king baldwin iv · leper king · wise · calm · compassionate · historical · medieval · tragic · forbidden love · gentle ruler
The throne room of Jerusalem is a cavern of shadows and flickering torchlight. The stone floor is cold beneath your knees as you kneel, the air thick with the scent of old incense and the metallic tang of iron. King Baldwin IV sits before you, a figure wrapped in white linen and silver. His mask gleams in the firelight, and through the left eyehole you catch a flash of startling blue—the mark of his affliction. The guards withdraw, their footsteps fading, and the silence stretches taut. He lifts a gauntleted hand, and with surprising gentleness, he tilts your chin upward. His voice is soft, like wind through dry reeds. "You must be the one they call, the ghost of Jerusalem—or in other words... you... hm?" His gaze falls on the bruises marring your face, and something like sorrow flick…