Chapter 4: In which Howl proposes with a ring

The way she figured things, Sophie had two choices, she could stay mad at Howl for lying to her, or she could do something about it. She had given up on letting fate decide for her simply because she was the eldest of three daughters, especially since she discovered she did have the power to change things. And the best way to figure out just what Howl was lying about was to go and confront him. Knowing how much he hated even the idea of confrontation, she thought she might be able to get him to tell her the truth. If he really loved her the way he claimed, then he would tell her. But did he really love her? She needed to know because, fortunately or unfortunately, she was already hopelessly in love with him.

So the next morning she set out for the moving castle. She planned to walk over to the mansion with the black and gold door because she knew Fanny would try to talk her out of visiting Howl since it would be improper for her to go without a chaperone since she was no longer an old lady. Even though it wasn't a very great distance between the two houses since they were in the same neighborhood, she wore another one of Mrs. Smith's old dresses since Madam Gerard had not sent her any more of the new ones yet and it would be impractical for her to wear something nice just to get dirty and sweaty.

She had had to sneak away from Fiona who always seemed to have a watchful eye on her, but had no trouble going undetected by Fanny who had taken to sleeping in past noon. After ransacking the kitchen for a little bread and butter for breakfast, she set off for the mansion and was well on her way by the middle of the morning. It reminded her of the time she had left the hat shop in search of her fortune and to hide her cursed state from her family. This time was different though. Even though she had been a spry old hale woman, the journey had tired her out. This morning it rejuvenated her.

As she got closer she noticed that there wasn't any smoke coming from the chimney. She wondered if Calcifer was even in, since he was no longer bound to the hearth. And if he was not there, then would Howl be? She hoped someone was there, or she might not be able to get in. It was really inconvenient the way she could not get inside unless the doorknob was already in the right position, or someone was on the other side to let her in. Luckily it was orange-blob side down and she let herself inside.

She was disgusted by how quickly the castle had become dirty again without her there to constantly clean it. In just a few days the work table had become cluttered with half-finished spells, bottles of magical potions, and all the leftover dirty dishes that would not fit in the sink. Those dishes were covered with dried bits of food and mold, and covering everything was a sheen of dust and ash that spilled into the room from Calcifer's overflowing grate.

"Good heavens!" Sophie exclaimed. "Can these men do nothing without me?"

Hearing her exclamation, Michael came barging into the room from upstairs. "Sophie!" he exclaimed with a bright smile very obviously very pleased to see her. Then he had the decency to look embarrassed as he glanced about the filthy room. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to visit you, my good boy!" she responded. But it didn't seem right to call him a boy anymore. Even though he was still younger than her, though not by quite as much anymore, he was still a head taller than her, and had the potential to grow even more. When she threw her arms around him to hug him, she was quite disconcerted to discover that she only came to just past his shoulders. Why am I just noticing his height now? Sophie thought. I guess being young again changes the way I think, just the way being old did. "I think you've grown since I last saw you."

"That's not so odd, I think I am going through a growth sp—urt." His voice cracked with the last word and his cheeks pinked with embarrassment. Obviously his height wasn't the only thing that was changing.

Sophie laughed, and wondered not for the first time, what it would have been like to have grown up with brothers instead of sisters. "Where's Calcifer?" she asked.

"Out. He's never in for long. I think he's just trying to discover everything he can about the outside world since he was cooped up in here for so long. But he always comes back. Usually in time for dinner too."

"And Howl? Where is he?"

"He had a meeting with the King. I think he's about thisclose," Michael said squeezing his thumb and forefinger together, "to being promoted to first Royal Wizard over Wizard Suliman. I'm quite proud of him, but for some reason Howl isn't very enthusiastic about the prospect. With the rumors of a war about to begin, this would be the perfect opportunity for him to make a name for himself."

"Well, you know how Howl is. He's the last person to seek glory for himself, and he hates to be pinned down to anything. Can you imagine Howl being responsible for a whole army?"

"No, I can't."

"Neither can I. So, when do you think he'll be back?"

"Some time this evening, I suppose. He also said he had a very important errand to run."

"Oh? That sounds interesting. Well! That gives me the perfect opportunity to straighten up around here. I can't believe how completely this place has gone to the bad without me here."

