Rick pulled the van into a deserted parking lot and shut the engine off.
"It's called The Kingdom?" He asked as he and Paul climbed out of the van and Daryl slid the side door open.
"Yeah," Paul said. "I didn't name it."
Anna climbed over Daryl, desperate to get out of the suffocating van. They had been driving for too long to be shoved in there with that many people since they added Sasha, Daryl, and Paul to the list of passengers. She shook out her legs as soon as she hit solid ground.
"How much farther?" Rick asked, switching gears.
"Well, technically, we're already here," Paul said, gesturing around them. "I mean, we're always here, but here we are—at the Kingdom. Well, its outer edge."
"Hey, what the hell we waitin' on?" Daryl asked as he stood out the open door and leaned over the top of the van.
"Waiting for them," Paul said, pointing just over Rick's shoulder.
Anna followed his finger to see two men approaching on horseback, one holding a handgun aloft.
"Who dares to trespass on the sovereign land of the—" the one with the gun began before he cut himself off. "Oh, shit. Jesus, is that you?"
Daryl hopped out of the van and came to stand beside Anna as Michonne stepped out of the other side.
"Who are all these people, Paul?" The other man asked.
"Hi, Richard. Nice to see you," Paul greeted.
"It's good to see you, too," Richard responded. "Your friends, who are they?"
"This is Rick Grimes. He's the leader of a like-minded community. These are some of his people," Paul explained. "We would like to request an audience with King Ezekiel."
Richard got off his horse and approached, leaning forward to get a better look at those who had yet to get out.
"Get out of the van," Paul called, and the rest joined them.
"You say they're a like-minded community," Richard said. "Like-minded how?"
"We live, we trade, we fight the dead," Paul shrugged. "Sometimes others."
Paul and Richard exchanged a look before Richard looked back at them.
"Line up," he ordered.
"Okay. This is a waste of time," Daryl grumbled. "Come on. Let's go."
Despite what he said, most of the group began to form a line.
"Maybe you're right," Richard said. "The King is a busy man. And it's a dangerous world. We don't usually allow a pack of strangers to waltz through our door."
"We want to make the world less dangerous," Michonne cut in, "and we are all here to show the King how serious we are about that."
"The car stays outside. You gotta hand over your guns," Richard said.
"We only have two," Rick assured, immediately handing over his Python and nodding to Carl to hand over his pistol.
"Okay," Richard said as he took the guns. "Follow me."
Anna stared around at the scene before her, all the green grass and lush garden. And the people. There were men and women jogging past in formation, wearing what looked like military P.T. clothes. and she suddenly felt like she was back in Fort Benning.
"They have the numbers," Michonne observed.
"But can they fight?" Rosita asked.
"Oh, they can fight," Paul assured.
"Maybe," Daryl huffed.
"Morgan?" Tara called.
Anna turned to see the familiar man walking toward them.
"Hey," he greeted, smiling as he hugged Tara.
His eyes landed on Anna, and she saw him look at the stick in her hand. They nodded to each other.
"How do you know each other?" Richard asked from behind Morgan.
"We go back to the start," Rick explained.
"Well, the King is ready to see you," Richard informed.
The others followed Richard into the building, but Anna, Daryl, and Rick stayed behind as Rick stopped Morgan from joining them.
"Did you find Carol?" Rick asked.
"I did, yeah," Morgan nodded.
"Where is she? Is she okay?" Daryl asked.
"She was here, and then she left," Morgan sighed. "You know, she wasn't too happy—me following her. She wanted to get away from—from everyone. But when I found her, she was shot."
Anna could feel Daryl tense beside her.
"It was just a graze. I got her back here," Morgan assured quickly. "They got doctors. They're good."
"Was it them?" Daryl asked, his voice low.
"It was," Morgan answered. "She had crossed with some of them, and one of them followed her, tried to kill her, but I stopped him." Morgan looked to Rick and then to Anna. "I killed him. I had to." She could see the pain in his eyes. "Carol was here. She got help. Now she's gone."
Anna looked to Daryl, expecting him to demand Carol's location. But he said nothing and walked away. Rick sighed and followed after him. Anna turned back to Morgan.
"You killed someone?" She asked.
"Yeah," Morgan said quietly.
"Are you okay?"
"I had to do it," he answered, looking to her. "I didn't have a choice."
Anna thought about what to say as she rested her hand on his shoulder. She wished she had something comforting, but the only thing she could muster before walking away was—
"You're a better person than me."
