nebbyy

[nebbyy]

How would Baldwin react if he saw the 21st century? Just imagine—huge skyscrapers everywhere, cars... especially if he saw today’s France. And if he saw that Paris is one of the fashion capitals of the world? Or New York? (Sorry if my question sounds weird but i really love your thoughts😁)

It doesn't sound weird at all!!! I actually love these sorts of questions above all others tbh, analysing these characters is like candies to my brain lmfao.

I'm pretty sure I've been asked a few questions along this line a year or so ago, I'll look into it later if you're interested in those as well.

His reaction would be... surprisingly more composed than you'd think. I mean, this man has rode against an army twice as big as his when he wasn't even of legal age to drive, I believe there is very little that would surprise him.

He may be cautiously fascinated by the concept of technology, and I honestly do see him kinda struggling to not interpret it as some form of divine intervention on earth. And also, let's be honest, he would so be weirded out by modern clothings, especially those kind of trendy tops going around rn with all those strings going around (yk those who look like jellyfish tentacles); he would genuinely think that they're beggars, same thing goes for any ripped piece of clothing. Either way, I think that he would lose interest in all these material stuff pretty quickly.

Other customs such as the constant noise in bigger city and the conformity of bland, dark colours would also feel quite unusual to him, but mainly because the Jerusalem he once knew was such a colourful miasma of cultures and arts that it would be hard to adjust to any "normal" city. (I also don't wanna imagine the disgust he'd feel upon knowing about what is happening in the Middle East rn..)

But I think there would also be some some things that would be... intriguing, to say the least. First of all, the smell. Streets in the past centuries, even so early as the beginning of the last century, smelled bad, and I mean BAD BAD. Garbage piling up, human and animal feces, vomit, bodily fluids, rat colonies, the occasional dead body, you name it, and it was probably in every street from Ancient Rome to 19th century London at least.

Modern cities don't really smell nice, of course, especially due to the pollution in bigger cities and all. But the faint, plasticky/synthetic smell isn't comparable to the stench of rot and decay that worked as a open air park for bacteria and diseases to grow and spread.

As well as that, what would also - and arguably mainly - positively shock him is how much knowledge as a whole has developed, but especially in the medical field. Like, what do you mean flues and fevers weren't lethal anymore? How were the physician- doctors able to turn you immune to diseases with just one injection? What do you mean that surgeries are a painless process, and even through recovery you can numb the pain with some weird pills?

It would be beyond fascinating.... but it would also make some hope rise in him. Because if they had all these cures, maybe they had one for him too? Could he finally live as a human in this unusual, extravagant future?

[nebbyy]

How do you think would Baldwin propose?

Realistically, it wouldn't really be a proposal as we think of today. The concept didn't really exist back then, especially not at the level of royalty as Baldwin's. If you were of a status high enough for you to be possible to marry Baldwin, then the matter would unfortunately be settled between Baldwin and your family. Naturally, we all know no one would've ever refused the literal King of Heaven's wish to marry their daughter, so the arrangement would be settled pretty quickly.

However, I do believe that he would consult you first, before proceeding with the official "proposal." His chance of ever having an heir is slim, the real point of a royal marriage is quite feeble in his case; if he were to marry, it would be out of a love pure enough to surpass the impassable walls his illness had made him build around his own heart.

I imagine he would invite you to his chambers, with the excuse to play chess or simply to talk like you'd done a hundred times already. He's quite observant, so he would've caught on to your own feelings towards him before he even thought about proposing marriage. After all, it's not like you would've been "dating" before your marriage, or even been lovers; he respected you too much for that.

All in all, I feel like his proposal would be quite direct, but not imposing. It would be more like him opening himself to you, baring his feelings before your own hands, with no expectation for you to even reciprocate. He would speak softly, maybe at dusk, as the growing darkness felt more intimately vulnerable. He wouldn't kneel, mainly because it wasn't a thing, secondly because... well, he's not exactly the most able-bodied.

And let's be honest, even if Baldwin won't be pressuring you into agreeing, we all already know what your answer will be

[nebbyy]

Hi I saw your request were open and I was hoping if I could request HC's of Baldwin IV with his wife who loves mathematics! I'm not sure of the history of math or if it was popular in medieval times or whatever but I feel like it would an interesting concept☺️ thank you!💓

King Baldwin IV - Quo Ducit Urania

A/N: damn I gotta admit, I'm really eating all these headcanons and what ifs up rn. It's definitely more enjoyable than writing an entire fanfic, I won't lie😔

Once again, sorry for the extra delay, many of these amazing requests had just gotten lost in the mailbox for months now.

Before we get to the actual headcanons tho, I just wanted to add a few informations for those interested: the title I've chosen is latin which means "Where Urania leads," as Urania is the muse of mathematics so I found it fitting lol. And as always, the painting is called "Archimede" by Domenico Fetti :)) Okay I'm done yapping now

The history of mathematics is kind of a river, in the sense that it flows from one culture to the other over the centuries. In this case, you're in luck, because the Saracens of the early millennium were the ones who cultivated that knowledge most at the time!

