After the deaths of Antony and Cleopatra, Egypt is ruled by the young tyrant Pharaoh Nemorat, Corrado Pani, and his mother Tegi, Yvette Lebon. Cleopatra has left a surviving daughter, Shila, Debra Paget, who is raised by the king and queen of Assyria. When Nemorat conquers Assyria, Shila is brought to the Egyptian court and, at the instigation of Nemorat's mother, marries him. At the center of this court is Resi, Ettore Manni, a wise and capable physician who tends to the pharaoh and quietly earns Shila’s trust; his growing affection for her gives the story a human heartbeat as he urges her to endure the trials she faces.
Nemorat, a mentally disturbed ruler, grows possessive and jealous, and one evening when Shila spurns his amorous advances, the pharaoh erupts in a violent rage that leaves him momentarily faint. His downfall comes when Kefren, his ambitious chief overseer, and Kefren’s mistress violently poison him, leaving Shila blamed for the murder. She is condemned and sentenced to be buried alive with Nemorat, a sentence that would end both their lives but sets in motion Resi’s daring plan to rescue her.
Resi orchestrates a risky escape by administering a drug to Shila that puts her in a controlled coma long enough for him to bribe the chief of the “house of death” and spirit her away in the dead of night. The house’s treacherous chief proves to be a formidable obstacle, and in a struggle with Resi, he is killed. Resi is badly wounded but survives, tended by his loyal servant, even as Shila remains entombed with Pharaoh Nemorat for a time.
Meanwhile, the common people—who have benefited from Resi’s care—take an active role in the rebellion against injustice. They help capture Inuni, the royal architect, Robert Alda, and Inuni’s expertise becomes crucial as Resi and his allies, along with a group of greedy tomb robbers, attempt to breach Nemorat’s tomb. The plan comes to fruition, enabling Shila to be freed and to ride toward a future with Resi, away from the tyranny that once chained them.
In the aftermath, Kefren meets his end when Tegi uncovers his role in poisoning Nemorat, underscoring the perils of ambition that threaded through the royal court. The tale closes on a note of cautious hope: Shila’s escape with Resi hints at a new chapter for her and for a realm that has just frayed at the edges of power, with Resi’s steadfast care standing as a quiet counterpoint to the violence that marked Nemorat’s brief reign.
