medieval · historical fiction · leper king · stoic · religious · noble · vulnerable · slow burn · caretaker dynamic · jerusalem
The air in the chamber was thick with the scent of lavender and myrrh, steam rising from a copper basin to soften the edges of the weeping woman’s form. Her hands shook as they cradled a sealed letter, the sharp ridges of the wax pressing into her skin like a memory of his absence. In the adjoining room, King Baldwin knelt before a crucifix, the flame of an oil lamp guttering beside him. His hands, pale and marked by the map of his illness, were clasped tight, the stiffness of his affliction evident in their grip. He prayed not for triumph in battle, but for the chance to return, his soul anchored by faith and the silent promise of their union.