Aug 30, 2025
Iris
commission done by @meatday
seen from Saudi Arabia
seen from United States
seen from Ireland
seen from United Arab Emirates
seen from United States
seen from Jordan
seen from Ireland
seen from United States
seen from Saudi Arabia
seen from United States
seen from Germany
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Russia
seen from Maldives
seen from Australia
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
Iris
commission done by @meatday
I have literally read all you stories and im so so impressed. Im not sure if your taking requests or if. If not than im very sorry. If yes then could you please write one where a modern doctor ends up being reborn as a Nobel princess who is about to marry king baldwin. She could then cure him.
♧ A Better Life - King Baldwin x Reader ♧
♧ Angst ♧
A/N: HELLO FRIENDS!!! I am back officially now!! Exams are over and the school year is done! I am so exited to be back!! Anon thank you so much for this beautiful request. This took me so long and I really hope you like it!!! This was an amazing one to return with, I hope yall enjoy it!!. As always this is based on the film Kingdom Of Heaven not the real historical figures. Enjoy!
TW: Leprosy, Slight mention of blood
Image 1 - Before deciding to head to Weishaupt, this image explored a beleaguered stockade on the outer reaches of the Anderfels. This is also the very first image where we explored the idea of the griffons officially returning. Image 2 - The first sketch of Weisshaupt fortress. Image 3 - Nobody else seemed to like the "leper king" direction, but I thought it'd be cool. Image 4 - The Hero of Ferelden has been putting off "The Calling". The Blight takes more each year, but there's still too much to do on the surface.
By Matt Rhodes
How it feels to be a Baldwin IV fan but everyone uses that one gif of him to be racist or homophobic (and most likely have never seen the movie or know a single thing about him that isn't just "he looks cool")
Throughout Time and Tide, My Will Shall Not Falter
A Baldwin IV X Reader Fic ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ Chapter Two: A Lady's Lost Ring
summary— going back in time is no easy task, especially when you are tasked to change history. this time around, on your second trip back in the past, you need to stumble on Baldwin IV's court. how will you achieve that? ⸝⸝
wc: 4.7k ⸝⸝
a/n— to everyone who was waiting on an update for this story: here it is at last! i apologize for the long wait ⸝⸝
Sooner or later, it does come.
It sucked that they couldn’t give you more information than the very few misplaced pieces you already had. Though when you got sent back, the thing they strained for you to remember was to get to Bladwin’s Court.
Who that was, you assumed the king, but how he looked, his personality, or his morals, you did not know.
If you managed to get to court, the SQI told you to just hang around there and familiarize yourself with the people and the castle. They advised not to speak with the king right away nor to try to get his attention.
You don’t see it as a hard task. At least that’s what you tell yourself; if it’s hard and you start doubting yourself now, you might screw up the whole trip, and also blacklist yourself for future ones.
When you wake up, you find yourself in the same position you left this world in: curled up in a fetal position. You don’t even find a blanket on top of you, and you remember that you didn’t even take your shoes off.
Behind you, the window remains closed. Just as you left it. Yet through the split of the shutters, you see the dim light wanting to break into your side of the room.
You push out the shutters, allowing the sun to swallow you whole. Out on the road, a tranquil scene is painted before you, just like the night before.
The corners of your mouth slightly curve up. As it reminded you of the humanity in your mission, the small things in life that connect you with any soul here.
You finally get up from bed, unsure about your goals. However, thankful for some anchoring in this life, you know you need to meet up with Maryam as soon as possible.
As you peek through the wall barrier, splitting your side of the room with that of Fatimah’s and her family, you find the beds empty and well-made.
Were people accustomed to waking up before sunrise?
Never mind that, right now you decide to go down and see if there is anything you might need to help them with before you go and meet up with Maryam. A way to thank them for their hospitality.
As you descend the old but sturdy wooden stairs, you finally see the inn in all its glory… fully lit, that is.
Off into the stables, you are able to see Faisal tending to the horses and handing one of them off to a traveler. So, you wait for him to finish with the man before you go and approach him.
“Hello, Faisal, good morning.”
