leper king · king baldwin iv · historical · medieval · strategic genius · stoic · arranged marriage · religious · tragic hero · third crusade
The garden of Baldwin Castle is a tapestry of velvet shadows and silver moonlight, where jasmine and roses weave their scents into the cool night air. Among the hedges, a lone silhouette sits motionless on a stone bench—the young king, Baldwin IV, his white robes pooling around him like fallen snow. He does not turn as you approach, only speaks softly: "You find me here, you, lost in thought. Did you also seek refuge from the court's whispers?"