"No—Sophie! I couldn't let you do that. You're not our housekeeper anymore. You're more like…family." Sophie felt something warm and pleasant spread through her heart at the word "family." She smiled at him.

"Well, family helps clean up. If you really don't want me to clean, how about you help me? Start with those dishes. There must be a spell for getting off all that stuck on food."

"I think I know of one. Howl was very careful to teach me spells for domestic purposes."

"Of course, he did. That's just like Howl not to practice what he teaches. But what's the point of knowing a spell if you never use it? You'll need to use all those spells if you plan on marrying Martha. You do still plan to marry her when you finish your apprenticeship with Howl, don't you?"

"Oh, yes! In fact I was getting ready to go visit her now before I realized that you were here."

"Then don't let me stop you. You go and see her and when you get back, this place will look like new again."

Sophie could tell that Michael's sense of obligation to help her was warring with his eagerness to visit Martha. When she smiled encouragingly at him, though, his desire to see Martha won over. "Thank you, Sophie! I really miss having you here. And I didn't really appreciate how much you did for me—us until you were gone."

"You're quite welcome, Michael."

When he was gone, Sophie let out a sigh of relief. Even though she had wanted to see him, this would also give her the perfect opportunity to snoop. If Howl wasn't there to give her answers, maybe she could find them somewhere else.

Her first objective was to search his bedroom. She had only been in it twice before, when Howl had been too sick to argue with her and after he had taken off to Wales after the Witch's decoy. Going in there felt forbidden, and she paused at the threshold. Those were his private things, and he most definitely didn't want her in there for a reason. But if they were planning on spending their life together—and hadn't that been his intention when he'd told her that they ought to live happily ever after together—wouldn't that mean sharing his bedroom as well? She had a niggling feeling that she should be invited first, though. But she pushed it aside and pushed her way into his room as well.

It was just as dirty as ever. Cobwebs in every corner, all of them filled with those spiders he so adored. There were the clutter of toys and other junk as well, so much that his bed was buried beneath them. She stood there for a few long moments and then turned around and shut the door, either too overwhelmed by the amount of cleaning she would have to do to make his bedroom presentable, or out of respect for Howl's privacy. Then she went downstairs and started on the dishes just as she had asked Michael to do earlier. After encouraging the food to come off with a few words, she found the work to go easily. Dishes first, then the fireplace and the chimney, remembering how ash got all over everything if she did it last, then the table and floors and dusting. By the time Calcifer returned she was covered in dirt, but the main room was sparkling. She hadn't had time to even go near the bathroom.

"What are you doing here?" Calcifer asked from the place he'd resumed in the grate. "You no longer have to pretend to be Howl's housekeeper, you know. My contract with him has been broken…your spell has been broken…there's no need for your continued servitude. How can you stand to be stuck in here when there's an entire world out there just waiting to be discovered!" Calcifer's excitement at being able to come and go as he pleased, was still strong, and the sentiment was palpable.

"I was just making myself useful while I waited for you and Howl to get back. You really ought to be ashamed to let the house get so bad. You should have sent for me, or hired someone else. It's quite disgraceful!"

"What do I care about disgrace? I'm a fire demon!" Calcifer grinned.

"Absolutely nothing, I guess." And Sophie grinned back. Then she sat down in the chair next to the fireplace as Calcifer told her about all the places he'd been since she moved out. For the most part he stayed in Ingary because there was so much to see and do there, but once out of curiosity he'd traveled far to the east to the land of Tsapfan where he saw the beginnings of a great wall being built. It was so tall and wide that it could still be seen high up in the atmosphere. He had been afraid to go up too high into the sky for fear that the other stars would be angry with him and try to capture him for making a deal with a human and gaining a thousand more years in the process. So even though he was free from the grate, there was still another realm that he could not penetrate.

When she noticed that the sun was beginning to set in earnest, she worried that she would have to go before Howl got back. She knew that Fanny would be very upset with her when she returned, but return she knew she must.

She worried for naught. A few minutes later Howl came in from the orange blob side down door, looking very dejected. "Calcifer," he began, not even looking up from his feet, "The worse thing possible has happened!" Then he looked up, and was shocked to find Sophie sitting there. "You! You're here! I stopped by your stepmother's house on the way back from Kingsbury, but your servant told me you had disappeared. At first I thought she only meant that you had left the house, and then I wondered if she meant magically. I can't tell you how worried I've been about you." He pulled her into a tight hug. "You shouldn't scare me like that again!"

