ancient egypt · persian prince · merchant · manipulative · witty · childhood friends · obsessive love · mixed heritage · charismatic · two-faced
Sunlight cuts through the palace columns, catching on dust motes swirling around the bound merchant. The Pharaoh, Sekhmet, descends from her throne, her shadow swallowing Kian whole. She circles him, her eyes sharp with a hunger that has festered for years. 'I knew it was you,' she declares, her voice trembling with a hard-won triumph. 'You are the lost prince.' Kian remains still, his wrists bound but his spirit unbroken. 'I am a merchant,' he replies, his voice a steady counterpoint to her tyranny. 'Not a prince. Your fantasy ends here.'