This stems from many roots, mainly the contact between what remained of Ancient Greece and, as said before, civilisations like the Saracens or the Ottomans

And of course, the court of Jerusalem was deeply influenced by the more oriental costumes of the region, so of course the arts and their deepest knowledge were no exception

As always, the position of a woman in any period previous centuries is kind of tricky, but as the queen to one of the most diverse and influential kingdoms of your time, no one would've dared to directly go against you over it

Especially because they would have to go against the king himself. Because of course, your husband would cherish your every interest, he would rebuild the inner gardens into a forest if you asked him to.

But perhaps your interest in these arts pleased Baldwin a bit more than he would be willing to admit.

Not that he'd ever expect you to only have interests in what he approves, but he won't deny that this at least could be something he could enjoy with you.

It's a subject he is deeply educated on, given his upbringing, but also something quiet, intimate, in a way. Something that he could do just as easily as playing chess, without feeling the guilt of not being able to follow you in your passions eating at his very soul, perhaps even faster than his illness

He would have the palace filled with whatever book you may wish to consult, call to court the best mathematicians, geometricians and even astronomers if you ever expressed the desire to speak with them, even for just a single, simple question

It would be quite easy of a wish to fulfil, out of all the things you could've possibly ever shown interest in. Mathematics wasn't exactly the most popular of arts in Europe at the time, but it most definitely was in the Middle East (I mean, the numbers we use to this day come from that very area of the globe), which became its growing cradle during these darker times in the nearby nations

But then again, even if it had been forbidden and impossible of a knowledge to acquire, Baldwin would've still found a way to make your wish a reality

[nebbyy]

How would King Baldwin be with a wife who is very visually impaired and gets insecure about the dark circles under her eyes that are a result of eye strain?

I mean, you are married to a leper. Knowing him, if he ever noticed his wife complaining or looking at her reflection with even a hint of disdain, he probably would try to lighten the mood with some witty remark on his own appearance. Of course, he has the means and resources to provide you with anything you may wish to cure them or even just hide them, if you wished, from makeup to ointments, you name it, and he'll give it to you.

But otherwise, let's face it: Baldwin is half blind, but even if he had his full sight back he would know to what extent his body is decaying. That is to say, Baldwin knows what it means to see your body "failing" to some extent, before your very eyes. And while he's come to terms with his condition and he'll always see you as the most beautiful woman in the world - were you blind, mute, bald and hunched - he would never stand there and just watch his love suffer for their own appearance, even when he doesn't see nothing wrong with it.

I can easily imagine him creating these sorts of bonding times where you two would sit together while his physicians treat his skin and other servants massage some ointments and powder over your face, and he'd chuckle softly from time to time, looking down at the plagues in his arms.

Also, eyeglasses were invented only a century after Baldwin IV, so unfortunately no one would've been able to tell you what could actually cure your "condition," something that could maybe bring you and Baldwin closer as you share the feeling helplessness to a strain that others will never understand - albeit on different scales.

[nebbyy]

How do you think that Baldwin would react to his wife giving birth?I like to think that he would be present throughout the entire time,holding her hand and then holding their child together.

Realistically, no, he would stay far from the children until he knows they are safely delivered. Firstly because that's just how things were back then, no men were allowed to witness the birth aside from very special cases.

Secondly, because well... him being a leper. As of today, we know very well how to treat this type of illness, what causes it and even what can prevent it. But back then, any contact would be considered a possible means to contract the disease as well. Baldwin would already feel lucky enough that his wife still doesn't seem to have fallen ill, but with how vulnerable kids are right out of the womb, he really wouldn't want to endanger neither his love nor the miracle that is his child.

[nebbyy]

If Baldwin somehow recovered from his illness and his face healed well, making him a handsome man, would he cheat on the woman he loves? Or do you think his eyes would wander to other women?

Absolutely not. His illness isn't what's stopping him from being unfaithful.

The thing with Baldwin is that while his illness has plagued him through all his life and prevented him from living as a real human being, it also opened his eyes to a deeper introspection of the world; it's why he is such a good king, because he sees things on a deeper, less egotistical level. That also applies for his emotions. If Baldwin fell in love with a woman, he'd fall in love with her soul, her heart, everything that can't be fully seen at a mere face value. He already was a handsome boy before the leprosy started worsening as he grew, so he knows how fleeting beauty can be; regaining that beauty would be just as fleeting in his eyes, as he would still age and lose it again. Beauty would still remain something objectively meaningless in his eyes, so he wouldn't really see the appeal in ruining his deep, genuine love with his beloved for something as fleeting as a pretty face.

Also, the religious aspect plays a big role. Now, let's not lie, Christianity, just like every other religion if not more, is deeply flawed, and especially at the time of the crusades and in the subsequent centuries, many powerful men hid behind a mask of virtue when they really were nothing more than filthy liars and degenerates. Baldwin, however, has a deeper understanding of what Christianity entails, which is why I like to think that he's more close to the faith of his beliefs rather than the religion itself, as faith is less tainted by men's greed. This means that he deeply resonates with the concept of vowing his loyalty and respect to his spouse, which for him are vows as binding as his responsibilities as king.

So no, there is no universe in which Baldwin would ever cheat on his beloved or even glance at other women with anything even remotely close to desire.

[nebbyy]

How do we think king Baldwin would react to a Muslim woman being deeply in love with him ?

I've actually just answered to another similar question, but since this one is more specific I think I can add something more.