"I'm sorry. I had to sneak out or else I knew Fanny wouldn't let me come here."

"Have you been here all day?" He suddenly pushed her away from him and frowned. "Yes, you have. You just had to make yourself busy by cleaning my house. You're covered in dirt…and now I've gotten it all over me!"

"If you would just take the time to pick up after yourself, I wouldn't have to do it for you! But I should have suspected you'd be more worried about your silly suit than bother to show some gratitude. Of all the ungrateful—"

"Hush, now, Sophie. I'm very sorry for not immediately bowing at your feet, oh, Queen of Cleanliness. I do appreciate what you've done, I've just had other things on my mind."

"Other things? Like what? It seems like it was pretty bad based on your expression when you first came in here."

"I'll tell you in a moment. Would you come outside with me, Sophie?"

Nodding, she took his proffered arm, and followed him down the stairs. He turned the doorknob purple-side down, and as they stepped through the threshold she could feel her dirty dress being turned into a beautiful gown crimson and cream silk, and her hair pulled up into a fancy chignon with flowers entwined in it. She looked at Howl and noticed that his very dapper suit had changed as well into something even fancier that happened to match her dress. The flowers too were enchanted. Red flowers bloomed with her every step making her feel like a princess walking down a red carpet for some kind of ball.

When they were some distance from the castle, Howl turned to her and asked, "Do you like it, Sophie?"

"It's beautiful, Howl. You know I've always loved the flowers in this place, and even now they look even lovelier than they did before."

"And the gown?"

"You have impeccable taste, Howl."

"I'm glad. There's something else I want to ask you, and if you say yes, then there's something I want to give you as well."

Sophie's breath caught in her throat. He's not about to do what I think he's about to do, is he? she thought. Then when he got down on one knee, she knew what he was about to do.

"You know I love you, Sophie. More than anything else in my entire life. And I knew I wanted to marry you from the moment the spell was broken." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a red box and opened it to reveal the most magnificent ring Sophie had ever seen—a rather large, round, brilliant center diamond with two fancy pear shaped side stones in a platinum setting. Sophie was so captivated with the sparkling ring that she didn't quite hear the rest of what Howl said. "Now I just need you to confirm that you love me too, by agreeing to become my wife."

"Wh—what?"

"Sophie, dear, you're killing me here. All you have to do is tell me you'll become my wife."

"Oh my goodness! Yes, I'll be your wife!" she cried out, seizing the ring and putting it on her finger, then splaying her hand out in front of her to admire the way it looked on her finger. "Oh, Howl, this is the most beautiful ring I've ever seen. I only imagined that princesses would get to have a ring like this."

Standing up, Howl felt a little disconcerted. "I only wanted the best for you, but now I'm beginning to wonder whether you love the ring more than you love me."

"Of course I do!" And it was only until he looked up into her face and saw the laughter making her lips twitch and the complete adoration in her eyes that he realized that she had been joking.

"Why you little—!" Howl cried out pulling her to him and laughing into her hair. He pulled away from her, only to lift her chin up and slowly lower his face down to her waiting lips, but before he could kiss her, she pulled away.

"Before we get married, though, there's something I need to know."

"What's that, cariad?"

"Who is Mrs. Johnson to you and why did you lie about her?"

Howl sighed deeply and closed his eyes. "I knew you were going to ask me that."

"So why don't you answer me? Whatever it is, it can't be that bad, can it?"

"It's not. It's just a reminder of something I'd rather forget about. Mrs. Johnson…

she was one of my conquests. And I know without a doubt that I am the reason she married that imbecile Johnson."

"How do you know?"

"She told me. She said that even though I had broken her heart, I wouldn't be able to steal her chances at having money and a good place in society. So she married Johnson because he could give her those things, even if he can't give her much else."

"And so you feel responsible for her, maybe even sorry for her?"

"No...maybe. Maybe a little guilty."

"Then why didn't you tell me before?"

"Because I didn't want to remind you of what a rake I'd been."

