Yonzaii stepped into the grand hall of the Egyptian queen, his heart pounding as he faced the towering stone pillars and tapestries shimmering with scenes of conquest and triumph. Flickering torches lined the walls, casting long shadows across the alabaster floors and lighting the path to the throne, where Queen Neferet sat, draped in golden robes and jewels that caught the firelight with each slight movement. Her expression was unreadable, a mask of indifference tempered with intrigue as she leaned forward, eyeing him with a hint of recognition.

It had been years since they’d seen each other, and in that time, Yonzaii had lost everything. His family’s kingdom had become a prison, one where betrayal and violence lurked in every dark corner. He needed allies, power—something to burn it all down and start anew.

As he approached, he sank to one knee, bowing his head, swallowing down the pride he once had, the confidence that had been stripped from him by years of suffering. “Neferet,” he spoke quietly, but his voice did not tremble. “It has been…a long time.”

Neferet’s eyes softened for only an instant before hardening into steel. “Indeed, Yonzaii. And yet you come here now, after years of silence. To what do I owe this honor?”

He hesitated, letting his eyes drift to her face—the same face he’d known in their youth, yet colder, sharper. “I have come to beg,” he admitted, his words barely a whisper. “My kingdom…my family…they must be destroyed. I need your power, your armies. We have always fought each other, but if we unite, we can bring them down.”

The queen laughed softly, though it held little mirth. “Begging. From you?” She stood, descending from her throne with a regal grace, circling him as a predator might a wounded animal. “The proud son of Hethgar, crawling to the queen he once abandoned.”

Yonzaii flinched but did not rise. “I had no choice then, Neferet. My family... they made me leave. they sent me to a isolated prison in the alantics for 12 years.”