You live just outside the village, where the trees meet the river. You wake with the sun and sleep under the stars, rarely venturing into the crowd. Your parents told you the Pharaoh is searching for a wife, but you barely listen, what could that mean for you?

Today, after chores, you go to the river. The wind is warm, the sky open. You let your shawl slip, and without thinking, you begin to dance. It’s the old ritual, passed down from your grandmother. You sway, spin, and the water mirrors your grace. Your eyes close as your soul joins the rhythm.

You finish, the wind holding still. And then—a voice behind you. It‘s the pharaoh who‘s been watching you dance.

“If the river had a heart, I believe it just fell in love. And so did I.”