Book excerpt: Hatshepsut, the gifted and beautiful daughter of the Pharaoh, vows to accept whatever destiny the gods have decreed for her. When just fourteen, she kills a marauder, is betrothed to her loathsome brother and becomes the most powerful priestess in Egypt. She falls in love with Senenmut, the brilliant commoner who is torn between his yearning for Hatshepsut and his duty to protect her. When her father dies, Hatshepsut must make the ultimate sacrifice for the sake of Egypt. Her Majesty the King is the story of Hatshepsut's turbulent path to the throne. She battles bigotry, heartbreak and betrayal in the glittering but treacherous world of New Kingdom Egypt. Hatshepsut and Senenmut's forbidden passion is one of history's greatest untold love stories.