He turns his body around to face you, cheerfully, he starts, “Ah (Y/N), g’morning. I hope everything has been to your satisfaction.”
Even though he says it more so as a statement, you reply to him as if it were a question, “Yes, of course. I couldn’t be more thankful for what you and Fatimah have done.”
He nods in agreement.
“By the way, do you know where I can find your wife? I want to thank her personally before I am off to meet up with Maryam.”
“Oh yes. She should be indoors taking care of breakfast.”
He points you in the direction of the inn, to where you had first come from looking for Fatimah, and you start making your way.
Surprisingly enough, the morning vibe of the inn isn’t as bustling as the night was. Perhaps it’s because everyone's heads ache to the point that speaking is too much for them to bear.
However, you do hear the occasional chatter: “I’ve heard the troops got a whole lot on their hands now,” or “That poor Lord of Toron, may he rest in peace.”
Those murmurs certainly intrigue you, but you know better than to go down a rabbit hole when you clearly have a task to do at hand. Plus, it’s not like you have enough context or knowledge about the topic to go and ask random ass strangers about their private conversations.
As you reach the bar top, you see Fatimah and her children running in all sorts of directions, attending to their customers.
“Fatimah, do you need some help?”
“Oh, (Y/N). I- No. You are a guest here, please just sit down.”
A smile appears on your face; she was truly hospitable, but you in no way wanted to take advantage of that. So you insisted, “Please, let me help you, you’ll finish faster like that.”
You could see her thinking about whether or not to accept your request or not.
She leaves, handing a plate to a man. When she comes back, she has two more orders in her hands, and she answers, “Okay… I do need help, come, let me tell you what to do.”
Having finally finished helping in the busy atmosphere of the inn, Fatimah and the rest of her children wave to you as you are off to see Maryam. In turn, you wave back to them as enthusiastically; not only are you happy to have helped, but you are also looking forward to what this new day has in store for you.
It comes as a surprise to you that you still have plenty of time to meet up with Maryam, as the sun has still not fully reached the top of the sky. So, you decide it is best to walk around the places you already know and start venturing from there. After all, you do need to reach the court before nightfall.
Perhaps someone might be looking for maids to help around the court?
Coming to assess what you have available, you remember that you have all but one coin. The value of it, you are still unsure about, and you don’t want to risk asking anyone about it.
Anywho, you tell yourself to keep your eyes peeled in case anyone you come across is as kind as Maryam, or at least takes enough pity on you to steer you in the right direction and into court.
As you continue to walk, you find yourself in the same busy atmosphere: people living their day to day life. While some are simply waiting for customers to arrive at their stalls, others are walking around seeing what items they can purchase.
You do have to admit, in at least every stall you see, there is at least one item that has you admiring it from afar. The quality, you're sure, is not as good as modern day objects (being that they are made from machines and not human hands), but the craftsmanship is undeniably impressive.
Upon seeing a stall for cloths, linen, and veils, you decide to make a quick stop, not necessarily to buy anything, but just for your curious eye to see.
You fixate your eyes on this one specific veil. Its embroidery is very elaborate, especially taking into consideration the fragility of the cloth it belonged to. Taking the neatly folded veil from the table, you pass your hands underneath it, faintly seeing the outline of your fingers.
While tracing the shapes of the embroidery, you were caught off guard when a projected voice right behind you states, “Dear heavens, these are the customers you waste your time on?”
At an instant, you turn around and see a merchant arguing with one of its employees on the other side of the street you were on. Looking around, you assumed this was a common occurrence as everyone seemed to continue on with their duties.
“Don’t mind him, he usually gets like that but calms down in an instant.” Said the lady in charge of the stall you were at.
“Oh- Mmh. I figured, by everyone's reactions.”
She simply smiled and continued, “Are you thinking of buying that one? It’s a very unique handcrafted piece.”
“It’s very beautiful.” After a short pause, you place the veil down. “But I don’t think I’ll be able to afford it today.”
“It’s a shame, you’re probably the first one who's picked it up ever since I made it. Something tells me that you’ll be back soon, though.”
