#guy de lusignan

[nebbyy]

King Baldwin IV x reader - I’ll be waiting for you

A/N: Well, how could I not make another fic for King Baldwin when the other one I made is my most liked post yet, so I decided to write this little pieceee. Sooo I guess I should warn y'all that this one will be a little less historically accurate (not that the first one was that great of a historical piece but you get the idea). Oh and as usual, this fic came into my mind the moment I saw the painting just below (which is "the Reconciliation of the Montagues and Capulets Over the Dead Bodies of Romeo andJuliet" by sir Frederic Leighton)Now enough chatting, more King Baldwin brainrot. 

Summary: in a desperate attempt to protect his kingdom after having punished Reynald de Chatillon, the king is exhausted and the long ride has increasingly worsened his already wary condition. Once he’s escorted back to the palace, his loving wife wastes no time to reunite with her beloved husband.

Warnings: kinda angsty (no happy ending tbh), vague descriptions of Baldwin’s illness related wounds. Also, reader specifically described as female.

Word count: 3209

You sat on your throne, high and proud like the royalty you were. But under the facade of your noble confidence, you felt small. Smaller than ever, actually, as the yelling of all the men in front of you filled the air and rose up to the open sky. With a simple, reckless act, Reynald de Chatillon and Guy de Lusignan had just screwed years of efforts that King Baldwin had spent trying to maintain that delicate peace that required so many lives and time to build. All washed away from the raging river that were Reynald and Guy. 

While the two men tried to defend their senseless attack, backed by a substantial group of men, another opposing group shouted at them, berating them for the offense they had given not only to Saladin but also to Jerusalem itself.

You sigh, fighting the urge to cover your ears, and curl into your own body; you opt to just turn your head and look at your beloved husband. He looked to be in a similar state as you were: although his face was now fully covered -a means of hiding the decaying state of his leprosy-ridden body- his head was bent with weary alertness, like a hawk watching its prey from a distance. You watched his body, languidly seated on his much larger throne, the only sitting position that brought him no discomfort, though it looked almost more like he was about to lie down. 

It broke your heart to see how that disease had ravaged Baldwin's body, in recent years more and more. To see him there, on the same throne on which he once sat tall and proud, while now he barely had the strength to stay upright. And you knew he was thinking the very same thing.

You were about to open your mouth, whisper something to him, anything, in order to shake him out of his thoughts and that chaotic situation, but you were interrupted in your actions by an official, who rushed to the king's side, handing him a scroll. His bandaged hands clumsily opened the scroll, and you found salvation from the noise of the room by concentrating on watching Baldwin read carefully. You watched his eyes, blue as the sky and like the waves of the sea that brought you to the Holy Land, now covered with a pale glassy glaze. 

You frowned when you heard Baldwin freeze in place, even his sitting became more erect, as if a cube of ice had slid down his back. With his gaze still fixed on the words written in that letter, he merely raised his hand slightly, a clear sign of his will.

"SILENCE!" his guard's shout resounded through the hall, overpowering the furious shouts of the men who had been barking at each other for hours now. They all turned to look at the king; their faces, a few moments ago darkened and wrinkled with anger, were now smooth and relaxed, their eyebrows raised in astonishment at their king's order. Funny, you thought, how these men because of your husband's condition sometimes simply forget how much power he possessed over them. Before it was as if he wasn't even in the room, and they were all playing at being great leaders, now there they were, staring at him, motionless as statues, submissive as ants. You curled your nose discreetly, your face a mixture of disgust and contempt. Pathetic, you thought.

After what seemed like an eternity, Baldwin finally looked up at the crowd in front of him, finally revealing what it was that had shocked him so much. "Saladin has crossed the Jordan with 200000 men," silence fell, and you felt your body going numb. Your ears seemed muffled, you could barely perceive what was happening around you. At that moment you felt so much fear for your kingdom, and concern for Baldwin and what this impending attack would cost him.

And anger, against those two fools who out of sheer vanity had endangered the lives of all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. They had put Jerusalem itself at risk; they had put Baldwin at risk.

I was brought to attention by Baldwin, who was struggling to pull himself up from his throne, walking toward his most trusted man. "We must meet him before he reaches Kerak. I will lead the army," your husband's voice was hushed and soft, so that only the man in front of him could hear. But it did not escape your ears, the implication those words had: Baldwin wants to stop Saladin, and he wants to do it himself. But this could cost him his life. 

