Star of Persia: Esther's Story

by Jill Eileen Smith

  “Tell me, my love, more about yourself. I know nothing of your past other than that your parents are dead and Mordecai adopted you.” He leaned one elbow on the table and gazed into her eyes.

  Esther picked a piece of goat cheese from her plate and held it in her fingers. She looked at him, her dark eyes somber. “My past is filled with joy and sadness. I do not wish to sadden you, my lord.”

  He took her hand. “I want to know you, Esther. Whatever saddens you matters to me. Whatever brings you joy, better still.” Had he ever asked such questions of Vashti? What had happened to make him so enamored with this woman?

  She searched his gaze and squeezed his hand. “All right. As you know, my father died before I was born, and my mother shortly after my birth. Mordecai, my cousin, was married to Levia and they had three sons, so adding me as their daughter seemed not only right but a perfect fit to their family. Mordecai has been the only father I have ever known. Levia was like a mother to me.”

  “Was?” He caught the slight change in her expression as she spoke of the woman.

  “She passed on shortly before I was brought to the palace.”

  “So Mordecai lost you and his wife close together.”

  “Yes. Though he still has his sons, they are married with children, so he lives alone now. This is why I try to look out for him when it is possible . . . if it is possible.” Her eyes held a glint of wariness.

  “Of course it is possible. Your father will never need to fear in my kingdom. He will be under my protection for your sake.” She set the cheese aside, and he took both of her hands in his. “You are close to these cousins, Mordecai’s children?”

  She shrugged. “Yes, we were as children. But they are much older. I did not see them often.”

  He nodded. He would have to make sure her family was cared for and protected.

  “Are you ready to visit those rooms?” He pulled her to her feet.

  “I would like to change my clothes first. Unless we should walk about the palace in our night robes.” She laughed, a delightful sound.

  He joined her. Somehow the way she spoke never embarrassed him, even if he should have thought of her suggestion first. “Wear that blue and purple robe I like. The one trimmed in gold.”

  “The one I wore the first time? With the same tunic?” Her cheeks held the most becoming blush of color.

  He drew her close and kissed her forehead. “Yes. What else did you think we were going to do during our wedding week . . . or month?”

  Her smile turned coy. “I will do my best, my king.”

  He chuckled. She was toying with him, and he loved her for it even more. She had bewitched him, this dark-eyed beauty with no parents and no lineage. His mother was probably apoplectic by now, considering how upset she had been that Vashti was not a full-blooded Persian. And now he had placed a woman with no obvious past in Vashti’s place, above his mother’s pick of a pure-blooded Persian.

  He moved to his dressing chamber, smiling as he went. Anything he could do to thwart the plans of his mother and Amestris suited him just fine. And Esther was the perfect person for that role.

  Amestris paced Atossa’s chambers while her sons, Darius II and Artaxerxes, played quietly in an adjacent chamber, watched over by one of their maids.

  “You are going to wear out the rug, my dear. Please, sit.” Atossa crossed one leg over the other and folded her hands over her knees. “I know this marriage upsets you, but stop fretting. Xerxes will grow tired of the girl in time, and your sons are still heirs to the throne. Don’t let a simple peasant girl destroy all that we have built.”

  Amestris sat opposite her mother-in-law, but she could not stop fidgeting. She twisted the rings on her fingers. “He should never have held that contest. And I should have done more to stop it. To stop Hegai from helping Esther.” She stood again, unable to sit. “Did you see that he didn’t even have her cover her face at the banquet? She willingly allowed herself to be dressed in such a way that everyone could see her beauty—exactly what he had asked of Vashti, which she rightly refused—and this unknown nobody allows the world to gaze on her face? If she were of Persian birth, she would know the customs. She would have insisted on a screen to separate her from the guests. Xerxes should not have allowed the people to see his bride.” She slumped into the chair again. “Instead, he displayed her for all to see, even placing the crown on her head? Himself? It’s an outrage!” Her voice rose on the last syllable.

  Atossa held up a hand for quiet. “You’re going to alarm the servants. Hush now, my dear.”

  “You agree with him?” Amestris’s eyes widened. Did her mother-in-law actually like the girl?

  Atossa shook her head. “No, of course not. But Xerxes has never been the same since Vashti’s loss. I should have known that he could never follow through with a law that would take her from him without consequence. He loved her from his youth.”

  “And what am I? Just an added necessity to give him sons born after he wore the crown?” She glanced toward the chamber where the boys made fighting noises as if they were in battle with an enemy. Perhaps they were. At least that’s how she felt.

  “If Esther bears a child, what then?” The thought had caused her to lose more than one night’s sleep.

  Atossa lifted one shoulder in a slight shrug. “So she bears him children. It will not affect Darius’s claim to the throne. He is the heir. Artaxerxes is the second if something ever happens to his brother. You have nothing to fear.”

  “I have everything to fear. I should be queen. I always should have been queen. Instead I have to contend with her.” She could not bear to say the girl’s name aloud. Star. Her husband had fallen in love with a beautiful young girl with a celestial name, so how was she supposed to compete with that?

