7
Chapter 6Brown eyes snapped open suddenly and a moan of utter pain could be heard. The pain, the pain! It was all she could think about. But the stench was the most unbearable part that she could think of. Rotten flesh that had been too long lived in. The burn of the dry blood flowed along the rest of her leg and she cried out suddenly looking about her surroundings. What was going on she thought frantically her eyes moving along the walls wondering how she had gotten into such a fine establishment.
Suddenly cool water flushed over her legs removing the sticky mess that she could only imagine as she lay looking about the fire lit room.
"Bring my doctors here now!" A gentle voice ordered within her hearing. Lifting her head as much as it would allow, she felt sudden relief to see her daughter near the edge of the room. Her beautiful daughter; but what was the other voice that had commanded such an act? Suddenly a face beside her sweet Agness; a man clasping her hands within his gloved hands. Her eyes widened once she spied whom it was that held his posture like the king. "They will arrive shortly to tend to your mother, but I must leave. Not for long of course."
She watched her daughter nod and gazed after the man that left. Opening her mouth to congratulate Agness, she found that she could not speak. She quickly shut her dry mouth in defeat remembering the last time that she had been awake; her fever. Rolling her eyes aside in an attempt to not be noticed she came to the realization that she was dying. Dying in the Kings palace of all places. She had grown used to the fact that she would eventually die in the leper cave with all the lepers of stoned to death by the town folk. Never could she imagine that it would be this wonderful.
Her thoughts were hazy and spread all over her mind as she attempted to think back upon her daughter. She had known the man by his commanding voice to be the king and what a handsome man at that. Not at all like her husband who had left them both when she became ill. It brought tears to her eyes now to see her daughter grown and meeting men. It seemed like yesterday they were playing in the river with fake dolls and throwing dirt at each other. A tear came to her eye as she realized that she would not see her anymore, she wouldn't see her grandchildren grow like other woman who sat at the well with the little things an odd parody to see a wrinkled sponge and a small infant without a single blemish. But the man, who was the man? He was like an unblemished child, his sandy blond hair curled around his face. There was nothing wrong with him, she smiled lightly; at least she will not mourn anymore over me. Her eyes once more closed and she fell asleep once again.
Agness dapped the wet rag onto her mothers eroded leg wondering if she would last another hour. Another day, just so she could see her mother like she had a long time ago. Conflicting feeling arose inside her of how she had hated her life, and now she loved it; loved it with friends and people who cared for her. Nothing like that of a mother however; but still it was love.
Agness attempted many times that morning to think upon Baldwin and her dream, however now she couldn't. She was contemplating about telling him her dream that night but he was now gone; all that was left was her mother. The doctors soon arrived and began to tend to her wounds with gloves and masks upon their faces. They would giver her looks wondering if she suffered the same fate but she could only ignore them. Sighing she stood almost helplessly knowing that any moment her mother could take her last breath but she needed a break. Hugging her arms around herself, she left the room and into the courtyard where her dream had taken place.
The cushions were still the same way as when she had first visited the palace. She could still almost see the small boy running around the stones as though it were a game and Baldwin picking a flower for her to enjoy. This brought a smile to her face and warmth that only a dream could give. Though false and tempting, she still enjoyed it.
The smell of lavender and cinnamon suddenly coursed through her nose and she turned in time to see Sibilla. Her dark dress was whipping at her ankles and she seemed almost in a hurry to reach the courtyard her brown eyes upon Agness. Her long brown almost black hair seemed fizzled as though she had kept it unclean.
"Your mother is here?" Sibilla asked suddenly with a smile upon her face once she came to a stop next to Agness.
All Agness could do was nod brushing back her hair as she did so looking at the happy Sibilla almost jealous of her happiness. "She is sleeping at the moment," Agness suddenly found her voice.
