No Sanctuary For Old Men [18+] |Negan| ✔️ Complete

XLVII • Stalking Prey

Daphne smiled warmly, to keep up the pretense that she was enjoying a nice dance with the King's friend.

"I'm here for Carol." Her voice was low and menacing despite her bright expression, and Morgan blinked at her in surprise.

"She's not here," he said stiffly.

"Of course she's not." The tall woman sighed, batting her eyelashes at him. "And of course you don't know where she is, do you?"

"No," he replied immediately, eyes hard.

"Convenient," she said icily, all while throwing a demure smile at Ezekiel as their dance turned her to face him. "You know she deserves what's coming to her. A man who is so against killing, protecting a woman who murdered my friends in cold blood?"

Morgan avoided her gaze as she focused on him. "She's suffering for her sins, if that makes you feel any better. She isolated herself, is torturing herself with the people she's killed. She said she can't even kill the dead ones without seeing the faces of the lives she's taken."

"It's a little bit comforting," Daphne admitted with a small shrug of her shoulders. "But I'd rather see it for myself."

The song came to an end, and their movements slowed. She dug her fingernails into his shoulder a little harder than necessary until he met her eyes, sad brown orbs capturing frozen blue. "If you think about breathing a word of this to the King, know that we have Daryl and Maggie back at the Sanctuary, and we own Alexandria. And don't think for a second that I will hesitate to tell Ezekiel where you've come from and what you've done." She stepped back from him and curtsied with a shy smile as thanks for the dance. "If you will excuse me, kind sir, I fancy a romp around the dance floor with the Prince for his birthday," she said, loudly enough for bystanders to hear.

He bowed low, and upon straightening, his eyes pleaded with her.

"Don't put the boy in danger," he whispered, the demand having lost its momentum with the shakiness of his voice.

"I would never put an innocent boy in danger," she said quietly, and brushed her lips against his cheek as she passed, pausing only to ghost them over his ear as she continued, "I'm not an Alexandrian monster."

Morgan fled the dance floor as soon as she was past him, relinquishing his weapon from the security officer. He stood tall next to him, though his eyes were deep with guilt and fear.

Daphne found Benjamin laughing with his father, cheeks red with merriment and the wine he'd already imbibed.

"It appears you are a man now, young Benjamin," she greeted him. "Care to show an old lady how to dance?"

"You're hardly old, my lady," he swallowed hard at her forwardness, and Ezekiel boomed a laugh.

"Well done, my boy!" He clapped his son on the back. "Benjamin, this is our guest Daphne, from the Sanctuary."

The young man took her hand and brushed his lips gently over her knuckles, much like his father had done upon meeting her earlier that day.

"You of royal blood have impeccable manners," Daphne said with a blush and a giggle.

Ezekiel grinned as his son led her to the dance floor, where he led her in a slightly clumsy waltz. It was a little more upbeat than her dance with Morgan, but not as robust as it had been with the King.

"Are you a Savior?" Benjamin asked, and then looked slightly horrified with himself for blurting out the question.

"It's okay, you can be cool with me," Daphne assured him, and he relaxed a touch. "And yes, I am."

"I admire the Saviors," he admitted, blush deepening. "My father had a tour of the Sanctuary a while back, and I got to go. Negan's very organized, and his men are tough. The women, too. There was one woman that seemed to glare at us the entire time we were there... scary." He bit his lip, seemingly trying to keep from rambling any longer.

Daphne laughed. "That would be Arat," she said good-naturedly. "She can be very scary. But she's fun when you get to know her." She slid her arm a little further around his neck as the tempo sped up, to be able to speak with him better. "I'm flattered you admire us. I must say after meeting your father and getting to see the Kingdom I admire your people as well."

"We're a bit old fashioned, but it's a good life here," he said proudly. "A place worth defending."

"That it is." She smiled. "And that's a very wise outlook for one so young."

"I don't know about wise." Benjamin glanced at Morgan, who was staring at them, looking uncomfortable. "Was Morgan...did you say something to Morgan?"

"I don't think he trusts me just yet," Daphne said with a small sigh. "Rumours fly in the apocalypse, and sometimes reputations precede us whether we want them to or not."

"I could speak with him, if you like," the boy offered, and she smiled at him warmly.

"That's sweet of you to offer, but it's all right," she assured him. "He is entitled to his opinion, and all I can do is be myself and hope that eventually we'll see eye to eye. He is a strong man with some very useful skills to pass on to you."

The music started to drift off again, and their movements slowed.

"Thank you for the dance, gentle lady," Benjamin said with a smile, kissing her hand again.

"T'was a pleasure, young sir," she replied, and left him with a shy blushing girl that was much more age appropriate for him to be dancing with.

"He's a good boy," Ezekiel murmured from behind her, none of the royal bravado in his deep voice.

Daphne took a step back so she was standing next to him. "He has a good role model." She slipped her arm through his and patted his bicep, looking up at him with a smile.

Later that night, Daphne flopped on her plush guest bed, body tired from travel, dancing, and standing up ramrod straight for hours on end. Playing Queen was as physically demanding as it was mentally.

"Letty, come back, over," she said quietly into her radio, turning the volume down low.

"All well, Lieutenant, go to sleep, over," came the almost amused sounding reply. She must have heard the festivities, or been told by one of the Kingdom scouts what was going on.

"G'nite," Daphne whispered, and rolled onto her side, radio still in hand. She knew she should take off the dress, but the bed was too comfortable.

And all she could think about were Negan's rough hands tearing it from her warm body.