The capital was larger than Helena had expected. Ryan looked at her with a bemused expression. "This isn't our stop." he explained as they followed, behind arena that was leading the group. They walked for about 15 minutes from the station to the giant walls of the capital. "Why are there walls here? What are they trying to keep out?" Helena asked.
"It was built years ago and just never demolished." Irina explained from the front.
"That doesn't really answer my question because they would've been built for a reason."
Arena pause the for a moment thinking, "In that case I'm not sure the history books doesn't say."
"That means they were keeping out people. History books would have said they were keeping out monsters, demons, and other dangerous things. The fact they omitted it meant that they were keeping on people. Would I be right to guess that the wealthy people live within this walls?" Helena asked looking directly at Irina as the guards let them through without question.
Irina was silent, but they look on her face told Helena everything she needed to know. "And if the wealthier people lived within these walls, who do you think lived outside? Those from lower class, and beggars or even survivors who couldn't manage to get back within the walls." Helena suggested she didn't have proof, but this is how these systems typically work.
"That's not, my family isn't like that." Irina defended, offended. Helena couldn't help but shake her head. "It's easy to defend your family, but these are people from years ago do you even really know them?" Helena asked. Irina didn't respond as she motion by them to follow her into the waiting carriage. It was huge the largest carriage Helena has ever seen.
She felt even more uneasy. "Running away is no longer an option by the way." Ryan chuckled guiding her onto the carriage causing her to frown. For Ryan's sake, Helena decided to hold back anymore discomfort. If she really wanted to, if she could go back to the place, she's lived all her life.
Both Ryan and her kept looking outside at the scenery. It was quite different than the buildings and smaller tones and villages. These buildings that are somewhat modern looked to them and Helena didn't know how to feel about that. These people are the rulers of the entire continent yet only the capital looks this vibrant villages like the one that did their mission in looked destitute and desolate, and yet here the capital was brimming with life.
"How much longer until we reach?" Andrea asked sounding annoyed and Helena couldn't blame him. She had expected to spend the days after her mission, relaxing, and maybe swimming by the waterfall for a couple more days. Yet here she was coming to the place she's never been to before all because the one mission she chose was out of the ordinary.
"It's only about an hour if there isn't much carriage traffic." Irina explained, causing everyone to groan. "Is that considered a long journey?" she asked confused by everyone's reaction. Elena harshly patted her shoulder, "You might not be tired, but everyone else is." she replied, trying her best not to sound rude.
"Couldn't we have done this in like a week?" Callum asked clearly annoyed. Weirdly enough the road was so smooth that column was unable to fall asleep as he was used to the rugged country roads and it has him feeling even more irritated.
Irina went to defend the capital once more but her brother placed his hand on her shoulder and shook his head. Irina sighed and the rest of the journey to the palace was quiet.