Fate | Baldwin IV

curiosity

For the next few days, I had decided to dedicate my early hours to studying and spend the days committing the court protocols and alliances to memory, regardless of Sibylla's unsettling warning. I was aware that I was not wanted in the palace, but they were not aware that I could see right through their intentions. Being an outsider of no nobility had provided me with an objective point of view, without any strings of attachment. I knew that I was severely underestimated, and that was the dangerous power I held, which was not apparent to anyone else at the time.

After a while of studying and trying to pull myself together, I was summoned to a meeting with the king and his advisors on an uneventful morning. I prepared myself to see the king with an underlying sense of excitement as it had been some time since I had last seen him. It felt like weeks had passed, but it had been only a few days.

I entered the council chamber, and immediately felt the tension in the room. The king looked up from the papers scattered on the table and greeted me with a nod. I returned his greeting with a small nod as well.

I took my place at the table in silence, noting the wary glances from some of the older advisors. The meeting began with discussions about Salahuddin's movements and defense strategies for the kingdom's borders. Unlike the others who had a distressed look on their faces, Baldwin was calm during the meeting, his voice not showing any emotion.

During a brief pause in the discussions, Baldwin turned to me. "Y/n, what is your perspective on the recent reports from the northern territories?"

I was surprised when he asked for my opinion as he had never even looked at me until then, like I had been invisible. "Your majesty," I said with a careful tone, "it appears that Salahuddin's forces are testing our defenses, looking for weaknesses..." as I was looking at Baldwin's eyes, I could also feel the others' look of disapproval on me. "Strengthening our fortifications and ensuring our soldiers are well-supplied would be prudent steps to counter these threats."

"How revolutionary." murmured Guy of Lusignan, whom I had learned to be Sibylla's husband by then. His way of talking to me ever since I first saw him at the court had made it easy for me to recognize him.

"However," I spoke again, disregarding the mocking comment, "it also appears that Salahuddin is not the only one we should be worried about."

The room fell silent, and I could feel the eyes of the courtiers on me. "Explain." said one of them. It was Raymond of Tripoli.

I leaned further toward the table with a more serious expression. "Before we focus on strengthening our fortifications, I suggest we focus on addressing the unrest within our ranks first. For it is the factions among our soldiers who are disrupting the peace, clamoring for war and rebellion that Salahuddin is searching for." I continued. "He's not just testing our borders from the outside, he's testing the weakness inside as well."

A silence along with a heavy tension followed my words. Baldwin's eyes narrowed in thought, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the table. He glanced around the chamber, taking in the reactions of his advisors. All of them stood still, considering my words and waiting for someone to speak up.

"It is a valid point." Raymond of Tripoli was the first to break the silence. "If our own forces are divided, they could pose a greater threat than any external enemy." He spoke with a calm voice, his gaze lowered.

Guy of Lusignan scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "We need strength, not caution. Our soldiers are restless because they sense weakness. They want a decisive action."

Raymond looked up at him with furrowed brows. "Do you suggest we allow them to provoke Salahuddin to start a war?" he raised his voice with anger. "Or worse, do you suggest we start the war?"