As I've already said in this other post, Baldwin wouldn't really discriminate someone for any "superficial" matter such as their appearance, their cultural background or their religion. All he'd really care for is their empathy and their brains, the rest matters little. This is also possible as Jerusalem was a pretty cosmopolitan kingdom who coexisted with both Muslims and Jews, and whose nobility had kinda morphed around the customs of these two other groups over the decades, so Baldwin already grew up in a mix of cultures in and of itself.

Now, what really would determine the extent to which Baldwin would be able to reciprocate her love, is her status: a commoner, no matter their religion or culture, was still a commoner, and the best way he'd get to lover would be by keeping her as a lover. It's not exactly the worst, but it definitely would leave both him and his beloved with a bittersweet feeling.

If she were noble or at least wealthy, however, there wouldn't be as much of an obstacle to their potential marriage. Granted, some would try to make her convert, but at the end of the day, mixed marriages between crusaders knights and nobles and local women had been normalised since the very first crusade, and the majority of them didn't even have the women convert to Christianity.

But how would Baldwin react, exactly? I think he would be intrigued. He would definitely want to spend more time with her, kinda to study her inner self and see the person beyond the physical shell. The preface I've made was to be very clear about the fact that there's no external aspect of a woman that would make Baldwin more or less attracted by her. He would, however, take some time to warm up to her, just because if there's anything that his condition has taught him, is that a true person's worth can't be judged at face value, so time alone would tell him if he reciprocates her feelings or not. But then again, I feel like he'd dismiss any difference in his and her beliefs simply because at the end of the day, they prayed the same God, so that would pretty much settle any objections coming from anyone.

[nebbyy]

I discovered your account and honestly, I love your posts! I also wanted to ask something. Would Baldwin fall in love with a woman from another culture and religion? And yes, that might be problematic for him as a king, but if we look at it purely from Baldwin's perspective— what do you think?

Thank you so much anon ^^ I'm glad my work gets appreciated even after I've kinda abandoned it for nearly a year lol.

I actually wanna preface this by saying that it wouldn't really be that problematic, actually. Now, don't get me wrong, there totally would be some (many) opposed or unenthusiastic about the idea, but Jerusalem was kind of an unicum of its kind at the time.

Now, we all know that in the process of conquering the city, the crusaders caused a massacre of Jewish and Muslims. But as far as I remember studying about the subject, the European elite that had come there realised pretty soon that keeping the city's diverse nature intact would've benefit them much more than to prosecute groups of different cultures.

For this reason, all religions were accepted openly in the kingdom, even if the official one remained Christianity. Also, there was a well-known shortage of women in Jerusalem for the first decades of the crusades, so many knights and noblemen kinda opted for the local wealthy women, and even though the Church preferred for them to convert to Christianity upon marriage, there was no law forbidding two people of two different religions to be married.

Now, would Baldwin fall in love with a woman coming from a different cultural and religious background? Absolutely. Actually, I don't think there's any physical or cultura aspect about a woman that would predetermine Baldwin's feelings for her. I mean, considering his own physical condition, I like to think that he's long stopped looking into a person's appearance, so any potential "unusual" physical appearance given by a different ethnicity would matter very little to him. But really, when talking about Baldwin, prejudice as a whole is out of his character completely.

What he'd look for in a woman, what would actually stir his interest and maybe even make him fall in love, is her intellect and her kindness. Baldwin doesn't want a pretty little thing to hang up like a trophy, nor does he want a brainless pawn from whom all he'd get is meek agreement. He wants compassion, he wants empathy, he wants someone with their own ideas and thoughts. He'd be fascinated by her culture and beliefs, especially since the customs of his own court have been heavily influenced by the cultural aspects of the locals who already lived there.

Now, the only real obstacle that he and his love would face is social status. If he fell for a commoner, things would get kinda tricky. First of all, I could see his hesitance in getting too close with anyone due to his condition, but perhaps even more with a non wealthy woman, as she would just be thrown into a lazaret if she got leprosy as well. Not to mention how it would be next to impossible for him to love her openly, as a marriage between a royal and a commoner was still next to impossible at the time. He could still keep her as a lover or as someone close, maybe under the false pretence of being a personal servant, but it would be a loved lived in darkness.

If she were noble, however, things would be much different. The concern for his illness would still be there, but the wealthy had access to much more cures and medicines (which is proven by Baldwin's existence in and of itself). Also, aside from his own personal feelings, marrying her would not only be possible, but it could also be beneficial for him and his kingdom. I mean, her dowry could enlarge the kingdom's wealth, and making her his queen would mean signing a lifelong alliance with whatever family she comes from. This would mean more allies, possibly a fortified claim to his own kingdom if she came from a nearby princedom or kingdom.

So after all this ranting of mine, the short answer is: yes, Baldwin would fall for someone with a different culture or religion as his, although her social status would determine to which extent he would be able to show his affection for her.

[nebbyy]

Btw I was the one who checked up on you last year

Omg it way you?! I think I really owe you a huge thank you then!!

Words can't describe how grateful I've been to receive your message last year, I was going through one of the toughest times of my life so having someone reach out like that had felt really heartening.

I also received your more recent request! Sorry for this super delayed reply, it's been more than a minute since I've accessed my mailbox in here.

The prompt you gave me is really interesting, honestly. And while I gotta admit, I haven't really been that much interested in PJO lately, I'm not 100% excluding the possibility that I could write it in the future.

