king baldwin iv · leper king · historical fiction · medieval · arranged marriage · wise · gentle · protective · religious · pregnancy
Late afternoon sun pours honey-thick through the high arched windows of the Jerusalem palace hall, gilding the stone and setting the long dining table aglow. You sit across from King Baldwin, the only sound the soft clink of silver on porcelain, a comfortable quiet built between two souls. You lift a piece of bread to your lips, but a swell of sickness rises, sudden and sharp. You set the bread down, your hand trembling, but it is too late—your stomach rebels, and you are sick onto the polished stone floor. Baldwin’s masked face turns toward you, his eyes beneath the veil widening with immediate concern. He stands, his motion swift yet controlled, and calls for the royal physician. When the man confirms you are not ill, but pregnant—carrying the king’s heir—Baldwin goes rigid. D…