Kingsbury

[wizard_howell]

By the time Sophie and Angela get back not only is the wagon spell completed, but he's had time for a bath.

With powders.

And lotions.

And potions. In fact, he's been playing with his hair. Ever since Sophie described his natural hair to him as mud brown, he's been determined never to let it show that color again and now... now it's a lovely

Comments

[talkstohats]

There are many more things to see in Kingsbury than just the King's palace, and the King is apparently sufficiently cowed that he lets them keep Davis for transit, which means that they have plenty of time to go wherever they like. There's the national gardens ("Pretty,' says Sophie, 'but they can't hold a candle to what Howl's done with the Waste"); there's the memorial honoring the soldiers who fell in the last war with Strangia (Sophie and Howl look at each other, and decide to give that one a miss); and there's the Museum of Dangerous Magical Artifacts, which has very few artifacts and a good many brightly-colored wax tableaux of mythical moments in Ingarian history. Despite the expression of scorn on the coachman's face - or, perhaps, because of it - they eventually decide that this is where they will spend the next portion of the afternoon.

They emerge blinking from the dark of the exhibition into the gift shop, still in mild shock from the spectacle of the final tableau. This last exhibit is clearly of recent vintage and depicts a tall red-haired woman standing next to a man with shoulder-length black locks, blue lightning coming out of their joined hands as the Witch of the Waste sizzles away before them. (The Dangerous Magical Artifact around which it centers is an old chimney pot from the witch's house.) Sophie buys Angela a set of hair ribbons in the style of the famous Princess Antoinetta of Ingary and some sweets shaped like broomsticks as souvenirs; Howl finds a cravat with a painted image of his own face in profile on it, and stalks off to point out to the manager that his hair is terribly out of date.

Once they're out of the shop, Sophie goes off on a small rant about the tackiness and high tourist factor and low historical value of the entire museum, and Angela politely does not mention that Sophie listened more raptly than anyone when Howl started spinning exaggerated tales about the museum's contents.

[wizard_howell]

An entire afternoon enjoyed with his favorite lady of all time and one strongly in the running for next-favorite, and not a single spell demanded by the King: the day hasn't been squandered after all. After taking tea in a nearby and highly gilded shop where the three of them are treated with the requisite amounts of respect, awe, and fear -- to his credit, the only magic Howl works in the shop is charming their waitress into bringing extra sugar and cream and maybe, maybe folding a paper napkin into a small swan that darts through the air round the tea shop for a few minutes before disappearing in a puff of golden sparks -- it's time to return to the long-suffering Davis (who gets a most excellent orange scone pressed into his hand, almost as an afterthought) for the carriage ride home.

And here he'd almost thought to summon a wind to take them, but that would have been showing off and at any rate, Davis deserves to make the trip twice in one day. He's surly and obnoxious and people like that need to be killed with kindness.

And they do. Once inside the carriage, the conversation slows: it's been a long and full day, and Howl, full of pride and love, puts his arm round Sophie and coaxes her into resting her head on his shoulder: she's been on her feet all day. The trip is lovely: fairly smooth and quiet, punctuated by the occasional story of Howl's describing the evening landscape as it goes by, the occasional bemused noise from Sophie's lips, the occasional question from Angela. By the time they're dropped off at the castle with great fanfare and much bowing from the beleaguered but scone-filled Davis, everybody's tired.

There's still a cake from Cesari's to look forward to, and they will get to it... eventually. That's one thing that never, ever goes to waste in the Pendragon household.

It's hours later when Angela's finally escorted back to Milliways and seen to safety. The dress from Market Chipping is, of course, hers to keep as is the rest of the cake and all the other little trinkets that serve as mementos of the day. And when she gets to wherever it is she's going next, she just might find another folded paper swan in among her belongings ready to take flight when she least expects it.