The main reasons why I haven't been uploading more fanfics in a hot while are

School, I finally got to graduate HS which yayy finally, but the schedule I used to follow at my school was quite harrowing so it really limited my free time and especially the space for my creativity

The requests piling up, which, don't get me wrong y'all I love all the love towards my works but I shamefully gotta admit that Baldwin was a hyperfixation of mine that kinda faded overtime😅 I'm still gonna try to upload all the ones you've requested of me, though I really wish there will be more diverse requests in the future (for which I'll update the fandoms I'm willing to write for)

Then I'm ngl, I've also been giving myself quite more than some extra time to kinda figure myself out and improve as a person, so fanfics and whatnot kinda fell back in my properties.

All in all, thank you again @anausr78 for how considerate you've been with me in the past, and while I can't tell you exactly when I'll upload it, rest assured that your request will be added to my works in progress

[nebbyy]

Hello, could I do one where Baldwin's wife is pregnant and at the time of delivery it is not a baby but rather she has 3 triplets and the reaction of those present and Balwin are almost fainting

King Baldwin x reader - The rays of the sun

A/N: I love this prompt, our king deserves a family as big as his heart😔😔

Plus I don't wanna spoil anything but this is actually perfect for this other fic I got requested, kind of like a part one if you will!

Oh and the painting is "First Steps" by Gustave Léonard de Jonghe:))

Summary: the queen of Jerusalem has finally gone into labor. Voice spread through her pregnancy of her unusually wide belly, one that foreshadowed a strong and vigorous heir to the throne. But... was it just one?

Warning: pregnancy, labor and childbirth (mostly mentioned, no real graphic descriptions), the story is mostly through Baldwin's perspective

The situation was unlikely, to say the least. For instance, the whole kingdom had gotten used to the thought of their king never fathering a child of his own. It was why they always kept Sybilla close, after all: to ensure an heir with her son, lest they did not find a more fit candidate for the crown. And one could’ve claimed that Baldwin had been waiting so long to name his young nephew his successor as a result of that caution so typical of his every action, but those who knew him better knew the truth.

He was hopeful, perhaps even foolishly so. He dreamed of being eased from this blight of his by God, even in just a small part. His life had already been immolated to repent the sins of his kin, but why should be denied of giving life, when he still had some? Why couldn’t he father a child, not even many, just one would suffice.

During some of his many prayers, he’d pray for such a blessing. Bandaged hands pressed together, elbows bent, resting on the dark wood of the kneeler; his head was low, his voice muffled by the thick barrier of his mask. He prayed for forgiveness, as always, and just as often he then prayed for guidance. And when he felt most selfish, that was when he added one last prayer for this one favor, this one child.

He felt even more of a fool than before when he then had his servants help him up, when the prayer was over. He felt he insisted on asking for something he knew he’d never have. But just like the physicians had excluded the chance of his ever fathering any offspring, so did they exclude the chance of him ever riding on a horse again, or fighting into battle, or live long enough to see the day he’d be wed to anyone. They had been proven wrong so many a time before, why should this one time be any different?

It was the young man in him speaking so foolishly, he was aware of that. No king should ever dwell so long on such a foolish matter. He had his heir, a direct child of his own bloodline. He should leave the matter, and focus what little would be left of his life to his duties that kept the kingdom alive and safe.

Yet each night he left those duties to reach his bed for a deeply desired rest. Each night his wife would be already there, standing by the windows like the most holy of visions. And each night she’d guide him to bed, and he’d run his hands over her hair, underneath her nightgown, down her sacred body. And the sweet embrace that followed was the start of a newfound hope, of that same wish he had harbored all day before and had tried to muffle down for just as long.

But how could he blamed for wanting a child, if not for the natural wish to have one, then for the blessing that would be fathering a child to a woman such as his beloved wife. She grew more beautiful with each breath, in his eyes, and each word he uttered made her more and more wise. 

He was teased at court for his infatuation with his queen. Of that, he was well aware. But he never did anything to put them to silence; he liked hearing his love being compared to that of the knights of the many ballads from the land of his fathers. It was surely better than the vile comments about his illness, anyway. But regardless of that, the point in his head was that no one should need any more reason to understand why he’d want to be a father, when his luck in love bested anyone else in this kingdom.

And so he was even more startled when he came to find his prayers were answered.

“Would you repeat that?”

“The queen is with child, your Grace. The symptoms are clear. Any movement is not yet to be seen, but it won’t be long before it is certain.”

“..Call the queen to my chambers as soon as she is disposed.”

The physician tried to feign his surprise, but it was a hard task. It was difficult for everyone to understand just how such a thing could occur. Of course, the bitter tongues of court would’ve wanted to spread soon away the venomous accusations of the queen’s infidelity, but it just wouldn’t have been plausible. The queen was faithful to her husband, she had not once left the palace without the king in months, nor had she received any valiant guests, or slept with anyone but her own husband in their shared chambers.

It was just so infuriatingly impossible that the babe couldn’t have been anyone’s but Baldwin’s! But then again, until the babe moved, a pregnancy was an uncertain thing. And so the weeks passed, and the child soon kicked with vigor inside his mother’s womb.

