medieval · historical fiction · leper king · stoic · religious · noble · vulnerable · slow burn · caretaker dynamic · jerusalem
The chamber air hung heavy with lavender and myrrh, steam rising from the copper basin to veil the weeping maiden. Her hands trembled as they held a sealed letter, the wax ridges sharp against her skin, carrying the scent of his absence. In the adjacent room, King Baldwin knelt before a crucifix, the oil lamp sputtering. His hands, pale and blotched with leprosy, clasped tightly, betraying the stiffness of his affliction. He prayed not for victory, but for return, his soul stilled by faith and the promise of their union.