Carl was excited he was going to live in The Castle. At first he thought everyone would try and stay together after his dad told them their choices. When Tracy said she wanted to go to Blue Mountain everyone else started shouting where they wanted to go. He wondered why no one else wanted to go to The Castle. The place was great. He'd spent hours being grilled by them about it.
He knew Sasha and Abraham weren't happy. Maggie looked kind of sad. Aaron and Jesus looked happy. His dad? He wasn't sure. Carl believed Michonne and Daryl when they said they weren't mad anymore. They didn't talk about it when he'd been there, but they'd talked to his dad when they picked him up and dropped him off and they waved at Glenn.
"Why aren't we going to The Castle?" Carl asked as his dad followed The Castle car with Michonne, Daryl, Rand and the electrician, Martin, in the minivan going to The Fort.
"We're saying goodbye to them, Carl. We'd lived with them for a few years," his dad told him.
"We trust Rand, Carl, but your dad and I were in charge for the last few days. We want to make sure they make it," Maggie added.
Daryl drove with Michonne in the passenger seat when they left The Training Grounds. After putting the key to the lock in her pocket, Rand had asked Martin to ride in one of the minivans, he shrugged and did it.
"Okay, you said I'm not going to like this," she started. "Is this about you getting banished from Alexandria?"
"Yeah. Rick kicked me out 'cause I followed 'Chonne. When I went back he said he couldn't trust me."
"That doesn't make sense, but whatever," she scoffed.
"Rick was going to take over Alexandria with Carol and Daryl," 'Chonne said.
"Really?" she drawled.
Him and Michonne told her about the takeover, 'Chonne leavin' and why, him not wantin' to do it, but still with Rick and him following her because she was one of them. Him going back, what Rick did to Pete Anderson and Deanna steppin' down and how he couldn't be trusted.
"I went back to the Castle. I didn't have anywhere else to go," he ended.
"You could have gone off by yourself," she pointed out.
"I didn't have nowhere else to go," he repeated. "I get there and you're callin' me 'lieutenant'. We started cleanin' out the town, cuttin' down trees, puttin' up fencin'."
'Chonne turned in the passenger seat. "You know Daryl and I would never try and take over. We had the chance. We don't want to run the place. You're better at it than we are." She paused. "When we got to Alexandria we were all having problems. We'd gone through some horrific experiences, Rand. Then we get taken to a place where no one protected themselves. There was no watch. They weren't growing food."
"Deanna was a moron," he broke in.
"I spent months trying to find a sick bastard that killed a friend of mine and tried to take over the prison. After a while, I let it go. Then the dick comes back with a tank."
"Killed Hershel."
"That's the vet?" Rand questioned.
"Yeah. He was our doctor, too. Got us through a flu that was killin' most of us," he responded.
"We were separated. Dicks found Daryl then they found us. Carl was going to be killed by those dicks after being raped. Rick bit the man's throat out."
Daryl remembered and breathed deep.
"We found each other again at a slaughter house. Our slaughter."
"Like cannibals?" Rand gaped in shock.
"Cannibals. Maggie's sister, Beth, she was killed in front of Rick and Daryl," Michonne continued. "We were on the road to nowhere, no water or food, when Aaron found us and took us to Alexandria. We were…dazzled. They had electricity and running water."
"Deanna was a moron," he repeated.
"They wouldn't allow us guns or knives," she said.
"Some of them people, 'Chonne, shouldn't have been able to have guns," he sneered.
"Which is why we don't allow them inside the walls, but at the time we were."
"Having problems?" Rand interjected blandly.
"Having problems," she confirmed. "Rick? He had a daughter, Judith. She didn't make it. I'm not excusing the man at all. Even after all this time I don't agree. The Governor tried to take over the prison. Rick was doing the same thing. Daryl and I spent months hunting that son of a bitch."
"Was he a real governor?" Rand gasped.
