As the British navy descends on the Egyptian coasts, Egypt is defeated in an uneven battle. Officer Mahmoud takes his injured and dead friends away from the battlefield.
Mahmoud asks his supervisor to relieve him of his work so that he could volunteer with Ahmed Urabi. As the officers get questioned, many of them are relieved from duty. Talaat asks Mahmoud to declare that Urabi is a rebel to escape punishment.
As Mahmoud guards a prince on a ship, Catherine boards the ship with the new delegations. Catherine starts to read about Egyptian history and the Arabic language. She seeks Mahmoud out and introduces herself.
Mahmoud takes Catherine to his family home and starts teaching her the common vernacular. Catherine starts to pick up Egyptian customs and goes to the market with the maid.
Catherine questions Mahmoud about his distance from her. When they have a fight, Catherine leaves the house. She returns to find Mahmoud drunk.
Mahmoud reads the case file on the Siwa Oasis and the dispute between the eastern and western tribes. Sheikh Yehia invites the sheriff to his son's wedding.
Catherine reads about the oasis behind Mahmoud's back. As Malika and Radwan get married, a guy attacks and kills the sheriff.
Mahmoud and Catherine start their trip to the oasis with a force led by Hassan. Mahmoud and Catherine explore the desert together.
As Mahmoud grows feverish, he starts to hallucinate and calls out to a lot of people, including Naema whom he calls back. Sheikh Ayoub looks after Mahmoud.
As the convoy approaches the oasis, Sheikh Yehia cares for an injured tribesman from the opposing tribe. Malika asks Radwan to run away with her but he refuses.
Sheikh Saber is upset with the Circassian sheriff's decisions. The sheriff orders Al-Zaqqala killed. A group of Siwi people visits Yehia in his isolation to ask for his counsel.
When Malika returns to her husband's house, her husband's grandmother beats her for escaping captivity. Catherine and Mahmoud reconcile.
As Sheikh Ayoub dies, his assistant helps the convoy continue their journey. The convoy arrive at the oasis where the people are surprised that they have a foreigner with them.
Mahmoud searches the Siwa oasis and discovers a way for them to pay taxes. He suggests a way to end the war between the two tribes through marriage.
The tribal elders council discusses Mahmoud's proposal. As everyone starts to object to the idea of intermarrying with the other tribe, they decide to ask Sheikh Sinosy for counsel.
A large rock falls on Ibrahim and injures his foot. The sheriff and his soldiers take him to the police station where he takes residence in Mahmoud's room
Catherine tries to console Mahmoud who keeps his distance from her as he turns to God. Sheik Saber and Sheikh Rashed try to decide on the best way to treat Ibrahim.
Despite his injury, Ibrahim insists on standing up. Mahmoud wants to relieve Ibrahim from his duties but the latter refuses.
Yehia asks Ma'bad to marry Khadija instead of Malika. The sheriff tries to solve the Malika problem.
Catherine incites the tribal elders council to the point where some of them want her and Mahmoud killed. Catherine suffers from sunstroke on her way back.
Khadija returns home to an angry mother. She assaults her friend when she tells her that she wanted to marry Ma'bad.
Sheikh Saber asks the sheriff to help them lower the taxes but Mahmoud says that he did all he can. Mahmoud reprimands Saber when the collected taxes are not enough.
When the tribal elders council gathers to discuss the tax issue, Saber brings up Malika's escape. Hamza fights with a guy from the eastern tribe who brings up his sister.
When Khadija goes to visit Malika, she discovers that she ran away. Ibrahim tells Mahmoud to use force to collect the taxes.
When Malika attacks Mahmoud's house, Mahmoud goes to the mosque and threatens everyone. Saber tells Yehia that the tribal elders council will meet tomorrow to decide on Malika's punishment.
Malika and her grandmother have a fight. Malika's mother kills her. Mahmoud and Catherine are in conflict.
Mahmoud calls Hamza in for questioning, but Hamza alleges that Malika died of natural causes.
The oasis' people gather to discuss the new officer and ask Sheikh Saber to go to the police station. Catherine asks Mahmoud to let her go to Sheikh Yehia with Fiona.
Catherine tells Yehia that she hates the oasis and she hates ignorance. Catherine tries to leave the oasis with Fiona. Ibrahim warns Mahmoud of a plot against him.
As the oasis' people attack Catherine and try to stone her to death and Ibrahim saves her. Mahmoud divorces Catherine and goes on one last suicide mission.