"She needs it, and you need a break I would presume. Come have lunch with me; you look hungry." The fizzled woman smiled and grabbed Agness' arm before she could refuse. "We just need to put you into a proper dress and fix your hair…"
She continued to ramble on as Agness laughed at the pun but not to dare comment upon the princess haggled hair. But she followed nevertheless; listening to her grumbling stomach and the simple truth that Sibilla had spoken only moments before. Her mother needed rest, and the doctors' care.
Baldwin looked from his throne at his many subjects his mind still upon Agness and her mother. He felt sorrow fill his heart looking upon the woman that had lived her short life as a leper. If only Agness had met him earlier, his physicians could have prolonged her life. People were so selfish, he suddenly thought looking at the men argue before him about the many wars that the land was faced with. He had once thought just like them before, jumping to the chance of war at the first whisper of one, but now all he wanted was peace.
His attempts to think upon his land and subjects were futile. Leaning gently upon the wooden armrest of his throne, he came to this conclusion as his mind drifted back to Agness. He only wished his dream was reality. To feel her locks of hair in his fingers, to gaze upon her eyes as he made her moan with pleasure.
"Mi Lord," came a voice to his right. "What of Saladin?"
Baldwin looked up from his dazed state the many faces staring back at him. Glancing to his left, he could see Tiberius dressed in his father's colors of blue, white and gold. A look of stress and grief marred his already worn face along with a fresh scar that made his eye squint slightly. His rough voice seemed to always be filled with hate and anger, however Baldwin knew otherwise.
Groups of men were shouting to Baldwin's right stating that he must go to war with this man. But one look into Tiberius' eyes, Baldwin knew they wouldn't win the upcoming battles. It had been to long of a siege. Raising his gloved hand, the whole courtyard fell silent ready to listen to their king.
"If we go to war with Saladin, we will all die and Jerusalem as you all know it will fall. Both Saladin and his people I included are tired of this war. I deem peace with Saladin. Send word to his forces and then we will meet for terms. I am not able to travel, tell him that he must come here. I will go as far as I can." Baldwin then stood not wanting to hear any more arguments and gasps of surprise from the crowd and quietly as his sour feet would allow scuttled from the room.
After leaving the large angry group of people, Baldwin paused at the large sand crafted pillar looking out upon his kingdom. His Jerusalem. Before him his people all shared the same thing poverty and hatred for him. Had he been this selfish in his life, even before as generation after generation of his family fought for this land none had thought of the people. The many lives they were taking away, the lost loves and trailing tragedies.
Grimacing slightly, he suddenly leaned upon the cold stone pain soaring in his body. Physical and mental pains that he knew would never heal in his life. Closing his eyes he groaned slightly feeling the sick feel of blood running down his legs. Slamming his eyes together, he was too afraid to look down not wanting to see a puddle of blood pooling upon the floor to forever stain it.
"Mi Lord!" A voice suddenly shouted from behind him but the pain was too much for him to acknowledge the familiarity of it.
Looking about, Baldwin could see only blackness and for only a moment he had forgotten his place. Throbbing in his head he lashed out with his arms and yelped out, "Who's there?"
Suddenly arms caught his falling body. Strong faithful arms that he knew all to well but the blackness consumed him. Then the voice continued in his fear, "It is Godfrey of Ibelin. What is thy matter? May I be of assistance?"
As the man continued to offer his help, Baldwin began to right himself attempting to fight the darkness of his eyes wondering if he was to go blind. Thousands of thoughts flooded him mind alongside the pain but he continued to fight to reality. It seemed like a war with his mind and body all of them screaming to just give up but finally the black empty pit of nothing began to fade to color once more. The bright colors of the stone the gold and red of the man before him that he had known since he was a child and the tanned face with a worried expression sat before him.
Looking deeply at the man he asked with a kind voice remembering who the man was before him, "Would you like to accompany me to see Agness mother? She is very ill and about to die."
The man nodded his approval a hint of a smile on his weathered face. Baldwin questioned this but continued to walk slowly to where the poor leper lay with her dying moments.