"Just called himself that," Daryl huffed.
"We're telling you what happened," Michonne said, "so you can be prepared."
"Don't think he'll try it at the Castle," he offered.
"I…don't think so either," 'Chonne hesitantly agreed.
"Huh," the woman grunted and sat silently. When they reached the Fort everyone got out of the minivans, while Rand talked to Robert and Pauline. Rick and Maggie went over and stood with them. Him and 'Chonne stayed by the car.
"You know, if Rick tries that shit at the Castle, it ain't Rand he'll have to be worried about," he commented when she joined him.
"It'll be us."
Daryl knew if it came down to it, he'd do what he had to, to protect his family and the others.
Rand got in the backseat and leaned her head back as she thought about what Daryl and Michonne told her. She wasn't a fan of what Rick Grimes was going to do. She would have left from the get, but she'd been on her own and didn't have people to protect.
"Let me see if I understand the timeline here," she prefaced. "You had a home and it was blown up by a dick in a tank. You separated. Daryl found dicks then they found you, Michonne. Everyone finds each other at the super dick funhouse. You escape and are taken down the rabbit hole. In a nutshell."
The woman rolled her eyes but she heard Daryl choke on a laugh. "Essentially."
"I'm not trivializing what you went through, at all. My hat's off to you for making it as long as you have and not going all the way bat-shit crazy." She opened her eyes and sat up. "I'm going to have to address what happened in Alexandria."
"You gonna threaten him?" Daryl asked her.
She frowned. "No. I'll treat him like Jonathan Wilmer. I, obviously, don't agree with what he wanted to do. You know my opinion on dicks that take over other people's places. I'm, frankly, floored by this Deanna woman. Really? No one carried anything? She must have gotten the good spot in the Land of Oz."
Michonne tried not to laugh this time. "She was a real politician."
Rand let out a breath. "While I sympathize with everything everyone in that group went through, including you two, I refuse to spend time waiting on some dick to try and take over. We have a good place with good people and we're not going to lose it."
Maggie was impressed when they walked inside the spike filled fence. Jess had not been lying about the porcupine families. They had way more than the prison fences. Rand had suggested leaving the animals in the pasture while they made their way into The Castle. She looked over the side of the drawbridge into the moat and saw muddy brown water.
"Are there walkers in here?" Jesus asked.
Rand frowned. "No. We swim in there when it gets hot out."
This caused Carl to whoop about swimming in the summer. Rick smiled and shook his head.
"How do you know?" Sasha demanded.
"There was a fence up when we found The Castle," Michonne snapped.
"Nobody inside, either," Daryl added.
"We've been swimming in there for two years," Rand replied coolly. "I think we would have known by now."
She didn't like checking her gun in, but Rand assured them they'd be segregated. 'After you hear our expectations you may want to leave' was her response to the mutters. When she finally made it inside her mouth fell open, along with everyone else's, but Carl. The place was huge. She saw more buildings and people going in and out of the keep, as Carl told them it was called. There were a few tables set up in the bailey, or the courtyard, they bypassed as they headed inside. Maggie tried not to goggle as they strode though the lobby. "Tom," Rand greeted the man when they entered the large dining room. "I'm going to need the dining room for a while."
"Okay, Rand," he responded and left.
"Take seats," the woman requested and waited until everyone sat down.
"I'm going to ask you some questions then I'm going to do a quick Castle 101. Feel free to stop me with clarifying questions. Do any of you have any special skills, such as carpentry, masonry or anything construction related?"
"I do. I helped roof the barn at Crazy Ass," Abraham answered.
"Anything else?" No one else answered. "Okay. Any medical related skills aside from bandaids or bandages?" She waited a few minutes and got no answers. "Do any of you speak or understand another language?"
Glenn raised his hand. "Korean."
"If we were to drop you in the middle of Seoul, before, how well would you do?"
He grimaced. "Uh, I can't speak it but I can understand it. If the people talk slow."
