Chapter 5: New Beginnings

Little of importance happened after that at the ball. Gerti danced. She played the part of a fairytale princess. Graceful. Almost angelically she floated across the floor. While the rest of the evening wasn't eventful, it marked the beginning of a whole new chapter for Gerti.

The next morning her mom began giving her lessons. Gerti was summoned to her mother's chambers after lunch, where her father paraded her among diplomates, on the arm of her betrothed. When she entered the chambers a man stood there. He wore attire completely different from anything Gerti had ever seen before. It appeared to be some sort of robe on top, but he wore pants on bottom. His skin was just a shade darker than anyone she had ever seen in their kingdom before. Not very dark though, almost as if he was just standing in a different lighting.

Her mother led her up to him and they did a bow, not a curtsie, but a bow from the waist. Gerti did her best to imulate her mother. She looked up at her mother for direction.

"This is Wan Chin, he's been a trusted teacher and friend of mine for many years. He is going to teach you self-defense as he did me. I find that the self-defense in his culture requires less of you having to be able to physically be stronger than your opponent. Which you and I would benefit from as we are not large women." the queen informed her daughter.

With this Wan took a swing at Gerti, knocking her to the floor, with just a single blow. Her mother instinctively jumped to her aid on the floor.

"Please be gentle Wan, she is just a child." The Queen requested.

"Sorry, I didn't go full strength, I was just trying to judge her reflexes. I didn't realize quite where our starting point was. I'm used to training with you." Wan apologized.

"I didn't know we were fighting, I would have responded sooner if I knew you were going to hit me" Gerti defended.

"Honey, did you know that those guys at the festival were going to attack you? Bad people, people who really want to hurt you, aren't going to tell you before they do. We need to prepare to keep you safe." The Queen comforted her daughter.

After that Wan was much gentler as he worked with Gerti on her reflexes for the next two hours. Gerti was tired after her lesson, and decided to visit Snow White. She was napping in the nursery that had been set up between Gerti's room and that of her betrothed. Gerti gave her a little kiss on the head, and then decided to crawl in the small bed and cuddle with her step-daughter-to-be. Already there was an unmistakable bond there. As she laid in the bed with the baby, she fell asleep while Snow White curled into Gerti's arms and smiled in her sleep.