The Moving Castle: Howl's Moving Castle

Chapter 2

"I see," Spoke Delacy taking a sip from her tea, that she had managed to save from Sophie's anger burst. 'Curse you, Howl. See what you have done now.' Delacy thought to herself. "You're physically not capable of telling us about the curse you are under." Standing from her place, she looked down at Sophie and Markl. "Excuse me. Sophie, please make yourself comfortable. And if you need anything, come find me. Or Markl, I'm sure he'll love to help you. Calcifer too."

"I do not want to help!" Chimed Calcifer.

"Hush, you." Mumbled Delacy as she poured her food into his mouth. "Good fire, yes, eat your second-hand bacon."

Huffing in annoyance and offence, Delacy didn't stay to hear Calcifer's insults and comments, as she disappeared up the stairs. Once Sophie was sure that Delacy was far from a hearing distance, she turned to Markl and Calcifer.

"I never knew Howl was married or had a son." Spoke Sophie as she looked at Markl after her anger subsided.

It was Calcifer who didn't hold back his laughter, laughing a full-belly laugh. It was loud and it shook the castle. Markl looked at Calcifer and he was sure if the fire-demon could produce tears, he would. Seeing the confusion written on Sophie's face, Markl spoke.

"I'm not Howl's or Delacy's son, I'm their ward. They took me in when I lost my parents and wanted to learn magic." Answered Markl. "And Howl and Delacy are not married, they're friends."

"Yeah! But, Howl wants more! But, Delacy too smart to settle down for a hopeless jerk like him!" Shouted Calcifer, waving his arms in an 'S' shape.

"Then why does he go around wooing women?" Asked Sophie, with a puzzled and annoyed expression.

"Probably trying to find a little of Delacy in them. I don't know, and this isn't exactly child-friendly!" Replied Calcifer.

                                                                                                 *****

Half-an-hour later, Sophie was downstairs cleaning. Delacy who stat on the foot of Howl's bed could hear the ruckus and occasional swearing from the older woman. With her leg folded over her knee, Delacy bounced her leg as she watched Howl dry his damp hair, of course incorrectly. Rolling her eyes at him, Delacy couldn't help by a grin at the man in front of her. Spinning him around, she made Howl bend down to her level. Waving both of his hands away from his head, Delacy took the towel and began to gently dry his hair.

"For a man who is so concerned and invested in his appearance, how could you not know how to dry your own hair?" She smiled as she stared at her hair.

Howl didn't reply, but he did smile as he looked at her face as she dried his hair. It was there that Howl seemed to have remembered something, reaching into his pants pocket. Howl drew a small wooden ring box, that was wrapped in a handkerchief.

"I do hope you're not planning on proposing me with that!" Delacy laughed as she looked at the box with a wide smile.

Howl didn't smile fully, but a hint of a smile formed on his lips. Opening it a beautiful dark silver ring that was cushioned in the middle of the box. It was a feminised version of the two rings Howl wore on his index fingers. A larger red ruby was placed in the centre of the band, with two smaller white diamonds on either side. It was beautiful, and Delacy was in awe with how the stones shone. She knew this ring was custom made and it would've cost a lot of their money. She shouldn't accept it, she should've turned it away and hit Howl over the head with a newspaper and yell at him for wasting their money. But, she didn't do that, she was a sucker for shiny things. Diamonds and Jewels were a girl's best friend after all.