Golden Face

Chapter 8

Rebecca was cleaning Baldwin's room while he had a meeting with his generals. She cleaned his desk, where he found pieces of cloth, used for gauze, bloody. She looked at them, but she didn't pay attention to them, he was often on the campaigns anyway, so it made sense that he had wounds. She pushed aside some papers that he was filing and saw a book.

She took it in her hands and saw that a paper was between the pages. She opened it to see that it worked as a bookmark. The paper fell on the scarlet carpet, she didn't care to pick it up, looking at what was written in Latin the book "Lepra signa pejora et peiora ducens ad mortem" he was reading, translating them "The symptoms of leprosy get worse and worse, leading to death" He left the book aside "Why should Baldwin read about leprosy?"

When she was a little girl, in the convent where she learned Latin, there was a nun who contracted leprosy. Rebecca was then only seven years old when she caught a mild form of the plague from the convent, developing a very high fever, making those days pass like a dream. Unbeknownst to her, she had become immune, having passed it at an early age.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice that someone was looking at her from the opening of the door. The door opened and Guy entered with two crusaders

"She's a witch" pointing at her and the crusaders caught her "You're wrong! I don't..."

"I heard you read Latin and even translate it. Your accent sounded so beautiful that your magic made me sick. Take her and burn her in the square."

"Wait, let me explain! I'm not a witch! I know Latin from my family!" the voice could be heard disappearing down the corridor.

Baldwin returned to his room. The meeting was over, but Guy had already left earlier. He saw Guy standing in his room, holding the black book in his hands.

"Why are you messing with my things?"

"Not me, the witch you've had by your side for four years"

"Rebecca is not a witch. There was some misunderstanding"

"But how? She read Latin so easily" he showed him the book he was holding. Baldwin grabbed it and started flipping through it "Was she reading from this book?"

"It doesn't matter what she was reading, but that she read Latin"

"Where did you take her now?" grabbed him by the uniform and pinned him to the table "Where is she?"

"They are taking her to the square in Jerusalem. I have given orders to burn her for witchcraft"

"How dare you make decisions for my own maid? Rebecca is not a witch, her teacher father and nun aunt taught her Latin"

He left the room and ordered some maids to tell the crusader general to meet him in the palace stable. He left the palace on his horse accompanied by the crusaders.

In the square, Guy's crusaders dragged her to the platform, her hands tied.

"Aren't you afraid of the Punisher of Heaven, witch?" The high priest asked

"I'm not afraid of God" she said looking him in the eyes "I'm afraid of men"

"She is blasphemous, unrepentant" shouted the high priest to the crowd.

"What a pity that an innocent girl should burn for the beliefs of men," said William, looking on, unable to do anything to save her.

They tied her to a wooden post and put sticks around her. She raised her head to the sky "God, forgive my sins. I don't deserve this death. I wish he was here. To explain to him" the executioner approached with the torch, but stopped before burning the wood, by the sound of sizzling .

The crowd moved aside, letting the horses pass, and the white horse reached the spot where the post was tied. William smiled as he watched the boy he once trained stand up for his beliefs in the war of life. Baldwin dismounted and drew his sword cutting the ropes in her hands. She fell on him, hugging him "You came to save me"

"You didn't deserve to die for a crime you didn't commit" he didn't hug her, but patted her gently on the back of the head. Her joy and shock were so great, that she fainted while hugging him. He took her in his arms and mounted the horse, holding her in his arm and the reins with his other hand.

"Your Majesty! You cannot do this!" shouted the high priest "She's a witch"

"There has been a misunderstanding. The girl is not a witch and the accusations are false. No one can know those closest to me better than I do" he snapped at his reins and left, followed by the crusaders.

When they returned to the palace, Rebecca was diagnosed with a high fever from the shock she suffered "She won't sleep in her room tonight. It's dangerous for her fever to rise further"

At night, he would sit and sign the required papers, affixing the royal seal. He turned and looked at Rebecca, who was sleeping in his bed while the doctor examined her for one more time. "The fever is not going down, she needs rest" he bowed when he finished the examination and left.

After he finished his papers, he laid down next to her. He had no intention of doing anything to her, even if she wasn't sick. His illness wouldn't allow him to touch her anyway. He wanted to feel, for once, what it would be like to share a bed with a woman he loved.

Rebecca woke up in her sleep, with a high fever. She thought that she was dreaming, seeing the golden mask on the other side of the big bed. She reached out and touched the mask. It felt so real to her fingertips. The fever made her go back to sleep.

Baldwin was sitting on the couch, opposite his bed. He looked at Rebecca as she slept, her calm features made him forget all the hardships of the war and his sufferings. The door was knocked and the doctor entered the room.

"I have a council to attend so tell me after your exam" Baldwin whispered to him before leaving the room. The doctor touched her forehead seeing that it was cool. The fever had gone down and Rebecca slowly opened her eyes "Where am I?"

"You are in the king's room, the fever is down" she shook herself "In the king's room? This is where I slept?"

"He couldn't leave you in your room, your fever was already high and..."

She got up from the bed before he could finish his words "I have to go, before there's any misunderstanding" The doctor didn't have time to speak before the girl left the room, he just shook his head and gathered his medical tools.

In the evening, Baldwin sat on the balcony of his room, looking at the evening sky of Jerusalem. The city was like the evening sky too. Darkness, only the flames of the candles in the houses to resemble the countless stars in the sky.

He looked into the room and saw Rebecca place the tray of evening tea on his table next to his papers. His gaze returned to the sky.

"Very nice night tonight"

"Yes, indeed" she replied and stepped out onto the porch, standing a few meters behind him. Deathly silence prevailed, as in the city of Jerusalem.

"Little Baldwin is very cute" was her voice that broke the silence and he looked at her "The son of Sibylla"

"Right" he said sounding lost in thought.

"Pity your majesty is not married. Children are a blessing"

"If I didn't have to wear the mask, I would have been engaged to you" he looked at her, his words at first seeming like she imagined them.

Baldwin tightened his gloves, seeing that he was getting no response from her, and lowered his head, his back turned to her. He was sure that once she find out the whole truth, she would push him away like everyone else.

"If I wasn't a servant, I'd be your queen" he heard her voice and he looked up, turned and looked at her "Of course, I'm still not sure why you're wearing that mask and I understand you don't want me to know. I am a simple servant, nothing more" she became chatty with anxiety and Baldwin hugged her.

It was the first time they felt each other so close. She rested her face on his chest and slowly wrapped her own arms around his body. Despite his cold appearance, his embrace was very warm.

"Better never know what's under that mask" heard his voice "The ignorance is better"