"How many languages do you speak here?" Aaron asked.
"We speak six fluently with a passing knowledge of four more."
"Cool," Carl hooted.
"Do we have to learn them?" Rick gaped at her.
"No. Everyone speaks English. We have classes if you'd like to take one," she offered.
"I heard," Rick grimaced.
"Do any of you have experience with weapons other than guns, knives or machetes, such as swords, bows, crossbows or slingshots?"
"Slingshots?" Carl frowned.
"Slingshots. Take a rock, and if your aim is good, you can be relatively safe while killing a walker or a person."
Jesus laughed. "I guess I never thought of that."
"Needs must," she responded. "Next. Do any of you know basic self-defense or any martial art?"
"I have a black belt in karate." Jesus raised a hand.
"Basic self-defense. I was a sheriff's deputy," Rick volunteered.
Rand opened and closed her mouth a few times. "I…see," she finally muttered.
"Basic self-defense. I was in the army. Sargent," Abraham told her.
"You led a squad?" she asked.
"Yes. Iraq and Afghanistan."
Rand nodded her head. "Good to know. Did any of you have a hobby such as sewing, candle making, paper making or anything else crafty?"
"Why?" Sasha huffed.
"If you can make paper you can make toilet paper. Candles? Knowing how to make those could be, just throwing this out there, important one day. When the world ends," she drawled.
Maggie kept a straight face but she could tell Sasha was a little pissed. Those were good skills to have. Jesus and Aaron had grins on their faces.
"Any organized sport activities such as kickboxing, regular boxing, yoga or weightlifting?"
"Yoga?" she questioned loudly.
"Yoga. Increases flexibility and stamina. It's not just for girls, either," she smirked.
"This place is fantastic," she heard Aaron whisper to Jesus.
"Kickboxing?" Sasha raised her hand.
"Kickboxing increases stamina and could help you do some damage to a dick who's attacking you. Relying on guns or knives is asking for trouble."
"Do you have classes in all of this stuff?" Glenn gawked at her.
"Most of it, yes," Rand addressed him. "If any of you have an epiphany, say you played marbles when you were ten and kicked ass, let me know. Everyone brings something to the table. It may seem stupid, but it might not be. Next order of business: The Castle. Tom is the seneschal, which means."
"He runs the keep," Carl inserted with a grin.
"Correct, smart ass. He runs the keep. He does the schedules for food prep, cooking and cleaning in addition to tracking consumption of goods. Cleaning being the common areas and common laundry. You're responsible for your own rooms. You're adults and the hotel is closed."
"Food prep?" Maggie asked.
"We have a mill and grow wheat."
"Shit," Sasha hissed.
"If you're allergic."
"No. I can't believe you do that," she retorted.
"And a variety of other things for food prep. Canning, drying, smoking, butchering," Rand continued with a frown directed at Sasha. "If you need anything Tom can help. Bradford is the head villein. He's pretty loose. Let's face it, standing over animals and plants doesn't make them grow any faster. When we have to harvest everyone helps, except those on watch. Other than that? Make your way down and pull weeds. I do it. Janet is the court jester or I've heard her referred to as the 'cruise director' or 'social coordinator'. She's in charge of the calendar. We have everything on it. If you used to have a hobby you love or are good at and would like to teach a class? Tell Janet and she'll float the idea. If you want to take a class and it's not listed or is listed? Speak with her and she can help you. We're not all fun and games here, judging by the looks on some faces, we work hard. We have down time. Use it. Or don't. I don't give a shit. I make the watch and patrol schedule and oversee everything." Rand looked at all of them again before sitting down at the table they were using. "I have to ask you, Deputy Grimes, do you want to be here?"
The question made Rick feel like he was in his high school principal's office. "Yes. It's a good place. You certainly do a lot," he replied.
