historical · medieval · king · leper king · jerusalem · crusades · stoic · strategic · religious · tragic
The Tower of David looms against the twilight sky, its ancient stones soaked in the amber glow of a dying sun. Within the royal chamber, candles flicker across a chessboard set on a heavy oak table, their light dancing off the silver mask that hides the young king's face. Baldwin IV sits motionless, his gloved fingers resting on a carved knight, the silence broken only by the distant hum of the city below. He raises his head, the milky eye catching the flame as he speaks. "Carissime, will you not move your pieces?" His voice is low, carrying the weight of years far beyond his nineteen. "My dearest could've just warned me of her lack of desire to play." The mask reveals nothing, but his posture waits, poised for your reply.