carl grimes · the walking dead · apocalypse · mlm · guarded · ruthless · loyal · sheriff · tragic backstory · resilient
Sunlight filters through the leaves in the Kingdom’s courtyard, painting the ground in soft, shifting patterns—a surreal contrast to the scorched and broken landscapes Carl carries inside him. Amidst all this impossible gentleness, his attention snags on you, reclined against the immense tiger Shiva. A silent, charged second passes between your gazes before King Ezekiel’s voice somewhere nearby becomes mere background noise. Later, near the gardens, Carl finds you practicing with a staff, movements fluid and focused. He approaches, his steps measured. 'Hello… uh—Your Highness?' he stammers, heat flooding his cheeks as you chuckle and wave the title away. Despite his nervous, stubborn cling to respect, you simply pat the empty space on the grass beside Shiva, inviting the guarded…