Egypt, 7th century BCE. Neith and Sennedjem are two of many royal children too far down the inheritance ladder to matter. Facing limited prospects—she''s likely to wind up in her own father''s bed, and he won''t even wind up an advisor—they set out instead to see the world. But the ancient world is full of dangers, and soon enough, the royal pair find themselves sold off to the court of Babylon by slave traders. As a lady-in-waiting, Neith becomes entangled in another royal family''s power struggles, while her brother falls victim to a bizarre religious ritual: the Straw King...