"Jesus! It pleases me to see you, old friend," greeted a man sitting on a stage at the front of an auditorium in what Anna assumed was supposed to be a throne, two others at his right—a plump man with a war ax, and a boy holding a staff much like Anna's. Richard stood at his left. Morgan went to stand off to the left of the stage.
But Anna's focus was entirely on one thing.
"Have I finally lost it?" Anna whispered to Daryl as the group halted in the doorway. "Am I finally fucking crazy or is that a tiger?"
"It pleases him, indeed!" The man holding the war ax cheered.
"Jerry," scolded the man she assumed was the King. "Tell me, what news do you bring good King Ezekiel? Are these new allies you've brought me?"
"Indeed, they are," Paul said. "Your Majesty, this is—" Paul turned to the group to introduce them when he paused at the expression that must have been on all of their faces. "Oh, right. I forgot to mention that—"
"Yeah, a tiger," Rick finished.
The tiger let out a roar from the stage as it laid down beside Ezekiel.
"This is Rick Grimes," Paul continued, turning back to Ezekiel and approaching. "The leader of Alexandria, and these are some of his people."
"I welcome you all to the Kingdom, good travelers," he said as the group approached, spreading out among the seats and keeping a healthy distance from the stage. "Now, what brings you to our fair land?" The King asked. "Why do you seek an audience with the King?"
"Ezekiel—King Ezekiel," Rick corrected. "Alexandria, the Hilltop, and the Kingdom—all three of our communities have something in common," Rick went on. "We all serve the Saviors."
Anna watched the smile drop from Ezekiel's face.
"Alexandria already fought them once, and we won. We thought we took out the threat, but we didn't know then what we know now," Rick explained. "We only beat one outpost. We've been told you have a deal with them, that you know them. Then you know they rule through violence and fear."
Ezekiel looked to Paul.
"Your Majesty, I only told them of the—" Paul began.
"Our deal with the Saviors is not known among my people—for good cause," Ezekiel interrupted. "We made you a party to that secret when you told us of Hilltop's own travails, but we did not expect you to share—"
"We can help each other," Paul insisted.
"Don't interrupt the King," Jerry warned.
"We brought you into our confidence," Ezekiel said. "Why did you break it?"
"Because I want you to hear Rick's plans," Paul answered.
"And what plans have you, Rick Grimes of Alexandria?" Ezekiel asked, adjusting his seating.
"We came to ask the Kingdom—to ask you—to join us in fighting the Saviors, fighting for freedom—for all of us," Rick implored.
"What you are asking is very serious," Ezekiel said.
"Several of our people—good people—were killed by the Saviors, brutally," Michonne said as she stood beside Rick.
"Who?" Morgan asked.
"Abraham," Rosita answered.
"Glenn," Anna added.
"Spencer, Olivia. Eugene was taken," Rosita went on. "They took Daryl. He escaped. Every second he's out here, he's a target." Anna subconsciously moved closer to Daryl. "You gonna say you were right?" Rosita sneered.
"No," Morgan said quickly. "I'm—I'm just real sorry they're gone."
"Negan murdered Glenn and Abraham, beat them to death," Rick elaborated.
"Terrorized the Hilltop, set loose walkers just to make a point," Sasha informed.
"I used to think the deal was something we could live with," Paul said. "A lot of us did. But that's changing. So, let's change the world, Your Majesty."
"I want to be honest about what we're asking," Rick said, taking a step forward. "My people are strong, but there's not enough of us. We don't have guns—not enough, at least. Not a lot of weapons, period."
"We have people," Richard said. "And weapons. If we strike first, together, we can beat them." He looked to the King. "Your Majesty, no more waiting for things to get worse beyond what we can handle. We set things right. The time is now."
Ezekiel said nothing for a moment.
"Morgan," he called. "What say you?"
"Me?" Morgan asked, unsure.
"Speak," Ezekiel said gently.
Anna watched as Morgan took a moment to gather his thoughts. But she already knew what he was going to say.
"People will die. A lot of people, and not just the Saviors. It—" Morgan paused. "If we can find another way. We have to. Maybe it's just about Negan—just capturing him, holding him. Maybe—I—" he stammered before silencing himself and bowing his head.
"The hour grows late," Ezekiel announced, getting to his feet as his tiger let out a low growl, standing as well. "Rick Grimes of Alexandria, you have given the King much to ponder."