“Hopefully.” Nodding, you step away from the stall and start back on Maryam’s place. That is, before you got stopped by that same loud merchant from earlier, “Oi, you, girl. Come here. Are you looking for a job?”
Raising an eyebrow, you say, “Me?”
“I am talking to you, aren’t I?” He waves a dismissive hand towards you, “Agh, forget it. You don’t seem quick enough to see a good deal in front of you anyway.”
“I’m-”
“I had a pretty good deal too for today's pay.” He takes out a small bag from his griddle and swings it around. “Wouldn’t you like to know what it contains?”
Not sure if to spend time here any longer, you just reply, “Not really.”
He insists, “Hey, girl. Wait.” In the bag that he was swinging around, he takes out a silver ring adorned with small emeralds all around the rim. “This ring could be yours, if only you spend a day tending to my stall.”
“I have somewhere to be, sir.” And in the driest tone you could muster, “That ring isn’t worth dealing with you screaming into my face anyway.”
You turn around and disappear into the sea of people. Deciding to head over to Maryam’s, you headed in that direction, telling yourself no more detours.
The work day had a lot in store for you. Having shown up just a tiny bit late, Maryam makes sure you make up for it by cleaning out the old herbs in her entire store.
In your eyes, however, it’s a blessing in disguise. See, the day before, she had you packaging up the new stuff. Which is good if you're up to date with all sorts of herbs Jerusalem produces. In your case, you aren’t; cleaning out her bad herbs means that you start at the basic of basics for apothecaries.
“This herb, Meramieh, is most known as Sage. It’s very good for digestion, colds, and skin wounds.” Maryam points out.
“Are teas the common usage? Or do you ingest it orally just like it is?”
She answers, “Mostly used in teas,” and goes off to attend to a customer.
“Mhm.”
Later, when you finish the main cabin, you start on the pantry. You have to say, even if you aren’t sure how the economy here works, you know that if you could sell these herbs right here and now, you’d be able to make millions.
The pantry, or more so a room, is filled with shelves from top to bottom of every wall. The front wall, side walls, and the wall with the door are all filled to the brim with herbs. Some, of course, smell spoiled, ready to throw away, but others look expensive. There are even small containers on the floor, and you are careful not to accidentally knock something over.
You start from your left and work right. And just as you were getting into a rhythm of cleaning out the bad herbs, Maryam jumps into the room to check on you, causing you to knock a small jar over the floorboards.
“Jesus Christ!”
You reach over to the jar and find relief when the lid remains on, securely tight.
“I hope you weren’t doing anything you shouldn’t have.” She says with a playful tone.
Maryam reaches over to take the jar away from you, inspecting it. “Ah, this here is very popular. Care to take a guess?”
You hover over the open lid of the jar, taking in a whiff of the oil. “Oh, it’s quite woody. Strong woody smell.” You step forward again, taking a deep breath of its aroma. “A bit acidic too. Is it an anti-bacterial oil?”
She nods her head, “I often find myself making tons of batches of this oil for the Order of St. Lazarus every month.”
When you stare at her with confusion, she explains, “The Order of St. Lazarus is a group of people outside of the walls that care for lepers. Recently, they’ve gotten bigger due to the King’s influence, as he himself is a leper.”
After a small pause, she adds, “Allegedly.”
Mmm, interesting.
“You don’t happen to know anything more about his majesty, do you?”
She shakes her head.
So that’s who I’m working with. A leper.
It wasn't until a later time, when you probably should’ve inquired about a herb, that Maryam speaks up again.
“Pry, tell me, is there something wrong, child?”
Your eyebrows shoot up. “Mm, no? Why…?”
There was a pause.
“I just- I have a dilemma on my hands. Maybe you could help me soothe it.”
And with that, you went on to explain your goal of wanting to go into court, without giving away the exact reason why you needed to go. You also explained everything that unfolded with that merchant man, especially that part where you found it odd that he wanted to get rid of a beautiful ring so eagerly.
Her expression simply grew thoughtful. “Dear my…”
“What is it?”
