The capitol loomed ahead, towering walls and great statues, doorways encased in gold. It was easy to see exactly how much wealth and power the Czar could obtain.
Guards stood by every entrance, and every door was barricaded with steel. The walls around the outside of the capitol reached thirty feet tall. I was beginning to understand the cult of politics and power. Once you. Got in, there was no coming out.
Matthias sat beside me in the aircraft, but he refused to look out the window. His focus was solely upon the blank wall in front of him. It was as though a black compound had passed over him and would not move.
"Dont be afraid," I whispered to him. "We can make it through this. We can escape."
You can escape, I wanted to say. There was no way out for me.
***********************
"What are you going to do first when you take the throne?"
"I want to destroy the throne. I will not sit upon it. If they do not kill me first I want to give the people freedom."
She stepped back, shocked. "I have never heard you talk like that before! Aren't you afraid of what they'll do to you, Adelia?"
"No, I am stronger than fear, and more courageous than failure."
