Howl's Moving Castle - State With Kings

Chapter 2: The Drama That Invitations Bring

By the by, thanks for telling me the dog's name is Hein. That will make the story flow a little betterJ I also heard that the Prince's name is Justin. Well, I tried typing 'Prince Justin', but my mind is corrupted by the infamous N'Sync member. I can't bring myself to it. Besides, I want to have a sense of royalty to always be around his name. It'll work into the plot later, and it will make more sense then. Thank you very much for letting me know though. I might just take to calling his Justin.
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State With Kings

Chapter 2: The Drama That Invitations Bring

The Prince took Sophie's hands in his once more.

"Thank you for the wonderful meal, Sophie. The finest chefs in my household could not contend with your refined culinary skill."

Sophie bit back a laugh. Apparently, he had neglected to watch the stove. It was Howl who had done all of the cooking. However, the Prince did not wait for any sort of reply before continuing.

"It would please me a great deal if you would let me return the favor by inviting you to dine at the palace." The last part he said with a degree of apprehension, as if he would receive a violent decline of his invitation as soon as the words left his mouth.

Sophie lifted her hands away from his. She knew that handholding was a gentleman's custom, but it made her feel uncomfortable. "I'm sorry, but-" she began.

The Prince immediately recognized her concern. "You may, of course, bring your..." he paused, as if trying to find the right words. "...family to the palace as well." Then, with a pained look, he continued, "It would be my pleasure."

"Oh... well," Sophie stuttered. She looked back from where she stood with the Prince at the door. The Witch and Markl still sat at the kitchen table, the leftovers of breakfast piled around their elbows. They were trying not to stare at the Prince and his reluctant love, but their silence was a dead giveaway of where their attentions lay.

Sophie's eyes wandered to the staircase and lingered there for a while. Howl had excused himself from the party after the meal had ended. He seemed just as uncomfortable with the Prince as she was.

"Sophie?" the Prince said softly, trying to catch her attention again. She cringed a bit on the inside, desperately seeking an excuse to get her out of the visit. But she could think of nothing, and she disliked lying to anyone.

"Well," she thought. "Perhaps he will leave the Castle if I accept." She turned back to the Prince and managed to smile politely. "We would be honored," she said, although she felt bad about speaking for the rest of her family.

"Excellent!" the Prince said as he absent-mindedly turned his top hat in his hands. "Would tomorrow be too soon?"

"No! Tomorrow would be best," Sophie answered a bit too forcefully. She couldn't wait for the whole mess to be over. For some reason, the Prince unsettled her, and she was not sure she wanted to know why.

It was strange that the Prince should show up so suddenly, and for him to claim to be in love with her.... but she was already in love. With Howl. Howl's name touched a nerve in her mind. How would Howl take the invitation? For some reason, she dreaded telling him. Not because she was afraid of him, but because she was afraid of upsetting the balance that she had grown accustomed to.

"Shall I send my driver for you tomorrow?" the Prince asked, still turning his hat in his hands.

Sophie quickly gathered her wits about her. "No, thank you. We have our...ways of getting there. Is it dinner we'll be eating, then?"

"Of course!" The Prince answered, looking a bit perplexed at her lack of protocol knowledge. "It is only fitting."

"Then we will be there tomorrow," she said through her teeth, desperate for him to leave. Then, seeing him reach for her hands again, shouted a quick goodbye and promptly shut the door. The portal circle changed from yellow back to blue, and Sophie let out a sigh of relief.

She crossed the threshold and sat down in a vacant chair at the table. Markl's face scrunched up in a disgusted manner. "I didn't think he would ever leave! He was even worse than that customer! He didn't even buy anything!" the boy said in a huff. "Besides, I think he was wearing perfume." Sophie laughed a little at his remark. "He might have been," she said with a silly smile.

"Hm, I'll agree with the kid," said a voice from behind her. Sophie turned in her chair to see Calcifer. The flame continued. "Barely even touched his breakfast...and he still had the guts to compliment you on your cooking! Howl's the real victim here! No wonder he went upstairs! Couldn't stand the sight of him I suppose. If I could have left I would have!"

Sophie startled a little at the mention of Howl. She had pushed her curiosity of his whereabouts into the back of her mind, but now the curiosity took over her thoughts. She got up from the chair and quickly made her way upstairs.

"Hey, you gonna clean up this mess!" from Calcifer was the last sound she heard as she neared Howl's room. She paused outside the door, her fist only inches away from the door. She slowly knocked on the door, suddenly afraid that he had excused himself earlier because he was angry.

"Come in," came the steady reply. She carefully opened the door, and was greeted by Howl with a book in his hands. He looked up from his reading and smiled. "Hello, Sophie," he said. His voice was the same, but his eyes were strangely altered. His manner was placid as always, and that's what worried her. She never knew when he was upset or sad because he acted the same.

"The Prince left," she found herself blurting out. "He's asked us to dine with him tomorrow night."

Howl closed his book and put it back on the shelf. "Well, send my regards to him when you go," Howl answered. Sophie bit her lip.

"But, you are invited as well," she said quietly.

"I'm sure that the Prince will not miss me," Howl said as he grabbed his coat from back of the chair at his desk.

"But I want you to come."

Howl paused in his movement to look at Sophie again. "If you want me to come, I will come."

He flung the coat over his shoulder and stooped to give her a kiss on the cheek. "I would do anything for you, Sophie. Remember that," he said as he walked past where she stood at his door and continued downstairs.