((I want everyone to keep in mind that I haven't seen Howl's Moving Castle since September. (We got it in late in my town) so my memory on the movie version of Prince Justin is pretty much shot. Bear with me when I enter him in the scenes, I'm pretty much seeing him as a guy with unrequited love for Sophie that she can not return as long as she loves Howl. As to what he will do about it…well, we'll see…))

In Which Green Slime Doesn't Cut It

"I'm so glad you've awakened, Sophie. By how soundly you have been sleeping I almost began to believe that you would never wake."

Sophie smiled a little nervously as she tugged at the clovers a little, unsure why she was suddenly in the prince's presence and not a little meat Popsicle nestled in a notch in some architecture. She managed to peer around the room surrounding her and the prince. It was remarkably decorated in deep reds and violets along with traces of forest greens and navy blues in the folds of the fabrics draping the bed and windows. Perhaps the cloth she was seeing on the walls were simple draperies to add some sort of lavish style to the paintings on the walls of landscapes and a portrait of a woman with a young man and a child. Then again they may have been usable to cover up these paintings to protect them from the sun's light when the other draperies were opened, not that she would be able to find them quickly since drapes were so common in this room.

Prince Justin could have been well camouflaged into the draperies had his clothes not be extravagantly fastened by glistening silver and gold buttons that looked to be worth more then what the dress Howl had purchased her had cost. His hair looked a bit shorter then when they last met and he was clean-shaven with nothing evident on his expression but his relief she was all right.

"How…did I get—" her chest seized up and she covered her mouth as a cough fit shook her body, Justin's eyes widening slightly at this coughing fit but Sophie waved her hand and managed to choke out the rest, "—h-here?"

He eyed her for a moment before he rose from the side of the bed, wondering towards one of the walls and removing a chair that had been partially hidden by the folds of a curtain, the fabric jostled and allowed Sophie a glimpse of a window that looked out upon the buildings from a view that didn't stretch out far enough for her to see Howl's little magicked-in shop, not that she had time to look. The curtain swung back into place before she could try to look and soon the prince had seated himself in the chair positioned at her bedside.

He was being courteous to her and not sitting on the bed.

How polite…he is giving me some space and maybe…at the same time I won't get him sick.

"One of my good friends found you when he was waving me off. We had nearly missed seeing you had your body not slumped into view a moment after I was down the steps." The Prince explained, "He offered to let you stay with him until you awoke but I thought you would rather see a face that you knew."

She nodded, "Thank you for your hospitality, your highness."

"There is no need to be formal. You've broken the spell on me after all; you may call me by my name as I already address you by yours. And do not worry about it, it was my pleasure to help you."

Smiling a little, Sophie lowered her eyes then peered off at the navy and green draperies covering the window Prince Justin had momentarily revealed to her. She wanted to see the shop…even though she intended to leave the castle without returning…she wanted to see the one trace of the wizard's presence still out there even in her absence.

"Justin…" the name felt awkward on her tongue, "May I open those draperies?"

"I'll do it." He said quickly, standing up. He searched the floor a minute, regaining his dignity before he smiled and nodded his head, turning and attending to the drapes, allowing Sophie to see well out upon the rooftops and buildings. "Is this to your liking?"

"Yes it is." She said quietly, spellbound by the urge to track down Howl's fake shop.

"I enjoy this view as well…I looked out of this window many times since I have returned to the castle."

"Why is that?"

He turned to her slightly, "Because I knew that you were out there…"

At once, Sophie felt the color rushing into her face and she covered it with her hands quickly, looking for a way to hide it away but could only submerge herself beneath the covers of the bed. Pulling them securely over her head, she curled up, wide-eyed and consumed by darkness, staring into the fabric wall.

Oh no…please, no…don't tell me that Prince Justin is—

"Sophie? Are you alright?"

She could hear his footsteps and curled up tighter.

Don't look!

The covers did not move…Justin wasn't prying into them to see her, as Howl would have done. He left them alone and did not even tamper with an edge, nor did he touch the bed at all. Hesitant at first, Sophie gradually eased back out of hiding and the prince was back in the chair. He had been waiting patiently for her to emerge again, to risk a glance up at him.

"There you are." He smiled, apparently joking a little.

She laughed nervously.

"I've noticed that you're looking a bit pale…would you like one of my doctors to come and take a look at you?" he offered after the uneasy laughter subsided.

"N-No, that's alright." She said, shaking her head and pushing the covers away, "I'm fin, I'm just recovering from a cold is all. I think I'll just go home and—"

"No!" he said quickly.

Sophie froze in trying to climb off of the bed. Prince Justin swallowed and lowered his eyes for a moment, gathering up something to explain his reaction.

"When we found you, there were tears on your face. You were upset about something…will you tell me what had happened?"

She hesitated.

"Of course—if you'd rather not discuss it we can talk of something else. But if you're sick you shouldn't be out and about."

"No, it's alright…I can talk about it." Biting her bottom lip, Sophie slowly eased back under the covers and rested her hands in her lap. "I'll stay."