You couldn't stop yourself; you jumped up from your seat, eyes wide in an expression somewhere between fear and surprise. Baldwin turned to look at you, the woman who always took his breath away at the mere sight of how beautiful she was. You did not fail to have that effect on him again this time, but not because of your beauty: in your eyes he saw your terror, that this was the last time you would see him alive. They hypnotized him, and begged him in a silent prayer not to leave, to give up this plan, have an ambassador sent, anyone else. Hell, let him send Guy himself to intercept the Saracen, let him be beheaded and his murder settle the account that he himself opened. But the storm of emotion in your eyes contrasted with the gentle stream of emotion flowing from your eyes

But the storm of emotions in your eyes contrasted with the gentle stream of emotions flowing from Baldwin's eyes, barely visible because of the cover concealing his tortured face. He too, through them, was silently pleading with you: but he was asking you to trust, to let go and follow his plan, to try to forget for at least a moment all the warnings the Physicians had given him over the years.

Eventually, you relented, turning your gaze away and opting to stare at a random spot in the corner of the room. Baldwin gave a silent sigh and closed his eyes for a moment, a sign of gratitude, although you could not see it. He turned to the men of his court, and with the little strength his body afforded him, he spoke in a loud, determined voice: "Assemble the army and protect the city."

All this reminded you of the last time Baldwin fought Saladin: he had barely completed his seventeenth year, and young and still full of life, he was ready to ride against the invincible Saracen king. But on that day God had been more merciful. He had granted you, if nothing else, one last night to spend with your husband, had given you the gift of a minimum of time to ensure that you bid Baldwin a proper farewell before he met what could well have been his end. Instead this time, you barely had time to briefly remove the thick veil from his face to give him a fleeting kiss and exchange a handful of words. You fought back the tears as you looked at him, opting instead to bring your hand to his cheek, the flesh of his lip having receded and decayed to such an extent that it had receded down to his cheek, eventually turning into a long scar that protruded down to his cheekbone.

"Let me go with you, I will wait for you at the castle of Reynald de Chatillon-" "No. It is too dangerous. If things go wrong with the negotiations, I don't want you or my sisters anywhere near that man." It was not often that Baldwin interrupted you while you were speaking. He respected you too much to not allow you to finish your sentences, so the fact that he did just now spoke of how important this was to him. 

"Then promise me you’ll come back to me. Safe and sound." He snorted softly, giving a hint of smile before copping his face with his hardened hands, "You know I can’t promise it." You know that, but that blatant honesty of his, which you always loved so much, was not what you wanted at the time. No, you wanted reassurance, no matter how truthful, no matter how worthless his promises may be at the end of the day, You need that fleeting distraction that mitigates the fear that’s been eating you from the inside since Baldwin put on his armor. May you risked never seeing him again.

"Please just say it." Your voice came out much softer than you meant, almost less than a whisper, perhaps because of the knot in your throat, which threatened to break free carrying a river of tears. For a moment he remained silent, turning suddenly his face towards the voice of a nobleman who called him from the entrance of his room, but did not even dignify him with an answer. After all, his attention was completely turned to his world. To you. Before I answered you, I drew your head to his with my hands, so that I could place his forehead against yours. Finally, he spoke softly, in that loving tone that he reserved only for you: "Then I promise you that I will return to you in no more than three days, and when I return I will be victorious, and I will be riding."

After that, that moment between the two of you, which so much looked like a heartbreaking farewell, lasted just before Baldwin had to go to his horse to guide his men to the enemy.

And it wasn’t long before the harsh reality became clear to you: he had lied to you. Not maliciously, of course, you were the one who begged him to say those words after all. But the fact is that three days became four, that news of the army of Jerusalem had not come any more, that the last thing you heard of your husband was that only the ride had already tried his weakened body.

Another day passed, then another, and at the dawn of the fourth day since his absence you felt your heart sink. Had something happened to him? Had the negotiations failed? What if his illness had suddenly got the better of him? Or worse, Saladin and his men had shot him, stabbed him, or yet again captured and publicly executed,…

Your mind began to spiral into an ocean of possible reasons behind this delay, and you swore that your breathing had finally stopped once and for all when a messenger on horseback arrived at the palace, frantically dismounting from his steed to rush into the throne room and bring you the message: "The negotiations were successful, but the king is in critical condition! He is returning to Jerusalem on a canopy," you dismissed the man with a slight wave of your hand, so weak that you almost looked numbed; Baldwin's advisors began to chatter, but the background murmur of their murmurs did not seem to reach your ears. No, your attention was elsewhere; it was entirely on your husband.