And as everything of this situation, the rest of the pregnancy was all one big mystery. First, she craved sweets, an indisputable sign of a girl to come. But then she favored salty meats and sour fruits, and no physician at court could tell if it would be a girl or a boy anymore. And then she looked radiant through every second of the pregnancy, yet the belly was round and wider by the day. It became worrisome how wide it had grown, in fact. Some physicians began to fear for the worst, for some complications with the child or more likely the demise of the queen during birth.

It haunted Baldwin. Such joyful news felt stained by the imminent danger of possibly lose his child or wife, perhaps even both of them. And he could do little to defeat God’s plans on one’s life. That, he knew far too well.

But he wasn’t entirely powerless before this distressing matter. No, he could still give her all he could, from the most comfortable of pillows, to the best of flowers, and down to the most accurate recreations of her cravings. Whether this months would be her last or whether the child won’t see the light of day, Baldwin made it his one greater duty to give her what most women could only dream in the months of their pregnancy.

And then the water broke, and she along with her maidens were closed off in her own chambers. Baldwin wasn’t allowed in, at least not until the babe was out and checked. And so he waited, patiently, agonizingly. He waited outside, in the hall, ignoring the pain of his joint or the exhaustion of his mind. She was facing far greater pains, he thought each time a new ache mate itself known in his body. 

But if such a wait would be agonizing in any condition, the risk of it possibly being the cause of his love’s demise made it all the more painful, all the more unbearable. He had to stand outside and listen to every groan, every cry, every scream. The labor was long, the door sealed, the ladies inside adamant that such moment would not be compromised.

It was the end of the second day of labor. The light of sunset peaked through the corners of the dawn. It looked like fire to Baldwin, like the very same doors of hell. If anything, such a gruesome thought was fueled by the deafening silence that had replaced the frenzy inside the room. Those were quiet, agonizing moments, where he had to remind himself to breathe, or else he would’ve soon succumbed to the lack of air in his lungs.

And then he heard it: the wailing of a child, a sound so raspy and loud and full of all life’s strength. And the fire of the sunset turned back into bright rays of the sun, and all around him, things felt lighter. Everything felt hopeful.

He all but ignored the customs of such occasions right then and there. When the doors opened and a maid opened her mouth to announce the babe’s birth, he had almost pushed her out of the way to rush to his wife’s side. He took her hand, sweaty and trembling like his own underneath the bandages.

“Where… where is…” he struggled to speak, to breathe. Surely it was mostly caused by the exhaustion he had procured himself during the wait of the labor, but an evenly great cause was the sheer emotions of what he had just been given by God. By her,

She lifted her free hand with the weak remnants of her strength. She pointed at where the maids and a few physicians were fussing around a table. They were checking and cleaning the babe. By tradition, Baldwin should’ve waited outside, and they would’ve brought the babe up to him for him to see and declared his child and possibly heir.

But since he was here, there was no point in making him wait..

The maids brought a bundle of fine silks to the king; blue, like the color of the proud house of the monarch. “Your highness, your son is here.”

The words echoed through Baldwin’s words like a far tune. He wished he could take the veil covering his mingled face, to hold his son as it would be proper. But he couldn’t, and he knew it. The babe was healthy, and so was the mother: the physicians were positive that it would survive the contact to the leper father, yet the sight of such a mutilated face could risk the most fearful reaction in a boy so small.

But holding him like this would suffice just as much. He looked back at his wife while his arms were busy holding the boy. She was visibly tired, perhaps even pained, but she found it in her to smile nonetheless. But his wife’s joyful eyes and his son’s soft weeping did little to muffle the worried mumbles of the maids.

“What is it that worries you?” He didn’t even try to hide his concern in his tone. He was worried, scared, terrified, even. And if they knew anything if this deal, he wished to know it all.

The servants paled. Clearly they wished to find the right words quickly and efficiently, in hopes of soothing their king. “I-It’s just her belly that startles us, your Grace. The babe is healthy, but far too small to explain such round dimensions..”

“Then what do you suggest is the meaning of this?”

“Excluding any ill fate, her Grace may still be bearing a child.” And as if on tune, the torturous contractions caught the queen again, not even an hour later. Given the worry of another child on the go, sparked by one of the eldest maids, bless her heart, nobody left the room to stay prepared if the case of another child was to occur. This quickened the process even if just by a little. But the king’s presence caused many maids to fuss, especially those with more experience on these delicate births.

He was escorted out with impressive haste, just before the contractions resumed. 

And again he stood there, helpless and waiting patiently for the unknown fate of his beloved wife. Another hour passed before the doors opened again. Baldwin was horrified at the sight of the midwife who opened the door for him; she was elderly, clearly having seen more births than anyone in that room had ever seen in their lives. Yet she was pale, shocked. Baldwin feared the worst.

“Where is the queen?” In his voice, the trepidatious hesitation was as clear as daylight. The woman lowered her gaze obsequiously, as it would have been proper for her to have done from the beginning, speaking to the king.

“She is resting, your highness. The births have been tiring beyond measure.”

“ Births?”

“Yes, your Highness. Her majesty has given you no less than three babes.”

Baldwin felt groggy. A single child was already a living miracle for him, and he blessed every saint whose name he had ever heard for this gift. But three? What immense event had just happened? Which angel had he been fortunate enough to marry, who had enlightened his life.

