Chapter 25

The Queen ceased her fanning, gracefully resting her hand against her bosom. It was a pity that such a magnificent, undulating landscape of beauty was obscured by the feathered fan, while her slender, alluring waist reclined against the red-gold throne.

Her movement startled Inanna, who dared not continue staring at those "lethal weapons," and she hastily raised her head. Having faced the Queen for the first time, Inanna immediately understood why the Egyptian Pharaoh Memphis would abandon such an incomparable beauty to pursue a mere budding flower. Even if Carol were to grow into a world-renowned beauty in the future, at present, she was truly nothing more than a dull, green bud.

During the battle at the port of Saliqali, Inanna had been deeply impressed by the two outstanding figures of the age standing amidst the roaring flames, sword-fighting. The young King Memphis was spirited, wild, and confident; amidst the golden brilliance of the flames, he appeared like a god. Yet, even as a god, he was still but a mortal. One could overlook the past twenty years, but who would want to spend the rest of their life staring at another beautiful face as if looking into a mirror?

Indeed, aside from the female form below her neck, Queen Isis was almost a carbon copy of Memphis. With hair as black as the waters of the Underworld, a face that could rival the gods of heaven, and an innate, royal nobility, the siblings seemed cast from the same mold. If not for the physical changes brought by the passage of time and gender, they would be nearly indistinguishable.

Inanna withdrew her gaze after a brief glance, lest she appear overly bold and reckless. Queen Isis maintained a lofty air, though her expression was listless, save for the frantic frequency with which she waved her feather fan, betraying her inner agitation.

If the intelligence Inanna had heard was correct, Upper Egypt had been burning incense for seven days, and in three days, the Pharaoh’s wedding ceremony would take place. While a sister’s love for her brother was truly bizarre in the eyes of the modern era, Inanna, clinging to the idea of "when in Rome, do as the Romans do," began to consider if she could use this as a breakthrough to survive the Queen's wrath.

"Bring her closer," the grand hall was dim and eerie, a place where Isis usually prayed for her desires to be fulfilled. The only illumination came from two long-branched bronze oil lamps on either side of the throne’s steps. Five paces away, one could only vaguely discern a small, slight figure kneeling on the ground. "I wish to question her myself!"

Two soldiers obeyed, easily lifting Inanna by her arms and practically tossing her at the Queen’s feet. General Nakht and the handmaiden Huzai, who had replaced Ari, stood on either side of the throne, ready to protect their mistress at any moment.

"What is Prince Izmir’s purpose in sneaking into Egypt?" Isis asked in a soft, melodic tone. A crisp metallic sound rang out beside Inanna as a soldier placed a small, dark-green shimmering bronze blade on the floor. The blade was not sharp, but it was exquisitely crafted. It was designed to excise the lower parts of male prisoners; a single poke and a twist would yield a bloody ball of flesh, and after one was removed, there would be a second.

Seeing that Inanna seemed stunned by fear, Huzai impatiently roared, "Answer the Queen at once!"

A second instrument of torture fell to the ground—a club-like object with a bulbous end and a spring mechanism. If inserted into a prisoner’s rectum and they refused to submit, the mechanism would be triggered, causing the bulbous end to bloom like a flower, tearing the victim apart from within.

As Inanna’s lips twitched, General Nakht also grew impatient. With a "clink," he drew his sword: "If you do not answer the Queen’s question, we shall not be so polite!"

A third instrument clattered to the floor—a long, black hook. It could be inserted through the nasal cavity into the brain. A skilled craftsman could easily extract the brains intact, place them in a small clay jar shaped like the god Anubis, and Inanna would have the honor of being turned into a mummy while still alive.

This was the true threat to Inanna’s life. She hastily raised her head, trying to look at the Queen on the throne with the most sincere gaze of her life: "I will speak! I will tell you everything!"

If Inanna had initially held onto the conviction of unwavering loyalty in hopes of gaining the Prince’s trust, then under the threat of torture and death, the Prince was decisively abandoned.

Since arriving here, her vocal cords had long been unused, and her voice was raspy, yet it possessed the crispness unique to a woman of her age. General Nakht was stunned; he had originally thought this was just a petite boy. He had not expected it to be a woman. Prince Izmir certainly had strange tastes while away on official business, and he could not help but feel a sense of disdain.

Isis narrowed her long, beautiful eyes, the peacock-blue eyeshadow accentuating the breathtaking curve of her eyelids. She used her gold-threaded sandal to tilt Inanna’s chin up, observing her for a moment, then suddenly kicked her hard in the chin, sending her tumbling down the steps.

Inanna’s gums were filled with blood, and her chin throbbed as if it had been dislocated. Before she could crawl up to check if her teeth were still intact, a flash of cold light appeared before her eyes, and a chill touched her neck—a sword was already pressed against her throat.