You took your leave of the court, hurrying to your rooms. There, like a hawk waiting impatiently for prey to feed on, you perched on the balcony overlooking the city below you, on the walls from which not many days ago Baldwin had emerged leading the army.

It was there that you began to think again, this time with a clearer mind as you knew that at least Baldwin was alive and on his way home. On his way to you. Still, this whole situation reminded you of when you were only sixteen years old, and you stood on that balcony as you do now, waiting to see Baldwin return on his horse. And on that day, when he was visible to the naked eye, and your eyes met, you saw all the life and strength of one who had just defeated the greatest enemy of his time. At that moment, he seemed almost immortal to you: he looked like a god riding proudly, leading the thousands of men behind him towards their home.

How unfair fate is, to cut short his life so early. His physicians gave him no more than thirty years, but that time seemed to you to be shortened even more when you finally caught sight of his canopy. There he lay, sprawled and motionless like a dead body, surrounded by the soft cushions and riders on either side of his transport.

Just two years ago such a journey would not have fatigued him in the least; now he was risking his life just by riding a horse. Your eyes threatened to fill with tears thinking about how much he had loved riding a horse, and now he found himself bedridden, unable in his passions. You wasted no time running through the palace corridors, eager to reach your beloved as soon as possible.

One turn to the right, then another, then down the steps, and finally straight to the palace doors, where the finely decorated canopy led the love of your life.

You rushed to his side, gently taking his mutilated hand in yours while the other stroked his masked face. He breathed faintly, his eyes closed as he tried to regain his strength after his disease had dealt him this last bludgeon. Feeling your gentle touch, Baldwin's eyes fluttered open, his glassy eyes the color of heaven meeting yours.

"You've been reckless, my love. Putting your life at risk just to do the job of a messenger!" you scolded him, but Baldwin only smiled fondly at your words. "I promised you I would've come back. And that I did, alive too." Although his voice was so weak that it sounded more like a huff of air rather than a sentence, its tone was still laced with playfulness.

It made you unable to resist the smile that was threatening to form on your lips; you did not grace him with an answer yet, opting instead to move your hand to remove the silver mask from his face. You could see his surprised and relieved expression, as he was now finally able to breathe more freely and to look at you properly. He breathed in the sight of you, almost as if trying to take in as much of you as he could. "I can't tell if it's the travel or the sight of you that takes my breath away."

You just smiled bitterly and shook your head at his silly declarations, "It must be the ride, it has tired you so much that it's making you speak nonsense." he giggled weakly, much more tiredly this time, almost as if he was about to doze off. But he fought the tiredness nonetheless, opting to just shake his head and admire you with a lovestruck look. "Maybe I am hallucinating, I think I'm seeing heaven above me."

It was supposed to be a compliment that would've made you giggle and blush, like the ones that he showered you with daily. But instead, it made your heart clench at the bare idea of it. The idea that this would be his last moments before the energies spent for this expedition would be too much for him to handle, and God will reclaim his most virtuous man. It made your throat tighten, and your lower lip tremble.

You tried to hide your troubled state, moving your hand quickly to the curve of his neck. There, you placed a soft, butterfly-like kiss on the little places of skin that haven't been mutilated and bloodied by the leprosy. You kissed him one more time, then another, and another again..

In the end, you lost count of how many kisses you had given him, in a desperate attempt to mend your premature grief, to ground yourself in the feeling that Baldwin is there. He is alive. Yet the feeling of his skin against yours, of his chest rising up and down and his arms weakly holding your soft body, it wasn't enough to stop the tears to start flowing down your cheeks.

And that didn't go unnoticed to Baldwin, who mustered all his strength left to hold you just a little tighter. "Have my words upset you?" you sniffled, trying to recollect yourself before lifting your head to look into his eyes. "No, my dear, you could never. I just-" you stopped for a second, trying to swallow down the lump that had formed in your throat, "promise me this is the last time. Please, tell me that you will stop this nonsense. Let your trusted men handle these matters, command your man like a king not a general!" your hands had moved to his arms, a gesture to both ground yourself and to accentuate just how desperate you were in that moment, only wanting him to just listen.