  “You have nothing to fear, Amestris.” Atossa seemed to be growing weary of the conversation. “In time my son will find his new wife less than attractive. Or he will discover something about her he cannot abide. Or he will find a different concubine to fill his appetite for all things new. He is rarely satisfied for long.”

  Amestris released a frustrated sigh. This visit had profited her nothing. Atossa was no help. She had come hoping for suggestions, for ways to unseat Esther from Xerxes’ grasp and take her place. But she did not know how to do that. She had spent plenty of time with him, long enough to conceive his children, but he had rarely spoken to her since Vashti’s loss. He had flatly refused her suggestions that she would make him proud as queen in Vashti’s place.

  Perhaps she had acted too soon when she’d made that plea with him. What if he had figured out that she had conspired with Memucan to rid him of Vashti? She felt the color drain from her face. He had deposed Memucan but allowed her to stay. Why couldn’t she be satisfied with that?

  But it wasn’t enough. It was never enough. And the longer she thought on it, even after she left Atossa and took her boys back to her apartments, she knew she could not continue to live this way. Xerxes had done her wrong by ignoring her wishes. He had no business placing a young woman with no royal heritage on the throne that rightfully belonged to her.

  Anger brewed within her chest, a fire burning hot. Whatever love she’d had for Xerxes had fled long ago. But she had never considered herself capable of hating him.

  Did she hate him? Hate was such a strong feeling.

  As the sun set over Susa and she lay alone upon her bed, she did not see the opulence around her or the privileges she held over most of the king’s women. She only saw him looking at Esther instead of her. Crowning Esther queen in her place. Loving Esther as he should have loved her.

  Someday she would find a way to make him pay for what he had done to her, to her sons. Kings were not immune to disasters. And once Darius was old enough to rule in his place—or sooner if she had her way—she would destroy the things Xerxes held so dear. Perhaps even take his life.

  That thought made her sit straight up in bed. No. She was not one to go that far. But the seed remaine
d planted in her mind as sleep eluded her for yet another miserable night.

  CHAPTER

  Twenty-three

  Would you like to take a trip with me tomorrow?” Xerxes searched every facet of Esther’s beautiful face and could not withhold a smile. She was perfect in every way. How was it possible that a woman could hold such qualities? And yet in their first month together he had not seen a single flaw.

  “Where would we go?” She smiled at the servant who cleared the utensils and plates from the table where they still sat. Hands clasped in her lap, she gave him her full attention.

  “I would take you to Persepolis to see the building projects going on there. They are simply magnificent, and I want to see their progress. You could come with me and my retinue.” She would need her retinue as well, which could make for a large company and some inconvenience, but if he brought her, it couldn’t be helped.

  “I would love to accompany you!” She clapped her hands like a little girl, then leaned forward to kiss his cheek. “Thank you for asking me.”

  He grinned, feeling as young as he once did in Vashti’s presence. Esther brought back the joys of youth, and he felt a sense of deep gratitude and satisfaction that he had listened to his servants when they suggested the contest that had brought her to him. He would not admit to her his deep need, nor how well she fulfilled that in him, but he felt it just the same.

  “Good. I will have my guards set the plans in motion. You may bring your maids and any other servants you require, as the trip will take us away from Susa for a week. Tell them to pack whatever you need.” He studied her another moment before rising. “Would you like to bring your father?” He would not dream of bringing his mother or other wives, but he suspected that Esther held a special bond with Mordecai.

  She smoothed her gown and glanced beyond him as though something out the window had caught her eye. When her gaze met his, she smiled. “I would be honored to bring my father along, but only if he will not be a hindrance or cause a problem for you, my husband.”

  He stood and took her hands in his, pulling her close. “He will only cause a problem if he tries to advise me in how to be a good husband or comes between us in any way.” He kissed her thoroughly, then released her with a deep sigh.

  She laughed, the sound filled with delight. “I would not let him! And he would never attempt such a thing. He would simply enjoy seeing the great work you are doing. And it will give him something to brag about to his friends.” She stroked his cheek. “Fathers love to brag, you see.”

  He wouldn’t know, for Darius had rarely spoken in ways that made Xerxes feel confident or assured that he could handle the kingdom in his father’s stead. Was that why he always needed the advice of others to make decisions? Was he so weak a man that he could not choose to do things in his own kingdom without help?

  He shoved the thoughts aside. At least Esther had a father who took pride in her. He hoped that one day Mordecai might look on him the same. “He is certainly welcome to join us. Tell your servants to be ready by morning. Today you and I will spend the day touring the many gardens of Susa while the servants prepare.”

  She wrapped her arms about his neck and kissed his cheek once more. “Thank you,” she whispered. “I will hurry.”

  He walked her to the door, and guards walked her to her rooms while he called his servants to make arrangements. This was a good decision.

  The next day Esther sat in a curtained litter atop a camel while Xerxes rode a horse, surrounded by his guards and Carshena, Admatha, and Haman. His servants trailed behind, and Mordecai rode in Esther’s company. Esther’s maids rode in groups on the backs of camels, and other servants rode in carts with the supplies.

