Disclaimer: I do NOT own kingdom of Heaven in any way shape form or fashion .
A/N: my OC is not supposed to go gaga love with Baldwin, seeing as she is underage. She just becomes his closest friend .
Blind Love
Godfrey had noticed her a few days ago, she looked to be nine years of age, dirty brown hair and dressed in rags. She was blind, that was the first thing he had noticed. He had mentioned the pitiful creature to his king in passing, he had not thought it would take the kings interest. But an interest he did take. He ask to see this girl who so young was blind. Godfrey understood the kings feelings, soon he too would be blind.
The girl was surprised that a king would want to see her but she was excited to have this once in a life time experience. She was an orphan so he did not need to ask for her parents permission . He brought her to Baldwin, and took his leave, knowing the questions he would ask where not for him to hear.
"Child what is your name?" the young king asked softly
"Abigail" she answered shyly,
"may I ask a few questions of you?"
"yes" she shifted in her seat "but what could I tell you that you don't already know, you are a king"
He laughed "I may be a king but that does not mean I know everything. I wanted to ask you what it is like being blind"
"oh" she looked in the direction she thought his voice came from "Well for me I can still see light and dark and sometimes if I'm lucky I can see bright colors. But I know of others who can't even see that, they only see the darkness."
"What do you see when you see me?" he asked
"I see a blur of white with a gray spot where your face is" she said squinting
"How would you like to stay here at the palace?" when he asked that she seemed to nearly fall out of her chair
"why? I am nothing but a blind peasant"
"And I am nothing but a leper king"
It was decided she stay, she was treated like a little princess, like she was Baldwin's own daughter . She was cleaned dressed and fed. She had her own room and a maid to lead her where she wanted to go and take care of her needs. Everyone was nice to her except Guy de Lusignan, he felt that if Baldwin did adopt her his chance at the throne would disappear. Soon after she was taken in he was introduced to her at the dinner table, Baldwin sitting nearby, but he kept his mask on and didn't touch the food. Guy walked in and stared at the girl and knocked her plate from the table, stepped on her food and sneered at her. Everyone gasped.
"There you go little peasant whore, eat from the ground like the dogs, as you should"
"GUY!" shouted the king "How dare you!"
Guy had apparently not noticed the king, He looked shocked and petted Abigail on the head "oh what a misfortune her plate fell"
"I may be a leper, but I am not blind or deaf" the king stood "Giver her your plate"
"What! But my lord I-" he tried to make excuses for himself but the king interrupted
"Give her your- no It may be poisoned, knowing how unloved you are by the court and the people, no" here he clapped his hands for the servants to bring her another plate "no you will eat her food…. Off of the floor. And you shall not argue with me."
Guy never acted out against her directly after that, but he made sure to make her life hard and unhappy when he could. The king had given her a kitten, she loved it and named it after the king. One day she came back to her room to find him missing only for the maid to give a shriek. The maid found it dead in the water basin. Other than her torment by Guy her life was paradise she was well loved by the king and she loved him in return, he was the father she never had. And she became fast friends with Baldwin V and was his play mate. The king would hold court and had he sit next to him, and he would ask for her advice on some matters, and this day was the same. The king asked for her to sit next to him as he listened to peoples quarrels and met nobles. And this bring us to the end of our tale.
She walked down a small flight of stairs, as she did she heard Guy talking. The next thing she knew she was tumbling down the stairs and hit her head several times. People rushed to care for her, the maid fretting and fussing over her and scolding herself for failing to guide her properly. Abigail claimed to be fine and took her seat next to the king.
"Are you alright?" he asked very concerned
"Yes my head just hurts a bit" she said rubbing it.
As the hours past she noticed her vision was different, more defined, she was seeing more clearly! She was so excited she wanted badly to tell Baldwin but she knew not to interrupt. She looked around at all the people, the stones, and saw a bird on the eaves of the courtyard. Suddenly the bird took to the sky, and was replaced by a man with a bow. She was confused she and heard about these type of weapons but why would this man be up there with one. It was when he knocked an arrow to the bow and aimed at the king that she knew what he was there for. The man pulled the string back, she jumped up, he let the arrow fly, she stood between the king and the arrow. The arrow hit her hard, she looked down at her small chest, there where her heart was, an arrow. For a moment she didn't feel any pain, but she soon felt it. She fell to the ground a pair of arms wrapping around her she heard screams and shouts "he's getting away!" she felt agony. She looked up at the one who held her, it was the king. She could hear his sobs from behind his mask.
"I can see" she said this made his sobs harder, she knew there would be no hope for her, she knew she was dying.
"may I see your face?" her face was growing paler by the minute, he nodded his head and motioned for everyone to leave except Godfrey. He pulled his mask off, she reached for his face he thought about stopping her but he knew that it was an ingrained reaction. She touched his face.
"Can I call you father?" she asked, he couldn't trust himself to speak so he nodded.
"I love you father" those were her last words her hand slipped from his face, her eyes became glassy, and her breath left her.
Godfrey felt tears in his eyes as he heard his king cry out in anguish. The king was inconsolable, he insisted on adopting her, and having her body entombed in the royal tombs. Things went back to the way they were, Guy was as rude and cruel as ever, the palace was quiet, and the king was alone once more.
A/N: I hoped you guys liked it, I know it's a sad ending, I've never done something this depressing before….
