In Which Howl and Sophie Get Married (Howl's Moving Castle)
Fandom: Howl's Moving Castle - Diana Wynne Jones
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1117
A/N: Written for evrwrldBB in the 2012 Yuletide Challenge, and archived here.
They hadn't really had a traditional courtship, Sophie reflected, considering her relationship with Howl.
It had been difficult at first not to have her old woman's body to hide behind. She had naturally been relieved to throw off the oppressive mantle, the aged, slow body. The aches and pains that came with growing old. But there had been a period of adjustment too. So much had happened in one day! Miss Angorian being the Witch of the Waste, Howl's heart being returned to him. Calcifer's newfound independence, the discovery of Prince Justin, her sisters' appearance...
Sophie sighed, she had been unconsciously bunching up the wedding dress in her hands. She smoothed it out and when she found it still wrinkled, whispered an unobtrusive spell (“You smooth out now, it most certainly won't do for you to look creased!”)
“They're all lovely,” she said wistfully to the shopkeeper. She secretly knew that none of them were quite right.
She returned home with a heavy heart. It was a month before the wedding and she still couldn't find the right dress.
“What's wrong?” Calcifer, ever perceptive, asked from his grate.
“I still can't find a dress,” Sophie sighed.
“Well of course not,” Calcifer said smugly.
Sophie was immediately suspicious. “What did you do?” She asked him. She reflected a minute before amending her query. “What did Howl do?”
“Nothing!” For such a mischievous creature Calcifer managed a wounded look very well.
“You’ll have to make it yourself,” he stated, as if it were the most obvious idea in the world.
Sophie frowned. “I suppose I could,” she started tentatively. “But it’s such an important project, what if I can’t get it right?”
“Use a spell,” Calcifer suggested.
--
“Howl,” Sophie asked.
“Uh oh,” Howl responded, an expression of mock terror on his features. “You’re frowning, that can only mean one thing. He leaned over and kissed her soundly on the mouth.
A smile broke through Sophie’s frown as Howl kissed her. She continued, “I can’t find a wedding dress. Calcifer says I should make one myself."
"You'll do a lovely job," Howl smiled.
--
Martha came over the next day with pastries for Sophie to try for the wedding.
“My goodness, are you making your own dress?” she asked when she caught sight of Sophie’s sewing.
“I’m going to try!” Sophie said. “It’s just that there’s so little time until the wedding!”
“Let Lettie and me help you,” Martha pleaded.
“Oh would you?” Sophie asked gratefully. You’re not too busy?”
“Too busy to help our sister who thought only of our happiness when she herself was miserable? Certainly not!” Martha said with mock indignation. “Now you take care of the bodice and let us make the skirt.”
As promised, Martha and Lettie showed up at the Market Chipping door of the castle the very next day.
“Do you mind working by yourselves for a little bit today?” Sophie asked. I have to go into town to run an errand for Howl.”
“Don’t worry about us,” said Lettie, kissing her sister on the cheek. “We’ll get along just fine.”
Half an hour after the sisters started working, Calcifer appeared in the grate.
“Hello,” he blinked. “What are you doing?”
“We are making the skirt to Sophie’s wedding dress!” Martha said, showing him the material they had cut.
Calcifer frowned. At least Martha thought it was a frown.
“What’s wrong?” asked Lettie, the bolder of the two.
“Well, it’s just so plain,” Calcifer said.
“Wedding dresses are supposed to be white!” Martha said defensively.
“True, but you could add some color on the inside, couldn’t you?” Calcifer asked.
“I suppose so,” Martha answered.
“Look in the basket next to the chair,” Calcifer pointed out. “I know Sophie keeps scraps there. It’s from material she likes and can’t bear to throw away.”
“This one’s pretty!” exclaimed Martha, holding up a scarlet and silver material.
“I think this is Howl’s old charmed suit!” Lettie exclaimed. “The one Sophie accidentally enchanted.”
Martha’s eyes were wide. “What does it do?” she asked her sister.
“It makes the wearer irresistible!” said Lettie. A mischievous look came over her.
“Calcifer, you knew that!” she accused the fire demon. But by the time she and Martha turned around to face him he had gone.