“It’s just that, recently, I heard that a noble was to come near this area of the city. And many ladies belonging to the prominent nobility houses are very fond of emeralds.”
Your heart starts to beat faster. “You really think the ring could be from a noble?”
“I believe it was… Lady Agnes of Sidon and her husband, Reginald, that were in the markets today.”
Truth be told, you could take a gamble on those folks. All you knew was that your mission was tied to the fate of the king who ruled this land. Baldwin. Was his fate also tied to the fate of Reginald of Sidon? Perhaps Agnes?
You also knew Maryam was quite considerate, and by the look on her thinking face, reflective. However, entrusting her or anyone from this year with the knowledge that this is the past and you basically could know all that's going to unfold within the future wouldn’t benefit anyone. In effect, it would cause panic, something you don’t want to deal with.
So under no circumstances are you going to tell anyone that you are from the future. No matter how close you get with them.
You simply need to complete the task you were told to do to the best of your abilities. If that means doing a favor to the nobles from Sidon, then you’ll do it.
When she finally spoke, she carried a serious tone with her, “So then, what will you do? Especially knowing that the merchant might have stolen the ring.”
“I- I’m not sure, I could get the ring from him and give it to the rightful owners.”
To that, she only shakes her head, “The only problem would be that they might take you to be the thief of the ring.”
“So what do you think I should do then?”
“Well, for starters, you don’t know if the ring is truly stolen or if it belongs to the Lady of Sidon.”
Desperate for a solution, you say, “What if I seek them out and directly ask them?”
She wipes her hands on the apron she has on and sits on a nearby stool, “You could take my place with a delivery I had scheduled tomorrow. It’s around the castle, but you shouldn’t need to go in. Once you finish your delivery, you are allowed to stay in the vicinity in case any nobles walk past.”
“So I would need to wait them out?”
Noticing your furrowed eyebrows on your face, she soothes you, “I have seen you work thus far, and you have wits. If it is entering the castle you want, I know you’ll be able to get it. Once you see the Lord of Sidon, you simply give him the respect he deserves, and he’ll listen.”
All you do is give her a small nod; you let out a breath you didn’t even know you were holding in. “Thank you, Maryam. For everything you’ve done for me. I don’t know how to ever pay you back, truly.”
“For starters, you can help me by packing that delivery I’m sending you to do.”
You start walking back to the inn as soon as you’re both done with the cleaning, palming your pockets, being satisfied by the thought of getting paid 2 coins. To be frank, you found it as motivation, in this era, to be paid day by day rather than every week or even bi-weekly. It allowed you to plan every day and not waste a single second to make sure you worked efficiently.
However, as you make your way back to the place you call home, at a distance, you see an older man. He and his wife are standing in the middle of one of the intersections you have travelled in the recent hours.
They seemed to be looking for someone… or rather something? Their eyes constantly go down to the dirt path, and their fingers point downwards.
You approach the couple, and you see that these aren’t regular commoners. Their robes are filled with handcrafted details, accessorized with griddles of high quality. The woman’s veil seems on par with the quality of the veils you saw at the market not too long ago. Her sleeves make it hard for her to adequately point to where she wants to, as they are quite big, certainly in style.
You see the man carries with him a sword, perhaps he is a knight, you tell yourself. That is, before you remember that Maryam said the Lord of Sidon was here.
Oh?
When you are all but an arm's length away from them, guards that were on their sides are suddenly in front of you, backing you away from the couple.
“I- My lord!” You manage to let out before you are fully blocked by these guards.
It is the guard on your left who speaks, “Girl, state your business.”
You remind yourself to give the lords the respect they deserve. After all, you are a simple commoner; they are nobles in this world.
“I apologize for any inconvenience I have caused my Lord and his knights.” You bow your head, “I couldn’t help but wonder if there is anything I can do for him or my Lady, as this is no place for them.”
At the mention of his wife's title, the man steps forward, “What is it you seek from my wife?” His tone being a bit hostile.
“Nothing, sir. I was all but wondering if you need help finding an item? I was walking back to my quarters after a day at work and came across what I’m seeing now.”
