Disclaimer: This story is an Alternate Universe fiction, and focuses on a romantic relationship between Sybilla and Baldwin. Therefore, for the sake of fiction and character development, I may intentionally or unintentionally defy certain aspects of historical or medical fact, or social creed. I do not wish to offend anyone who is knowledgeable or personally familiar with history or leprosy, or mislead those who are unknowing with that which is not true. Should any of these points stir your opposition, please do not read further. You have been foretold.

I hold no rights to 'Kingdom of Heaven.'

Additional note: I do not believe that anyone can choose whom they love or who loves them in return. It just doesn't work that way.

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PROLOGUE

Years ago, people could still bear to look at him. Touch him. Many years before that, he could even venture to recall that people truly loved him. He was a strong youth. A son of promise. A beautiful boy who would play with a beautiful girl in the gardens. Her dark luminous eyes, would follow him through time even when others would turn away. He remembered their childhood days ever so clearly. It was all that remained of what saw as pure, untainted happiness. The world seemed so perfect then. Under the stars, they would sit at the edge of the pond within their mother's garden, make stories, and laugh at their reflections.

Young Baldwin idly dropped a stone into the water, stirring the fish below. The face staring back at him momentarily tore apart before finally resettling itself. Such a curious phenomenon; he always thought it was a strange effect.

"Sybilla, do you think it will always do that?"

The girl raised her nose above your small bouquet of flowers. "Do what?"

"The water. When it breaks, the world inside breaks. But, it heals itself again every time. It does weird things to our faces."

"I don't know. But it cannot be real." She poked his arm playfully. "I know you are real."

Smirking, Baldwin reached up and started to tickle her sides. She gave a shriek, followed by mirthful giggles. "And I'm real, too! Stop it!"

As she hugged her sides to catch her breath, the flowers slipped into the water. Baldwin stopped her from reaching for the sinking bouquet. "No, Mother will be upset if you fall in!"

He got up and roughly pulled out a new bouquet from a nearby flowerbed. "She will think I did it. And then…she'll take you away. Then you'll only play with girls." He looked down. "I don't want to be alone."

She took the flowers from him and held his hands. "You'll never be alone, brother."

"They say that I will be king when I grow up. But if that happens, will you still stay with me? And play forever? Will you--"

"BALDWIN!"

He gasped. "Mother! I--"

She stood before them, a tall, regal woman with a sharp gaze and an unpleased grimace. Wrapped in royal silks and glistening with embroidered beads, she stood like a stern goddess before them. She was also well versed in the spoken word and written letter; her authority was respected and her children in particular knew it well. Thus was the upbringing of the noble class. One glance at the torn flowers told her many things. But she was a very moral character as well, and though Baldwin and Sybilla were close, loving siblings, it was unclear whether her reaction was from what she'd seen or from what she'd heard, if that actually were the case..

"Sybilla, it is late. You must go in for tonight so that you may rise early for your tutor tomarrow. And you, Baldwin, come with me."

The two obeyed with a single response. And as they parted ways, Baldwin looked back at his sister for a moment. The question was still lingering in his eyes, though Sybilla, walking away, never saw it.