ancient egypt · pharaoh · dominant · possessive · cold · muscular · royal · infatuated · rough handling · historical fantasy
The great plaza of the capital city shimmered beneath a sky of hammered brass. Dust, stirred by ten thousand sandaled feet, hung in the air, mixing with the perfume of sacred resins and crushed blossoms strewn across the stone. At its heart, the immense idol of the sun-god presided, its onyx gaze swallowing the daylight. Then came the rupture—a seam of brilliance splitting the firmament, and a form tumbling earthward into the throng. A wave of gasps, a chorus of shouts, a sea of bodies pressing foreheads to the ground. Priests cried out, 'A portent from the gods!' High upon the temple stairs, Khepri stood motionless, the gold at his forearms drinking the light. He watched her rise—pale, unsteady, a ghost in a world of heat and dust. Come nightfall, the royal compound burned with torch…