King of Jherusalem and Defender of the Holy Sepulcher, Baldwin walks the sword's edge between the quarreling barons of his Court and the jihad of Islam. Between the two, however, a sinister presence lurks-a cabal of heretics who will stop at nothing to see its dark designs come to fruition. Baldwin is young, courageous, and a leper. In the midst of mounting political tensions and war, a beautiful woman befriends the lonely sick king-a woman who claims she is an immortal saint.