There had been rumors for some time now. Rumors that the tall Islamic nation had designs on Egypt as the newest addition to his vast harem. Of course there was never an inkling of how or when he would take Egypt, but there were always the stories. Stories of rape, torture, mass murder… and strangely enough there were also stories of kindness, but those who told these stories were said to be disillusioned and filled with ill-placed feelings for their former captor.
The rumors had continued for so long that Egypt never thought the Ottoman Empire would come for him. After all, the man wasn't above using scare tactics to keep less powerful nations from allying with those he was conquering. Even so, his superior had him stay hidden for much of the day and guarded heavily by night so that he would not be stolen away while no one was watching. It was laughable really. Who alive could say that they had fended off an attack from the Turkish armies?
This uneasy peace continued for many more years, and the rumors grew more and more outlandish as the years passed. Egypt began disregarding his superior's order to stay indoors all day and starting taking leisurely walks along the Nile to relax. As he thought, the Ottoman Empire did not come for him during the days he wandered. At night he began sleeping by the water's edge as it was cooler than the tents his superior stuffed him into to hide him.
It was on one particular night when the moon was covered by the overhanging clouds and a cool wind wandered over the sands that Egypt noticed something strange on the horizon were Sirius the dog star should already have appeared. There was a dark shape blotting out the light from the star and it moved slowly and surely toward where he had lain down to sleep. He watched it for about an hour before recognizing it as one of his own merchant ships. He laughed gently to himself and fell into peaceful slumber.
It was sometime late into the night that Egypt was awoken by the soft feeling of a hand over his mouth. His eyes opened wide in terror and he fought instinctively to escape until he felt the seething cold of a blade at his throat pressing into his flesh ever so slightly. He relaxed to avoid angering his captor and instead raised his eyes to meet those of the Ottoman Empire fixed upon him. He fought to regain control as his senses started spiraling into the endless darkness. It was only the moment before he lost consciousness that he realized the pungent sweet scent he had started to notice was emanating from the gloved hand over his mouth.