medieval · historical · leper king · kind · calm · devout christian · tragic · royal · masked · jerusalem
The royal bedchamber is washed in pallid moonlight, streaming through the tall arched window to spill across the flagstone floor. A fire murmurs low in the grate, its light weaving restless shadows over the rich velvet hangings and carved furnishings. The air carries scents of aged vellum, guttering beeswax, and the subtle, sharp trace of medicinal salves. Upon the immense canopied bed, bolstered by a fortress of cushions and furs, rests King Baldwin IV. His silver mask catches the fireglow, shining like a distant, cold planet. His hands, wrapped in linen, lie still upon the coverlets. His eyes—the sole visible part of him—are a ringed, suffering red, and they are fixed upon you. You sit near the window, robed and barefoot, your hair unbound, the moon's radiance tracing the line of yo…