The carriage rode for many more hours, before arriving in the new capital of Altgrön.
A big sign on the right hand side of the main road reads:
“Hier in Schenken verdient Mann alles doch mal selber!” That roughly translates as: “In the city of Schenken, you have to earn it yourself!”.
The new slogan was instructed by Zayden’s mother when she made it the new capital. Many taxes for the region were raised rapidly in the last year.
The people of the city are suffering under the high taxes. Once it was the wealthy capital of the local region. Now that it serves as capital of the country, its headed for demise. The main streets once blooming with shops and beautiful flowers along its’ way, it now has many signs reading: “Closed for business permanently.”
Zayden notices this first hand as the carriage rides through the biggest street of all, the “Hauptstrasse” (Main Street). Shopkeepers and citizens see the carriage and make their way to it. They walk along the carriage and a man yells: “Sir Zayden! Please help us! Your mother is ruining our city and the country.” Another woman is even louder: “You don’t belong here at all! That witch from the east should be fired, and then shamed in public. Our country is becoming poor, filthy and riddled with crimes by the government. She should be stopped before war breaks out!”
Marques tries to calm Zayden, as he sees that Zayden becomes uncomfortable from all the people shouting at him.
“Zayden, don’t mind them at all. There’s nothing you can do about their feelings or what’s going on in the world around them.”
Zayden looks towards Marques, sighs, and says: “There is something I can do. These people clearly suffer from the policies that my parents and the government have made. War is most definitely not the right way to right your wrongs. Nor is it the best way to get vengeance on the part of the country that ignored you for decades. She should be the leader of all people, west and east. If the people call her a witch, then there’s a valid feeling to call her that. I’ll see if I can convince them to change policies, stop the anticipation of war, and make my mark felt in the nation.”
The carriage rides on towards the entry of a big building. It used to serve as the seat of government. Now, it only serves as the residency of Zayden’s parents. A Forever Green Guard steps up to the carriage and opens it. Marques steps out, checks the surroundings and waves at Zayden. He steps out and follows Marques inside.