There was no reason for her to go anyway…were could she go? Market Chipping housed one of Howl's businesses, even if it was a flower shop. And it was also in the old hat shop so she would still have nowhere to go. The Waste was out of the question and she hardly knew of many other places she could go. Her life had been so limited before and she hardly saw much need to leave Howl's home before, leaving little time for exploring.

She could stay here…stay in the company of a good friend until he no longer willed her to be there or at least until she was well.

"You remember the wizard, Jenkins?"

"Master Howl?"

The wizard didn't stir.

"Mater Howl…Calcifer told me what happened…is Sophie really—"

"Gone?"

Howl turned his head so that his face was to the child; it was still partially swallowed up by the indent of the pillow but a face never the less. He sighed pitifully, averting his eyes from Markl and tucking an arm beneath the pillow to push his face into it again if he had the will to even turn his head again.

"Yes…she's gone." He said, now burying his face into the indent.

Markl frowned a little and pressed his hands onto the side of the bed, leaning far over it so that he was reasonably close to Howl's head.

"Master Howl, why did you have to be that way to Sophie? Things were going so well!" he said, remembering some of the things that Calcifer was complaining about after he had come down to see what all the noise was and Howl had retreated to his room.

"I don't know." He groaned into the down, "It just happened…"

"You couldn't apologize to her about it?"

Howl wrenched his face out of the pillow, glaring at Markl, "She was out of the door before I could come up with something to say, Markl. And is that the way you are supposed to talk to your master?"

The boy folded his arms, "You could have stopped her, Master Howl…but you didn't. And now she's gone." Markl left the stool he had been standing on and strode for the door. "It's your fault if she doesn't come back!"

Before Howl could say anything, once again, a slamming door met him. The wizard could have sworn that he saw traces of tears on the apprentice's face before he disappeared out of his line of vision and that only seemed to twist the knife in his back deeper then it had been.

This was a moment for green slime…

Don't do it… Piece of Howl called out threateningly.

"Why not?" Howl asked bitterly, rolling over onto his back, not caring about the fact that he was now talking out loud to Piece of Howl.

Because if you do, you are going to sully all traces left behind of your precious, Sophie.

Howl stared at the ceiling. He didn't want that…he wanted to keep any traces of the cleaning lady left behind since she stormed out of the castle. She left behind so many things…her dress she was in when he first took up the job as his cleaning lady, her old hat, her cane from her days as an old woman…little things tucked away in her little area beneath the stairs.

Howl, you waited too long and now you've lost the one important thing you had in this castle.

"My chest hurts." He mumbled, rubbing it gingerly.

Those are guilt pains…or heartbreak. You decide since that is your body. But if there's one thing I can tell you to do…it's to go bring Sophie back. If not for you, do it for your apprentice. Markl has always been faithful and this is your repayment? You truly are vain if you did not take that into consideration.

"Please…stop mutilating me…you were just as vain as I since you are me." Howl said, sitting up and swinging his legs over the bed. "And besides, I'm not sure where she is and how much she has cooled down her temper yet…"

Do you know what the weather is in the Prince's kingdom, Howl? That just-so-happens to be the place she ran off to…

"…So she's out there…in winter…not fully out of her cold yet?" Howl went rigid. "The Fool!"

Common sense matters little to those who are angry, Howl.

"Be silent." He snapped, pacing side to side, his hands braced on his back and his head inclined as he wondered from one small space on the floor to the other.

It was all too puzzling. All perplexing. All a wonder…

Howl had never been in this kind of a situation before…he was dumped, sure, but walked out on and then consumed by worry for her health because she was practically the last creature in the world he would want anything to happen to…no this has never happened before. Sophie was out there and if she wasn't wondering the streets frozen, the prince has already found her and who knows what fancy-pants has up his sleeve.

Running a hand through his hair, he slowed and touched his chin thoughtfully. "I could find a way to coax her into coming back…"

Coaxing her? How do you plan on doing this?

"Well, I'll start by finding out id Prince Justin has her in his care or not. If he does, then I'll pay the prince a little visit and explain to him I need to talk to Sophie. He'll have no choice to agree if I remember that mind-control incantation…but when he does agree, I'll talk with Sophie and she'll forgive me then fall into my arms and we will be back before the end of the day."

That is your plan?

"Yes…"

And if that fails to lure her into returning to you?

Howl smiled a little as he approached the door.

"I'll do it the old fashioned way…"

And what is that?

Howl opened the door.

"I'll Beg."

((I don't know if Howl's plan will work or not. I've still got some planning to do on this…and in a sheer twist of irony…I'M SICK! I had to come home from school today with Strep-throat or whatever its called. I want to shoot my throat…but if I do that, I'll probably die and there will be no more chapters for you guys to read! I can't do that to you guys, I love you, you're my wonderful readers. So I'll stay alive just for you guys. I hope this chapter was ok. Sorry about the whole Prince Justin thing…and sorry the writing is starting to falter.))