"Well, when I was a kid, uh—" Rick started before Ezekiel could leave. "My mother told me a story. There was a road to a kingdom," he said, gesturing around them, "and there was a rock in the road. And people would just avoid it, but horses would break their legs on it and die, wagon wheels would come off. People would lose the goods they'd be coming to sell. That's what happened to a little girl."
"The case of beer her family brewed fell right off. It broke. Dirt soaked it all up, and it was gone. That was her family's last chance. They were hungry. They didn't have any money. She just sat there and cried, but she wondered why it was still there for it to hurt someone else."
"So, she dug at that rock in the road with her hands till they bled, used everything she had to pull it out. It took hours. And then when she was gonna fill it up, she saw something in it. It was a bag of gold."
"All right," Jerry grinned.
"The king had put that rock in the road because he knew the person who dug it out, who did somethin', they deserved a reward," Rick explained. "They deserved to have their life changed for the good. Forever."
Ezekiel nodded, looking around at them.
"I invite you all to sup with us and stay till the morrow," he announced.
"Yeah, we need to get back home," Rick sighed.
"I shall deliver my decree in the morn," Ezekiel reiterated, banging his cane against the stage twice with finality before he led the tiger off.
After a very tense dinner, during which Ezekiel refused to hear any more on the subject of the Saviors, Paul led the group into another building and pointed out four rooms along the hall.
"This building is used as living quarters," Paul explained. "We'll have to share, but it shouldn't be too bad."
"Do you think he'll agree to it?" Rick asked, turning to Paul.
"Honestly?" Paul sighed. "I don't know what he's going to decide. But it won't be until tomorrow, so we should get some rest."
Anna grimaced at the assertion, but the others began to split off. Rick, Michonne, and Carl went to the far room on the left side of the hall, while Paul and Jessie headed for the far room on the right. Tara, Rosita, and Sasha disappeared within the room next to theirs, leaving Anna standing in the hall as Daryl headed for the last room.
"You comin'?" He asked as he paused at the door.
Anna nodded and followed him inside, shutting the door behind her. It was a small room, with a twin bed pushed against the wall, a nightstand with a lantern, a dresser and a small table with a water basin. Daryl went to the bed and sat down, untying his boots while Anna set her stick against the dresser, surveying the books and potted plant resting on top. She took a leaf gingerly between her fingers and smoothed her thumb over the top to see that it was real.
"Why'd ya bring the stick?" Daryl asked.
"It's better than nothing," Anna replied.
"Right," Daryl muttered.
She turned to face him as he set his boots under the bed and stretched out, one hand under his head and the other across his stomach.
Anna's eyes moved over his form, drinking him in. She'd been so sure she would never see him again. Not like this, at least. He was free and as relaxed and comfortable as Daryl ever was. She almost didn't notice that he was looking back at her.
She turned her back to him and went to the table, setting her left foot on one of the chairs so she could start untying her boot.
"What happened in the office," she began, unsure of herself but unwilling to let things go unresolved. "I'm sorry. Isaac, he—"
"You ain't got shit to apologize for," Daryl said.
Anna untied her other boot and kicked them off before gathering them in her hand and walking to the bed. She placed her shoes beside Daryl's and sat down on the edge of the bed, Daryl shifting so she had more room.
"I thought you hated me," she muttered, staring at the tiled floor.
"That was stupid," Daryl huffed.
Anna furrowed her brow and looked over her shoulder at him.
"But the way you reacted after what I said—"
"Didn't wanna give that asshole the satisfaction," Daryl said. "He hit you?"
Anna faced forward again, her fingers finding the tender spot beneath her eye. By now the bruise had turned a greenish-yellow and the throbbing had disappeared. She dropped her hand back to her lap.
"I said something he didn't like," she shrugged.
Daryl made an irritated noise and shifted again.
"How did you escape?" She asked as she finally laid down beside him, angling herself onto her side so she wasn't half on top of him.
"Woman named Sherry slipped me a key when no one was lookin'. I got out and Jesus found me. Took me back to Hilltop," Daryl explained simply as he turned onto his side so that they faced each other.
"I guess I need to thank them," Anna said, reaching up and brushing a bit of hair out of his face.
He grabbed her hand and brought her fingers to his lips. Anna leaned forward, moving their hands out of the way, and pressed her lips to his. They kissed long and slow before they finally pulled away. Daryl reached up and turned the lantern off.