The Pharaoh's princess

The Dream Renee pov

Just like that, the first day of senior year was over.

Somehow, I had two whole classes with that strange boy—Idris. Even his name felt like a secret waiting to be unraveled. I didn’t dare look at him all day, still mortified after he caught me checking him out. But more than once, I felt a gaze lingering on me. Warm. Intent. Electric.

And I couldn’t help but wonder… was it his?

When I got home, Elena greeted me like a confetti cannon—words flying, arms flailing. She launched into her usual post-school play-by-play. Apparently, her new teacher was a goddess and she couldn’t wait to go shopping for supplies, even if Mom only ever bought what was on the list.

Mom listened with that soft smile she always wore, nodding and laughing in the right places as we talked over one another. That’s what I loved most about her—her resilience. Even after Dad walked out and built a new life with someone else, she stayed kind. Present. Unbreakable. She’d been hurt. I knew that. But she never let the damage seep into us.

Dinner was warm and familiar, like always. I volunteered for dishes. No homework yet, thank the stars. My limbs felt heavy with exhaustion, like the day had pulled more from me than it should’ve.

After drying the last plate, I trudged upstairs and collapsed into bed.

I don’t remember falling asleep.

One moment I was curled beneath my blanket.

The next, I was standing in a void of pure darkness.

The air around me was cool, hushed. The only light came from a golden mirror glowing faintly a few feet away. Its surface shimmered like melted honey, framed in twisted metal vines. At the top of the frame: a deep red orb flanked by curled golden horns.

The light it gave off wasn’t constant—it flickered, like candlelight in a breeze, casting strange shadows across the inky floor.

A voice called out—low, melodic, feminine.

“Renee… come to the mirror.”

My body responded before my mind could argue. I stepped forward, heart pounding in my ears. The mirror reflected my image: my purple satin pajama set, my hair wrapped in a silk scarf. But as I stared… the reflection shimmered, rippled—

And then vanished.

In its place stood a woman.

She was breathtaking.

Tall, elegant, with obsidian-dark skin and long black braids threaded with gold rings and beads. Her gown flowed around her like moonlight—white, sheer, and belted in royal blue and gold. A weightless cape fluttered behind her as if moved by a hidden breeze. Atop her head rested a golden crown that echoed the shape of the mirror.

“Hello, Renee,” she said softly.

I swallowed. “Hello.” My voice trembled. I didn’t know if I was scared or awestruck. Both, maybe.

“Don’t be afraid,” she soothed, her voice brushing over me like a lullaby. “I once made you a promise. Soon… all will be revealed.”

Before I could ask her anything, the mirror flared with blinding white light.

I raised my arm to shield my eyes, but when I looked again, the black room was gone.

Now I stood in a space awash in sunlight.

The walls were smooth and white, adorned with symbols—painted in bronze, sapphire, and crimson. Hieroglyphs, I realized. A white daybed draped in fur stood nearby, its frame carved like wings. Sheer curtains drifted lazily at an open balcony, where golden light poured in like a blessing.

I tried to walk toward it—toward the sky, the warmth—but my legs moved in a different direction. I wasn’t in control.

My body turned on its own and stepped into a torchlit corridor. Heat kissed my skin. A scent hung in the air—frankincense and something sweet, like honey and smoke. Ahead, light opened into a banquet hall carved of ivory and limestone.

At the far end, seated upon a throne, was a man. Regal. Broad-shouldered. Middle-aged, with rich brown skin and a braided beard laced with gold threads. He wore a robe of white and lapis, and though I’d never seen him before, I felt something sharp and warm rise in my chest.

Joy.

Recognition.

And then… my lips moved without my permission.

“You summoned me, my lord Pharaoh?”

The words weren’t mine. The language wasn’t English—but I understood it perfectly. My voice was the same, but something deeper echoed through it. Ancient. Confident.

Yes, my Neferet,” he replied, standing slowly. His voice rang with strength and warmth. “Everyone is gathered here because today, I will announce my successor.”

I felt the flutter of excitement—not mine, but hers. The woman I was trapped inside. Or watching from. Or… was?

He’s throwing this banquet for me.

Of course he is. I’m his only child. His heir.

Those thoughts flooded my mind—but they weren’t my own. They pulsed with her pride, her certainty.

Then he turned to the crowd.

“Rahotep,” he called. “Come forward.”

The name felt wrong.

“I name you my successor,” the Pharaoh continued, his voice steady. “Rahotep—my most trusted advisor. He is strong, wise, and will guide our kingdom into its next age.”

My body stiffened.

A rush of heat surged through me—anger, betrayal, confusion. Tears slipped down my cheeks, unbidden. I wasn’t crying. She was.

The scene crumbled like sand under wind.

I was back in the sunlit room. Alone.

And then… came the fury.

How could he do this to me?! the voice in my head shrieked. It echoed through my ribs, hot and bitter. I am his blood. His daughter. I was promised.

My hands shook. I folded inward, clutching my sides as grief bloomed through me like fire.

“Why?” I whispered into the empty air.

No one answered.

Just silence. And heartbreak.

I curled up on the marble floor, my breath shallow, the tears falling freely now.

And then, slowly, the dream dissolved. Darkness took me again.