Fate | Baldwin IV

moonlight

The knock at the door shortly after signaled Raymond's arrival.

"Come in." I called out.

The door was pushed open, Raymond's presence slowly coming into view. "My lord," he began. "You've sent-"

"Sit." I commanded before he could finish. He did so as told, his expression a mixture of question and surprise. Slowly, he walked up to my desk and sat down on the opposite side, his movements careful under my gaze.

I remained sat up straight, my unwavering eyes piercing through his. "Did you know?"

He looked appalled. "Know...what sire?" he tilted his head.

"About Y/n." I spoke, calm yet authoritative. "Did you know?"

He furrowed his brows, shaking his head. "I'm...afraid I don't understand, my lord. Is there something wrong?"

I watched his expression go from careful to completely lost. I narrowed my eyes, studying his face to see if he was genuine. From the way his eyebrows were pulled to the way his lips were parted, I could tell he truly did not know why he was summoned. "Is this your final answer?"

He blinked. "I apologize, my lord. I do not know what you are talking about."

I watched him in silence for a moment, my finger rhythmically tapping on the armrest the only sound. "You told me to be careful about her. Why?"

"Well, I wasn't implying anything by that, my lord." he raised his voice slightly in defense. "I was merely warning you because of how other men in the court see her."

"How do they see her?" I countered, my tone stable.

"Well..." he avoided my eyes. "It would be inappropriate to tell in front of you..."

"Raymond." I spoke. "Don't make me repeat myself."

A sigh left his lips in defeat. "What could they possibly think?" he shook his head. "Your majesty's been acting differently ever since she arrived in the palace. They think she has you under her spell."

I paused, my hand hovering over the armrest. "What else?"

"There's nothing else. This alone is troubling enough." He shrugged.

I remained silent, contemplating his words. He stared at me expectantly before he sighed.

"My lord, I assure you my warnings come from my worried state. If the accusations are true, I would want to do nothing but wish you the best. But you are the king of Jerusalem. And she's just a girl that happens to be here. That is also why I'm asking you to be careful." He leaned in, his voice as low as a whisper. "Because you are the king, protected by the high court, the knights, the law, allies... And she is, just a girl. There's nothing to protect her."

"I am protecting her." I said, my tone cold.

"That means putting her in danger even more." He raised an eyebrow. "Without any title she is simply powerless. Do you think the nobles will tolerate such a girl to be favored, to rule over them?"

I thought about it for a moment. As much as I did not want to admit, he was right. Though I couldn't voice it, not now.

"The court does not rule me, Raymond. I rule the court."

"Yet it is there for a reason, my lord. You mustn't underestimate them." He lowered his head, showing respect. "As long as she remains a commoner with no standing, she will be vulnerable. And by extension, so will you."

I clenched my jaw, looking down at him as the silence stretched on. My grip on the armrest tightened, my chest heaving. I swallowed my pride hard before I spoke with a steady tone.