The next day started out as any other.
Sophie 'woke up', made breakfast, tidied up a little, same old same old.
Howl came last to breakfast, as usual, while Michael was first to start eating, as usual.
It was after breakfast was cleaned up that Sophie heard a knock at the Kingsbury door.
After taking off her rubber gloves, she went to the door to see who it was.
On the other side was a tall blonde wearing a canary yellow suit and matching top hat.
"Prince Justin?"
Said Prince was rubbing the back of his neck nervously with a sheepish smile on his face.
"Uh, Hey Sophie."
Sophie didn't reply, she just glared at him before moving to slam the door in his face.
It would have worked, if Justin hadn't stuck his foot in the doorway.
"Sophie please! Hear me out. I swear I had nothing to do with that. I had no idea you were even in the palace until I heard Luna growling at me! Please, is there anyway I can make it up to you?" Justin pleaded through the door crack.
Sophie thought about it for a moment. There was one thing that she would really like.
"Well, there is one or two things that I would like if you are serious. One, you guarantee that Madame Sullivan, and anything to do with her, never come anywhere near me, or my family, again."
"No problem. I swear! She won't bother you ever again! And the second thing?"
Sophie looked away for a moment before answering.
"The second thing, is if I invite you in for some cookies and hot chocolate, you won't tell anyone that I did or breath a word about what you see and/or hear while you're inside."
Justin couldn't believe his ears. Cookies and hot chocolate? Just like when they first met. She must have forgiven him.
"I swear, no one will get so much as a syllable about this out of me!"
"Alright then. I trust you."
Justin's heart felt like it was going to take off right out of his chest.
"You trust me?"
"I trust you to be a man of honor, and to keep your word."
"Oh"
"Would you like to come in for cookies and hot chocolate?"
"ABSOLUTELY. Uh, I mean, yes that sounds very nice."
"Then it will have to wait until sometime after Howl comes back from his trip. But if you want some now, we could go to the bakery again."
"I would love to." He said offering his arm.
"Shall we?"
"We Shall. Come on Luna." Sophie replied, shouting that last bit inside the house.
Once Luna came bounding towards her and jumped on her shoulder, they were off.
"So Justin, would you rather eat a dung beetle or kiss a troll full on the mouth?"
Justin was startled for a moment, before catching on.
"The dung beetle, for sure. Would you rather have wings like a fairy or have a tail like a monkey?"
"Fairy Wings, for certain. Now would you rather.."
This went on as it did before, they arrived at the bakery after 22 would you rathers and got walnut chocolate cookies and hot chocolate again, and some cream for even got the same table as they did before.
"I really am sorry about what happened, Sophie." Justin said after they got their treats.
"I know, and I am sorry too. I didn't thank you for saving me from that spear. I was very anger and shocked from that near death experience, but thats no excuse. For that I am sorry."
"Don't apologize. You had every right to be so angry, even if you didn't I'd forgive you. And I do."
"Thanks. So, see any slug men on your way to the shop?"
"No I did not. Did you hear? My father punished her for trying to kidnap me and sent her to life in prison. Neither of us have anything to fear from that awful witch again."
"Really? That is wonderful news!" Sophie said excitedly, feigning innocence.
"I know, it's great. Now I don't have to worry about blob men and you don't have to worry about being hunted anymore."
"Yeah, it will feel nice knowing that I don't have to keep looking over my shoulder."
"I can imagine. So Sophie what.."
"Excuse me sir. May I have a moment?"
Justin was interrupted by a young woman with red hair, dressed in a lime green gown.
She had nervous expression, shifting her eyes from him to Sophie then back again a couple of times.
"Uh, alright? Is something wrong?"
The woman looked at the young lady with the black cat on her shoulder, before asking if she could speak to him in private.
Now this statement made Justin very put out. First this stranger interrupts his outing with Sophie, and now she wanted a minute alone with him!
"If you have something to say to me then you can say it in front of my friend." Justin replied quite firmly.
The woman was very nervous now, but started to speak anyway.
"Very well." She pauses to take a deep breath.
"YOU SHOULDN'T BE WITH THAT EVIL WITCH! SHE WILL RIP YOUR HEART OUT AND EAT IT JUST LIKE HER BROTHER WHO RIPS OUT THE HEARTS OF YOUNG GIRLS!"
When she finished 'talking' to him, she raced out of the bakery as fast as she could.
By this point everyone in the bakery was staring at Sophie and Luna with hateful glares and/or fearful expressions.
Sophie was slack jawed, and Luna was now wishing that her Sophie was anywhere but here as she tried to hide her from the hateful glares.
Justin was outraged! None of these people had any right to judge Sophie like this! So what if Howl is her brother! Sophie is nothing like him! She is sweet, kind, funny, and clever and leaving the bakery. She is also… leaving the bakery?
Justin looked up in shock as Sophie walked out the door with a bag of cookies and her cup of hot chocolate.
He didn't stop to grab his own food or cup as he got up and ran after her.
"Sophie! Sophie please wait."
Sophie didn't wait though. She kept her eyes forward and her steps steady.
Luna growled and hissed at Justin as he got closer to them and reached out to grab her shoulder to turn her around.
Even though Luna stopped him from doing so, such an attempt had the desired results.
Sophie stopped and turned around to address Justin.
"Yes Justin?" Sophie responds with a stern look.
"Sophie, I am so sorry! I don't know how they found out, and I can't believe that they would treat you like that."
