Author's Notes: Because I dork. This is based more on the book than Miyazaki's movie, though some random things from the movie will make an appearance. And I'm not trying to capture the tone of the book; it would take a very special person to write with Jones' unique humor, and I am not one of them. I'm too much of an angst slut. This fic comes from how adamant Jones was at the end of her book that though Howl got his heart back, he hadn't really changed all that much. Also, I started writing this before reading Castle in the Air, the sequel.
BLARG. Does anyone else have the same problem ending chapters that I do? I hate trying to end a chapter! FINE! BAM. That's the end of this chapter!
Disclaimer: Howl and all characters related to Howl's Moving Castle do not belong to me, unfortunately. They belong to Diana Wynne Jones.
Chapter One – In which a terrible thing occurs
In the land of Ingary, where things such as princes, wizards and happily-ever-afters occasionally exist, Martha wondered where her eldest sister's fairy-tale ending had gone.
Martha watched Sophie feed Calcifer from the woodpile, frowning as her sister had to strain to stand. The bulge of Sophie's stomach kept her from moving around easily, but she refused help of any sort. Even though her husband was hardly ever around to help anyway. Martha scowled inwardly on thoughts of Howl, though she didn't dare let Sophie see for fear of being at the end of one of Sophie's tongue-lashings.
"Sophie, are you certain—"
"Yes, Martha," said the heavily pregnant witch as she finally straightened. "I'm quite sure. I dealt quite well with being an old woman, being pregnant isn't nearly so bad." True enough; Sophie rampaged through the castle cleaning as long as she was able during her pregnancy, just as terrifying as when as old woman. Lately, however, he hadn't been able to move quite as well.
"You know I just worry about you, dear."
"I know you do, but there's no need. You and Michael can go home, you know. Howl should be home soon." The last was said with a note of desperate hope Martha didn't dare point out.
"No, we don't dare leave you alone. Besides, I can't leave with Michael in the market."
"I won't be alone, Calcifer—"
"Isn't connected to Howl anymore, and is still a formless fire demon. He won't be much help if that baby decides to make its way, you know."
Sophie sighed, moving her bulk into the kitchen. "Oh, all right. But the moment Howl comes home, you and Michael should go. I can't imagine how long Lettie's been looking after Georgie and Mimi." Sophie smiled a wicked smile, one that could almost rival her husband. But then, since being an old woman for a time seven years ago, Sophie had become much more wicked. "She never wanted ten children."
Martha sighed at being reminded, yet again, of her childish idea of family. "I'm perfectly happy with the two I have now."
"You did get started quite early, Lettie and Wizard Suliman have some catching up to do." Sophie mentioned nonchalantly, picking up some bread and cheese. She'd told Martha she couldn't stand the smell of frying bacon anymore, not since the pregnancy really kicked in. "Georgie was born exactly nine months to the day of your and Michael's wedding, and Mimi is only a year younger."
"Well, we got them out of the way. You and Howl took long enough." Martha instantly regretted bringing Howl into the conversation. Sophie's face melted slowly from amusement to wistful pain. Still, Martha couldn't bring herself to be lenient on Sophie or her delinquent husband. "Honestly, Sophie, I don't know how you put up with him. He's no different, still stealing the hearts and souls of girls."
"You know well and good that's all metaphor and overdramatization."
"It doesn't change what he's doing. He may not literally be stealing souls or eating hearts, but he's as good as." Martha set down her darning and stood, her hands on her hips. It had been a long time since she or Lettie tried going up against their older sister, but Martha was going to try now. "He's your husband, you're his wife, and still he goes gallivanting off, pursuing and winning the love of girls only to drop them. Why? I could understand before, what with searching for . . . what was it?"
"'A woman true and fair'," Sophie quoted miserably.
"Right. To break the curse, not just the Witch's, but the one he put on himself on making a deal with a fire demon!"
"Falling star, at the time," offered Calcifer helpfully from the fireplace. "I wasn't a fire demon until after we made the contract."
