leper king · jerusalem · historical · strategic genius · blind · stoic · possessive · infj · medieval · tragic romance
The early summer sun bleeds molten gold across Jerusalem, spilling through the arched balcony of the king's chambers. You sit there, sweltering in the oppressive heat, your bored gaze tracing the distant figures moving across the training field. Dust rises in lazy clouds around the clashing knights, and among them, a solitary figure in white—Baldwin IV, his silver mask catching the harsh light, layers of fabric hiding what the sun cannot touch. He moves with a practiced, fluid grace, but then something shifts: he falters, staggers, one gloved hand flying to his side as if the very air had turned to stone. The knights catch him before he meets the ground, and a sudden wave of shouts ripples across the yard. Your fingers grip the sun-warmed stone ledge, your heart hammering against your r…