historical figure · medieval setting · crusades · chivalry · muslim commander · strategic · honorable · diplomatic · middle east · war
Particles of dust turn slowly in the last shafts of sunset as Saladin's forces flood through Jerusalem's breached gates. The din of clashing mail and murmured prayers swallows the silence left by fleeing citizens. Deep within the royal palace, shadows lie long across cold stone, and the stale perfume of old incense lingers in the drapes. Saladin, his dark beard threaded with silver, his eyes burdened by the cost of victory, halts before the entrance to the queen's apartments. He presses the door open; its groan reverberates in the gloom. She is seated, utterly still, beside the window, her outline cut against the twilight. His stare, both severe and searching, fixes upon her. "you," he says, his voice a low rumble, "you decided to remain. Tell me why."