Disclaimer: I do not own Howl's Moving Castle

A/N: Wow, finally made it to the end! It actually feels quite surreal now that I'm writing my last chapter and I really have enjoyed the whole experience as well. I first of all want to thank everyone who has read and much as those who have favourited, alerted and reviewed my story. You've all been amazing and its wonderful that so many people have actually given my story a chance and loved it for what it is so thank you so much. Really.

Tek Sonay: Where would I be without you? Where would I be without the reminders to check on my spelling and grammar? You have supported me from day one and stayed with me until the end and I think your comments and our antics have been the highlight of this experience. Also, because of you you've helped me develop as a writer and have encouraged me to go on and write more so I thank you for the bottom of my pervy heart.

Anymousse rox: What do I say about you? I just love how insane and crazy you are. You've also been a wonderful reviewer, always keeping me in check to make sure I deliver LOL. Thank you for everything and for loving my story as well as Kain and Daniella they love you right back. Good luck with your writing!

Run4life: Thank you for reviewing my story on occasions and I've really enjoyed, as in your words, 'the buddy system', you, Tek Sonay and I have enjoyed and I really hope that can continue beyond this and with other stories. And good luck with your stories, the ones that you're still writing and the ones you'll write in the future.

Bleedingcrimson, observingangel, RavenSterling and Terrorist of the Seven Seas: A thousand hugs for you all for embracing my eccentricity. And those goes for Tek Sonay, Anymousse rox and run4life too. Thank you all for supporting my story. You've all been wonderful and it was enough to merely put my story on your favourites and alert. I especially want to thank, not meaning to seem partisan, RavenSterlingfor putting me on your favourite authors list. That really made my days and makes me want to continue to write more stories which I hope you will also enjoy in the future as much as you did this one.

I'd also like to shout out that I am considering not ending the stories surrounding Daniella here as I am thinking of writing a prequel about her parents if anyone has any ideas for this project. If you do I'd much appreciate the feedback and once again thank you!

Epilogue

For Tek Sonay, for her constant support and advice. Good luck with the writing, Teks!

Ten years later...

The peasants waited outside the palace in the Capital as they usually did for Queen Jayna on a Sunday morning. Every week on that same day she would come out and give money to the peasants, hand out food from the palace kitchens and wash the feet of those who needed it. She had the power to heal the sick too and whether the doctors told them that their child or husband or Grandfather had no hope of recovering she would always be able to heal them. This was mainly children though who often had no shoes to wear on their feet. There were mutterings amongst the peasants wondering if it was finally going to come when she would forgot or miss a week, after waiting a bit longer than they usually did for her. However, as promised she came out of the palace doors escorted by two guards. She was tall and lean, striding out into the spring air with her head held high. Her stomach was curved, showing signs of future motherhood. It was announced that she was expecting her third child, already with two sons, Akron and Onin many people thought that the King and Queen had enough heirs to the throne. She was also escorted by her ladies in waiting, dressed soberly in dark blue, silk dresses whereas she wore a velvet, royal violet dress with an apron round her waist.

She gave a smile to the first commoner she passed and gave her a few coins from the pouch hanging from her waist.

"God bless you." The old, toothless woman whispered. The Queen laid her hand on top of hers and bowed her head before moving on.

She handed bread and fruit to those she gave no money. She knew which were the ones to give food to and the ones which would need money more than food. She could tell which were the ones which looked older than they should do, their skin almost hanging off the bones and their eyes sunken after endless, sleepless nights. She handed water those who seemed thirsty, the ones who could barely call out to her or those who had lost their voices completely. After a while she decided to kneel down and offer the children to wash their feet. A young lady in waiting rushed to her side placing a bowl of water down carefully. She beamed up at the child and gently took his foot. He was the same age as her eldest, Akron. He had golden ringlets whereas Akron had his fathers dark locks and serious face. Then again this was a trait which he was just as likely to inherit from his Grandfathers. She brushed the cloth against the boys feet until they were absent of any dirt. Despite that he would get them dirty within hours she didn't think her efforts were in vain. She had no regrets. She did this for the whole morning until noon when the bell rang and most of the crowds had vanished by this point. She made her way back to the castle and was greeted by her youngest, Onin, who unlike his grandfather was the most cheerful child in the world. The six-year-old ran up to her his arms wide open awaiting an embrace.

"Mama!" He cried. She laughed and spun him round.

"Sweeting!" She cried, smothering him with kisses.

"My lady, the King is requesting to see you." Said the head of her ladies-in-waiting.

She nodded and made her way to the throne room, knowing he would be there. He was always there. Day and night. His work as King very rarely gave him rest but this didn't mean that this lessened the time that they had together. Even though his head of advisor's detested this but he always considered her to be his best confident and was most often in the chamber with him during a debate. She glided through the corridors, knowing them all to well and being able to whisper nonsense into her youngest child's ear. As expected her husband was sitting on the throne reading through a report. At the sound of footsteps he looked up and smiled slightly. He handed them to his advisor who walked past her with a mischievous smirk on his face.

"How are the masses, your majesty?" He asked pleasantly.

"Well as always, Morgan." She retorted. She turned back to her husband and giggled. "Darling."

"My Queen." He greeted taking her hand and kissing it.

"You called me." She questioned in a mock-serious tone, but her eyes still glinted with amusement.

He raised his eyebrows. "Does a husband need an excuse to see his wife?" He asked innocently.