He studies your posture, your bowed head, and takes a deep breath. “My dearest wife has lost her ring, a ring she cherishes the most. It’s been gone quite a time now, and seeing as the sun is about to set, I doubt we’ll be able to find it.”
“May I ask where she lost it?”
“She isn’t sure where exactly, but we were travelling around these grounds.”
His wife approaches now, curious to see what you are talking about with her husband.
“Can I ask my lady what her ring looks like?”
The woman replies only after her husband gives her a nod of the head, “It was a silver ring. Very beautifully made.”
“Was it by any chance adorned with green stone?”
She gives a sad smile, “Yes, Emerald stone.”
Her husband, quicker than her, asks, “Have you seen such a ring?”
You nod slowly. “I remember going near the cloth stalls earlier today. A merchant had it; he was flaunting it around. He even offered it to me as pay for a day’s work.”
The lady’s eyes widen in horror. “Where is he?” She grabs you by the shoulders in desperation, “Show us where my ring is, dear.”
“Of course, ma’am.”
You lead the lord’s traveling group to where you were in the morning, the avenue in which most stalls would normally be open. Right behind you are the knights that pushed you away initially, walking behind them are the lord and his wife.
Seeing as the work day was almost over and the sun was setting, you had little to no faith in finding the merchant still in his stall. But at last, you catch him in a heated discussion just like the one you observed earlier today.
“Ha. You really thought I was gonna give such a ring to you? Look at yourself.” His hands waved in front of the man he was bickering with, “Perhaps if you work with me a whole year, then I can start to even think about letting you have this ring.”
As the man in front of him was about to open his mouth to reply, the knights of Lord Sidon quickly pass you right up and flock to the merchant's side. One of them holds his arms behind his back, and the other searches his griddle and the sacks he has on it.
“Hey! Get off me, wh-” The man starts to object, but is cut short when the Lord of Sidon stands in front of him.
His face pales, eyes widen, when the knight searching him pulls out from one of his pockets the ring belonging to the Lady of Sidon. Evidently, the ring is hers, and the man responsible for the robbery of such a ring was apprehended.
You watch as the scene unfolds off to the side.
The lord says, “State your name and business,” in a voice so calm, you could almost believe the two men are friends.
“I- My I-” The merchant is let go, still, he remains surrounded by the knights and the lord himself. “I beg of you, my lord, please have mercy on me. I didn’t know who the ring belonged t-”
“Silence.” The lord’s voice is authoritative, even makes you slightly jump back. He continues, “Are you aware of the punishment that is given to people who steal from the nobility?”
The merchant, now too cowardly to speak, only nods in response.
“I have more than enough proof that not only did you steal my wife’s ring, but you were planning on making business with it. Either way, if you admit to your crime or not, death is waiting for you.”
Stealing— punishable by death.
You stand in shock, even pity for the merchant. You thought that stealing often led to mutilation of a body part, but you never thought that such a crime could lead immediately to death.
Thoughts of how this merchant's life will ultimately end because of your choice start running through your head. You didn’t sign up for this. You weren’t sent to cause suffering. What if this merchant, as arrogant as he is, is simply ambitious in his career affairs because of his family? Would you have done things differently if you were in his shoes?
“Wait!” You scream out before your brain makes the decision to speak. All eyes are on you now, even the bystanders who initially ignored the lord, punishing the merchant, start eyeing you from a distance.
“I understand what he did is inexcusable. No one in your place, my lady, would’ve liked to have had such a ring stolen, especially if it means a lot to you.”
You hesitantly continue, “When I made the connection between your ring and its thief, I wanted to do the right thing and help you find it. However, I cannot, in good conscience, also be the reason why a man dies. I want justice to be served, but I also don't want to be responsible for the suffering of his family and the people whom he takes care of.”
Everyone around you is still. The knights look to their master for instructions on what to do next. The Lady of Sidon looks moved by your statement, and she glances at the ring already in her possession again. The Lord, in turn, simply looks up at the sky. You see a smile on his face.
