I decided to leave camp that night, with no one to watch. How could I trust that man on his word alone? Yet, at the same time, I couldn’t just accept the words of the rebels, either. I needed to speak to ordinary people, poorer people who were affected differently by the changes.

I had to educate myself, since I couldn’t trust either side to be completely truthful with me. The capital city itself would be my school, then. Walking among the lower class, learning from them and seeing how they viewed the changes the usurper had made… That would be the best education. The well-off citizens had already made their thoughts known, but if the king was right… Well, if he was right, then there wasn’t going to have been a way to make changes without angering them. Even making more gradual changes would’ve angered people.

It was nearing dawn as I roamed the poorer district of the city. All my life, I had heard tales of how run down and disasterous this district was. Something was different now, though- Everywhere I looked, I could see repairs being made. People that were out by now all looked happy, and healthy despite their leanness.

“Excuse me-” I called to a young man, close to my age, after a couple hours. He looked over, confused, but then moved closer to see what I wanted. “I don’t mean to bother you, I just have a couple questions if you can spare a moment?”

“Yeah- I’ve got time. What can I do for you, stranger?” He was relaxed, and smiled when he spoke. This was a young man who was happy, I could tell, and not just pretending at it.

“I was… Well, I’ve travelled a long way, due to the new king… And I’ve been learning as I go about the things that have been done and how they’ve been viewed. It came to my attention recently that… I only considered people with privilages like mine or better. I didn’t talk to anyone who might have had a better opinion of things, anyone who might have been helped- I don’t mean to make assumptions about you, but you seem happier than people I’ve talked to recently. What are your thoughts about changes made right now?”

The young man looked a little surprised, but pleasantly so. “A guy like you, clearly decently well off, wants to know what the poor think?” He asked, then grinned when I nodded. “Out of all the changes happening right now, that is the smallest. But it’s the best. Let me explain my thoughts, then- And if you want more opinions, I’d be glad to introduce you to people around here.”

He led me to a bench we could sit at, taking a seat and smiling. “Things have gotten better around here since King Marcus took over. I’m sure you’ve noted the construction around here- He donated his personal money to get things started. Said he needed to work on the budget to make sure he could fix infrastructure across the kingdom, including buildings and housing, without hindering any other important things. Came and spoke to us personally, telling us that some reforms he has coming in taxes and the prison system will help him either increase the treasury or save money for the kingdom without endangering it, so he can use it to open free public schools. He told us he hopes to be able to open some trade schools for those who otherwise couldn’t afford it, to help decrease the poverty level and give more people the tools they need to care for themselves.

“The prison reforms… They’re great! He’s trying to find ways to give lesser criminals a second chance- Get things done in the kingdom while giving these people skills that may help them find work. My brother was a theif- Just a theif. But under the old rules, he was going to spend the rest of his life in jail. Now, he’s out working on infrastructure and learning skills that will let him support himself without stealing when he gets out. His term is now three years, enough time for him to learn. Murders, arsonist, rapists, they don’t get this offer. The really violent people, the dangerous people, they don’t get a second chance. But, by doing this, he’ll get people that were just in a bad position out for a new chance, and he’ll save money on imprisoning people. He said he’s also working on restructuring what terms each crime gets, and the system to track those crimes and sentences. He’s trying to make things equal, so everyone is treated fairly.”

“What about the assistance system?”

“Oh, the changes to that are going to be great, too! I personally know three people that have been kicked off the system, and they’re not happy… But they were abusing it, and they know it. They weren’t trying to support themselves, just getting paid by the government to do what they wished. It wasn’t fair to people like me, working to support myself and just needing a little more assistance. And government assistance isn’t the only thing getting a boost- There are less kids living on the streets. Only the most stubborn have stayed, rather than going to an orphanage. They opened a new one nearby, and it seems pretty nice. If it stays well-funded, a lot more kids will be able to grow up safe and healthy, and maybe even find families.”

This man felt confident in the new ruler. He felt the new changes were helping him, and the honest folk around him. Hearing him talk about the changes and improvements eased my heart, but I couldn’t base my opinions on the thoughts of one man.

“This is very enlightening,” I told him with a smile. “I do want to talk to some more people- Get a real feel for consensus. If I’m going to educate myself, don’t want to base things on the thoughts of one man, right?”

“Sounds right to me.” He stood and grinned. “I can show you were folks socialize, so you’ll have more people to talk to. I’ll try to steer you to people I don’t know so well, if I can, so you’re not just hearing from my circle.”

“That’d be great, thank you. If I’m taking up much of your time, I’ll gladly pay you for the guidance.” I stood as well, and followed him as he started walking. This was going to be a very educational day, and probably longer. I wouldn’t fall prey to misinformation, handling things like this.