"I beg of you, my love, stay here. Where you can rest. We both know that you don't have much more time left to live, so stop doing everything in your power to shorten it anymore." A sob slipped from your mouth at the last part. It truly astonished you how careless he seemed about his own condition, almost as if he forgot that any move could be the death of him.

He frowned and sighed at your words, squeezing your forearms softly before he spoke softly. This time though his tone was clearer, less weakened by the outcomes of the past days. "I already spoke to the physician about this: I have no choice, my angel. I'll be bound to my bed until a miracle will better my condition, or until death will take me."

You shut your eyes in relief, resting your forehead against his and sighing shakily, trying to recompose yourself. "I can't live in a world without you.."

"God will give us more time. I promise I won't leave you as long as I breathe on this earth. And. when my time will be over and there will be no future for us in this life, I'll be waiting for you in heaven, if I'll be granted the blessing of a place next to you there."

Not too long after, the physicians that Saladin had promised him arrived at the palace, and you were assisted as they tended to Baldwin's many wounds caused by his sickness. More than the sight of the gruesome pieces of open flesh, what appalled you was just how numb his body had become, so much so that he did not even feel their hands and tools working into his skin. It made you wonder wether or not he even felt your kisses from before.

And you make yourself that same question months later, when you place one last kiss into his forehead as he slept soundly before going to bed yourself, only to wake up to a cold body beside you. You wonder if he ever got to feel that last gesture of love before God had finally claimed him.

You only found solace in the thought that Baldwin would be resting in the realms of heaven above your head, contrary to what the Saracens believe.

A/N: Wowww this gets more fun by the day!! King Baldwin will probably always be my favorite character to write for. He’s my muse. As always ill be waiting for your feedbacks!!!

Oh and also, be prepared in the future for more fics waiting to be posted, I’ve got about ten that are just waiting for the right time to come to light, and many more will come in the future since I’m really finding it therapeutic to write.

#writers on tumblr #angst #fluff #my fic #king baldwin x reader #kingdom of heaven #king baldwin iv #reynald de chatillon #guy de lusignan #reader insert #f!reader #historical fiction #fanfic #x yn #x reader

[noughticalcrossings]

Kingdom of Heaven

#kingdom of heaven #tiberias #baldwin iv #sibylla of jerusalem #raynald de chatillon #guy de lusignan #Saladin #imad ad din #balian of ibelin #godfrey of ibelin #the hospitaller #raymond iii of tripoli #my art #fanart #this started as a sketch dump and rapidly spiralled out of control

[incorrect-koh-posts]

KINGDOM OF HEAVEN (2005) + letterboxd gems

#kingdom of heaven 2005 #ridley scott #baldwin iv #balian of ibelin #raymond iii of tripoli #salah ad din #guy de lusignan #sibylla of jerusalem #reynald of chatillon #godfrey of ibelin #orlando bloom #edward norton #jeremy irons #liam neeson #eva green #marton csokas #brendan gleeson #ghassan massoud #nikolaj coster waldau #movie memes #kingdom of heaven shitposting #letterboxd

[aurianavaloria]

The KoH fans know...

#kingdom of heaven #kingdom of heaven 2005 #guy de lusignan #koh #funny #meme #my meme

[terendelev]

“What is Jerusalem worth?”

“Nothing... Everything.”

#kingdom of heaven #guy de lusignan #baldwin iv #necroticpetals #userzahrahydris #userrivensbane #sorry for all those KoH gifs lmao... but this movie lives rent free in my head #my edits

[tobeahundred]

im sorry i had to

#guy de lusignan #kingdom of heaven

[kingbaldwinthe4th]

Patriarch Heraclius may not be typically depicted as a villain but I just don't like him 😑

#kingdom of heaven #meme #i'm just bored #villain #Reynald de chatillion #Guy de lusignan #salahuddin ayub #heraclius #king baldwin iv #baldwin iv #the leper king #i'm so funny

[guby1620]

Guy wake up and choose to be disrespectful :))

for context : 🡫

Guy is funny, funny man.

#baldwin iv #kingdom of heaven #koh #guy de lusignan #i like that even tho Baldwin is so angry #his writting still pretty :)))

[raindrops666]

Baldwin IV x reader Angst!

Warnings: Angst, Guy says a bad word

///////////////////////////////////////

After three years of being married to your love Baldwin IV, he asks you to a private chat

"My dear, you wanted to speak to me" you said popping your head into the room.

