Chapter two;

"Sir, we have bought to you the information we have been able to gather so far on the Hatter girl" the man kneeling in front of Prince Justin informed. After receiving a signal to proceed, the man stood before the prince and told the tale of what he and his partner saw.

"The man Howl, he has alias's as Pendragon and Jenkins. His real name is believed to be Howell Jenkins but that cannot be confirmed at this stage. He is the wizard that assisted Sophie in putting an end to the war. He is also extremely powerful and resourceful; a force not to be underestimated at all costs. The boy Markel, apprentice to the wizard. That is all that is known about him. We still have not been able to uncover any family relation between him and the girl or the wizard. And Ms Hatter. She appears to have some kind of relationship with the wizard. The boy seems to look up to her as some kind of mother or older sister figure and as has been heard referring to the situation between the three of them as that of a proper family. The three of them appear to be living in the Pendragon residence, but have also been seen living in the Jenkins residence at different times. At one point Sophie was seen shopping in Kingsbury then an hour later, visiting her sister in Market Chipping." The man concluded.

"But that town is nearly half a day journeying by air. It doesn't make any sense."

"My partner is continuing to watch them to see what more we might uncover."

"Maybe I should pay a visit to my dear Sophie." the prince thought aloud to himself.

"I advise against that sir." The man dressed in black said with his head still bowed to the royalty in front of him.

"And why would that be?"

"Because my sources have just informed me that she has arrived to do work on that suit you have commissioned her for."

"Well then we can't keep her waiting."

"But sir..."

"But nothing! Let's go." the prince snapped as he left the room to meet the girl he had plans for.

"Sophie! It's wonderful to see you!" the prince said smiling, but that smile almost faltered when he noticed the man beside her. "And who might you be?"

"Your highness, I am the wizard, Howl." he said politely, giving a low and eccentric bow.

"Well Howl it's a pleasure to meet you."

"I wish I could say the same." Howl said as he and Sophie polite smiles turned into frowns and looks of utter disappointment.

"What ever do you mean? What the matter?" the prince asked still trying to smile politely.

Howl snapped his fingers and there was a shimmer of light behind him. The man in black's partner appeared bound, gagged, blindfolded and floating in mid-air.

His eyes widened and he gave the wizard a death stare.

"What did you do to her?" he asked shocked.

"Well, maybe you shouldn't have had us followed and spied upon." he snapped at the man.

"Please forgive her, Master Howl but it was merely a security check and it was only for the 24 hours. I apologize on her behalf."

Sophie sighed and laid her arm on Howls and nodded. He clicked his fingers again and everything stopping the women from doing, well, anything, were released and she was set free. The roped binding her hands just melted into a wispy blue smoke, the gag and blindfold faded away into thin air.

Gasping for breathe she got off the floor and ran to her partner who immediately embraced in a protective hug.

"Why did you do this?" he demanded furiously.

"Because, we value our privacy. And Prince Justin?"

"Yes, Wizard Howl?" Justin's smile was starting to falter rather quickly.

"I will leave Sophie working here, up to her to decide whether she wants to continue or not. If she wants to quit you will do nothing to dissuade her but you will still pay her for the work she as already done and if you even think about having us followed or spied upon, then you will regret the very day you met me. Understand?" Howl was now inches from his nose with a very menacing look upon his face.

The prince visibly gulped and nodded slowly.

Howl straightened with a great big smirk plastered onto his face. "Great! Now that that is sorted, how about we go visit your sister and have cake and a nice hot cup of tea before we go and get Markel from school?"

"Sounds great, sweetheart." Sophie said as Howl put his arm around her waist and steered her towards the door.

"This isn't over Howl. This is far from over." Justin said to himself more then anyone else.

Turning on his heel, he walked towards the gardens to come up with a plan to make Sophie his, leaving the man and women to there own devices.

Sophie once again walked up to the school in Kingsbury to collect Markel and bring him home to the moving castle. There was a slight breeze blowing her silver hair around, she had a peaceful sort of smile gracing her delicate features as the young boy came running up and hugging her, just as he had done every other time she got him school.

"I thought Master Howl was coming to get me today." He stated with a look of confusion coming over his face.