--
The day of her wedding, Sophie was radiant.
“Thank you so much, Martha and Lettie for helping me with my dress!” she turned to embrace her sisters.
“It was our pleasure!” Lettie said with a wink at Martha.
The ceremony began and Sophie felt as though she were floating. When she saw Howl standing at the end of the aisle, she felt as though her heart might burst. Howl was looking at her with such a look of love and adoration.
Just as Sophie was thinking that moment might be the happiest of her life, the young men in the audience began to stand.
“Sophie, marry me!”
“Sophie, my love, you can’t marry Howl!”
“He eats hearts, you know!” came another shout.
Sophie gasped. She turned to look and saw that Martha wore the same horrified expression, but that Lettie was laughing. Calcifer in the Hall’s grate looked the most amused she had ever seen him.
“What?” she asked.
The besotted men only continued their shouting.
Howl came striding down the aisle and took her arm.
“I know that I have convinced the most lovely girl in Market Chipping to marry me,” he announced to the crowd. “But the rest of you will just have to cope.”
The men stared with dazed expressions.
“In other words, that’s enough,” Howl said.
Somehow the spell had broken. Sophie, still feeling quite shocked, whispered, “Howl, what just happened?”
“Not now Sophie,” Howl smiled. “Now we are going to get married.”
--
After the wedding Lettie approached her sister, “It was such fun!” she laughed, “but Sophie I am sorry. I didn’t know the enchantment was quite so strong.”
Sophie smiled at her sister. “It’s alright, it was almost fitting in a way.”
Lettie laughed again and kissed her sister on the cheek. “He didn’t need the suit,” she whispered to Sophie. “He looked enchanted by you even before it.”
Martha came over next, stammering apologies. “It doesn’t matter,” Sophie said kindly. “But keep in mind that your wedding is next!”
Later when she managed to let Howl alone, Sophie mustered the courage to ask. “So the reason you looked at me with such love at the altar was because of the suit?” she asked with a pang.
Howl took her chin in his hand and kissed her soundly. “Sophie my dear, that suit has never worked on me. My look, my love, it’s no enchantment. It’s all because of you.”
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1117
A/N: Written for evrwrldBB in the 2012 Yuletide Challenge, and archived here.
They hadn't really had a traditional courtship, Sophie reflected, considering her relationship with Howl.
It had been difficult at first not to have her old woman's body to hide behind. She had naturally been relieved to throw off the oppressive mantle, the aged, slow body. The aches and pains that came with growing old. But there had been a period of adjustment too. So much had happened in one day! Miss Angorian being the Witch of the Waste, Howl's heart being returned to him. Calcifer's newfound independence, the discovery of Prince Justin, her sisters' appearance...
Sophie sighed, she had been unconsciously bunching up the wedding dress in her hands. She smoothed it out and when she found it still wrinkled, whispered an unobtrusive spell (“You smooth out now, it most certainly won't do for you to look creased!”)
“They're all lovely,” she said wistfully to the shopkeeper. She secretly knew that none of them were quite right.
She returned home with a heavy heart. It was a month before the wedding and she still couldn't find the right dress.
“What's wrong?” Calcifer, ever perceptive, asked from his grate.
“I still can't find a dress,” Sophie sighed.
“Well of course not,” Calcifer said smugly.
Sophie was immediately suspicious. “What did you do?” She asked him. She reflected a minute before amending her query. “What did Howl do?”
“Nothing!” For such a mischievous creature Calcifer managed a wounded look very well.
“You’ll have to make it yourself,” he stated, as if it were the most obvious idea in the world.
Sophie frowned. “I suppose I could,” she started tentatively. “But it’s such an important project, what if I can’t get it right?”
“Use a spell,” Calcifer suggested.
--
“Howl,” Sophie asked.
“Uh oh,” Howl responded, an expression of mock terror on his features. “You’re frowning, that can only mean one thing. He leaned over and kissed her soundly on the mouth.
A smile broke through Sophie’s frown as Howl kissed her. She continued, “I can’t find a wedding dress. Calcifer says I should make one myself."
"You'll do a lovely job," Howl smiled.
