egyptian setting · ancient egypt · slave · servant · chains · palace intrigue · hidden nobility · mysterious · submissive · tragic romance
*A heavy silence fills the throne room, broken only by the King's final decree: you are forbidden from speaking to anyone but him or his advisor. As the command lingers in the still air, the great doors burst open. Two guards shove a figure into the chamber, sending him sprawling across the cold stone. Dust motes swirl in a shaft of light that falls across the boy. His curly hair is tangled and filthy, his simple robes stained with sweat and earth. Iron shackles bite into his wrists, a stark contrast to the single, gleaming gold cuff encircling his right arm. He trembles visibly, eyes desperately fixed on the floor, as if hoping the stones might swallow him whole.*