🦋𝐸𝑙𝑙𝑎 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐾𝑖𝑡🦋

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To everyone's surprise, there was one soldier who stood right behind the Captain, he was dressed like the others in a blue uniform and wearing a long black cap which covered the top half of his face, as the Grand Duke was in action of leaving the house borders he called out to the him but his voice was strikingly familiar "Grand Duke!" The unknown man said while taking his hat off revealing his profile, it was Kit who was in disguise for the entire journey, while this was revealed Ella's singing could still be heard and the shock was evident on everyone's face. The Captain and the Grand Duke bowed down, as for Lady Tremaine who was quite taken aback in the situation, "Your Majesty..." She said under her breath while sliding down the door with bulged eyes and a halfway-opened mouth. While still seated on his horse, he smiled and looked up, "What sweet singing. Makes me want to tarry just a little." Kit said happily, "Your Majesty, I did not know..." Grand Duke said in a worried voice, he could have tried to apologize many times over and over again but it would never be enough as he had committed an awful act, he lied to his King and he lied to his colleagues. Kit ignored what was said and continued speaking to his trusted friend, "Captain, would you be so kind as to investigate?" He cheerfully said. "It would be my pleasure, Your Majesty," Captain said thankfully with joy as it was indeed necessary to explore the traces of the beautiful song. They both turned to Lady Tremaine and politely asked that they guide them to the maiden's room. She hurriedly picked herself up and took the keys out from the kitchen cupboards, she requested that they follow her toward where they wanted but she did so as if wanting to prove that she was a being of honest and good character. As Kit and the captain entered the house they passed Anastasia and Drizella, both of them looked at the visitor confusingly, but as soon as the King walked past they both screeched out of excitement so they greeted him, got up and gave a polite bow. Afterwards, they sat down and waited to see what they were perhaps there for they knew better than to intervene. Kit told his companion that he was going to wait downstairs as he knew who this last maiden was, he had watched closely the whole journey to see where she might have been and he had waited patiently. "I am to wait for her by the hearth with the slipper in hand." Kit said, "Yes your Majesty very well." Captain said, Lady Tremaine then guided the captain toward the attic and took him up the stairs. The sound of singing became louder and louder bit by bit, as Ella still sat by the window and sang, she heard the sound of the keys entering the door but still continued as she figured and expected that it was just her stepmother but as the door opened she saw an unfamiliar man along with her. As Lady Tremaine and the man walked in the space swiftly she spoke of the girl seated by the window, "There! You see? I told you it was no one of any importance." She said nervously still trying to convince the man that it did not matter at all who she was. "We'll see about that," he said surely. "Miss...you are requested and required to present yourself to your king," Captain added on, as he did so Ella curtsied lightly and noticed that her stepmother neared her briskly. "I forbid you to do this!" Lady Tremaine said firmly, "And I forbid you to forbid her!" Captain shouted adamantly as it was not up to her at all to decide on what Ella might do of her own volition and behalf. Ella looked at them both curiously, especially to her stepmother as she did not understand what was happening. "Who are you to stop an officer of the king? Are you an empress? A saint? A deity?" Captain told her sincerely, "I am her mother." Lady Tremaine expressed with an act of no authenticity, Ella looked at her surprisingly and stared into her eyes blankly with a hint of frustration. She walked to her slowly and spoke to her firmly and courageously, "You have never been...and you never will be my mother." Lady Tremaine had no words left at all, she was hurt by this but what was she to expect? How could a mother lock their child away and mistreat them for so much time without any guilt at all? The Captain while still standing in the room told Ella that they must be going as someone was expecting her downstairs. As Ella tilted her head down to the floor, she slowly began walking toward the door and unexpectedly her stepmother aggressively grabbed her left arm and spoke awful words at her horribly "Just remember who you are, you wretch!" She looked to her side and saw the Captain staring at her blankly, so she quickly un-handed Ella and turned her head the other way proudly. Ella breathed a loud and closed the door as she exited the attic, her steps and her acquaintances slowly faded away. Now that her stepmother was left in the room alone, she had every opportunity to give proper thought to what she had done, and during this time of lonesome, she quickly reflected on her character and all that she had done in the past. But it might not have mattered for Ella was now out of her reach and making her way to the King downstairs, and she would never allow herself to utter the words of amended honour along with being able to see through all of her pride and all of her prejudice.

