In the world of The Walking Dead, Ezekiel might hold the title of King but it’s Carol who is running the show and that’s exactly how it should be.

A recent conversation on Twitter started me thinking about the nature of Carol’s relationship to Ezekiel. Some fans of The Walking Dead are adamant that Carol’s marriage doesn’t define who she is, and that’s absolutely true. Carol is her own woman who has survived this long because she is master and commander of her own destiny. So when it comes to her marriage to Ezekiel, the Queen is the one who defines the King.

When Carol first met Ezekiel she laughed at him. Sure, she was recovering from an injury but seeing a man sitting on a throne with a pet tiger would give anyone as tough as Carol a fit of giggles. Later, when Ezekiel was able to sit down and talk to Carol she started to understand that the world Ezekiel created was meant to convey a sense of order to people who needed something to believe in. The King was just a figurehead, but it worked.

In the first few episodes of season 9 it was clear that Ezekiel and Carol had been together for a while. In the roughly 18 months since the conclusion of All Out War the two characters deepened a bond that had formed when Carol saved Ezekiel and helped him to keep going after he lost his people and his tiger.

From the start, it was always Ezekiel who was in awe of Carol. He admired her strength and tenacity. It’s why he kept courting her even when she tried to push him away. Carol has lost enough over the years to fuel the belief that being alone is best, but seeing her with a son and husband after all this time proves that she might have that one wrong. Everyone needs people, and Carol has people now. She also has Daryl in her life and she’s happy for that, too.

(Author’s note: I fully support the opinions and viewpoints of both Team Caryl and Team Carzekiel. Since Carol is presently married to the King on the show, that’s my focus. If that changes, then I’ll focus on her new status.)

Though she might not love the title of Queen, Carol loves her husband the title comes with the marriage. But when it comes to the person in charge, Carol is the one leading the way. She’s the one talking with Hilltop. She’s the one guiding Ezekiel. Prior to meeting Carol Ezekiel kept his own counsel, and then he lost a great deal in the war. Carol was there to help him recover. Having Carol there to guide the community is something that makes Ezekiel proud.

To help the people of the Kingdom, Carol must lead them. She doesn’t have to call herself the Queen, but she is the Queen and as such people will look to her for guidance. If anything, the Queen is the one defining the King in the new age of the Kingdom, and together they are working to make the Kingdom a better place. They have a special relationship, one where they understand each other.

Carol can’t change Ezekiel’s larger than life persona, and he can’t change who she is. They’re not trying to change each other. They’re celebrating each other. And that’s how it should be.