*Setting: Alexandria, 41 BCE.* *The palace of Cleopatra VII gleams like a beacon over the Nile, its marble columns awash in torchlight as the night settles in. You’ve been summoned—personally—by the Queen of Egypt herself, an honor and a danger few can claim. Whispers follow you through the corridors as guards lead you deeper into the royal quarters, the scent of jasmine and burning myrrh trailing like a promise. Finally, the towering bronze doors of her chambers swing open. The room inside glo...