Two Sides

Chapter 13 - Calm Before the Storm

That night you didn't sleep much. Most of the time you were lying awake, watching Ezekiel sleep. He had been very understanding of your situation and he had stayed up late with you, trying to distract you and show you how much you meant to him. It had worked until he had fallen asleep a while ago. Now you were just lying there thinking about how hard leaving him would be with the uncertainty of ever seeing him again.

You snuggled closer to him and he unconsciously wrapped his arms around you, a low sigh escaping his lips. Whenever you were this close to him, your heart beat a bit faster while at the same time you felt so peaceful and content. You wished you could have this all the time, those nights with him, that the sun wouldn't rise ever again.

You still couldn't sleep, and when you shifted, you involuntarily woke him up. He gently kissed your forehead and moved a little. "Can't sleep?" he mumbled.

You hummed.

"You worry too much," he stated. "Your mind won't let you rest."

Again, you hummed in confirmation.

Ezekiel lifted your head so your face was close to his, his dark eyes were looking into yours with a soft expression. "Let it go, love," he said and then he kissed you tenderly. It worked, the only thing you could think about was how good he tasted and how much you loved him. When you felt him like this, you wanted to believe in a positive and happy future. Maybe you could have that, maybe Morgan was right and the Kingdom could give you that one day. The thought made you smile.

* * *

The next morning, you woke up because Ezekiel tried to wriggle out of your grasp. Apparently, you had been a bit paranoid in your sleep and you were pretty much clinging to him. He wasn't able to move much.

"Sorry," you mumbled and let go of him.

"Good morning, my queen," he said with a smile, not bothered at all.

"Good morning," you replied sheepishly. "I guess I wanted to prevent you from getting up without me."

"I tried to let you sleep in but you're pretty strong." He chuckled but then got more serious. "I got a lot of stuff to take care of today, so I can't stay in bed."

You nodded. "Alright, me too, actually. I want to speak with Daryl... about when we leave."

Ezekiel climbed out of bed then, avoiding the topic. You quickly followed and grabbed your clothes from the floor. You liked his room a lot, it wasn't that much more luxurious than the average room here but still kind of comfortable. Maybe it was his presence, though, that made it this special for you.

"Okay, my love, I'll see you later," he said when he was finished and gave you a quick kiss before heading out. You sighed when he was gone. Soon enough you wouldn't wake up next to him anymore and the little time you still had was clouded by the knowledge of an upcoming war you weren't able to win at the moment.

* * *

You met Daryl after your knife throwing lesson. The others had all headed out, so you figured it was best to speak with him now that neither Morgan nor Richard would chime in. Daryl was watching you clean your knives for a while.

"I'm glad you're alright," you broke the silence. "That you got out of there."

He nodded. "Yea."

"Daryl..." you started and looked at him. He hesitantly looked back at you. "I have an idea of what's your opinion on this, but Ezekiel is a good king, I vouch for him. He might not help us, at least not yet, but I'm not a coward. I want to fight with you, help you prepare. So, when you leave, I'd like to come with you."