"Yes I do" Baldwin replied quietly with a sigh leaving his covered mouth.

Sitting in front of your husband you give him a gentle smile, as a sign for him to tell you what was the matter.

" (Name) we need to get an annulment " Baldwin said

At that moment you could feel your heart drop to your stomach.

"What, why?" You asked, voice cracking.

"I can not tell you, but it is a must" he spoke trying to hold back his tears.

"Baldwin, please, I'm sorry if I did anything wrong, I beg of you, please don't do this to us" you said loudly tears that were once filling your eyes, spilling over your cheeks.

Oh how he wanted to wipe them away and tell you to stay with him forever, but he couldn't. He didn't have many years left and he knows it. He doesn't want you having to live with an ill man until he dies.

He has to let you go now, so when he dies, you are no longer in love with him, and don't have to experience the anguish of losing your love.

He knows you will hate him for this, but it's the best, he keeps reassuring himself

"I'm very sorry (name)" he said getting up.

"The guards will escort you into your new home, that I've provided and you will get money monthly from us. Baldwin said, leaving you.

Watching your numb face, with tears streaming down your cheeks hurt him very much he tried to not show any reaction.

The moment Baldwin closes his bedrooms door he fell to his knees and started sobbing uncontrollably.

What had he done, he let go of the one person that actually cared for him. Was it selfish to keep them or was it selfish to let them go?.. He couldn't figure out.

Baldwin then heard a knock at his door. "My king, is everything alright? " it was Tiberias, the man who practically raised Baldwin. Baldwin got up and opened the door. Before Tiberias could understand what was going on, he was embraced by an anguished Baldwin sobbing in his arms.

"Ahh! Ti.. Tiberias... I.. I did a terrible thing! " is what Tiberias could make out of his kings sobbing.

Tiberias guided Baldwin to his bed, closing the door behind him.

"Baldwin, what did you do? " Tiberias questioned, worry clear in his voice.

"I.. I left (name) Tiberias I left them!) Is what Baldwin said still sobbing.

"Wha- , why would you do such a thing?" Tiberias said.

"They deserve better than me, Tiberias *hic* they shouldn't have to live married to a *hic*leper. Baldwin responded still crying.

"Oh, Baldwin, you poor poor kid" "You know that (name) loves you more than anyone, no matter if you were ill or not" Tiberias said trying to calm his sad king.

"But.. But- "*cough cough* Baldwin was interrupted by a coughing attack, the pain he felt was too much for his poor body to handle.

"Baldwin!" Tiberias exclaimed loudly.

Tiberias got up and called the guards standing outside to go and get the physicians.

*time skip*

After a few hours of the physicians caring for the king, he was finally asleep in his bed. His mask was now off. Revealing his sad face to the old man sitting next to him (Tiberias)

Your POV:

"Baldwin, please, I'm sorry if I did anything wrong, I beg of you, please don't do this to us" you said loudly tears that were once filling your eyes, spilling over your cheeks.

Your love, now ex husband stood up and told you something, that you could not focus enough to hear.

What does he mean divorce, did your late nights caring for him mean nothing, did the poetry you wrote him mean nothing, did the soft kisses you would leave on his scarred face mean nothing? Was it all for nothing?

After what felt like hours sitting on the side of the table, two men came in, they were Guy de Lusigana and Balian de Ibelin.

"Come now, you need to pack your bags so we can escort you to your new house" said Guy rather harshly.

After getting no reaction from you, he got angry and grabbed you by the armpit pulling you up.

"Listen here, you little bitch, you are no longer the kings, partner so what I say, you do understand!? " Guy yelled at you.

You got up and packed your bags, earning a pitiful look from Balian.

*Time skip*

Your bags were now packed, and you were being escorted to your house by the two men.

"You will be staying here" Balian said dropping one of your bags on the floor of the new house. It was small but it will suffice for an unwed person like you.

Balian and Guy brought in your last bags and left. Balian gave you one sad glance before leaving, whilst Guy didn't even give you a glance.

You looked around you, and out of the window, two birds were there cleaning each other. You let out a small sad laugh, thinking. Is that how people saw me and Baldwin..

Tears were once again streaming down your face, you laid on the floor and slept there for the night, not even a mattress under you.

