Having read Anastasia's heart-wrenching letter, I decided to write my reply. I couldn't bear to let the poor girl live in fear of having her mother take revenge on her. I now knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Lady Tremaine was the sole reason for my two stepsisters having to treat me so terribly, and I felt the need to give her some reassurance that I understood she wasn't a truly bad person on the inside, and that all she needed was a second chance. I also wanted to express my hopes for getting her out of her mother's way so she could truly live a more carefree life:
'My dearest Anastasia.
I've decided to write this reply so I can hopefully start to clear up these matters with you.
First, I want to thank you for explaining to me what you've been through. You've honestly been so brave and I know finding those words was unimaginably difficult.
As I read this letter, I could feel my rage and horror building, along with my concern not only for you but also for Drizella. I learnt more and more things about Lady Tremaine, and about your disastrous upbringing, that I honestly didn't know. To say that she hasn't been much better towards you two than has been towards me...that would be a MASSIVE understatement.
I want you to know that I know that nothing you did was your fault, that your mother truly is evil, and I know that you had no choice in your actions because of the leash she had you on. All you and Drizella could realistically do was go along with it. I wanted us all to be able to love each other like a true family, but I know Lady Tremaine wouldn't allow it. All she wanted from me was free labor to look after you, and all she wanted from you was to make yourselves look good in the eyes of royalty so she could climb the social ladder by marrying you off to the royal family. I genuinely believe she was doing it out of a lust for power...no wonder she was so obsessively controlling towards the three of us.
I'm probably going to ask the royal guards to escort you and Scott to the palace some time in the next week, so that we can talk everything over, because I don't want you to have to face your mother again. I believe you've always had a heart of gold, but your mother has cruelly suppressed it all these years. The King and Prince have already read your letter and are already just as concerned for you as I am, so I promise we will find a way to get you and Scott out of your mother's way so we can all make a fresh start.
I love you, and I forgive you. Your dear sister, Cinderella.'
I addressed the letter to Scott's bakery as this was Anastasia's new abode. The King, having read both Anastasia's letter and my reply, was devastated to discover what a terrible upbringing Anastasia had endured, and he agreed it would be best to summon her and Scott to the Palace, in the hopes of finding a solution that would allow us to protect them from Lady Tremaine and also become closer to Kit and I. 'Maybe we could give them the option to move into the Palace, and appoint Scott as one of the royal bakers', he offered. 'Absolutely, Sire. It will definitely give Anastasia and Scott more protection from my Stepmother, and it'll allow them to get much closer to us, by having us all living here together. Although...My only real concern is that Scott might have a little trouble adjusting to working as a staff member in the Palace kitchen, because his business is only a small one', I replied. 'Well, he may need a little extra training to adjust to having a fairly bigger workload, but once he's up to speed he shouldn't have any trouble', the King assured us. 'Thank you so much, Your Majesty. You as well, Kit', I said with a huge sigh of relief. 'Absolutely, Cinderella; anything to protect those you love'. And so, later that week, Anastasia and I would finally come face to face again, and we'd finally be able to have a heart-to-heart for the first time in years...