"Oh whatever! The point is, it's no longer excusable now that Howl has his heart back and is a married man! You should kick him out on his ear!"
"It's his castle, Martha. I'd be the one kicked out. But Howl loves me. I know he does. He just has a very odd way of showing it."
"Odd indeed," Martha sniffed, going closer to the fireplace and the crackling fire demon dwelling there. "Howl acts more like a demon than Calcifer!"
"I resent that," Calcifer said, roaring up to rise up the chimney, looking truly fierce. "I am as good and handsome a fire demon as any, and powerful, too! I was more powerful than the Witch's fire demon, remember?"
Martha heaved a sigh and gave the demon a glare that would kill a lesser being. As it was, Calcifer merely flowed back down and lurked beneath the logs to get away from her glare. The Hatter women could cow the most fearsome of demons.
"Really, Martha, it isn't as though Howl's being truly unfaithful. How can he, when he drops them the moment they're finally interested?"
"That isn't the point, Sophie. Betrayal is betrayal." Martha felt like she'd been saying those words much too often in the past seven years. Sophie, however, didn't listen, as she never did. For whatever reason, she intended to stay with the Horrible Howl, no matter what he did to betray her.
"You're taking it all too seriously," was Sophie's reply. "Howl is Howl. He always comes home." She'd managed to stop sounding miserable and start sounding reasonably nonchalant. She did sigh, though, and start towards the stairs and the bedroom she and Howl shared when he deigned to come home. "I need a nap."
"Oh fine, I'll just stay down here, darn some more of your fickle husband's clothing and chat with a fire demon."
"I'm not talking to you!" Calcifer settled further down between the logs, in danger of guttering. Martha sent him another glare.
"You do that," Sophie said with a tired smile and climbed.
She was halfway up the stairs when she stopped, her hand on her stomach. Martha immediately went to her, coming up behind her sister to steady her. Sophie gave a hiss of pain through her teeth. "Martha, I certainly hope that's a labor pain." The witch moved further upward with the help of her sister, who made tsking sounds.
"The cad isn't even going to be here for the birth of his own child!"
"Stop making rude comments about my husband and help me!"
She sighed, helping Sophie the rest of the way up to the room. The next half hour she spent getting the necessary items to help her sister give birth. Calcifer was the worst, refusing for the longest time to bend his head so Martha could boil water. After threatening him with any number of tortures that turned him an interesting shade of purple, Martha finally put the pot over the fire. Honestly, having to be alone with her sister when the baby decided to arrive. Howl was a disgrace.
Within another fifteen minutes, Howl and his infidelity were the last things on her mind.
Quiet pervaded the castle when Howl stepped through the door from Market Chipping into the common room. Unearthly quiet, Howl thought. Usually Sophie could be heard talking some sort of spell into something, or bullying Calcifer, and Calcifer usually bellowed back, or whined, whichever he preferred at the time. Now, however, there came only the sound of Calcifer crackling slowly in the fireplace. Thinking on it, Howl realized he was coming in a bit late. They were probably all asleep, then.
Satisfied with his theory, Howl turned towards the stairway, prepared to go upstairs and slide into bed beside Sophie as quietly as possible. Otherwise he'd get a good tongue-lashing, and at the moment he was too tired himself to be as good a competitor as Sophie enjoyed.
"You're late."
He didn't know how Martha managed to sit at the kitchen table so silently even he hadn't sensed her, but he gave no indication of surprise. He merely turned and gave her a smile. "Ah, dearest sister-in-law, I—" He stopped when he saw the bundle in her arms. Too young to be Georgie or Mimi, there could be only one baby in the moving castle. Howl bounded swiftly from the stairs over to the waiting woman and the child in her arms. "When?"
"Earlier this evening." There was something odd in Martha's voice, but Howl couldn't spare the time or effort to puzzle it out right at the moment. Besides, Martha still hated him, so it was probably something else along those lines. "Howl, meet your daughter."