#koh shitposting #koh fan fiction #koh fandom #kingrom of heaven #kingdom of heaven 2005 #kingdom of heaven fandom #balian of ibelin #guy de lusignan #angst #sad #king baldwin iv #baldwin iv #the leper king #raymond iii of tripoli

[hexgirllovesyou]

Hi there! This is my third episode on Just So Random! the podcast show I created.

This episode is about the movie Kingdom of Heaven, which I have been wanting to discuss for some time. Please leave your thoughts on the episode in the comments below or on the Instagram page of Just So Random! (@just_sorandomm)

#mood #tumblr #follow #art #podcast #KOH #koh fandom #kingdom #kingdom of heaven fanart #kingdom of heaven #kingdom of heaven fandom #kingdom of heaven quotes #balian #balian of ibelin #baldwin #baldwin iv #the leper #the leper king #Baudo #baudouin #orla #orlando bloom #edward nor #sybill #sybilla #jerusalem #saladin #selahaddin eyyubi #guy de l #guy de lusignan

[elucubrare]

re: your tags: would it be terribly gauche of me to ask you to get started on how bad fantasy churches suck? i would love to hear it

yeah that's super fair.

Fantasy Catholic Church analogues (FCCAs) tend to suck for a couple of reasons. Most of them boil down to working with the vague concept that The Church Was Really Important In The Middle Ages and not going any farther than that.

Disclaimer: The medieval church was very powerful & absolutely asserted control over almost every aspect of life. The church was often more tolerant of minority opinions and of queer people than the common stereotype, but only in that things would be used against you as a political move rather than, for the most part, hunted out.

So: I think some of my problem is how few characters of real faith there are. I get it. I'm an agnostic: it's hard for me to get deep in the mindset of someone who has the hard certainty of faith, or the belief that whether you take communion standing or kneeling has an impact on whether you get into heaven. But I think you have to try, because I get the feeling from a lot of FCCAs that the writer believes that the church structure was imposed by a few fanatics on a less fervent population. But that means that main characters, and "good characters" in general, tend to go through the motions of their faith rather than really believing in their gods. What I get from reading medieval primary sources is that people - ordinary people - really cared about their beliefs. Maybe not always the really fine distinctions in heresies, but definitely in the core tenets of the faith. I feel like the FCCAs I've liked least have fanatical priests terrorizing a mostly apathetic populace, which is, to me, a boring simplification.

The Church is a political entity as well as a spiritual one, and that tension runs through the whole period. Many cardinals are corrupt and venal and don't keep to their oaths (especially that of chastity); when they call emperors to do homage to them or submit to their authority, it's not necessarily because they have a strong religious justification for it: sometimes it's because the Pope wants the Holy Roman Empire out of Italy, or to stop appointing cardinals who owe more to the emperor than the Pope. But it's also because it's the Pope's duty to guide the Emperor in faith. So many of these questions of "politics or religion?" in the middle ages are definitely both, and both in different mixtures depending on the specific people involved.* So when your FCCA is all cynics, or all witch-hunting fanatics, it's just less fun for me.

Less significantly, I think various medieval popes would give their eyeteeth for the level of control the FCCA has. The Church is important, yes, but it simply does not have complete control over a) the political actors or b) people's lives.

Even less significantly, I think the FCCA is more likely to welcome and promote magic users than to persecute them. I'd love to see a fantasy reformation that was about who was able to use magic and when - Fantasy Luther thinks anyone can learn to use magic while the Fantasy Pope believes only the priesthood can.

So: my problem is that FCCAs tend to be monolithic - either all cynics who use faith for their ends or all fanatics who only care about faith and not at all about politics. And they also tend to not really be important to the characters as anything other than an opposing force. I'd love a subtler, more nuanced take on a fantasy papacy.

#*are the Crusades 'armed pilgrimages' or cynical land grabs? #idk for Guy de Lusignan i'm pretty sure it's the second #for Jacques the peasant who heard the Crusade preached at the market? who knows. #the state of sff

[nanshe-of-nina]

Favorite History Books || Sybil, Queen of Jerusalem, 1186–1190 by Helen J. Nicholson ★★★★☆

