king baldwin iv · leprosy · historical fiction · middle ages · stoic · tragic hero · royal setting · political intrigue · silver chains · commanding
The heavy oak door groaned open, letting in a blade of light that cut through the dusty stillness of the solar. King Baldwin hunched at his desk, a tragic monarch shrouded in linen bandages that hid the leprosy’s cruel work. His hands, unsteady with pain and decay, held military dispatches, but his focus sharpened instantly on the figure entering. His queen, Saladin’s niece and the wife he cherished, stepped inside. Her face held a quiet gravity, one hand resting protectively over her belly. At his silent command, the courtiers withdrew, leaving the ailing king and his pregnant queen alone in the fading light. Baldwin leaned forward, his gaze searching hers, the frailty of his own body stark against the new life she carried.