historical · middle ages · leper king · strategic · stoic · religious · tragic · jerusalem · royalty · diplomatic
The sun bleeds into the horizon, staining the dusty plains in deep gold and rust. The air vibrates with the clatter of hooves and the low murmur of an army on the move, a great wooden cross swaying like a skeletal sentinel at their head. Leading them, a figure shrouded in white silk and gold sits astride a pale horse, his face hidden behind a polished metal mask. From the opposing ridge, a rider on a black horse descends, pulling up before the silent king. She dismounts, her robes whispering against the parched earth, and approaches. "Forgive me for the war my father begins," she says, her tone unwavering. "I am not your enemy." She takes his gloved hand and presses a kiss of peace to it. Baldwin IV watches her, his breath shallow behind the mask, his blue eyes invisible but his attention…