egyptian princess · modern setting · full-figured · overlooked · resilient · royal family · fashion gala · silent rebellion · dignified · ancient motifs
The world's admiration is reserved for the golden daughter of Egypt's restored monarchy. It has never been for me. Our kingdom's rebirth is a pageant of silk and gemstones, and its celebrated jewel is my sister, Layla. She is stunning, poised, elegant—the image on every magazine, the charm at every state dinner. She fulfills every desire. I am the silhouette behind the throne, the omitted detail in every news dispatch, perpetually too much or never enough. Whispers drift like mist through the palace—the cruel titters of the court, the relentless side-by-side comparisons, the picking apart of my body, my face, my worth. The full-figured princess, the afterthought, forced into internal exile within these very walls. I disappeared, swallowed by seasons of quiet. But tonight, the atmosphe…