A vicious young woman rises to become more powerful than the King, her husband. Neferkara, a slave and handmaiden, tells the story of how the young Princess Sekma amasses power through intrigue, manipulation, and murder, and by her a strong influence over her husband, Prince Amun. Sekma and her accomplices relentlessly eliminate anyone who stands between her husband and the throne, and when her husband becomes King, young Queen Sekma rules by dominating the King, a weak, unintelligent member of the Royalty. Neferkara, while watching all this in dismay, befriends Meritaten, another slave woman. The two become close friends and then lovers. Queen Sekma, using her husband as a puppet, rules Egypt with an iron fist, however Neferkara has to admit that she is an effective and strong ruler - the kingdom is stabilized and the government becomes efficient. A day comes when Sekma commands Neferkara to perform an unspeakable act or face death. Neferkara thinks carefully and finds a third possibility.