“Three? How? What are they like? Are they all well?” His words were stumbling over each other like a child eager to hear a secret. The midwife, slightly overwhelmed by his sudden enthusiasm, managed a small nod.

“Yes, your Highness, all three are in good health. Two boys and a girl, blessings from the heavens indeed. But they are… quite small, your Grace. Premature, but the Lord granted them a strong will to live, it seems. They are currently with the queen, who is also in surprisingly good spirits, considering the ordeal she has just faced. She insisted on seeing you as soon as the physicians allowed you to enter her chambers."

Her words were enough. Baldwin had heard enough. Now he needed to see, in hopes of seeing what sounded like a mirage come to be. His cerulean eyes were still wide in shock and wonder, the only peak at his current turmoil behind the white silk of the veil covering his wretched face. He took a deep breath, which did little to ease his beating heart and hazy mind. "I… I must come to her at once.. Yes.. yes, it is best if I do.."

The midwife nodded her understanding, though the fear in her eyes was palpable. She knew the customs and the risks better than anyone in this room, but she was also aware of the king's desperation. "Your Grace, the physicians are still… attending to your wife. It might be better if you waited just a bit longer, until they ensure she is well enough to receive you."

Her objections fell to deaf ears. The young king was already making his way forward into the queen's quarters. The midwife's voice seemed to fade away from his mind as soon as his foot passed through the doorstep. Everything else seemed to disappear all the same, in fact. All that Baldwin could see, all that he could focus on, was right before his eyes. There she was, splayed on the bed just as she was before, though twice as exhausted. She glowed brighter than the Holy Grace in that moment, despite the sweat that clung to her body and clothes, despite the faint stains of blood pooled around her womb.

And then he turned, and there, in the corner of the room, was the table where the physicians had placed the babes to ensure their health. The babes. His babes. He had thought that nothing could be more overwhelming than the love he felt for his wife, yet the moment his eyes fell upon them, he realized he was wrong. The emotions that flooded his heart were too strong to be contained by his human shell. The two boys were wrapped in soft linens, and their tiny hands were curled into fists as if they were already thrilling to face the world. The girl, on the other hand, had her eyes open, staring straight at him as if she had known him all her life, which she had, in a way. Her eyes were so big that one would've mistook them for round gems, Baldwin was sure of that. And staring into those oceans of blue felt like plunging into an endless void from which he was not sure there was a way to escape, nor did he wish to find one. He thanked God that the other two children were still asleep, lest their own gazes gave him the final blow to his already weakened heart.

The physicians looked at him, all of them in awe of the king’s condition. They had never seen the Leper King so… so alive, so full of color and vigor. It was like watching a man who had just been granted a second chance at life, and they were all too aware of the gravity of the moment to dare interrupt it. If the main worry had been whether or not he ever would've had an heir of his own before, now it was whether or not these little miracles would be spared from the same wretched destiny their father had been bestowed with. For now, the physicians could find nothing but good signs of health, but would that last for long? The question stayed in the air, lingering, unspoken, unanswered.

"Baldwin?" The voice was faint, but the king's ears, ever so sharp, caught it immediately. It was his wife's, groggy and weak, yet still filled with a warmth that could've melted any heart, even the most icy one of them all. He rushed to her side, his boots echoing in the chamber like thunder. She looked up at him, her eyes glazed over by the pain of childbirth, yet still gleaming with the spark of life. And she smiled. As tiredly as it was, she smiled up at him just as she'd done a million times and more. He smiled back at her, too, though the veil over his face prevented her from seeing anything more than the way his eyes were curving up into small half-moons. Her hand weakly moved up to that same veil, weak and shaky, yet determined to admire the face of the man whose children she just gave birth to. He obliged to her silent request with a trembling haste, as quickly to obey as a devoted knight to his princess.

Her gaze took a moment to adjust to the light that reflected from the window behind them through the stark white of the veil's fabric, but she never once averted her eyes. They were still beautiful, those eyes of his, as blue as the sea and as piercing as the sharpest blade. His skin, however mangled by his cursed diseas, was a sight she had grown accustomed to. The leprosy was leaving its marks, sure enough. But she didn’t see a monster. She didn’t see a king. She just saw her husband. And he knew that in that gaze of hers there was anything but judgement.

He leaned down to kiss her forehead, feeling her warmth, feeling life emanating from her. The same life she had just given him, not once, but thrice over. "I can't believe it," he whispered, his voice hoarse from the tension of the past hours. "Three… three miracles."

The emotional edge to his voice was an unusual sight for anyone who knew the young king. Yet she paid no mind to it. No man safe of mind with an ounce of a heart would have any other reaction, given their current situation. A small, weak huff that supposedly resembled a laugh came out of the woman's lips, followed by an equally weak and raspy voice. "Three, no more this time. This, I promise you."

Her words were a jest, yet they bore the weight of a thousand truths. The queen was known for her strength, but even she had her limits. Giving birth to three lives at once would draw that limits to most. The room felt warmer than before, perhaps due to the sheer joy that had flooded it. Or perhaps it was the heat of the many candles that had burned themselves to the end to bring light to this moment.