As a child, Sybil’s future prospects appeared excellent: as the eldest child of King Amaury of Jerusalem and as a member of the dynasty that claimed descent from Godfrey de Bouillon and the other heroes of the First Crusade, we might expect that she would have been an attractive marriage prospect. Yet European noblemen did not queue up to seek her hand. One reason for this might have been that commanding the defence of the kingdom of Jerusalem in the face of aggressive Muslim expansionism was a daunting prospect for any warrior, no matter how ambitious. Moreover, as her brother Baldwin’s illness became generally known in Europe, Sybil’s potential husbands may have wondered whether she and her children would be similarly afflicted. In addition, as her brother Baldwin and his council made clear to Philip of Alsace in autumn 1177, outside aid was unwelcome in the kingdom except on the terms they dictated. Robert VI of Béthune, Philip of Alsace’s candidate for Sybil’s hand, might have made a more effective count of Jaffa and Ascalon, regent of the kingdom and king consort than Guy de Lusignan, but Baldwin – aged only sixteen at the time of Count Philip’s crusade – preferred to marry his sister to a man he knew. If King Baldwin IV had supported his elder sister as the heir who – given that Baldwin V was very young and in uncertain health – would almost certainly inherit the kingdom, it might have been possible for Sybil to unite the nobles of the kingdom behind her as her brother had done. But his contradictory and changing policies left her rights of inheritance unclear and the nobles of the kingdom divided. He married her to one of his household knights, then attempted to divorce them; he appointed her husband as procurator, then shortly afterwards deposed him and appointed her son as his co- ruler, and then appointed another procurator, then finally appointed two regents, one to care for the young king Baldwin V and the other to govern. If he made further arrangements for the succession after Baldwin V they were unworkable. By marrying his younger half-sister to a leading noble of the kingdom but forcing the bridegroom to surrender his inherited estates in return, King Baldwin IV ensured that both his sisters and their husbands and supporters had grievances against him. While his measures reduced any threat that he would be overthrown during his lifetime, they boded badly for the kingdom after the death of his immediate heir. Given the rivalries between the leading nobles of the kingdom and Saladin’s need to win a decisive victory over the Franks, no one could have prevented Saladin from taking Jerusalem and conquering most of Sybil’s kingdom; Sybil was doomed to failure as queen. Not only did she lose Jerusalem, but she also failed in the most fundamental function of a noblewoman: she failed to provide an heir for herself, as both her son Baldwin and her daughters died in childhood. On the other hand, in the face of disaster she did not abandon her kingdom and flee to Europe, nor did she retire to a religious house. Instead, she stayed in the crusader states and did all she could to oppose the invader. She tried to defend Ascalon, she remained in Jerusalem until it was surrendered to Saladin, she obtained her husband’s release from Saladin’s prison, and by accompanying him in the months that followed she gave him the authority to continue as king of Jerusalem. As husband of the eldest daughter of King Amaury of Jerusalem and as a crowned king, Guy had a stronger claim to royal authority than Conrad of Montferrat: crusaders from Europe rallied to him and the representatives of the Italian maritime cities supported him so that he could begin the fightback against Saladin which was continued by the Third Crusade and enabled the kingdom of Jerusalem to continue to exist until 1291. When Sybil died, Guy’s authority died with her; but she had ensured that her kingdom would not die, at least for another century.

#historyedit #litedit #sibylla of jerusalem #french history #medieval #asian history #european history #women's history #history #house of anjou #history books

[noughticalcrossings]

Kingdom of Heaven Timelapse

Completed over a number of hours, largely listening to the film score (I see you reusing your battle themes between Kerak and Narnia Mr Gregson-Williams) and regretting the level of detail

#kingdom of heaven #my art #tiberias #raymond iii of tripoli #baldwin iv #sibylla of jerusalem #raynald de chatillon #guy de lusignan #imad ad din #Saladin #balian of ibelin #the hospitaller #Godfrey of ibelin #timelapse #not filmed: me staring at sibylla’s costume details trembling like a chihuahua #equal parts impressed and afraid

[incorrect-koh-posts]

Kingdom of Heaven (2005): Textpost Meme 14 / ?