"That's what I thought to. But he had an emergency at his sister's home and naturally he had to attend." Sophie explained.

"At least they aren't at each other's throats as much any more."

"Right you are. Now I'm going to take you straight home and then I'm going to get something for dinner. Okay?"

"Okay Sophie!" It seemed that all Markel could do was smile.

"Hey Markel!" a young boy shouted as he ran across the courtyard to him. "Is this your mum?"

"No. But I'm still hoping. Maybe she will be in the future." Sophie couldn't help but smile. Markel wanted her to be his mother. She basically already was and would have adopted him but Howl had already done that when he became his apprentice. "Sophie? Are you alright Sophie?" Markel asked waving a hand in front of her face to snap her out of her happy trance-like state. She noticed that Markel was looking up at her with a very worried look on his face, and that the other boy was gone.

"I'm fine. Sorry for worrying you Markel. Who was that?" she asked offering a gentle smile of reassurance.

"That was my friend Nathaneal. He asked be to go to his birthday party in 8 days! Can I go? Please Sophie? Please? Please? Please? Please? Pleeeeeaaaaaase?"

"Oh, we'll see. It will depend on your behavior between now and then and if you get all your homework done."

Smiling, Markel took hold of her hand and they started on the way back to the shop door that was in fact a magic portal to the moving castle where they lived.

"How about pie for dinner Markel?" Sophie asked as they arrived at the magic shop. Unfortunately the young boy couldn't answer because he was running around shouting in excitement at the fact that he was getting pie for dinner. He loved pie, and they didn't get to eat it very often.

"Okay." Sophie said laughing at his antics. "I'll be back shortly."

"I hope they want chicken pie." Sophie said to herself as she placed the pie in her basket. As she looked back up a bag was thrown over her and she was thrown in a trunk. Struggling the whole time earnt her a few whacks, but when she landed in the trunk she stopped and heard the lock click.

This is not good she thought as they drove away from the scene of the apparent kidnapping.

The door opened and Howl entered to find Markel on the couch talking animatedly with Calcifer about his day at school. The sight couldn't stop Howl from drawing a smile. Maybe one day soon he would ask Sophie to marry him and then they would be a proper family. He had the ring, he just didn't have the courage, but he knew he would one day. One day really soon. He loved Sophie with all his heart and he was going to prove it to everyone who doubted it, like, their families. His entrance was still unnoticed.

"Markel? Where's Sophie?" he asked, looking across to his young apprentice.

"Master Howl! You're back! Sophie said you were going to visit your sister." Markel cried happily as he ran over to stand before the wizard.

"Yeah, I did. She makes a big fuss about nothing. It was just a mouse for crying out loud, you don't need magic to kill a stupid mouse." Howl sighed as he took his jacket off and laid it on the back of a kitchen chair. "So where's Sophie?"

"She went to get a pie for dinner. That was about an hour before sunset."

"WHAT!" Howl screamed, making Markel jump back in fright. "That was nearly 2 hours ago!" Howl calmed down a little and used the charm on his finger to try and find Sophie. She always wore the charm he gave her to replace the broken one from when she first met Madam Suliman and made a mad dash from the palace back to the moving castle in the wastes. Summoning Sophie with his heart, a bright blue light flew out from one of the gemstones and off in a direction that oddly seemed like the direction of the palace.

Sophie opened her eyes. She had been knocked unconscious and was only just waking up.

"Where am I" she said allowed, partly to herself and partly in hope that there was someone else there.

"You are in a secret chamber deep with in the palace walls. And far away from the menace wizard Howl."

"Who's there?" Sophie asked cautiously.

A stranger emerged from the shadows, or at least she thought it was stranger until she saw his face.

Prince Justin's face was twisted into a kind of malicious smile. He looked like he might have sold his soul to the devil or something. It was just that scarey.

"What am I doing here?"

"Sophie, my dear. I have a proposition for you." He said through his contorted mask of a face.

"What is it?" she asked, scared. Backing up to the wall as he advanced on her.

"Well, I'm giving you an option. I happen to have your home surrounded with my elite assassins. Not even magic can detect them. They are posted in Market Chipping, outside Jenkins shop, here in Kingsbury, outside Pendragon's shop and inside your home. So, here is the deal, marry me or I kill them all."