Continuing on with DANCER OF THE NILE for a few more weeks…last week we had Nima dreaming about the night she was captured. Kamin manages to waken her and as part of his effort to help her calm down, he starts a conversation about her life as a dancer and her hopes for the future. The troop she belongs to is on the shady side and raised her after her mother, who was a disgraced temple dancer, died. Lately the troop leader and his wife have been pressuring Nima to do some things she finds repugnant. Nima is speaking:
“…I’ve no desire to be someone’s concubine, no matter how pleasant he may be or how good a lover. I won’t be a possession, discarded when I’m too old to dance.” Her voice rang with contempt. She played with the frayed hem of her dress, braiding and unbraiding the raggedy strands. “I want to be in charge of my own life, never perform again, unless for an audience of my own choosing. I want to see more of the world than the same border towns and taverns. I want to be respectably married someday, have children, be mistress of a household. ” Her voice trailed off, but after a moment she shook herself and straightened, saying as she did so, “First, I have to escape the life I’m trapped in.”
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The story:
Egypt, 1500 BCE
Nima’s beauty and skill as a dancer leads an infatuated enemy to kidnap her after destroying an Egyptian border town. However, she’s not the only hostage in the enemy camp: Kamin, an Egyptian soldier on a secret mission for Pharaoh, has been taken as well. Working together to escape, the two of them embark on a desperate quest across the desert to carry word of the enemy’s invasion plans to Pharaoh’s people.
As they flee for their lives, these two strangers thrown together by misfortune have to trust in each other to survive. Nima suspects Kamin is more than the simple soldier he seems, but she finds it hard to resist the effect he has on her heart. Kamin has a duty to his Pharaoh to see his mission completed, but this clever and courageous dancer is claiming more of his loyalty and love by the moment. Kamin starts to worry, if it comes to a choice between saving Egypt or saving Nima’s life…what will he do?
Aided by the Egyptian god Horus and the Snake Goddess Renenutet, beset by the enemy’s black magic, can Nima and Kamin evade the enemy and reach the safety of the Nile in time to foil the planned attack?
Can there ever be a happy future together for the humble dancer and the brave Egyptian soldier who is so much more than he seems?
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I’m wishing her luck. Great snippet. I’m completely in her corner. 🙂
Nice view into her character and motivation. Well done!
Goodness I bet that’s a radical hope for somebody in her position! I wonder what Kamin thinks of that? I like that she’s willing to tell him all this.
Kamin has a long memory inagoodway. Maybe next week I should post his response. Hmmm….
Such a sad view into her life. I can feel her despair and her hope for something better. Great eight!
Love, love, love the dialogue here! I have so much respect for Nima and the life she wishes to lead. Fantastic eight, Veronica! 🙂
Beautiful. Thanks for letting us into her dreams of a better life, almost modern in substance. And now for his response.
Women had quite a few rights in ancient Egypt, could own property, run businesses, sign contracts, get divorced….there are even wall paintings of at least one woman ship captain. It just makes the time period even more appealing to me as a setting for my novels, gives my heroines more possibilities!
I can just feel her hope, her desire for more. Makes me want those things for her too!
Nima has some lofty goals and I’m rooting for her. 🙂 Great excerpt!
Great piece – her voice rang with contempt – nice phrase – I’m always trying to figure out how to show an emotion in a character
and yes ancient Egypt was very advanced
great job! I love how I’m really with her on her goals and you set them out in the dialogue. i’m praying she’ll escape and achieve what she desires! Looking forward to next week’s as always!
Just finished the book last night, so I’m not going to comment on the snippet to avoid spoilers. Nice use of a dream snippet as a lead-in to her desires for the future.
Very easy to relate to her dreams.
I love that she dreams big. Even though she needs to escape her life before any of it has a chance of happening, she’s still dreaming big. I love that. Great snippet.
I enjoyed her strong voice and the underlying contempt with just a small tinge of uncertainty shines through every word.
I like her. Down, but not beaten. And her dreams are so normal, things that everyone wants, which makes it easy to cheer for her.
I like her spirit!
I love how she sees her goal and knows what she wants, but realizes she has to change her circumstances in order to get on the path to achieving her dreams. I think we can all relate to that.
I do hope she gets her wish! great snippet!
Dream big, girl! It’s so sad that such a small thing as independence is so hard for her to reach.
I love her desire for a normal family. I think most people will relate to that.
I hope she gets everything she wishes for and more.
It’s evident that she respects herself despite her lot in life, that is very uplifting.
That pulled at my heartstrings. Poor Nima. She stays so positive, though. What a wonderful heroine!
I like girls with ambition! 😀
I like how she’s a strong woman, but not an anachronism in her own time.
Very nice!
I like her a lot for that.