Chapter 2: Lessons

Gerti and her mother, dressed in peasant clothing, snuck out the servants' entrance to the kitchen. While they walked from the castle to the main part of the village, Gerti's mom began to speak about what they were trying to escape.

"It will happen, you will get married, but I will make sure it's years. Don't ever let him control you though, you will be a strong powerful Queen, and I will teach you how. There is so much more to being a ruler than wearing a crown. Tonight is for fun, but it's also our first lesson. A good queen knows her people" She explained.

"Isn't that why the peasant represenatives come to tell Papa their needs?" Gerti asked.

"Tell me, do you feel comfortable around your father when asking him for something that you want? Are you the same you as you are when you're picking roses in the royal gardens hoping not to get caught by the gardener?" The queen asked.

"No, I'm on my best behavior when I want something." Gerti observed.

"You don't know someone if you only know the them that wants something. They may say they're happy when they're not." the queen explained.

Gerti saw the connection. She understood that she was going to learn her people for real today, not tonight when she was the guest of honor at the ball. Surrounded only by the most rich members of her kingdom and some neighboring kingdoms. Gerti immediately set this goal for herself as she walked to enjoy the festival: get to know my people, my real people.

Her mother and her went and got this sweet festival food, it was sticky and messy, it never would have been okay to have at the palace....but was it delicious, absolutely. Gerti started to think that maybe she'd like peasant life. Since she was ten, peasants weren't watched very close at that age in her kingdom--many already had jobs--her mom let her explore separately.

It wasn't long before Gerti found a young boy only a few years her elder. He seemed nice and they enjoyed the festival. He showed her around. She felt like he was her first true friend. Someone who liked her for who she was not the title she held. They began to talk.

"This is your first harvest festival isn't it?" Tommy said.

Gerti nodded.

"So you're new around here, where you from?" He asked.

"I'm not new, I'm just not usually allowed to go. Protective parents" Gerti said.

"You're a noble girl aren't you?" Tommy asked.

Gerti paused, she didn't know what to say so she did...which said it all.

"You know you ain't half bad for a noble. You know I'll be right back, let me go get us some more treats" Tom said sliding away.

Gerti got worried, he knew she didn't belong here. She was supposed to blend in. She had failed. Should she leave now before he got back? She wanted to trust Tommy. He was her first friend who didn't know that she was royalty. So she waited.

Unfortunately, this became a whole new lesson on being queen. You can never trust anyone. Tommy came with two old men. They had muscular builds and wore cruel looks on their faces.

"Looks like you snagged us a bigger fish then we thought" they said tossing a bag of money to Tommy.

"Yeah, she ain't noble this is the royal highness herself, what a ransom we'll get" the other chortled.

Gerti got scared as they closed in on her with bag in hand. Tommy had ran off. Gerti began to cover her face. She didn't know what to do. Then all of a sudden, there was her mother. The queen in her peasants' clothing, except her bright blue cloak overtop. She never went anywhere without it. It was like she was a knight in shining armor to Gertrude.

She stood in awe as her mother used motions that seemed flawless to make the men use their own strength against themselves. It was fighting like Gerti had never seen before. As she sat there crying her mom knocked out both of those men and stood standing. A little blood ran from the corner of her lip and she grabbed Gerti and left the scene. As they were sneaking back to the castle, Gerti's mother wiped the blood away and turned to her daughter.

"Unfortuately, this lesson has been moved up. You can never trust anyone, everyone wants something from you when you have power. Second, we need to start self defense lessons. But for now, put you head up and get ready for your first ball." She comforted.