Always Have

            It was midafternoon was Daryl came back from checking the snares around his camp. He had been luckier than the past few days; he'd caught a couple a squirrels for dinner, which he hoped would tie him over for a while. He'd just begun to skin his dinner when he heard a rustling in the trees nearby. Dog was out so it could have been him, but Daryl's guard was always up.

Carol appeared amongst the trees, donned in her royal apparel—her hair falling down her chest. She smiled at him. It wasn't unusual for her to visit him at his camp but she typically came on a schedule. And she had visited him just last week.

"King know you're here?" Daryl inquired, his former tension easing at the sight of her.

She stared off along the line of trees surrounding his camp. Her eyes dejected. "We've been having problems at home."

He gave her a reassuring smile, as he skinned his squirrel for dinner. "Kingdom's strong. They'll be all right."

She suddenly felt that familiar pit forming in the depth of her stomach. "I meant in my marriage." His sharp gaze surprised her; she hadn't come here to worry him. She sighed softly, part of herself wondering why she came to his camp in the first place. "We had a fight. He got mad and..." She quickly regretted her choice of words as she watched him abandon his dinner and stalk slowly to her side, his stance defensive. He would fight the world for her. Her mind replayed her conversation with Ezekiel. She laughed halfheartedly to herself. "He thinks we're having an affair."

"Who?" he asked, genuine confusion shrouding his face.

Her eyes met his tentatively as she answered, "us."

He narrowed his eyes at her. She couldn't tell if he thought this was a trap or if he was mentally adding this to his list of reasons to dislike the king. "Tell him we're not?"

She stared at him for a long time, the fall breeze blowing her long curls into her vision almost blocking his piercing gaze. "Of course," she muttered at last. "But..."

He stepped closer to her, his eyes searching. "But what?"

"He didn't believe me," she stated somewhat ironically. Her icy eyes locked with his. "He said he's seen the way you look at me. The way we are with each other."

His throat tightened and his eyes fell from hers. "Pfft," he managed to choke out, desperately hoping she'd stop her intrusive pursuit. But as she stepped closer, her hand guiding his face to look at her, he found himself longing to tell her the truth.

"Daryl," she whispered. "I don't care what he thinks." She knew he became easily embarrassed by situations like this, and the last thing she wanted was for things to become awkward between them. "I just figured he and I could use some time away from each other. And I like being close to you. If you'll have me."

He smiled down at her. "Don't mind."

Dog suddenly came rushing in from the trees, shaking off the fallen leaves that clung to his fur. He trotted over at the sound of Carol amused laugh. He gave her hand a nudge as he panted from his recent exertion.

"He likes you," Daryl muttered, returning to prep this morning's catch. "Having squirrel for dinner. Know it's nothing like the fancy shit they feed ya at the Kingdom but I didn't know I'd be havin' company."

"I like your squirrels," she smiled warmly. She made her way over to help him, his scent lingering in the air. "I missed you," she admitted after a while. "It's hard being there after everything. It's not the same. The Kingdom's great. The people are nice. I just...I miss the way it used to be. The group we had. ...Us." She wouldn't dare meet his gaze. "Sometimes I feel like the life I'm living is just some fairytale. And I do love them—I love my family, but they're not..."