  The trip took longer than she expected, the road bumpy at times with numerous bends, but at least it was warm enough that the rainy season had not turned the earth to mud. Wintering in Persepolis was sought before the rains began because of the terrain.

  Still, with the sun shining down on them, she had not expected to spend the day, curtained off from the sights around her. She peered from between the fine linen curtains and watched the beauty of the countryside slip past. How much better it would have been to ride beside her husband and share the experience with him. But he seemed caught up in conversation with Haman and Carshena, though occasionally he drew closer to her and said a few words to Mordecai.

  She sensed that this was the future of her life, despite his desire to have her near. No doubt he truly wanted to show her the building projects. But he was also anxious to return to his life as king, to talk often with his advisors, to do the work he was accustomed to. She was his wife, but queen or not, this closeness could not last. He had so many other duties, so many wives to deal with. He could not put them off forever.

  This trip was his way of sharing his life with her, but as they made camp that night, she sensed the reality of her future yet again when she stood some distance off, waiting as servants prepared her tent. She glimpsed Xerxes near the fire talking intently with Haman.

  “He seems to favor that man,” Mordecai said from behind her.

  She turned and greeted him with a smile. “Abba. I’m so glad you came.” She took his hand, and together they walked away from the tents where her maids slept and other servants milled about. Two guards followed her at a discreet distance.

  “I am grateful to be invited. I have always wanted to see Persepolis. I hear that the buildings his father began are indeed magnificent. I can only imagine the works that have risen under his direction. Your husband has a great interest in designing great structures.” Mordecai glanced heavenward, looked quickly behind them, then stepped slightly closer. “You have kept what I entrusted to you, yes?”

  He meant her heritage, of course. “Yes, Abba. All is well.” She shifted her gaze from him to the camp, where her husband still sat with Haman. “Why does he inquire advice of only one man when he brought three with him?”

  Mordecai rubbed his bearded chin, and she caught his concerned expression in the light of the moon. He lowered his voice so only she could hear. “I suspect that Haman endeared himself to the king during the war with Greece. No one had heard of him until they returned from that disastrous war.”

  Esther simply nodded. To say more about the war was to risk being overheard. She had never asked about Greece, and she did not intend to start now. “The king seems to like him.”

  “Yes.” Mordecai touched her shoulder. “Be careful,” he whispered.

  She raised a brow, wishing he would explain himself, but even here with the distance of land and trees, guards stood too close. “I will.”

  They walked toward her readied tent in silence, and he bid her good night. She had hoped Xerxes would share his tent with her, but as the night waned and he did not come, she knew at yet another level that her life was changing. Only a month of wedded bliss? She was not sure she was going to like the changes.

  The following day they arrived in Persepolis. Esther walked with her maids along the main thoroughfare, taking in the magnificence of the grand buildings Xerxes’ father had begun to build. The great palace remained in the distance, a shining jewel among the other marvels of architecture.

  The sound of horses’ hooves clapping the stone pavement drew her attention. Her maids scooted to the edge of the road as the king’s black steed strutted like a proud prince and stopped at her side.

  “Come,” Xerxes said, offering his hand to her.

  She gave him a dubious look but placed her hand in his larger one. He lifted her with ease and settled her in front of him, one hand resting on her middle to steady her. His touch did anything but!

  He leaned close. “Do not fear. I have never dropped anyone yet.”

  She laughed, her tension easing but a little. “Let us hope this is not the first time!”

  His delighted chuckle and kiss against her left ear caused her pulse to race in time to the pawing feet of the horse. “Just lean into me. I’ll protect you.”

&nbs
p; She drew in a breath and did as he asked. In the next moment, he clucked his tongue and loosened the reins. The steed began a gentle walk, almost musical in its swaying rhythm. The wide palace stairs were built to hold the weight of a horse and rider, and the steed carried them up, stopping at each step before moving on.

  “Look around,” he whispered against her ear. She slowly turned her head. The horse moved up another step.

  “The view grows grander the higher we go,” she said, awe tingeing her voice. The marble beneath them shone bright like the rays of the sun. “It’s stunning.” She drew in a breath and released it at the top.

  Xerxes maneuvered the horse around to face the street. The view of the surrounding hills and the colorful array of flowers streaming down the sides like a woman’s hair undone left Esther without words. She could not tell her husband, but God’s beauty had outdone his great building project.

  “If you think this is grand,” he said, interrupting her musing, “wait until you see the Gate of All Nations.” He leaned close, his hand possessive against her ribs. “Ah, my love, I have still so much to show you.”

  She felt his heart beating against her back, his desire for her stirring her. “I look forward to you showing it to me.” She turned to look back at him and kissed his cheek.

  He laughed outright. “How you beguile me, my Persian star. Are you ready to take the steps down again?”

  She nodded. “If you are ready to lead me.”

  He smiled as he turned to take her through columned palace halls and then guided the horse back down the grand steps. They reached the street, and the horse trotted toward the Gate of All Nations.

  “The roof was not in place the last time I visited, but as you can see”—he pointed as they approached the gate—“the four bell-topped columns are completed and the roof is nearly finished.” Xerxes took her hand and squeezed, then motioned toward one of the massive bulls at the western entrance. “Is it not grand?”