“It is getting dark now, your family ought to miss you if you get home late, isn't that right?” Reginald asks the merchant.
“Ye-Yes, my lord.”
“You are to say your goodbyes to your family, and come turn yourself in tomorrow morning at the castle. I care for the safety of this city just as much as I care for my own family. I’ll see that you do your side of the bargain."
His words become final; everyone around seems to start moving to go home. You don’t dare to say anything further. Perhaps he is going to deal with the merchant's fate in secret; that way, his family doesn’t have to suffer with the mystery of his disappearance. What can you, a mere girl with no real power in this kingdom, do to help him further?
You’re still to the side, with your eyes glued to the dirt path, when you hear the footsteps of the lord and the lady approach you.
“He cannot be fined; that punishment is too easy for him to pay, as he is a merchant. You reminded me that justice and mercy must walk together.”
Your body relaxes as you hear his sentence. You’ve avoided blood on your hands for today.
He gives you a pat on your shoulders, an endearing way to say thank you. “Tell me, what is it that you do?”
“Sir?”
“Your way of living.” He says simply.
“Oh. I am an apprentice to a master apothecary. I was on my way back home when I saw you both.”
Agnes, his wife, looks at you curiously.
She asks, “What is your master's name?”
“Her name is Maryam, she’s not too far from these stalls. She’s a wonderful woman, truly. I can’t give her enough praise through mere words.” You smile as the memories of when you first met her flash in your mind.
“Maryam? I think I have heard about her. Is she Muslim? My husband knows a great deal about these Arabs in the city. Don’t you, Reginald?”
He nods his head, “Yes, in fact, I’ve recently been doing a lot of research about the latest medicinal herbs. That is, in fact, why we have come to Jerusalem.”
Having put together what Maryam told you about the King being a leper (a possible one at the very least), and the fact that a lord has travelled all the way to Jerusalem in search of the latest in terms of medicine, you deduce that he is probably here to help the King himself.
“I don’t want to impose on your official business, but would you like to come by her stall? I’m sure she would be thrilled to have both of you there.”
The Lady of Sidon, finally acting as the lady she is, answers first, “Lord knows I don’t want to spend another second outside of the castle’s walls. I cannot risk the chance of another incident happening simply because I accompanied my husband to his bidding.”
He chuckles in response, seeing his wife in distress over a ring, “Well, I actually had a different thing in mind.”
You look at him puzzled, “And what is that, sir?”
He holds the words in his mouth for a beat longer than usual, making you panic, “I have to say your behavior is quite unusual for a girl your age.”
“I apologize-”
“I wasn’t finished.”
Right.
His presence, as it is, feels very overwhelming; to add to it, his voice is very cut and dry now in comparison to when you first met him. Hell, even when he was talking to the merchant. You suppose that’s why he is Lord of Sidon in the first place.
“As I was saying,” he clears his throat. “You spoke of justice as something you frequently think of. You act as though knighthood were within your grasp. And know I am aware that you study medicine.”
No wonder they chose a man for this trip. I’ve been acting too recklessly, and now it’s caught up to me to bite me in my ass.
“I should like to ask you some questions. I’ll be at the castle first thing in the morning, as you know, we shall speak then.” He bows his head very slightly before taking his wife’s hand.
And just like that, they leave.
You are simply left standing there, unsure what exactly you’ve been drawn into.
tag list: @celestesapphireblue and @jack-of-all-trades-696 if you want to be added, comment down below :)
Y’all!!’ I woke up this morning to this beautiful art gifted to me by @chillchicken09 ! It’s STUNNING! Thank you so much for this, I’m obsessed!
y/n getting burned at the stake after curing baldwin iv with antibiotics
I STILL LOVE YOU
The corridors of the palace were silent when I returned. The air was heavy with the warmth of the desert night, and every torch along the stone walls seemed to flicker in anticipation as I passed. My steps echoed softly, the silk of my gown whispering against the marble.
It had been months, too many months, since I had last walked this path. All the time I have been away helping my father felt like eternity without him. Too many nights of letters unanswered, of wondering what face my husband now showed to the world… or if he showed any at all.
