Lahat ng Kabanata ng Queen of the Eternal Nile: Kabanata 41 - Kabanata 50

The Great Council Hall was quieter than usual.Rows of ministers, generals, priests, and noble representatives waited in tense silence.The attempted assassination within the royal palace had shaken the entire kingdom. Never before had enemies crossed the palace walls.When Kharef entered, every person immediately rose and bowed."My Pharaoh."He acknowledged them with a single nod before taking his seat upon the Black Sun Throne.His golden eyes swept calmly across the hall. Nothing in his expression betrayed the sleepless nights he had endured and revealed the woman lying unconscious in his private chambers.The meeting began.General Ramose stepped forward. "The assassins have been eliminated. One remains under interrogation and the palace has been secured."Kharef nodded. "Double the guards. No one enters or leaves the royal residence without my approval.""As you command, my Pharaoh."The ministers carefully exchanged glances. Such security measures had never been necessary befor

The chamber remained deathly silent.Kharef still stood beside Maritza's empty bed, his hand tightly clutching a single strand of her golden hair.No one dared speak.Then— Dong...A deep bell echoed across the royal city.Once.Twice.Three times.It wasn't the palace alarm but it was the Temple Bell.Every face inside the chamber changed.The High Priest Anen frowned deeply before he walked back to the temple."That bell… It summons the people."Before anyone could ask another question, hurried footsteps echoed through the corridor.The doors burst open and Sitra stumbled into the room, breathing so hard she nearly collapsed.She immediately dropped to her knees."My Pharaoh!"Kharef stepped forward. "Speak."Tears streamed down the young servant's face."Lady Maritza..." She struggled to catch her breath. "...is at the Temple of Ra."The room froze and Sitra continued,"The Queen gathered the people. She said… She has captured a dangerous witch.""Witch?" Ramose repeated in disbeli

The thunder of hooves echoed across the temple square.No one spoke or moved. One by one, the people stepped aside, creating a wide path through the frightened crowd.I lifted my head despite the ache in my neck.A rider emerged from the sea of people atop a magnificent black stallion that moved with calm, unhurried confidence.My breath caught.It was him, the Pharaoh.Kharef… He wore no elaborate crown, only a simple golden circlet resting against his long black hair. A dark cloak billowed behind his broad shoulders while polished golden armor reflected the afternoon sun with every measured step his horse took.There was no army surrounding him.Only three men rode behind him, each carrying themselves with the quiet confidence of warriors who feared nothing.Even from where I stood, I recognized General Ramose. Beside him rode Captain Menes, while the third man, dressed almost entirely in black, watched everything with sharp, unreadable eyes. Aziel, commander of the Royal Shadows.O

The Temple of Ra slowly returned to its usual rhythm.From where I stood beside High Priest Anen, I watched the citizens bow as Pharaoh Kharef descended the temple steps with the calm authority that seemed to follow him everywhere.To everyone around us, it looked as though everything was over.The Black Sun King mounted his enormous black stallion while his generals gathered around him."My Pharaoh," Ramose called quietly.Kharef gave a small nod."We return."The royal procession rode through the temple gates beneath thousands of watching eyes, disappearing into the busy streets of Thebes.I felt something inside my chest sink.So... he was really leaving?After everything that had happened today... after nearly being burned alive… He was simply going back to the palace?I lowered my gaze, trying not to feel disappointed.Maybe this was how kings lived.Maybe saving one foreign woman wasn't important enough to delay the affairs of an entire kingdom.Beside me, High Priest Anen remai

Silence…I had never imagined silence could be so loud.It wasn't the peaceful quiet of dawn or the comforting stillness after a long day. It was the kind of silence that settled over broken hearts, making every breath feel heavier than the last.One by one, the bodies of the palace servants were gently placed onto wooden stretchers. No one hurried. No one spoke above a whisper.Even the soldiers who usually stood so proudly lowered their heads as they walked past.I couldn't move.My swollen eyes burned from crying as I watched Meera's body being covered with a white linen cloth embroidered with a golden symbol I had seen many times throughout the palace.The symbol of Ra.Yesterday she had smiled at me, fussed over my clothes, and treated me as though I truly belonged here.Now… She was gone.A sob escaped my lips before I could stop it and I quickly covered my mouth, embarrassed by the sound, but someone had already noticed.Kharef… Without saying a word, he walked over and stopped