Ch. 32
They stared at him, some with fear, and others curiosity, but to Sam, it was the kind of stare that one would use when looking at a caged animal. He felt like he was in a zoo, there for everyone's entertainment. He still sat atop his horse, the soldiers standing a good few feet from him in case he attacked.
"Mommy, who's that?"
"Go inside sweetie."
"But mommy-"
"Now!"
"Drawing quite the crowd aren't you?" Sam kept his eyes on the horse's mane trying to block out Merle's voice. "I mean damn Paddy; you got a bunch of these assholes out here to see ya'!"
They neared a theater and Sam could see several of the guards looking at him. Their fingers slipped onto their triggers and others grasped their machetes and spears.
"Who's this?" A guard asked the man who had led the group.
"A traveler. He was wandering around our territory, thought it would be best if the King saw him." The man explained.
"Shit Richard, I don't know what you thought the King would want with him but, fine." The guard moved aside and the lead, Richard, looked to Sam.
"Off the horse. You can't bring it inside."
Sam nodded and swung his leg above the horse and out of the saddle in one quick motion. He saw the guns lift and follow him as he was marched into the theater.
It was dark except for the stage where a large chair stood along with-
"Holy fuck is that a fucking tiger?" Sam stopped walking as he looked at the beast and Merle screamed out the question. For beside the man Sam assumed was the King, was a very large tiger. "You're fucked now Paddy."
"Keep walking."
"Ah! Our brave soldiers return! And what is this, a guest?" The lion roared as Sam approached, his mouth still hanging open. "Shiva enough, this traveler seems to have been through quite the ordeal. Tell me sir, what is your name?"
"Fuck Paddy, this thing could kill you faster than a bullet probably."
"I-I… my name is Samuel, Samuel Conall."
"Well met Samuel, I am King Ezekiel, welcome to the Kingdom."
"I… t-thank you. In the years that the apocalypse has taken place, I must say, seeing a tiger, first time I'm speechless."
The King laughed as did the man with the battle axe, the rest remained silent and their weapons trained in Sam.
"Yes, Shiva is a rare and loyal companion, one that I treasure very deeply in my heart. But that is a discussion for another time. For now, tell me Mr. Conall, why are you here?"
"Man this guy is serious isn't he?" Merle rounded the tiger and Sam felt his heartbeat quicken as if Merle was really there. "This thing wanted to get loose, no chain's gonna stop it."
"I'm here because you're men brought me here. I was on the road, with my horse, they found me."
The King nodded and shifted his weight in his chair. Sam could see his eyes picking apart every detail in Sam's appearance; his bushy beard, messy hair and clothes that were probably safer to burn rather than wash. The dirt that marred his face would most likely need multiple washings with scalding hot water to remove not to mention the small cuts and bug bites that covered his body.
"How long have you been out there? By yourself?" The King asked.
Sam opened his mouth to reply but, ten closed it slowly. He had been left behind during what seemed like the second month of winter. Lasted the rest, plus a few moons into spring. If he did his math right…
"Probably five months. Give or take a week or two." Sam's voice had retreated back into him, scratchy and weak. He suddenly felt vulnerable as he realized how alone he had been.
He had seen ghosts, talked himself, his dog his horse. He yelled at the air, at himself. He could feel their eyes on him. The Kingdom soldiers, and Merle, and Rick, Beth and Sophia. They all looked at him.
He took a few shuddered breaths and felt his legs begin to go weak. His vision began to cloud and the King called for someone to grab him. As his vision faded, he heard the lion roar.
He was back in the funeral home. Sitting at the piano. Beth sat next to him, looking at him expectantly. He felt a lump in his theist and then he noticed her face. It was clean, not a speck of dirt on it, and her clothes, she was wearing a green dress, one that he had never seen since dresses were impractical in the apocalypse.
"Son, you gonna start playing or what?" Sam froze and turned quickly. He didn't have a beaded, but he did have his leg still attached. "Come on now."
"Probably forgot how to play," Merle said as he and Daryl sat at a table playing cards, Sophia and Carl watching intently.
"Come on Sam," Beth nudged him. "Play."
