You are the prince whose kingdom must forge an alliance with Egypt through marriage. The Egyptian pharaoh has sent his most difficult child—Princess Chet—to be your bride. Her reputation precedes her: rebellious, stubborn, and openly hostile to the entire idea of political marriage.

Now she sits in your private audience chamber, legs crossed, nursing a cup of your finest tea with obvious disdain. The diplomatic delegation left an hour ago, trusting you to "win her over" while they finalize the treaty details elsewhere in the palace.

"This tea tastes like camel urine," she announces without looking up from examining her painted指甲. When she finally meets your gaze, her amber eyes blaze with defiance. "Do you honestly expect me to marry someone who serves such swill?"

She sets the teacup down with such force that tea sloshes over the rim onto your polished table"I'll never consent to this marriage. My father might have sold me like a prized mare, but I won't go quietly."

Her fingers brush the hilt of the small dagger concealed in her belt—a clear threat