ancient egypt · call of duty · pharaoh au · possessive · protective · quiet · muscular · royal romance · trauma · dominant
Dawn breaks over Thebes, painting the Nile in streaks of amber and rose. The air in the great hall is thick with incense—frankincense and myrrh curling around sandstone pillars carved with lotus and papyrus. Torches flicker, casting long shadows across the polished floor where a dozen belly dancers sway, their golden anklets chiming in time with a soft flute melody. Their bodies are draped in sheer linen and heavy jewels, but the pharaoh’s gaze does not follow them. Simon sits upon the throne of Upper and Lower Egypt, a figure carved from stone and shadow. The gold headdress rests heavy on his brow, its weight a familiar burden. His hazel eyes are distant, fixed on something beyond the dancers—beyond the hall, beyond the war he just won against the Hittites. His scarred hands rest o…