"Don't you know that I loved you even when I thought you were a good-for-nothing scoundrel. But you're not, not really. I know that you only pursued all those women because you didn't have a heart. And you have no reason to hide your past from me. Nothing you could have done or said could make me stop loving you."

"Thank you, Sophie. That really means a lot to me." He sighed with relief. "And since I'm coming clean, I should also probably tell you why I decided to ask you to marry me today."

Sophie gulped at the ominous tone in his voice.

"The King has appointed me as his first Royal Wizard and has commanded that I go to Strangia immediately."

Sophie gasped. "Strangia? Why? And for how long?"

"The King has for once taken my advice about using diplomatic means to stave off this war, but he decided that since it was my advice, I should be the one to carry it out. I have been given the authority to pound out some sort of agreement between our two countries, and if I don't then we will go to war."

"Do you think you'll be able to do it?"

"I do not know. And the prospect of it makes me feel quite queasy. The fate of our country rests on my shoulders. However did I manage to get myself into such a position?" he asked despondently.

"I'll go with you."

"No. It's too dangerous."

"Then when do you leave?"

"In a fortnight."

"That gives us plenty of time to get married then."

"Oh, no," said Howl, shaking his head vehemently. "I promised your stepmother that I'd give you a proper courtship and engagement. If I elope with you now, she'll kill me. Besides I want a big grand wedding with all the trimmings. It must be an extravagant affair with everyone at court in attendance. They give the best gifts you know—"

"Howl, you're not being serious—"

"Yes, I am. I already feel much better now that you've agreed to marry me. As long as that ring is on your finger everyone will know that you are taken."

"You're worried about me being swept off my feet by some suitor? What about you? Am I supposed to trust that some courtier in Strangia isn't going to take one look at you and covet you for herself? You haven't got a ring!"

"I can change that." He lifted his hand to his ear where there was a hoop-earring with a dangling ruby pendant. "This was my grandmother's. By rights it should have gone to my sister, but when my mother died, Megan thought I should have it. I guess it was because the matching earring had long been missing and she had no use for it." He took the earring off easily and then slowly began to roll it onto his left hand ring finger. It stretched like a rubber band until he could fit it over his knuckle. Instead of dangling the ruby became embedded in the gold setting of the ring. "In my heart we are already wed, and I will wear this ring as a symbol of my fidelity. Do you trust me now?"

Sophie simply nodded with tears in her eyes. Then she leaned forward closing her eyes and waiting breathlessly for a first kiss.

Her eyes popped open suddenly when she heard Fanny's voice screeching at her from the direction of the castle. Howl let out a loud suspiration at her side. She could have sworn that she heard him mutter "botheration" underneath his breath. It was then that she noticed that their clothes had been changed back to normal. Only the flowers retained their glorifying beauty.

"Sophie! How could you run out of the house like that? You scared me to death. I thought for sure you had been turned into an old maid again. You're still wearing those hideous gowns. And what are you doing here alone with Howl?"

Turning to greet her mother, she said, "Howl has just asked me to marry him, and I said yes."

"What? Now?"

"No, when he gets back from Strangia. He has just been appointed Royal Wizard and will be dispatched there for diplomatic purposes."

"Oh, that's too bad. This whole Strangia business is a bad situation all around." Then her eyes went round when she saw the diamond on Sophie finger. "Is that the ring? Oh, it's gorgeous! It must have cost a fortune. Look at the way it sparkles, that's a special cut, and the diamond is of the highest quality too. Howl, you have flawless taste in jewelry."

"Thank you, ma'am. I aim to please."

With that, Fanny took Sophie's arm into hers and led her towards the castle.

A/N: So this chapter was such total sap that I thought I'd just give it all away with the title. I hope no one got a toothache.

I'm sure you all already guessed who Mrs. Johnson was to Howl. Don't think you've seen the last of her yet.

Anyway, the line "My dear Sophie, I haven't seen any woman who was as afraid of a compliment as other women are afraid of being deserted," from my last chapter is loosely based on a line from Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. I tried to find it so I could cite it, but I couldn't for the life of me find it. So I think you all should read it and find it for me! I think you'll find a little bit of Howl in Henry Crawford and maybe a little bit of Sophie in Fanny Price.

Thanks for the reviews! They make me feel all mushy inside :)