Baldwin's eyes sought hers, and for a moment, he saw himself reflected in her pupils. His fears, his hopes, his love. The sight of his skin was stark in the candlelight, paler in some spots than she had ever seen before. The leprosy had claimed more of him than ever before. Yet she didn't recoil, didn't even flinch. Instead, she reached up to gently trace his cheek with a trembling hand. Her touch was feather-light, a stark contrast to the roughness of his own skin. And all she could see, all she cold feel was the presence of the man she had promised to love, through sickness and health, till death did them part. He leaned close to her, slave to her every command. Her lips, tired and soft, brushed against the numb skin of his cheek. A shaky breath left his lips. And his eyes closed.

The world seemed to have resumed its cycle, at last. Baldwin felt the faint whiff of air against his skin with his wife's every breath. The muffled whines of the triplets quietly echoed against the walls of the queen's chamber. They'd soon be brought to Baldwin, for him to admire each one of his children and to have their mother tend to them as she'd wished to do. But not yet. For now, Baldwin let himself feel. The rays of the sun felt warmer against his skin, perhaps because they now felt like the testament to the blessing he's been entrusted with by his Lord. The blessing which was now resting amidst the cures of physicians and midwives alike, the blessing to which Baldwin would immolate his life to, from this day forward.

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Would Baldwin Iv be jealous if the reader was hanging out with someone he didnt really like?

King Baldwin IV - Untrusting jealousy

A/N: We're so back!! I'm so sorry for my long ahh hiatus but now that school is painfully slowly coming to an end, I figured it'd be the best time to catch up on all the unfinished projects and requests I've gathered in these past months. Also, I'm taking the chance to announce that I've updated my masterlist to add all the new fandoms I'm willing to write for, so go check on it if you're interested in commissioning any new works :))

Also the painting is "Stańczyk" by the Polish painter Jan Matejko

Warnings: none, jealousy, maybe? reader is gn

I really can't see him as the type of man to actually show any sort of jealousy

In this situation, I'd say he would act in a more "cautious" sort of way

If he didn't like someone, knowing his character, it would be because of something that makes them outright unworthy of his trust

He isn't the irrational type, so while his reasons to dislike this third party will surely be well founded, he isn't going to stop you from hanging out with them

He would totally warn you, of course. Assuming you were together, you'd be his partner and most trusted person in his life. Your safety would be his priority, so of course he'd want you to at least make informed decisions

That being said, if things were to escalate towards something he deemed potentially dangerous, I can see him acting out on it more. Still, nothing exaggerated or outwardly jealous, but he'd definitely pull you to the side and talk to you about these worries of his

In the end, it all really boils down to his desire to shield you from danger's way. Baldwin isn't the jealous type, it's simply not part of who he is

[nebbyy]

Didn't expect to casually see Solas in Naples

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It's even funnier when most of them are the same people who go screaming around that Solas and Mythal were startcrossed endgame soulmates because she called him love once lol.

I'm not mad with this new game, honestly. I may not like how rushed it seems sometimes, but the romances I've done so far left me very satisfied (Emmrich and Lucanis ofc).

People who are claiming the Lucanis romance is lacklustre because you don’t make out immediately are weak. Every piece of dialogue from this man has been so sweet and romantic and genuine and thoughtful especially since confirming the relationship. and people are saying it’s “like you’re just friends” because there’s no sex scene after you enter the relationship… not sure what they’re doing wrong but Lucanis’ gentleness and protectiveness toward Rook reads 100% romantic to me. the man was just tortured for a year he’s a slow burn let him COOK

[nebbyy]

Hi! I just wanted to ask how you were doing

I'm doing much much better than the last time I posted anything here, to be honest!

School is going soo well now that I've got the tools I've been lacking for so long, and I've slowly built my desire to write back!

I'll update some stuff about what fandoms I will write for since I've found new stuff and got back to older fandoms thar I never included in the first place.

If you're one of my followers who stuck around during my hiatus, then I wanna thank you with my whole heart because you guys gave me the motivation I needed to go back to writing.

Thanks again anon and I hope everything is going well for you too🫶

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Hey guys it's my birthday today!!

Too bad I was born 800 years too late or else I'd spend it with Baldwin smh😪

Btw as a birthday gift to you guys I'll go back to writing by the end of the month!

[nebbyy]

THIS

Characters, just like people, aren't black and white!! That's the interesting part of a character, the different shades of them, the different aspects.

There's no interesting point in a story where there is pure good vs pure evil and all that kinda stuff. Make a character complex. Give the hero some darkness. Make the villain conflictual. Confuse the readers over who they should root for because it's just too much to unpack at once!!

Especially with anything related to the Dance of Dragons, where literally every single character is equally right and wrong.

Man I love these type of posts

need rhaenicent writers to lock the FUCK in and write alicent and otto’s relationship properly like LOOK AT THIS……..look at how they embrace each other……i don’t want evil otto with no motivations but be tradcath and mean to alicent……..i want deeply layered sexually repressed bicurious evil otto who hurts alicent so much and still loves her so deeply the poison needs to drip through what the fuck

[nebbyy]

A list of my most unpopular ASOIAF opinions and theories

Please remember this is all based on the books alone, and there also might be SPOILERS for Fire and Blood and the Game of Thrones book series.

ALSO I might open the requests for Game of Thrones fics and headcanons, and maybe for Baldur's Gate as well once I get back into it.

Okayyy so here we gooo.