"Huh. Okay. I'm going to address the elephant in the room. The takeover of Alexandria. I've heard from Daryl and Michonne their version of events. I wasn't there so I'm not going to judge you for your past actions. Deanna, from what I understand, had a…different view of what was happening outside her walls."
Rick heard Sasha snort.
"I'll be honest. I was at a place that was taken over by a dick. It put a bad taste in my mouth so I left. I'm not going to sit here and pretend I know everything. I don't. I know a lot of useless information I was able to utilize to my advantage. If you have a problem, any of you, on how things are done come find me. I have an open door policy. If I'm not with my family or friends or The Castle is under attack, I'll listen. If you don't feel comfortable speaking with me, find Daryl or Michonne. Tom. Bradford. Jamal. Janet. Hell, find Lupe and tell her. They'll tell me. I'll respond. I'll explain why we do the things we do. I'll listen if you have ideas on what can be improved. But if any of you think to come in here, sneak around and try and change the management or the way we do things, you're in for a rude awakening. This is my place. Also, still on the table is, if you don't like it here, I'll help you with another place. We're all going through this, not just your group. The goal is living. A clash of ideas? I have better things to do."
Rick cleared his throat. "I understand. I was," he trailed off.
"I know. Having problems," Rand returned sardonically.
It was his turn to snort. "Somethang like that, yeah. From everythang I've seen and heard about you and this place there's nothang I could do to make it better."
The woman stared at him. "There's no need to blow smoke up my ass, either. Flattery will get you punched in the face."
"I'm being honest. A stone castle. You started patrols of the area. Trades. Socials. You've done a lot. We won't have any problems."
She nodded. "Fine. Next order of business is anyone that doesn't have a good grasp of self-defense must take a class. I can't order you to do it, Mr. Grimes," she said as she looked at Carl, "but I will strongly recommend to your father you take it. Also, Jenny will no longer show you anything regarding weapons until your dad tells me it's okay for you learn. Patrols are mandatory for anyone over eighteen. We'll be cutting down to four people and every third month myself, my knights and my advisors will do it. During that time Tom, Helen and Bradford run The Castle. We have drills you'll have to participate in."
"What kind of drills?" Aaron questioned.
"Drills for saving yourself and anyone else from The Castle in case it falls under attack. Please have a familiarity of the escape routes that are on the walls of the keep. I'll get together maps of where our backup place is located. You'll, obviously, have to make your own way there."
"You've been attacked before, right?" Maggie inquired.
"Once," she responded with a frown. "Daryl, Michonne and the others were able to kill most of them. Watch is mandatory for anyone sixteen or older until such time as it doesn't become necessary. Deputy Grimes, we have, somewhat, of an education system here. Please find Helen at your earliest opportunity to get your son tested and appropriate lessons can be planned. Are there any other questions?"
Rick wasn't surprised when Sasha asked, "Why can't we carry guns inside?"
"I apologize, I don't think I know everyone's name."
"Sasha Williams."
Her response of 'Ms. Williams, I've met people that should never have had access to a fork let alone a gun' made a few of them laugh out loud, including him. "When the seven of us were deciding what type of community we wanted that was one of the rules. We have lockers stationed at the wooden gate near the walls. Leave it there, locked, when you come inside. Take it out when you leave. See Tom. He can provide you with one."
"That's great," Aaron chuckled.
"People are dicks," she grumbled. "I think that's it. Tom will show you to the rooms and arrange a tour."
"Do I have to go?" Carl raised his hand.
"There were places, Mr. Grimes, you weren't allowed, so yes, you have to go. We usually, anyone not on watch, eat together for lunch and dinner. Breakfast is on you. I'll give everyone a few days off. Those of you that haven't done a patrol, Deputy Grimes and Ms. Greene, I'll schedule you next month." She stood up. "Again, if you have any questions please ask. We don't hide things here. It comes back and bites you in the ass. Tom," she raised her voice a little.
"Got it, Rand," the man acknowledged as he walked into the room.