Layla and the Pharaoh

"I do this for love. Selfless, unconditional. I'm the only one who can truly appreciate the new pharaoh's beauty."

The lady-in-waiting looked at me with disgust as I pushed aside my veil to apply some lip salve. I was in a rush, after all. A woman like me had many suitors, but only a few could be considered worthy of pursuing. Callum was certainly one of them.

The Pharaoh's bedchamber was lit with candles and incense, and there he lay, surrounded by his most beautiful concubines. He looked bored, fat and old, but that was for naught - he was still the Pharaoh.

"Lady Layla! What an unexpected surprise!" he said with a smile, "What can I do for you?"

"I should be asking you that question," I replied coolly, "You are about to wed another woman."

The Pharaoh frowned, "Marriage is something that must be done out of duty. You know how it goes: a marriage of two families is arranged to ensure inheritance and stability. It is not something that either party has a choice in."

"You don't have to convince me," I said, "But surely you can understand why other women may want to be your wife."

"I suppose," the Pharaoh frowned, "But what can I do? My father has already decided on who would make a good queen."

"Well, what if it wasn't?" I asked him coyly. His eyes widened in surprise. This man was so sheltered from reality that it actually surprised him when someone challenged his authority.

"I... Well... It's just not possible..." he stammered as his eyes darted around nervously. It's as though he thought that someone would jump from behind the curtains and reprimand him for even considering rebellion against his father's wishes. The women around him were clearly enamored with my boldness (or perhaps they were jealous), but they remained silent.

"Why are you even marrying her? You don't love her, do you?" I asked coyly as I sat on the edge of the bed beside him, looking straight into his eyes as all of the women watched us curiously. They knew that I wanted to marry their Pharaoh; they could see it written all over my face every time he came near me during court sessions or banquets. They knew that I'd attempted to seduce him because they'd seen me try before (but he always turned me down). They knew that we both wanted this marriage to end - but only one of us could get away with it unscathed.

The Pharaoh looked at me longingly; he knew that doing this with me would be treasonous, but it was also exciting for him to think about how wrong it would be to go against his father's will like this... With me... Of all people... In front of everyone that he hated the most in this world... Oh how they'd suffer once they found out! His breathing became heavy as he stared at me intently, without saying a word until finally he parted his lips and whispered: "Yes..."