Isis had grown up in the treacherous, scheming Egyptian court and had faced countless assassins and plots in her life; her combat skills were formidable. The moment Inanna was kicked away, she had already drawn the sword from Nakht’s waist and crossed the distance in two steps, poised to strike.

Inanna swallowed nervously, tasting only the blood in her mouth. The Queen’s silhouette was backed by the two oil lamps, rendering her expression invisible. Yet, it was this very uncertainty that made her all the more intimidating.

It felt as though an eternity had passed before the crowd heard Isis’s cold voice echoing through the hall, the content of which was unexpected: "Huzai, stay behind. Nakht, take your men and leave."

General Nakht was shocked. He had not anticipated such a sudden turn of events and opened his mouth to advise the Queen to change her mind: How could Her Majesty, so noble and golden, be left alone with a spy from another country with only a single handmaiden?

The Queen understood Nakht as well as she understood that he was her most loyal subject. Before he could speak, she silenced him: "Nakht, hold your tongue! Leave!"

Obedience is a subordinate’s greatest virtue. As General Nakht and the soldiers departed, the only hint of vitality in the dark hall seemed to drain away. A cold wind from an unknown source brushed against Inanna’s body, making her hair stand on end.

Just as she worried about when the sword inches away would draw blood, Isis slowly circled behind her, the sharp blade never leaving Inanna’s vital points. Isis condescended to lean down, whispering to Inanna as if praying to the gods: "Where are you from, traveler?"

Inanna was stunned. Ignoring the sword at her throat, she whirled around, only to see Isis’s face like a ghost in the dark night. Then, the specter continued with a sentence that nearly caused her heart to shatter: "Let me guess—perhaps it is... the 20th century?"

The shock on Inanna’s face rendered any answer unnecessary. Isis lost interest in killing her, for the person beneath her sword was no true spy. She twirled the blade, patting Inanna’s face with the cold edge, leaving several red welts: "There really are unknown powers in this world. To think there would be a visitor from three thousand years in the future. No wonder every time I try to kill Carol, she can open a passage through time and return to Memphis, while I can never reach that damned 20th century."

Isis suddenly felt a sense of futility. At that moment, General Nakht returned, holding a small roll of papyrus. The Queen’s eyes lit up; she snatched the note from his hand and scanned it, clutching it tightly in her palm. Seeing her expression, Nakht knew the assassins sent to kill the Daughter of the Nile had failed again. With the wedding only three days away, and the Upper Egyptian guards now on alert, arranging another effective assassination was likely impossible. He dared not ask, and the Queen did not bid him stay, so the loyal general retreated once more. Huzai, meanwhile, was paralyzed by the Queen’s grim expression.

"Is it true that the gods do not stand with me?! Day and night I pray to Amun, I pray to Isis—why? Why? Why does Memphis no longer love me?" Queen Isis’s voice was desolate and filled with grief. She had no choice but to gamble it all now: "Tell me, why are you at Prince Izmir’s side? What must I do to make him write a letter requesting troops? If you refuse to speak, I will carve ten thousand cuts into your body, let you taste every torture here, and have you die in absolute misery!"

Inanna looked at this heartbroken, obsessive woman and suddenly calmed down. She spat a mouthful of blood onto the floor and used two fingers to push the blade away from her cheek: "Queen Isis, do you wish to eliminate Carol?"

Isis stared at the suddenly calm prisoner, that composure seeming to wash over her in return: "What? Do you know Carol as well?"

"Of course I know her. At the palace of Saliqali, I watched her being rescued by the incomparably handsome and heroic King Memphis! Queen Isis, forgive my bluntness, but although you are a queen, Carol is truly a 'city-toppling' calamity!" Inanna endured the pain of her wounds and smiled triumphantly. Her face, red and white with blood, looked ridiculous, but no one laughed at her. "This probably isn't your first attempt, is it? How come you’ve never succeeded? In three days, she will be the Queen of Egypt, and you, the ruler of Lower Egypt, the nation’s High Priestess, and the Pharaoh’s own sister, will have no place left to stand!"

Isis was struck in her most painful spot, her hand trembling as she held the sword. Before any difficulty or setback, she was the supreme, omnipotent Queen. Yet, facing her brother—the boy she had adored since she could remember—she was merely a woman who could mourn, grieve, rage, and seethe with jealousy over love. She held her love out to Memphis, only to have it ruthlessly buried in the sand to wither and die.

In a fit of fury, she slapped Inanna, the tail of her golden snake bracelet leaving a bloody gash on Inanna’s face: "You want to provoke me into granting you a quick death? Think again! If you don’t reveal Prince Izmir’s secrets, I will let you suffer every agony in hell."

Inanna ignored her wounded face and laughed again: "Queen Isis, well struck! If you didn't leave a few marks, how would Prince Izmir believe that I hadn't told you everything in confidence?"