Fate | Baldwin IV

dealings

Baldwin's POV

The parchment's edges curled beneath my fingertips as I studied the half-formed plan of Kerak, turning the drawings over in my head, as if by doing so the preparations might somehow solidify themselves. I was alone in the empty chamber with its heavy silence and stagnant air in her absence, hunched over the desk. She had gone about her morning routine. I hadn't asked where, or why—it was understood she would follow her own rhythm, and I would follow mine. That's what marriage was like in the court, whether it involved love or not.

I glanced up at the sound of the door creaking open, the guards stepping aside to reveal my mother. Her presence changed the atmosphere immediately, the morning light glinting against the sheen of her dark hair, her posture straight, her chin lifted. She looked beautiful as ever, but her firm stance made it seem as though she was surrounded by spiky thorns, all concealed under that pretty face of hers.

She approached the desk in slow steps, curiosity etched on her features. The door closed behind her with a dull thud, and she halted just a few steps away, her eyes on me, probing for the reason I had called her here. She didn't speak; she didn't need to.

I gestured to the chair across from me, and she moved forward in silence, save for the rustle of her skirts. She lowered herself into the chair, her hands folded neatly in her lap. And then she looked at me with that same intensity, as though she could see past the mask somehow, waiting for whatever it was I had to say.

"Mother, I have something to ask you." My voice broke the quiet at last, and I leaned forward, fingers threading together atop the desk.

The faintest flicker crossed her face, a tightening around her eyes as if she was readying herself for the worst. "What is it?"

"I want to leave Jerusalem for some time."

Her brows furrowed, a line forming between them. "Why?" she asked, her voice shifting from curiosity to concern. "Where will you go?"

"Tyre," I replied simply. "I'll take my wife with me, and I need you to watch over the court, make sure no one tries to undermine me in my absence."

"Don't you think that's too much to ask?" she retorted. "I'm only a woman."

"You're no fool, mother," I said. "I know you have your ways." I leaned back slightly, my gaze narrowing. "Besides, Raymond won't be here. I'm leaving the state's matters to Uncle Joscelin and Sibylla, but I don't trust Guy."

"Guy is nothing but a pawn," she replied, her voice cool. "Sibylla will not betray you."

I shook my head. "I still don't trust him. He oversteps...crosses the line even in my presence. Who knows what he'll do the moment I turn my back?"

She drew in a short breath, shifting slightly in her seat. "What do you want me to do?"

I stared at her for a moment before I spoke firmly. "I assume my uncle will be busy with the preparations for the coronation," I said. "I want you to keep Guy in check. Watch him closely, especially in state matters. Let me know if anything seems amiss."

She looked away, her gaze drifting to the window as she considered the favor. Then she turned to me abruptly, her brows drawn together with concern. "What about you?" she asked. "How will you travel when you're so ill?"

I couldn't help but roll my eyes. "I'm not marching to Tyre," I replied, exasperation slipping into my tone. "I'll take plenty of breaks, and I'll have my physicians with me."

"But the heat..." she protested, her voice rising. "It's too much, you'll be exhausted before you're even halfway there."

"Mama, the heat is unbearable everywhere. Tyre won't be any worse." I tried to reason with her. "In fact, it's worse here."