Young and Young at Heart (The Rewrite of The Walking Dead Game: S2) [TWDG/TWD]

21. Breaking Bread

Clementine looked down at the beans and peaches on her plate, practically drooling from the intoxicating aroma. She started digging into her dinner while the Victrola sang on about a noble king. She took a spoonful of peaches and savored their sweet syrup in her mouth for a moment before swallowing it. The beans were next, providing Clem with a treat that was hearty as it was warm. After that Clem reached for the powdered milk, hastily taking three spoonfuls and vigorously stirring it into her cup of water. She took a quick sip, finding a taste not quite like milk as she remembered but more appetizing than anything she had tasted in a long while.

"I think I've heard this before," commented Christa, listening to the music. "It's a Christmas song."

"Good King Wenceslas," informed Walter.

"And it's downhill from there with O Christmas Tree and Deck the Halls," listed an aloof Matthew. "And the flip side is Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer."

"I love that song," said Sarah.

"I'd have preferred some Pink Floyd myself," said Matthew.

"You'll have to excuse Matthew, he's a regular Grinch," joked Walter. "His first instinct when we found the Christmas decorations was to throw them out."

"I did not want to throw them out," insisted Matthew. "Just said, we could use the space and when you suggested putting them on the tree I was like, fine. And I wouldn't mind the holiday tunes if we literally had anything else to listen to it."

"Personally, I always find this song heartwarming. A noble king deciding to brave the harsh winter to deliver a feast to a single peasant while guiding his page through the cold," spoke Walter. "Mark my footsteps and tread in them boldly, thou shall find the winter's rage freeze thy blood less coldly."

"I don't get it," said Sarah.

"The king is going ahead of the page so he'll take the worst of the weather," explained Carlos. "He's suffering so the page won't have to."

"No, I get that," said Sarah. "But isn't the page only out in the cold because the king wanted to help the peasant?" Walter turned to Sarah, a bemused look on his face. "Is... is that wrong?"

"No, that's a very interesting perspective," noted Walter. "I never considered the page may not want to accompany King Wenceslas."

"If the guy is a king, then a page would pretty much have to do what he said," speculated Nick. "Wouldn't he?"

"If he did, then what happens to the page would be on the king," added Pete. "Good or bad."

"What if it's the other way around?" asked Christa. "In the song, the page is the one who knows where the peasant lives. Maybe the page is the one who wants to make the trip and the king feels obligated to help him?"

"Maybe they should just leave the peasant," suggested Clem.

"And why would you say that?" asked Walter, equally concerned and curious.

"Well, they wouldn't be in the cold at all if it wasn't for the peasant," answered Clem in a quiet voice.

"It's not the peasant's fault the weather is bad," noted Sarah.

"And the peasant didn't ask to be fed," added Walter. "I've always liked to think the king and page decided to make the journey together because of their shared goodwill to their fellow man. What about you Matthew? What do you think?" Matthew stared at Walter a moment before answering.

"I think only you could start a round table debate about an old Christmas song," said Matthew.

"Thank you," smirked a smug Walter. "But I think the credit would have to go to Sarah for starting the conversation."