Juliette_DA

In the land of Thebes, Prince Azech-I is a ruler blessed by Anubis, a king whose power is whispered in hushed tones. 

But when the Pharaoh Cairo-IV's most lethal assassin, Nofri-it, is sent to end his life, fate spins a web of love and betrayal.

What was meant to be a death sentence turns into a forbidden romance, as the two men fall deeply in love. 

But just as quickly as their bond blooms, Nofri-it vanishes without a trace, leaving Azech-I to search the world for his lost lioness.

Years later, the truth shatters Azech-I's heart—Nofri-it was never a lover, but a tool sent to kill him. Betrayed and furious, Azech-I discovers that Nofri-it has been imprisoned by Pharaoh Cairo, kept in the dungeons of Memphis for failing his mission.

The ruler of Thebes will stop at nothing to reclaim what is his. With vengeance in his heart, Azech-I plans to torment Nofri-it, declaring war on Cairo’s kingdom to retrieve his lover and make him suffer as he once did.

When Azech-I drags a fragile, broken Nofri-it back to Thebes, the true torment begins. 

A man once filled with pride now plans to make Nofri-it his captive once more, keeping him caged and humiliated for the sins of his past. The battle for power, love, and revenge will tear through Egypt—nothing is sacred when the Pharaoh’s wrath is unleashed.

"I loved you. You were my lioness. Now, you're nothing but a broken thing."

"And yet, you will keep me, won't you? Like a pet, a prize."

Pharaoh’s Pet [BL]

The echoes of Azech-I's words lingered in the chamber like the lingering scent of incense—heavy, suffocating.

Nofri-it pressed his back against the golden bars of his cage, tilting his head up toward the ceiling, where the flickering torchlight danced across the carved hieroglyphs. Symbols of conquest. Of divinity. Of power.

And he, once a weapon of Pharaoh Cairo-IV, was now reduced to a display of such power.

The memories clawed at him—twisted, fragmented, disjointed flashes of the past.

Five Years ago...

Azech-I's fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer. The scent of him was intoxicating—sandalwood and spice, fire and smoke, like the embers of a dying battlefield.

"You would betray your Pharaoh for me?" Azech-I murmured against his lips, his breath warm, teasing.

Nofri-it's pulse thundered in his ears. He was a shadow assassin, sworn to Cairo, trained to spill blood without hesitation.

His eyes, dark as the Nile at midnight, bore into him as if he already knew.

"I would do more than that," Nofri-it had whispered.

A deception. A half-truth. A promise he had never meant to make.

Or perhaps, deep down, he had.

The memory seared through him like a brand, and Nofri-it wrenched himself from it, his chest rising and falling unevenly.

That moment—that night—had sealed his fate.

He had never been given the chance to answer.

Because before he could, the shadows had come. The chains. The dungeons. The agony of five years wasted in darkness, punished for his failure to kill the man who now held him prisoner once more.

Tomorrow, he would be paraded before Thebes as proof of that failure.

Would the nobles recognize him? Would the generals who had once toasted to his victories now sneer at his downfall?

Or worse—would they look at him with pity?

A soft creak echoed through the chamber.

Bare, light—too soft to belong to a soldier.

Nofri-it did not move, did not even turn his head.

The steps drew closer, pausing just outside the golden bars.

A small, delicate hand reached between them, holding something wrapped in linen.

Nofri-it blinked, his body going rigid.

A girl stood there, barely more than a child, her dark eyes filled with something unreadable.

"You should eat," she said, her voice no louder than a whisper.

And yet, there was something familiar in her eyes.

His fingers twitched, but he did not take the offering.

The girl hesitated, then set the bundle down on the silk cushions lining the cage floor. "He will be angry if he sees you weak," she murmured.

Then, without another word, she turned and slipped into the shadows.

He exhaled shakily, his gaze flickering to the untouched food.

For the first time since being brought to Thebes, a choice lay before him.

Or to let himself waste away, a lioness broken in a cage of gold.

The answer should have been simple.

But as the torches burned low and the weight of tomorrow loomed over him, Nofri-it realized—

Chapter ~ Tomorrow