Chapter Three;

Unfortunately for the prince, by the time the assassins were in place Howl and Markel had already left to find Sophie. They were running flat out towards the bakery where Sophie normally bought there bread, pies, cakes and what not, but by the time they arrived the only sign that Sophie had been there at all was her basket lying on the ground with a smashed pie with it.

"Howl. I'm scared. What if someone has kidnapped her?" Markel asked, his voice quivering with the fore mentioned fear.

"Don't worry Markel. I will get Sophie back. Let's go to the palace, I need to have a word to the arrogant son of a - "

"Howl! Sophie said you're not allowed to talk like that in front of me, remember?"

"I know. Come on." Howl said with sadness at the memory that Markel had managed to bring up. He remembered that day clearly. As if it was yesterday. She was yelling at him again for swearing and cursing in front of Markel after one of his experiments blew up when he added too much of one of the freakish green slime ingredients that graced his magic shelves. She said that if she ever heard or caught him doing that again, he would wish he had never been born, and knowing Sophie, she would make it so.

Running towards the palace and using his magic to jump up the stairs, Howl and his apprentice were running through the majestic halls and corridors. They ran through the entrance hall, through a corridor, down some stairs, through Maccas, past a voodoo sacrifice, up a ladder, down another corridor, down a spiral slide where they found themselves back at the front door.

"And this is why Sophie says we should we always ask for directions." Markel complained a little too loud because he earnt himself a whack over the head for his troubles.

Looking around Howl noticed a door with a sign nailed to it in some hap-hazard fashion. It said Sophie is not in here! So don't bother looking!

Howl's ring was saying something completely different. The blue light emanating from the ring pointed forward into the room.

"Hmmmm... I wonder..." he contemplated aloud.

"Master Howl, maybe we shouldn't. The sign says she isn't in there." Markel said with another look of worry across his face.

"Since when do I do what signs say? There is more possibility of her being in there as there is of her not being in there." Howl explained to the young boy to his right.

Howl raised one of his hands to the wall. It seemed solid enough, so apparently the only through it is to…

"Markel. Stand back."

Summoning power into his hand, Howl shoved it forward with ease as the wall exploded.

BANG!

Pieces of wall went flying everywhere. Dust and debris danced through the air before beginning to settle on a sight that made Howl mad. Not just mad, but down right furious.

"So, Sophie dear. What is your answer? Will you marry me, become the future queen of Ingary and live your life in riches? Or will you be responsible for the deaths of a Wizard and a young boy?" Prince Justin hissed.

"I would rather die then have either happen!" Sophie spat back.

The prince's attitude was really starting to annoy her. Who did he think he was? Sure he was the prince of the friggen country but still, he had no right to try and force her into marrying him. Just then, he grabbed her hair and pulled her off the floor from which she was sitting. Sophie screamed out, pain searing through her head as she rose off the floor.

"Now Sophie, I don't think that is the answer you want to be giving me, now is it?" He once again hissed into her face.

BANG!

The wall exploded into a thousand pieces, revealing a very pissed off wizard and a mad young boy.

Howl ran forward and punched Justin square in the jaw. He went flying across the room and hit the other wall.

"Get away from her!" Howl yelled at the bloody nosed prince before turning to see if Sophie was alright.

"I'm alright. How did you find me?"

"Remember the charm I gave you after your first one disappeared when you went into the black portal?" She nodded. "Well that's how I found you caraid. I would never let anyone hurt you. I love you."

"I love you too, Howl."

But before anything else could happen, Howl ordered Markel to look after Sophie as he took care of the prince who had started to charge forward for another attack. Why he bothered, nobody knows. Throwing a punch, Howl easily dodged and stepped out of the way, then, very maturely, he tripped the prince over.

When Justin got up, Markel was standing in front of him and in a quick movement, kicked him. Yes, you know where. It's obvious because the prince keeled over and spent the next week and a half limping around and talking in a high squeaky voice. Hilarious if you knew what had transpired, funny if you didn't.

"Howl picked Sophie up off the floor and carried her bridal style out of the palace as Markel ran ahead to tell Calcifer to heat up some water for a nice hot bath for Sophie when they returned.

While walking, Howl asked Sophie to reach into his pocket. Pulling out a velvet box, she opened it to find a stunning gold ring with a single diamond gleaming brightly from the center.

"Howl, it's beautiful." She said happily.

"That's not all. Look at the engraving on the inside."

Doing as she was told, Sophie took the ring out of the box and read the inscription on the inside of the band.

Will you marry me?

"Of course I'll marry you, you silly dolt."

Hugging her tightly, they went home to share the good news with Markel, who would finally have his wish.

They truly would be a proper family.

The End.

"Sophie?"

"What? I'm in the middle of being blissfully happy. I swear of you ruin it..."

"No, no. Nothing like that."

"Then what?"
"Just a quick question..."

"..."

"What's a dolt?"