The heart in his chest fluttered, the feeling still somewhat surprising after seven years. One would think a measly five amongst a lifetime of years would be nothing, and he'd get used to having his heart back in no time. Apparently, things did not work that way.
Howl bent down, peering at the little red face, pudgy cheeks and half-open eyes. To think, only a few hours ago this wrinkly little thing had been inside Sophie. Howl never had gotten over the process of birth, ever since he found out about it as a boy. Amazing, absolutely fascinating how some things worked. "A quick birth, then," he said as he straightened, whisking in a flurry of sleeves and hair towards the stairs again. "I must go congratulate my most darling wife!"
"Howl . . . ."
He ignored Martha. Whatever she had to say couldn't be nearly as important as seeing his wife and telling her how much he loved her and their wrinkly ball of a baby. He did love them. He did.
"Why didn't you tell him?" Michael's hoarse voice came from the dark corner where he'd been sitting ever since he came back in response to his wife's frantic summons through Calcifer. "He deserves to know, Martha."
"He will in a few moments," she replied, voice hard, but choked with tears. "Besides, I tried, he didn't listen. He never listens."
"That's cruel. I didn't think you were capable of such cruelty."
"He's been cruel to my sister. I'm capable of anything when it comes to my sisters."
Further conversation became impossible when a wail issued from upstairs. Michael looked upward, and despite all the times he defended his master to Martha, even he was surprised at the honest emotion in the sound. He'd never heard something so honest from Howl, ever, not in his years of memories. It made Martha bow her head and Michael's own tears return to blur his vision with a vengeance. Another wail, hoarse and agonized, followed the first, and then the sound of feet across the floor when Howl normally tread so silently.
The wizard came to the top of the stairs and stopped, putting his face in his hands. Michael stood and moved towards the stairs in case Howl should need some support, or should fall forward. Seconds passed, then minutes, while Howl merely stood on the top stair with his face hidden, breathing heavily.
Then he released a sob.
"Howl," Michael said as he rose up two stairs, reaching out for his master. "We're sorry, so sorry. There wasn't anything we could do, she bled too much."
Howl only gave another sob, and one hand fluttered slowly down to his chest. Michael watched, surprised and concerned, as the wizard clutched at the material of his suit as though the heart beneath were trying to escape again. The once apprentice moved further up the stairs to put his hands on either of Howl's shoulders.
"I'm sorry, Howl."
"I'm not," Martha said from below, fury in her voice. Michael turned to look her, but no pleading look or gesture would stop her. "We couldn't do anything, but he could have! If he'd been here, he could have saved her! But no, he was out wooing some naïve, defenseless girl while he wife died bringing his child into the world! I'm not sorry for him, not one bit!"
In Michael's grip, Howl flinched and shuddered. The wizard made no response to Martha, didn't try to defend himself. Who could, Michael thought, under the circumstances. Still, he shook his head to his wife. "Martha, please just stop. No matter how angry you are, he's suffering just like we are."
"Good," she shot back immediately, moving towards the door and taking the baby with her. "I hope he keeps suffering. I hope he suffers the rest of his life." She opened the door to Market Chipping and was gone in less than a moment. Michael let her go, even let her take the baby. He couldn't stop her, and Howl was in no state to try and care for an infant.
"She doesn't mean that. She's just hurting."
Howl still gave no answer. Like thick syrup he flowed downward, out of Michael's grip to the floor. This wasn't one of his tantrums. Michael could tell, and he looked to Calcifer, who could also tell. The fire demon wouldn't come out from beneath the logs long enough to confirm, but he didn't need to; Michael knew. He sighed and watched the wizard as he clutched his misbehaving heart and sobbed quietly.
"Calcifer, send a message when Howl is ready to talk, all right?" Standing, Michael went down the stairs and to the door to follow his wife. She would need his comfort too, and maybe he could get her to accept it. In a day, with a message from Calcifer or not, he'd come back.
After all, Sophie needed to be buried.
End Chapter One