when news of her brother's death reaches the valley of kings, the queen who sits upon the throne straightens at once to hear it. her earlier coup had driven ramesses out into his own land, to his own palace, his own broken dynasty.

but no sons remain.

scheming hatshepsuun turns her eyes upon her latest lover, the head of her own palace guards. 'to akashingo,' she orders him. 'my father's granddaughter rules there. serve the line.' the pharaoh has her own power; she need not send an assassin for her own blood, only ensure that the laws of seti are followed and that the young queen is not killed in so far a land before an heir continues this split dynasty.

hatshepsuun knows ramesses' death removes the obstacle of his return from her true power. but she means to one day reconnect these two dynasties for the sake of her own afterlife.

against his will, knowing hatshepsuun, pharaoh of egypt, would replace him within a day, khusobek sets out for the red land. his heart is hardened, bitter to be used again by a spawn of seti. but loyalty is his only word.

khusobek's arrival at the red kingdom as gift to toula is marked by loathing, distaste, and anger. he eventually settles, especially after the beauty of a new fellahin catches his eye. after a time of enjoying one another, the crocodile discovers he has deeper feelings for inji. despite his fears and a deliberate omission of his status as married man or as father, khusobek and inji are betrothed. their children are conceived not long after, and together they have grown into a warm family unit, insulated from many things by the wealth of muat-riya.