None could deny the glory of Pharaoh. The king of Numidia courted her favor, the weary people of Rome envied the peace and wealth of her subjects. Even the ambitious king of Parthia avoided confrontation, preferring to attack the small lords of the Levant and Caucasus until Rome (or rather, Rome's Loyalists) was forced to fight him to preserve their client kings.
Said client kings, however, were becoming less and less 'client' as the Roman Civil War dragged on, and many openly declared their independence.
Cleopatra had no love of war or foreign adventures, so little thought was given to expansion beyond extending a guarantee to the still-independent Rhodes to ensure a friendly naval base in the Aegean. Instead, a huge building program was initiated. Temples, arenas, and marketplaces sprang up all over the realm, but the Queen's Way was the most ambitious - a continuous thoroughfare in the Roman style, running near the coast from the border with Judea to Barca in the newly acquired Cyrenaica. The obvious extension of Egyptian power into Cyrenaica and the conspicuous break in the Way caused by the city-state of Cyrene prompted a revolt.
It was largely inconsequential. Though the steadfast general Ganymedes Aratid had died earlier that year, his successor proved more than capable of squashing the rebellion, and the Greeks in Egypt proper saw no reason to support the rabble and risk losing what remained of their status. It did, however, highlight a certain demographic problem in the new territory.
Though Cyrenaica was once part of the Egyptian state, it had been thoroughly colonized by Greeks in a way Egypt itself had not. There was no significant native populace for Cleopatra to use against the landed aristocracy, and the republican ideals granted by decades of Roman rule did not endear the people to following the will of a god-king. At the same time, Cleopatra was not anti-Greek; though she had 'gone native' (both for personal feelings and political realities), she had no desire to persecute Greeks on their heritage alone.
Instead, Pharaoh called for the priests of Hermes-Thoth, the arbiter of the gods. From them, she personally selected seven, providing each with a unique amulet bearing her face and mark. These seven dispersed across the entire realm, commanded by Pharaoh to resolve disputes and fears before they festered into full-scale revolts.
So it was written, and so it was done. Grievances from the occupation of the region were settled fairly, several proto-rebellions were nipped in the bud, and Cleopatra's reputation for just rule only grew.
But while the Pharaoh was nigh-unmatched in political and administrative maneuvering, she was decidedly less skilled in the art of childraising.
Growing up in the peaceful and wealthy realm of Cleopatra's Egypt, to say nothing of being told they were children of a goddess and granted all the privileges of that station, might have spoiled any child. But even as it became obvious that Ptolemy and Sostrate were bullying their siblings and servants, little was done.
It was not that Cleopatra was a uncaring mother; by all accounts, she loved her children dearly. But that same love blinded her to their cruel behavior, while their father, the one man in Egypt who could have scolded the heirs, was increasingly suffering from epileptic fits and had largely withdrawn from all but the most important ceremonial duties as High Priest.
No, if anyone was going to be punished, it was the upstart Consul of Cyrenaica. Pharaoh had never forgotten the insulting peace offer, and while she had abided by the cease-fire to show her word could be honored in matters of international diplomacy, the Egyptian Army stood ready to march on the city-state at a moment's notice.
In September of 724, notice arrived.
With no help coming from abroad beyond the mercenaries he had scraped together (and who had been trapped in the city when the Egyptian Navy blockaded it), the fate of the Republic of Cyrene was sealed.
After just 91 days the city fathers overthrew Consul Sosicles and opened the gates to Pharaoh's soldiers. In accordance with her decree, a priest of Thoth was present to ensure the annexation went as smoothly as possible.
Haggard representatives of the Roman Republic arrived in Alexandria soon afterwards, to confirm the transfer of the province to Egyptian control. The Dictatorship was less forthcoming, only sending a terse message that was equal parts congratulation and warning. Pharaoh coolly received the message, but its true meaning was clear - Rome's grasp on the Mediterranean was faltering.
Spring, 725 AUC. The Roman Civil War enters its twentieth year.