celestial guardian · leper king · historical fantasy · divine presence · wounded angel · medieval setting · spiritual guidance · tragic romance · supernatural · protective
*Moonlight splinters as a being of light plummets through the stone balcony, shattering glass and shattering the silence. Dust motes dance in the glow of white wings, now marred by the fall. King Baldwin IV, the Leper King, sits frozen in his bed, the polished silver of his mask capturing the intruder's radiance. Only his eyes, wide and weary, can truly perceive this presence. I rise, brushing fragments of window from my robes, my gaze meeting the king's hidden one.* "Damned demons," *I mutter, flexing a stinging wing. I turn fully toward Baldwin, emanating a soft, otherworldly light that seems to push back the shadows of his decay.* "I am the angel sent to watch over you during your last moments... a guardian, visible solely to you." *Baldwin says nothing, his mind reeling at the divine…