II- Acceptance
"Hey look at me, I don't have to be anywhere near you!". Anastasia rolled her eyes as Dresella once again popped her head in and out of the doorway of her very own room while she taunted her sister. Dresella stuck her tongue out at her sister once more and then disappeared within the doorway. Anastasia frowned and was about to shoot back a comment, when at that moment Lady Tremaine came back to check that her daughters were bedding themselves down properly after having left just long enough to answer some annoying question put to her by some servant of the household.
"Dresella, stop that at once!" Lady Tremaine said in a level, yet firm tone. "Now both of you get to bed immediately. Would you like your new father to kick us all to the street because your unrefined urchins?". Both of the girls lowered their heads accordingly at their mother's reprimand. A light hearted laugh sounded from a little down the hallway and Reginald Tremaine walked up to where his new wife stood. "Dearest, you musn't tease the girls like that, you know I would never do such a thing" Reginald said putting an arm around his wife's shoulders.
Lady Tremaine smiled back, "Well I'd hate for you to think badly of the girls after just meeting them" she said.
"Oh nothing could make me think badly of these two little angels" Reginald replied with a smile to both girls. Anastasia smiled back a bit and Dresella seemed to puff up more from the praise than the smile Reginald sent her way.
"Father, are you going to tell me a story now?" Cinderella asked, walking up. Reginald smiled, "Why of course Ella" he said, as if just then remembering that he had promised his daughter such, "Come along Dresella, Anastasia, you can listen as well" he went on cheerfully, "and don't worry about falling asleep, I'm sure two such fairies as yourselves aren't too heavy for me to carry back to your rooms" he winked.
Despite herself, and the reaction she knew it would cause from her mother, Anastasia giggled at her stepfather's antics. Her mother sighed. "Oh, why I hope telling the girls a story is alright with you Calandre" Reginald continued, turning to his wife. She just smiled as best she was able. Truth be told the whole idea sounded silly and useless to her, but if it pleased her new rich husband who held her inheritance, than so be it.
"Of course, if you wish it dear" she replied. With permission given, Reginald took up both Dresella and Anastasia's hands and walked with them towards Cinderella's room. Once out of view of her husband, Lady Tremain rolled her eyes skyward in annoyance and turned to go inform the servants in the kitchen that she wished for a cup of tea.
"and so the prince and the princess retired to their castle, pleased at the grand job that they had done for the small woodland creatures which inhabited the forest surrounding their lands" Reginald finished the story and glanced at the three very awake little girls around him. Cinderella just lay with her head resting on her father's arm as he read. Anastasia sat by the foot of the bed with her hands patiently folded in front of her, and slight wondering and awestruck look on her face as she imagined the life the prince and princess must enjoy getting to ride amongst cute forest animals all day and all the villagers loving them.
Dresella was examining her fingernails, the story having lost her interest halfway through. "You know, not everyone lives in a castle" she said, "Why is it all the stories only write about the royalty". Reginald smiled at his stepdaughter, "Well you see Dresella, it is entirely possible that royalty pays for the writers to write their stories and so there's probably a connection" he grinned. Seeing that the girls didn't quite catch his little joke, he continued, "and as for passed down fairy tales, they just always do".
"I think it's wonderful to imagine how princes and princess live" Cinderella sighed dreamily. Reginald hugged his daughter, "Well you know you and your sisters are not far off from that, what with the generous inheritance I am blessed enough to live under".
"Does that mean you think we'll marry a prince one day?" Anastasia asked hopefully. Back living under lesser conditions such a thought had never occurred to her. Dresella scoffed, "With those big feet, he wouldn't have you!" she said.
"Now Dresella" Reginald frowned, "That's not nice, and it is entirely possible that one of you may very well catch a member of the royal family's eye. Why I do believe the young prince would be about your ages, but of course you wouldn't want to marry him just because he was the prince would you?" he asked, "What if you didn't care for his manners?".
"I'd console myself with the money" Dresella answered quickly, unbeknownst to Reginald giving an answer very much inline with her own mother's line of thought on such matters. Reginald smiled at his stepdaughters supposed teasing, "Well that will only work so far I'm afraid before harsh reality sets in" he answered, ruffling Dresella's hair a bit. The dark haired girl fixed it the moment he was done.
"I think as long as he was nice, I wouldn't care what the Prince's manners were" Anastasia said, "after all even I don't remember everything your suppose to do properly". Reginald chuckled and pulled the red head to him for a hug, "Well at least you're looking for the right qualities" he said. Anastasia found herself grinning up at Reginald in genuine joy. She seemed to come to a decision right then and there as she smiled up at her stepfather.
"Do you know what my father used to call me?" she asked, in an almost quite tone. Reginald looked puzzled and shook his head, "No what?" he asked. "He'd call me Annie" Anastasia told him with a smile. Reginald nodded, "Oh...well do you mind if I borrow it and call you Annie as well?" he asked. With her smile growing, Anastasia shook her head, "No, in fact I think I'd like it" she said. Reginald grinned full force as the real meaning of what Anastasia was telling him was not lost on him.
"and I'm allowed to call you father, right?" Anastasia asked. Reginald chuckled, "More like I would be highly insulted if you didn't" he said, hugging Anastasia and Dresella to him once more as he also swept Cinderella into the hug. Dresella even found a small smile floating across her face, even if for the most part her independent, detached attitude withheld. Reginald smiled, "So, any other nicknames I should know about?" he asked, glancing at Dresella.
The dark haired girl shook her head, "No, mother says proper girls have no need to go changing their full names. Anastasia only allowed our old father to give her a nickname because she wasn't as proper as she should have been" Dresella replied. Anastasia frowned, Dresella was such their mother's little girl and she couldn't understand it, Anastasia herself was intimidated by her mother...but then she was the one always having to be yelled at for misconduct.
"Does 'not as proper' include horse riding?" Cinderella asked Anastasia with an amused smile, aware that even she herself didn't always fit society's demands, "because maybe tomorrow we can go see my horse and be 'not that proper' together". Anastasia all out beamed, and for that moment wasn't even aware of how much more beautiful than her her stepsister still was. "And maybe Dresella could even put away her manners for the day and join us" Cinderella sent another smile to her other stepsister.
"Forget it" Dresella said, "I wouldn't join you ragamuffins for the world! I'll stay at home and keep mother proud with me" she exclaimed. Reginald chuckled at his three girls and hugged them once more. "Well it'll probably make your mother very happy that she'll at least have one little helper left" he said to Dresella. The dark haired girl smiled to herself, mother being pleased with only her did not sound too bad.
After that, Reginald reminded himself of his own responsibilities as a gentleman and father of three now and quickly turned his attention to tucking Cinderella in and then escorting Dresella and Anastasia back where they were suppose to be, headed towards sleep.