He opened his eyes and wiped the tears away quickly. No one needed to see them. He took a few deep breaths and calmed down. Just a Dream. Get it together Sammy.
"You're awake," San jumped and turned to the voice. A woman in a white lab coat stood a few feet from his bed. She was scribbling on her clipboard.
"Who are you?" Sam asked her as he sat up.
"Dr. Natalie Finch."
"How long have I been out?"
She smiled and clicked her pen. "Two days. I must say you are quite impressive. Malnutrition, dehydration, and a severe infection on your left leg. How'd you get that by the way, a bet I have with my assistant?"
Sam checked his leg and saw a mess of bandages and a single stitch thread peeking out from under them. "Gunshot."
Natalie smiled and clicked her pen again. "Good, that means I won. How'd you get it by the way?"
"Another bet?"
"Curiosity."
"I killed a man for a bag of chips. He got lucky shot off." Natalie stopped writing and slowly looked up at Sam. He could see her scanning his face for any form of deception or a poor attempt at humor.
"Really?" She asked quickly.
"It's a cruel world Finch. Only the cruel live on the outside."
Natalie put her pen into her lab coat pocket and tucked the clipboard under her arm. "I'll- the King wanted to see you when you woke up."
"Good for me then. Doctor if you could do me a favor?" Dr. Finch nodded slowly. "If they're gonna kill me, give me five minutes, I'd rather not die in a bed like this."
The wheeled him into the theater under a lighter guard than before. Two men behind him and two sitting on the stage as well as the tiger and the man with a battle axe.
The King sat up as soon as Sam entered. "Ah, Mr. Conall, it brings me pleasure to see you awake and well! Dr. Finch truly is one of our most valued subjects, here in the kingdom."
"Aye, she did good. Got my leg nice and right. I thought when the pain went away that it was good, turns out my leg was shutting down. I truly am grateful that your men found me." Sam said, he bowed his head toward the one with the axe, and the lead, Richard he believed his name was.
"And I am glad that my men had found you. It is a horrible world that has taken hold, and to see men such as yourself survive it, and alone, gives me hope."
"Thank you your majesty." Sam said, he began fiddling with his hands. "If I may, I've been looking for my original group. They were in their way here, or D.C. but I haven't had any luck."
"We have had many groups come to the Kingdom of the past year. Many different people. If you give me their names, I will tell you if they are here."
Sam smiled and his heart began to speed up a bit. "There was, Beth Greene, Rick Grimes, Glenn Rhee, Daryl Dixon. You couldn't miss them, a bunch of dangerous shites."
The King sat for a minute. Sam could see the gears turning in his mind as he tried to recollect any memory of people that Sam had described whether it be names or people that were in his compound.
Sam looked on at the King with hope. Maybe he had seen his group on their way to D.C. Or perhaps they were in the compound working as scavengers or scouts or something that meant that they weren't in the kingdom often.
"Samuel, I am sorry, I do not know of the people that you speak of." Sam cast his eyes to the ground and took a breath. "I apologize."
Sam nodded and looked back to the King. "Doesn't mean they're dead right? If I may, I was wondering if I may stay for the night, perhaps barter for some supplies that I might need."
"You are leaving?"
"Aye, they're out there. I need to find them."
The King nodded. "I understand, but I would be a poor King if I did not ask that you stay a week, let your body recover from your time on the road. Eat, drink, replenish yourself, and when the week is up, or if you feel before, you will be allowed to leave."
Sam considered it for less than a second. A warm bed, fresh food, and walls. "I accept. I thank you."
The water stung his face as he scrubbed the dirt away. The basin underneath him became black for the third time that day, and Sam felt like he could finally see right without all of the dirt in his eyes.
He stopped scrubbing and looked up into the mirror. His hair was now at a manageable length, his skin was now sun kissed but clean. He had elected to keep the beard, though much shorter than what it had been originally. He had trimmed himself as much as he could have, hair, nails all of it.
For the first time in months he felt better. His clothes were crisp and clean, a white collared shirt with jeans and they had even given him a new pair of boots. Most of his old clothes had been burned, at his request, though he did keep his old boots. Sophia had given him a different shoelace for each boot, it didn't seem right to switch them.