She giggled. "Only if he is the King of Fermia." She replied.

"I am always yours first, Daniella." He whispered...

~ (***) ~

The barmaid had seen many things in her time. She remembered the first day that she worked in the tavern was the day when she first saw Kain Nightstar. She recalled him meeting with a handsome, young man whom he seemed to be acquainted with. She had been warned of him before she began her work by the more experienced staff. Never look him in the eye. Don't do anything to offend him. She took these pieces of advice to heart gladly from the first moment he walked into the tavern. There was a dark presence about him which seemed to blow out all the candles in the room, if he could or wanted to. The whole room seemed to go cold since he came in. However ten years ago it was announced that he was not only a notorious, dark sorcerer but also the heir to the chaotic state of Fermia. He took over since he was the only living male heir and brought with him a wife. Some people questioned her of her appropriateness of being Queen only to be reminded that his own mother was of no noble blood. She had heard rumours that his Queen was the result of a court affair of one of the previous Queen's students and maids with a royal advisor. At least the question of her Fermian blood and nobility was put to an end. However she seemed to be quick with child soon after her coronation and wedding bringing another possible reason as to why they were so hastily married...

However despite all these dismissals they were still questioned as to whether they had the right to rule over the country. There was something rather suspicious about their marriage. Originally he was her tutor, breaking one of the rules of a relationship between a teacher and a student. She had also heard that she had more of a say in the passing of laws and pardons or executions than any of his advisers. Some people were beginning to wonder whether she was thinking herself higher than her actual station. Others praised her for carrying herself with modesty and dignity. They also told her that she was immensely kind and always went out to the masses to heal or give money to the poor. She didn't disregard every traditional duty of a Queen. She was a learned woman of many talents and had more intelligence than a handful of many courtiers waiting upon them. She was not the most beautiful woman in the world, yet another rumour but she had attractive features. She was tall and slim, had the most intriguing eyes and had a pleasant character. She was still believed to be rather plain however. Still the King adored her. That was something a lot of people were worried about. Some people even questioned whether the previous Queen had bewitched his father into marrying him.

At the moment a cloaked figure entered in the tavern. They had the same demeanour of Kain Nightstar. Or King Akron as he is now called. They lifted their hood and revealed themselves to be a young woman with auburn ringlets falling down her shoulders. She had dark green eyes which she cast about the room as if she were a cat searching for a mouse.

"Er-Excuse me, Ma'am." The barmaid inquired timidly. "Are you looking for someone?"

She looked around before answering her and nodded. "Yes. Although I doubt that she would be here by now. Is there somewhere...You would recommend if you wanted to speak privately?"

The barmaid took a step back unsure whether they would want to get herself involved in anything suspicious. However the threatening glare this woman was giving her frightened her even more.

She nodded. "Yes. In the back."

The barmaid led her to small table tucked in a corner behind a curtain. A single candle burned there but she knew it wouldn't be long before it run out of wax. The woman nodded with approval and tucked some coins into her hand.

"If someone mentions that they are meeting some here, bring them to me." She hissed into her ear. "She'll have blonde, curly hair, angelic face and around...Well she's nearing thirty but she still looks no more than a child."

She nodded and ran off before she asked her to doing anything else she might regret. She knew the moment she walked in that she wasn't to trust this woman. She waited until someone who fitted her description walked through the doorway. So far, there was no one after a few minutes and becoming afraid that the woman who was waiting for her companion might try to blame the tavern in some way for this delay. When it reached about an hour a girl who stuck out like a sore thumb came through the doorway. She was exactly as the woman described and almost pitied her for having to come and meet the other woman. She was more than angelic, she was like a little lamb. She came forward and asked if she was meeting anyone here. She nodded like a frightened rabbit and she led her to the place where the other woman was waiting for her. When she first laid eyes on her she looked like the cat who ate the canary. She was almost expecting her to lick her lips as she sat down. She waved for the barmaid to leave them, who was more than happy to oblige, despite the desperate look on the younger woman's face.

"It took you long enough." The older woman sneered.

"I couldn't get away." The blonde haired woman insisted. "I couldn't get the children to bed."

"You're still working as a governess." This wasn't an inquiry, it was a comment.

She nodded. "Yes. It's the only respectable work I can find."

"You're certainly not to blame her for that." The older woman snapped.

"Well, who else-"

The older woman slammed her hand on the table and leaned forward. "I'll tell you who else. You know who else it to blame for all these misgivings."

The other woman stared down at the table, still unsure whether to believed her. "I remember... Daniella would always have these looks...As if she wanted to tell me something...Maybe you just-"

"What? Made a mistake? She was ungrateful from the very beginning. She had no idea. She had no idea for the plans, our guardian had for her. She showed all three of us and many more nothing but kindness and on every turn she spat in her face and for what? Just for the silly ideas a dark sorcerer put in her head."

The younger woman nodded, seeing her point. "I can't...I can't bare the thought of carrying out revenge upon her. If she was as good as you claim, which I had no doubt of, then why revenge?"

"This isn't revenge. This is justice. We're going to show the world what he did. What he is. We're saving millions of souls who are under his rule that."

The younger woman nodded. "Alright. I'll do it."

The other woman smiled, knowing her plan was finally falling into place. She slid a hand across and placed it on hers.

"Thank you, Ananea. You have no idea of the good you are about to do."