeply. If she loved Howl so much, how come he never showed much love for her? But she dismissed this as a stupid and disloyal thought. Howl loves me. It's plain to see… He risked his life so many times to break my curse….

Haunting thoughts of the horrors she and Howl had experienced before flashed through her mind. All that, for her. She was clear idiotic, thinking Howl didn't like her!

'So… how's things going for you?' Sophie asked Justin, putting down her mug.

'Life's grand at the palace. Dad's doing fine.'

'And… your mother?' she asked tenderly.

Justin stared at the dregs of tea in his mug. 'I'm not going to lie, Sophie. She died giving birth to me.'

Even Calcifer went quiet. Sophie put on a sympathetic face and patted Justin on the knee. 'I'm so sorry to hear that.'

Justin bit his lip and continued to stare at the bottom of the cup. 'It's my fault,' he murmured. 'If I hadn't been born, she would still be alive. All I remember is screaming. Screams of pain. And then she looked into my eyes, and said, 'Hello Justin', in that soft, tender voice of hers. Then the hands holding mine went cold, the eyes looking into mine closed, and she was dead. It was my fault.'

Sophie stared at Justin. 'It can't be your fault! You couldn't help these natural things… they just happen.'

Justin blinked away tears. 'Anyway… what about you? How are y-you doing?'

'…I'm fine, I guess. Been making hats all this time, pretty much. Haven't been out of the house in ages…'

'Can I see your hats?' asked Justin eagerly.

'Oh- sure. I mean, they're not very good, but- yes, of course.'

Sophie lead Justin to her room. Stacks and stacks of hat boxes sat everywhere, but some hats were loose. Sophie picked up the dodgy purple one she had been making before Justin arrived. Justin looked at them in awe.

'Are you a hat-witch of some kind? These are magnificent! You could make a living from these!'

Sophie went pink. 'I did make a living from them before I met Howl. But now, Howl's the breadwinner. And since we're settled for good now, our house would be a full-time shop, instead of just some of the time. Like it was in the moving castle.'

Sophie sighed. 'It's my fault that was destroyed.'

Justin looked up at her, his eyes sparkling as usual. 'We all have our faults, don't we? You the castle, and me… Well, yes, we have our faults.'

Sophie sat on her bed with a heavy sigh. Justin followed, but silently and more neatly.

'Sometimes, I wish we could just turn back the time,' Sophie muttered. 'Start again.'

'You can,' said Justin.

Sophie looked up, surprised.

'Come with me,' he said in that sweet, honeyed voice. 'Come back to me to my kingdom. We can start again.' His eyes shone.

'No, I couldn't,' she whispered. 'I wouldn't dare leave Howl. He loves me, and I… I love him.'

Justin took her hands in his. 'But what was it that broke my curse?' he whispered back.

Sophie looked back up, eyes glistening with tears. 'I don't know…' She did. She just didn't want to say it out loud, say that her heart wasn't Howl's…

'It was true love, wasn't it?' came Justin's sugar-sweet tones.

And they locked lips just as Howl entered the room.