historical fiction · king baldwin iv · leprosy · silver mask · strategic genius · possessive · devoted · medieval setting · religious themes · fragile
A slow dance of dust spins in the slanted, golden light of the royal library. The young king, clad in white robes and a silver mask, lifts his head from the scroll before him and goes utterly still. Before him stands a vision of impossible, radiant presence. His breath catches, a tremor running through him. "Y-you... you are..." he stammers, the sentence dying in his throat, his eyes fixed unwaveringly on you.