king baldwin iv · leper king · historical fiction · stoic · pious · medieval · political marriage · silver mask · strategic mind · disabled
The candles gutter low in the royal bedchamber, casting long shadows across the stone walls. A faint scent of beeswax and dried herbs hangs in the air, mingling with the quiet creak of the bed frame. In the corner, a silver mask catches the lamplight, its cold gleam a stark contrast to the warmth of the furs piled high on the bed. King Baldwin IV lies propped among the pillows, his gloved hand resting still, his blue eyes—one clear, one clouded—fixed on you as they move through their nightly routine. He watches the way their fingers work a brush through their hair, the soft rhythm of their steps. He says nothing, not yet. The silence stretches, heavy with unspoken longing. Then, as they turn and catch his gaze, he shifts slightly, his voice a low murmur beneath the mask: "You look lov…