#kingdom of heaven 2005 #baldwin iv #edward norton #hospitaller #david thewlis #balian of ibelin #orlando bloom #raymond iii of tripoli #jeremy irons #saladin #ghassan massoud #reynald of chatillon #brendan gleeson #guy de lusignan #marton csokas #kingdom of heaven shitposting #movies #textpost meme #movie memes #ridley scott

[aurianavaloria]

Me: watches Kingdom of Heaven Guy de Lusignan: I am Jerusalem. Me: P R E T E N D E R

Again I say, the KoH fans know. 😆

#kingdom of heaven #kingdom of heaven 2005 #guy de lusignan #baldwin iv #king baldwin iv #koh #humor #funny

[sunnycanvas]

If that where balwin lv girlfrend is injure because of her brother in law

"It hurts" you wailed in your room. You had acquired lots of injuries after falling down the stairs. You sobbed in pain as the doctor was cleaning your injuries and putting medical herbs in your wounds

"Perhaps, you should have been more careful while climbing down stairs your majesty" guy de lusignan said mockingly. He and some of the knights laughed at his jokes

Feeling humiliated you said "Stop". Guy enjoying your discomfort said "My mistake aren't you king's concubine". Him and his supporters laughed heartily at his joke. You got up ready to argue. However due to your injury on your ankle you fell down. Guy and his supporters seeing this laughed merrily while tears of shame came down your eyes. Only the doctor in your room looked at you in pity

Just then the king arrived in your room. "My love I came as fast as possible" replied the King panting looking pale faced. King Baldwin iv of Jerusalem looked furious seeing you injured crying on the floor but what made him even more furious was seeing guy and his supporters laughing at you. Seems like guy and his supporters were so much into their fun that they didn't notice the king entering the room

"Isn't it a knight's responsibility to protect the helpless" Baldwin iv spoke in cold voice. Every one soon looked at the direction of voice and noticed king Baldwin iv of Jerusalem. "Your majesty" every one in the room exclaimed with your voice coming out in sob.

"Who dares to hurt (Y/N)!" Baldwin iv tells furious. Every one in the room except you got scared. Baldwin iv bent down and picked up carefully placing you on bed while glaring guy. Sitting beside you the king whispered "My love I came as quickly as possible after I heard you got injured after falling down stairs". Baldwin iv started kissing your temple. Seeing Baldwin iv openly display his affection for you made every one embarassed. You on the other hand was both embarassed and happy. "Are you alright? Your face is getting redder" Baldwin iv asked cornered. Not wanting to reply you simply place your head on his shoulder.

"Your majesty, if you may I would like to take permission to leave". Baldwin iv looks at guy coldy and says "You may not leave".

"But your majesty I-"

"Silence"

Baldwin iv says leaving no room of argument. "Baldwin iv looks at you with gaze softening and says "My love who did this to you, I know you are not careless enough to fall down the stairs". You sniffled and were afraid to tell the answer. You could feel guy de lusignan coldly glaring at you but seeing Baldwin iv giving you such loving gaze you did have heart to say no.

"Guy pushed me down the stairs"

Guy and his supporters tried to speak up but the king's one action was enough

"How dare you try to hurt the woman I love!" King Baldwin iv screams furiously and everyone in the room freezes. "From now on you are not only dismissed from regency but also you should be put in prison for daring to hurt future queen of Jerusalem". Guy being shameless said "You wouldn't do this to me for this mere woman, besides she is just a commoner. King Baldwin iv of Jerusalem smirked and said "So you are admitting on purposely pushing down (Y/N)?". Guy gulped when he realised his mistake. His supporters sighed in his stupidity. Patriach Heraclius and grandmaster objected saying "My lord you can't dismiss his regency much less throw him in prison. It will be worse than civil war. He is after all cousin of Richard the Lionheart. We need as much help as possible. Baldwin iv not caring hugged you tighter and said "She could've died" you could feel your shoulder getting wet by Baldwin iv's tears. The templars and grandmaster walked out of the room in protest. You could feel them glaring at you

You sighed and said "Your majesty-

"Hush now, you could call me Baldwin in private as I said before"

You nodded and said "I think they are right, the situation in the kingdom is weak" "We can't risk the peace we have acquired by angering noblemen"

Baldwin sobbed and repeated "You could have died, what would I do without you". Baldwin iv was so furious he started to smash things in the room. You were frightened. You had never seen him this angry

Baldwin iv growled and said"He will pay, I swear it"

"My love it's not a big deal"

"How can you say that" Baldwin iv replied in anger and hurt

Your headache returned and Baldwin iv looked at you in guilt. He went near you and put your head on lap and started praying for your health. You soon fell asleep listening to him and you knew one thing for sure that guy will be in huge trouble

#baldwin iv #baldwin iv imagine #baldwin iv x reader #kingdom of heaven #kingdom of heaven 2005 #kingdom of heaven fanfic #kingdom of heaven fanfiction #king baldwin iv