Would who she was, who she really was be enough? There was no magic to help her this time. This is perhaps the greatest risk that any of us will take, to be seen as we truly are. As Ella walked toward the living space she passed a mirror and looked and thought to herself for just a quick moment. 'Have courage, and be kind' her mother's words from many years ago had just entered her mind. It certainly served herself well from all the years ago and up until now, especially in the present above all. She walked down the final flight of stairs and saw the Grand Duke standing opposite her with a blank expression, nonetheless, she made her way toward the King and saw him standing right there facing a mirror in the neighbouring room, he saw her near him in the mirror, he turned around and his heart began leaping for great joy as Ella's did too. As he turned he looked at her as if he had finally found something dearly beloved that he lost long ago, as if finding the most cherished photo of a beloved one thought to have been forever lost but this was no picture as she was there right in front of him. She smiled and bowed, raised her head and through the silence, Kit asked a question which he had thought about many times recently, "Who are you?" He spoke with the greatest curiosity, "I am Cinderella..." the girl said and continued her words while nearing him slowly, "Your Majesty...I'm no princess...I have no carriage...no parents, and no dowry. I do not know if that beautiful slipper will fit but...if it does...will you take me as I am? An honest country girl who loves you..." Cinderella said confidently in a gentle soft-spoken voice, she looked at his beautiful ocean-blue eyes with all the love in her heart, "Of course, I will..but only if you will take me as I am...an apprentice still learning his trade. Please..." he said to the girl who had been dwelling in his heart, he requested that she please sit down so that he fit her slipper on as it was rightfully hers, Kit smiled at her as he made the request. He did not need to know whether it fitted her or not as he knew it was her from the very start of the search and all it took was to find her and to take one look into her kind eyes along with hearing the sound of her kind and gentle voice, but he simply had to return the slipper to the owner from who it was meant for all along. As Cinderella sat down, Kit kneeled gently while holding the slipper in his arms. Soon the captain came down the stairs with a smile on his face, he stood by the door and caught a glimpse of Kit and Cinderella directly in front of one another. Kit stared into her eyes and smiled once more, he raised the slipper to her right foot and without any struggle it seamlessly went in comfortably. They both looked at each other and smiled happily, Kit rose while reaching his hand to her as she still sat down so that he may give her a hand up. As she rose after him she stared into his eyes as he did to her, and they both leaned in and neared their noses to the side of one another so that they might share a kiss of true love but they were interrupted by the sound of two women coming into the room, so they stood still, smiled at each other and waited to see who was coming toward them so roughly, "Cinderella!" Drizella shouted, "Ella!" Anastasia said while speeding her steps to reach her sister. They stood before Cinderella and Kit, "My dear sister! I'm sorry." Drizella told her, "So very sorry..." Anastasia said soon after with a sincerest heart. Cinderella looked at them both and saw that they gave a curtsy toward her all of a sudden, she smiled kindly but did not bear words. She picked up her slipper, brought it to her other hand gently and looked to Kit, "Shall we?" He said while they stared into each other's eyes purely, Cinderella nodded her head with a smile and Kit brought his left hand to interlink it with her right, he led her out of the room and her stepsisters diverged alongside them so that they may pass, they smiled once more at one another and as they were just about to leave the house doors. Ella stopped and turned around, she saw her stepmother standing above on the landing of the staircase, they looked at each other for a short moment in silence until it was broken, "I forgive you..." Cinderella said with a smile of kindness, the both of them then continued to make their way out of the house closing the doors in their path. Lady Tremaine was completely silent, she stood still and slowly descended toward the steps of the stairs not knowing what to do next. She expressed a great complexion of regret but her actions were irreversible.

Forgiven or not, Cinderella's stepmother and her daughters would soon leave with the Grand Duke and never set foot in the kingdom again.

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