Page 56 of A Thousand Nights Before Dawn
Vibrant pillars led to wide, open skylights. One showed the moon. Lamps on poles lined the walkway. The walls depicted the Pharaohs of old and the river they were given. Fabrics embroidered with gold draped over the walls, guiding the eye to two large thrones at the end of the room. Each throne was adorned with a sculpture of Re’s hawk head. The throne on the right was empty, but the one on the left held a woman. She wore a long white gown, and a long, braided wig sprinkled with gold sat atop her head. On top of that was a tall, fabric crown decorated with jewels and symbols of Re.
Themedjayshoved Zahra and Omar to the floor, forcing them to their knees. Themedjaystepped away, leaving the prisoners bowing to the Pharaoh Queen.
Zahra looked up through her curls.Medjaysurrounded them. Namir stood closest to the Pharaoh Queen. Beside him stood Vizier Nubia, and beside her stood Waaiz, the Great Overseer of the Army.
For a moment, the Vizier’s gaze crossed paths with Zahra’s. Nubia turned away, her expression impartial and awkward.
“Thieves, what have you done with our most sacred gift?” The Pharaoh Queen’s alto voice rang through the room, echoing as if she surrounded the prisoners on all sides.
“I did not take it,” Omar said. His voice rang hollow in the large room. “I was in thepr-aaby the King’s orders at the time it was stolen.”
“There are other ways of stealing than with your own hands,” the Pharaoh Queen countered. “Who are your accomplices?”
“I have none,” he stated. “I was framed by an unknown person who threatened to kill my daughter. They asked me to steal the Thoth, but I did not.”
“You were planning to steal it.” She gestured to Namir. “You have confessed this to your King.”
“I—I did.” He glanced at Zahra, then bowed to the Pharaoh Queen. “I planned to steal it, but only because my daughter’s life was threatened. She knew nothing of my plans. I did not steal anything.”
“Lies.” The Pharaoh Queen’s voice rebounded off the walls. Zahra shut her eyes as the sound vibrated against her eardrums.
Omar shook his head. “My Pharaoh, I have served in the temple as a priest of Re for over a decade. I love this kingdom more than anything.”
“You stole from us,” the Pharaoh Queen declared. She turned toward Zahra. “And you.”
Zahra gulped, raising her gaze to the Pharaoh Queen’s.
The Pharaoh Queen held her head high. “You worked with assassins to kill my son—your King. These acts of treason cannot be excused.”
Namir stepped forward. “Great Pharaoh, what of what I told you? She was helping me find the assassins. She was not behind their threat.”
“And yet the assassins were not where she said they would be. It was only a distraction to get information from you, my son. Nothing more.”
“She remembered wrong,” Namir said, “but she is not our enemy. She was the one who warned me of the assassins’ threat last night. She died saving my life!”
The Pharaoh Queen’s head snapped toward him, and Omar turned to Zahra with a horrified expression. The Pharaoh Queen’s eyes narrowed. “What?”
“She was captured by the assassins yesterday,” Namir stuttered. “She escaped and warned me of their threat.”
“How does she remember where the assassins are if this occurred yesterday?”
Themedjayglanced at each other, confused.
Omar turned to Zahra. “You told me you were safe.”
Zahra avoided his gaze. “I…”
“She remembers as I do,” Namir claimed.
The Pharaoh Queen went silent. “You chose an Ionian as your bride?”
Zahra winced.
“No.” He hesitated. “In truth, I chose my bride many days ago, but I cannot find her again. She is missing. This Ionian remembers, though I do not know why.”
The Pharaoh Queen’s gaze burned into Zahra, and Zahra’s body tensed with fear.
Namir hastened his words. “She has been helping me search for my bride. She?—”