--
Martha came over the next day with pastries for Sophie to try for the wedding.
“My goodness, are you making your own dress?” she asked when she caught sight of Sophie’s sewing.
“I’m going to try!” Sophie said. “It’s just that there’s so little time until the wedding!”
“Let Lettie and me help you,” Martha pleaded.
“Oh would you?” Sophie asked gratefully. You’re not too busy?”
“Too busy to help our sister who thought only of our happiness when she herself was miserable? Certainly not!” Martha said with mock indignation. “Now you take care of the bodice and let us make the skirt.”
As promised, Martha and Lettie showed up at the Market Chipping door of the castle the very next day.
“Do you mind working by yourselves for a little bit today?” Sophie asked. I have to go into town to run an errand for Howl.”
“Don’t worry about us,” said Lettie, kissing her sister on the cheek. “We’ll get along just fine.”
Half an hour after the sisters started working, Calcifer appeared in the grate.
“Hello,” he blinked. “What are you doing?”
“We are making the skirt to Sophie’s wedding dress!” Martha said, showing him the material they had cut.
Calcifer frowned. At least Martha thought it was a frown.
“What’s wrong?” asked Lettie, the bolder of the two.
“Well, it’s just so plain,” Calcifer said.
“Wedding dresses are supposed to be white!” Martha said defensively.
“True, but you could add some color on the inside, couldn’t you?” Calcifer asked.
“I suppose so,” Martha answered.
“Look in the basket next to the chair,” Calcifer pointed out. “I know Sophie keeps scraps there. It’s from material she likes and can’t bear to throw away.”
“This one’s pretty!” exclaimed Martha, holding up a scarlet and silver material.
“I think this is Howl’s old charmed suit!” Lettie exclaimed. “The one Sophie accidentally enchanted.”
Martha’s eyes were wide. “What does it do?” she asked her sister.
“It makes the wearer irresistible!” said Lettie. A mischievous look came over her.
“Calcifer, you knew that!” she accused the fire demon. But by the time she and Martha turned around to face him he had gone.
--
The day of her wedding, Sophie was radiant.
“Thank you so much, Martha and Lettie for helping me with my dress!” she turned to embrace her sisters.
“It was our pleasure!” Lettie said with a wink at Martha.
The ceremony began and Sophie felt as though she were floating. When she saw Howl standing at the end of the aisle, she felt as though her heart might burst. Howl was looking at her with such a look of love and adoration.
Just as Sophie was thinking that moment might be the happiest of her life, the young men in the audience began to stand.
“Sophie, marry me!”
“Sophie, my love, you can’t marry Howl!”
“He eats hearts, you know!” came another shout.
Sophie gasped. She turned to look and saw that Martha wore the same horrified expression, but that Lettie was laughing. Calcifer in the Hall’s grate looked the most amused she had ever seen him.
“What?” she asked.
The besotted men only continued their shouting.
Howl came striding down the aisle and took her arm.
“I know that I have convinced the most lovely girl in Market Chipping to marry me,” he announced to the crowd. “But the rest of you will just have to cope.”
The men stared with dazed expressions.
“In other words, that’s enough,” Howl said.
Somehow the spell had broken. Sophie, still feeling quite shocked, whispered, “Howl, what just happened?”
“Not now Sophie,” Howl smiled. “Now we are going to get married.”
--
After the wedding Lettie approached her sister, “It was such fun!” she laughed, “but Sophie I am sorry. I didn’t know the enchantment was quite so strong.”
Sophie smiled at her sister. “It’s alright, it was almost fitting in a way.”
Lettie laughed again and kissed her sister on the cheek. “He didn’t need the suit,” she whispered to Sophie. “He looked enchanted by you even before it.”
Martha came over next, stammering apologies. “It doesn’t matter,” Sophie said kindly. “But keep in mind that your wedding is next!”
Later when she managed to let Howl alone, Sophie mustered the courage to ask. “So the reason you looked at me with such love at the altar was because of the suit?” she asked with a pang.
Howl took her chin in his hand and kissed her soundly. “Sophie my dear, that suit has never worked on me. My look, my love, it’s no enchantment. It’s all because of you.”