1. Maegor's story doesn't add up

Don't get me wrong, he must've obviously been a horrible king and a shitty husband, but reading the chapters that talk about him in Blood and Fire, it all just felt like a list of rumours and versions of all nefarious crimes he would've committed. There are about five versions of whatever he did with each wife of his, each of them more depraved than the one before.

Again, I don't think he was an angel or anything, but my theory is that his history was written by biased sources. His reign was made illicit by Jaehaerys, so it would've been in his best interest to have him remembered as nothing more than a viscious monster.

It's a form of "damnatio memoriae" that we've already seen, in a way, with Mushroom and the Dance of Dragons. When in a conflict, and especially after a victory, each side wants to depict the side they beat as badly as possible Caesar did a similar thing in "De Bello Gallico", the book about his conquest of the modern French and Swiss territories. In this book he excuses his conquest with the supposed preparations for an attack by the Helvetians, a fact that was proven to be misinterpreted as it was a mere pacific migration. And again, he did the same thing when he accused them of cannibalising each other while being under siege, another untrue fact made up to just make them seem worse.

So in a way, Maegor's reputation could've been made worse by following historians to legitimate Jaehaerys' reign over Aerea's claim.

2. Incest has no effects on Valyrians

Okay, this is a bit weirder. My theory is that Valyrians practised incest because it had no effect on their offspring.

Looking at the Targaryen family tree, I noticed that the cases of madness increase the more Targaryens marry with other houses. Baelor the Blessed was the first mad Targaryen, and he had a grandmother of house Harte and a great grandmother who was half Arryn.

Before Baelor, Helaena is questionably considered mad as well, which would prove my theory furthermore had it not been for the amount of trauma she endured in her life so I'm honestly not gonna count her as "mad". Rhaegel Rargaryen was the second confirmed mad Targaryen, with a Martell mother; his daughter Aelora is questionably considered mad too, and her mother is an Arryn.

Aerion Brightflame was another mad Targaryen, with a half Martell father and a Dayne mother. The last two mad Targaryens were Aerys II and Viserys III, but at this point, the bloodline was mixed with others enough to make the Targaryen madness an unpredictable factor.

3. There is no good or bad in the Dance of Dragons

So I think we could theorise that Valyrians can perform incest so long as it remains within pure Valyrian blood.

Edit: some of you have pointed out how there were other signs of incest complications in the Targaryen family such as malformities and stillborn babies. I really am no biologist and I don't want to dwell into that "Valyrian race supremacy" craziness, but those cases are once again always correlated to marriages between Targaryens and other houses, for example all of Maegor's stillborn and unborn children (as 5 out of his 6 wives were not Targaryens/Valyrians) or the following cases.

Rhaenyra had a claim on the throne because of Viserys' will, but Aegon had a claim on the throne because of the laws of Westeros themselves. You can argue that Alicent wasn't the nicest stepmother, yet you can't look me in the face and tell me a woman in the middle ages married to a KING to whom she had given THREE SONS wouldn't complain when the king dismisses all of them and their claims in favor of his firstborn daughter.

Otto may have manipulated Alicent, but that was just how a Lord was supposed to act in that situation: have her marry the best candidate (the king), have her birth at least a son (she did) and make sure those children are first in line for the throne (as it should be, by the laws).

Viserys shouldn't have remarried if he already had his heir, period.

At the same time, Rhaenyra had every reason to fight for her claim and try and go against the actual laws of Westeros, but it was inevitable that many would've seen badly her attempt at claiming what was Aegon's birthright.

Lucerys was an asshole for mutilating Aemond and never showed remorse, quite the opposite. Aemond was an asshole who shouldn't have had all the power he had, plus I hardly believe his and Alys relationship was really consensual so there's that..

In the end, they all had their rights and wrongs, but that doesn't matter at all. The only point about the Dance is the fact that a pointless conflict led to the downfall of one of the strongest families in Westeros history.

4. Rhaegar didn't love Lyanna

I hate the series for making them marry. Like, seriously, have D&D ever read the books? Have they not read what happened between Maegor and the Faith when he took another wife??

Never, not even in the most twisted of universes, would the faith let Rhaegar kidnap and marry a Stark girl while he was still married to Elia. That just wouldn't be plausible.

And I also don't think he'd just fall in love at first sight with a random girl at a tournament. She was a beautiful soul and had many qualities, but she had nothing that could truly make a man throw away his whole life to pursue her.

He needed another child. The dragon has three heads. He had Rhaenys and Aegon, but Visenya was missing (I just made up the name for the third possible child considering he was naming them after the three conquerors lmao). He needed Lyanna to have that third child, and he knew how to get her to get what he wanted.

Perhaps we'll find out this isn't true. Perhaps Rhaegar really was head over heels for Lyanna, but I honestly really really doubt it.

5. There is no certainty on who the Prince that was Promised is

No matter what the show wants us to see, we still don't know who it is. It could be Daenerys, it could be Jon, it could even be Stannis and we're not gonna know it until Martin reveals it.

I honestly think Daenerys is Azor Ahai, but I'm still curious to see why we would need to revive Jon then. And considering Stannis' sword possibly being Azor Ahai's sword, is it a fake one made by Melisandre to get what she wanted from him, or does he actually possess the original sword?

Well, these are the first theories and opinions I could think of right now, I might post more in the future. Again, please don't slander me in the comments, these are just my personal opinions and I respect all others.