"Word travels fast, when carried by the winds of gossip. I would not be surprised if by this time tomorrow the whole kingdom knew that I am the sister of the famous wizard Howl, eater of girl's hearts. So therefore I must be just like him and eat the hearts of handsome young men."
"But you're not! You're Sophie! You're wonderful and amazing and not a witch! You're nothing like Howl!"
"They don't know that Justin, nor do they want to know. In the eyes of the gossipers the truth as good as the lie, and there are many people that would rather believe a lie than the truth."
Justin opened his mouth to deny it, but stopped because he knew she was right. Rumors tend to take a life of their own, and whether they are truthful or not in the minds of those who would believe them, they become the truth.
No one would ever believe that Sophie was the exact opposite of her brother. With no magic and no desire to eat male hearts.
"Just as well I suppose. Even with the witch gone I was planning on leaving after my brother got back. All I have to do is quit my official job and save my employers the trouble of firing me." Sophie said a matter of factly, before turning and started to walk again.
Before being pulled back to face a now shocked Prince.
"Leave! What do you mean you're leaving? You don't have to go!"
"Be serious Justin. If a total stranger recognized me as Miss Pendragon, the sister of Howl Pendragon, who might I add was paraded through town on the way to the palace. It won't be long before everyone in the entire capital will know what the evil witch looks like and will most likely try to tar and feather me in a public square if I even think about going to the marketplace or into any of the shops."
"I can talk to my father. He can make a royal decree that no one will hurt you."
"Perfect. Then everyone will know that the dreaded heart eaters as cursed the royal family and turned them into puppets." Sophie said, her tone of voice laced heavily with sarcasm
Justin tried to argue for several minutes more, but he knew it was hopeless. His first real friend, and he was going to lose her.
He started begging, pleading, hoping that she would change her mind and stay.
Sophie, instead of giving into his begging and pleading, narrowed her eyes in suspicion.
"Justin? Why do you want me to stay so badly?"
"Because I don't want you to leave me. You're beautiful, and amazing, and.."
Justin was still listing things that he liked about her, but Sophie stopped listening after that dreaded word.
Beautiful
'Is that all he sees me as, beautiful? And here I was hoping that he was different. That I could have just one friend that didn't see me as just a pretty face.'
Justin was still talking, now however he was talking to a very disappointed Sophie.
"Enough Justin!" She said nearly shouting.
Justin stopped his uncharacteristic babbling. What was wrong?
"Look me in the eyes and tell me. What was the main reason you wanted to see me again after we first met?" she asked, wanting to be sure.
"The main reason?" Justin asked confused.
"Yes."
"Well…" Justin trailed off before answering. Remembering what first attracted him to her.
"My first thought was how incredibly beautiful and heroic you looked after you saved me from the witches men." Justin finished smiling.
Sophie looked shocked.
At first, Justin thought he had said the right thing. All women liked being told that they were lovely and beautiful right, but then he remembered.
Sophie hated being called beautiful.
He remembered all the times Sophie told him of how men treated and viewed her as nothing more then some prized mare that they wanted to win.
And he had just practically told her that he was the same.
'Oh No!'
"Sophie I…"
Sophie wouldn't listen. She just shook her head glaring at him in anger and disappointment.
"Goodbye, Prince Justin."
With that she gave a final turn, walking away from her former friend.
Luna, while having been giving him the evil eye for the last few minutes, was now giving him a final outraged hiss from Sophie's shoulder as they began to disappear from view.
Justin meanwhile was kicking himself for being so foolish!
Why didn't he say something else? That he like her for her cleverness, her honesty, her kindness,her individuality, her courage?
Anything would have been better than what he had told her!
He figured that out too late though.
Sophie was gone, and he had a feeling that there was nothing he could say or do that would earn her forgiveness.
When he finally came out of his thoughts he found that he was back at the palace.
When he tried to get back to his rooms however, he found his way was blocked.
It was two of Madame Sullivan's personal servants.
They said that his father had requested, meaning order, that he be checked for any curses and/or hexes that the Pendragons could have placed on him.
Though he was very cross with his father's order, Prince Justin was found being escorted to the greenhouse to see Madame Sullivan.
At once Justin knew something was wrong.
There were no guards or soldier anywhere near the greenhouse.
All the glass was magically tinted black, letting in very little light, and the only one there was Madame Sullivan sitting in her chair. Not even her dog was with her.
'What is going on? Where is father?'
"Greeting my Prince. Did you have a pleasant outing with Miss Pendragon?"
"Her name is Sophie, Madame Sullivan. What is the meaning of all this?" Justin asked outraged.
"It is just a precaution, Prince Justin. You have been with very dangerous company." She replied, the ever present polite smile painted on her face.
"Sophie is NOT DANGEROUS! I don't care what you say, Sophie would never hurt me. Even if she did have magic." Justin stated quite firmly.
"Now if you don't mind I will be returning to my rooms." He said turning to leave.
"I am afraid not."
Justin turned back to Madame Sullivan in surprise.
The Sorceress banged her staff against the ground.
All at once a strange wind began to blow all around the poor prince in a dark twister. Thunder echoed throughout the room, followed by what sounded like a thousand loud screams and shrieks, as everything faded to black.
Suddenly the ground beneath him shone bright with a blinding white light that engulfed him.
He covered his eyes, took in a breath to scream and then….
He was GONE!