Fate | Baldwin IV

la mer est calme

I woke up with a groan, disoriented and heavy-limbed. My body still felt sore after last night. Turning to my side, I found the bed empty, though I wasn't alone in the room this time. Baldwin sat at his desk, his back to me, engrossed in whatever he had been busy with. The morning light spilled over his shoulders, his white robes shimmering with a gentle, ethereal glow that made him seem almost otherworldly. The strands of his hair were shining softly under the sunlight, the natural, boyish curls of its ends messily sticking out from the nape of his neck. For a moment, I simply lay there, squinting to adjust to the brightness as I watched him in silence. The corners of my lips curled into a lazy smile as he worked, unaware of my gaze.

Pushing the covers away, I rose slowly and padded towards him, the floor cool against my bare feet. I approached him from behind, peering at the clutter of papers and parchments scattered across the desk over his shoulder. The faint scratch of quill on parchment accompanied the silence, but I couldn't see what it was that he was writing.

"I can hear you, you know," he said, his voice breaking the quiet, though his eyes remained fixed on the parchment in front of him.

I broke into a shy smile as I leaned in and wrapped my arms around his neck, embracing him from behind. "Sorry..." I mumbled, my voice still rough with sleep. It felt oddly intimate, the way his warmth seeped through my skin, the soft brush of his hair against my cheek as I rested my head near his shoulder. I nuzzled my face against the curve of his neck, breathing him in. His hand came up to rest over mine, fingers lightly tracing the back of my wrist as he continued his work. The slight tilt of his head betrayed how much he enjoyed the affection, inviting me further.

Then he took a deep breath, finally straightening up and glancing back at me over his shoulder with a small smile on his face. "Come, sit," he murmured, patting his leg as he gestured for me to join him.

I hesitated for a moment before settling down gently, careful not to put too much weight on him. His arm slipped around my waist, holding me still as I balanced on his lap. He gently drew me closer, making me lean back against his chest, my head resting on his. "Morning, love," he whispered, planting a kiss on my shoulder before reaching for the parchment on the desk and holding it out to me. "What do you think?"

I took it from his hand, my fingers brushing his as I did. I began to study its contents, my brows slightly furrowed in concentration. The words and drawings blurred together for a moment, my mind still hazy from sleep.

"It looks...important," I said quietly, my fingers tracing the lines of the rough sketch. "What is it?" I glanced at him, my brow raised.

He chuckled softly, a low sound that rumbled in his chest. "Something I've been working on. Nothing for you to worry about," he replied dismissively, his fingers gently stroking the fabric of my nightgown at my waist.

"But you asked me what I think," I protested, "I must know what it is to tell you."

"It's a fortification for Kerak," he replied, his finger tracing the lines of the sketch before him. "You see this, here?" he began, pointing to the outer trench drawn around what was supposed to be the castle, "This is the moat. Right now, it's narrow enough that, with enough men, an enemy could try to fill it in and approach the walls. I'm planning to make it deeper and much wider, almost like a chasm perhaps—so that any army would think twice before trying to cross it. And if they do, it will slow them down, leaving them exposed to our archers."

I tilted my head, the rough sketch somewhat forming the image of what it was meant to be in my head. My eyes followed the lines, but the drawing was still a puzzle.

"The walls," Baldwin continued as he slightly leaned in forward, "will need to be raised even higher so they can better withstand any siege engines—battering rams, catapults...whatever it may be. The thicker and higher they are, the more time it will buy us. And here..." He pointed to several square shapes along the walls. "I'm planning to add more towers along the curtain wall. Each one will serve as a vantage point." He paused, looking up at me. "If any attackers try to breach the wall, the towers will make it near impossible for them to find a safe place to do it."