"Wow, hard to imagine that's what you looked like before it all went down." Sam closed his eyes and griped the sides of the basin tightly.
"You're not real. You're not real."
"I'm real, just like everyone that you see."
"Except they can't see you, only I can." Beth smiled and sprawled out on the bed in the room that they had given him. "So please, leave me alone, just this week. Give me a week; let me get ready to go back out."
Bastard yipped from his spot near the door. Sam looked and saw the dog gnawing on a large bone that a little girl had given him. Sam had requested that he be allowed to go outside the gate for a minute, saying that he had something to collect. Ezekiel had allowed it, and had even come with him when the gates opened.
Sam had whistled loudly glancing along the tree lines. The king and several of the guards must have thought him crazy when they had all waited five minutes for what seemed like nothing, but then, the bushes began to rustle. Richard aimed his rifle that way while Sam saw Ezekiel grip the handle of his cane tightly. When Bastard came running out toward them Sam jogged over to meet the dog, patting it down and telling him that he was a good boy.
If Sam had thought he had drawn quite the crowd, then Bastard must have gotten half the kingdom to come out and see him. Parents had been weary at first, not wanting their kids to get rabies or the like, but an assurance from Sam, as well as the King, seemed to put them at ease and seen enough Bastard was getting petted and pampered by many of the kingdoms children.
"It's alright boy. Just the ghosts talking." Bastard yipped and went back to the bone. Beth had gone and Sam went back to scrubbing his face.
After cleaning up he and Bastard made their way to the kingdoms central him. Tables were spread out amongst the area, and there was a table that stood higher than the others, facing the mass of tables. There was a high seat that was flanked by five chairs on either side of it. Candles lit most of the tables though there were a few lamps and fires that were set around the outskirts of the area providing light to the outlying tables.
"Sam!" He turned quickly, his hand going to his waist, but then falling to his side when he felt nothing there. "Hey dude, the King wants you to sit at the high table today."
"Oh, uh, thanks… I'm sorry; I never did get your name."
The large man waved it off. "Don't sweat it man. I'm Jerry, the Kings steward."
Sam shook his hand and smiled. "Samuel, but you knew that."
Jerry led Sam to the Kings table and Sat him to the Kings direct left while Richard took the King's right and Jerry next to Richard. Soon the seats began to fill up as people came to the diner.
Soon enough though, Ezekiel came out everyone rose to their feet. Sam stood up awkwardly not knowing if he was supposed to or not. When the King reached his seat He motioned for everyone to sit down which they did.
"Thank you all for coming. Now as many of you may know already, we have a new addition to the kingdom, however short it may be. His name is Samuel Conall, the young man sitting to my left. I ask you all to treat him with respect. We all know what is outside of those walls, the horrors that have taken hold of the world. I ask that you all remember that, and the effects that it can have on someone. We here at the kingdom are blessed to be here, to be as safe as we are. Our brave Knights keep us safe; keep us supplied, as we must remember how fortunate we are to have them, to have our walls, to have each other. We at the kingdom are blessed, for we have and every day I awake from my slumber I know that I truly am blessed to be with all of you. Now, let us dine!"
Sam smiled as Ezekiel sat down and the subjects of the kingdom cheered him on and began to eat. Sam looked down at his plate and saw the fresh vegetables, meat, and small cut up fruit. The largest meal he had since the prison, and a few tears began to well in his eyes, but he blinked them away before anyone could notice.
As the night went on a man named Ethan, a Knight for the kingdom, began to play guitar for a choir that sang so beautifully Sam saw more than one pair of eyes drop a few tears.
When it came time to return to his room, Sam couldn't believe his eyes, people laughing and dancing, singing and being happy. It was unheard of, but it was real. It was so real.
AN: Hey guys, managed to find a beat up computer that is hanging on by a thread, but it works! Now, here is the new chapter (obviously) and I am happy with how it came out. Now for that small dream scene in the middle, don't worry if you that seemed random it will come into play. Next time Sam explores the Kings realm and makes some new friends. Review! ~Pacco1