Star of Persia: Esther's Story

by Jill Eileen Smith

  She would also pray as she fasted. She would pray the prayers of King David when he begged for release from his enemies. Though she had no copies of the Torah or the Hebrew poetry, she would pray what she remembered from her childhood.

  And perhaps she would pray words of her own making, as David had done. Didn’t God respond to a seeking heart? Didn’t He hear the cries of His people?

  Surely the God who saw Hagar in the desert could see her in the palace. Both of them in circumstances they had not chosen. Yet God had met Hagar there. Esther would fast and hope that He would meet her too.

  On the third day of the fast, Esther awakened with the dawn and picked up the scroll they had found for her. She read again the words that had burned within her for three days.

  No, this is the kind of fasting I want:

  Free those who are wrongly imprisoned;

  lighten the burden of those who work for you.

  Let the oppressed go free,

  and remove the chains that bind people.

  Share your food with the hungry,

  and give shelter to the homeless.

  Give clothes to those who need them,

  and do not hide from relatives who need your help.

  Then your salvation will come like the dawn,

  and your wounds will quickly heal.

  Your godliness will lead you forward,

  and the glory of the LORD will protect you from behind.

  Then when you call, the LORD will answer.

  “Yes, I am here,” he will quickly reply.

  She drank in the words. Though her whole body begged for water, she refused to quench her thirst with anything other than Isaiah’s words. She had no appetite despite her days without food. Only resignation and a sense of commitment resided inside of her, in a place of strength she did not know she possessed.

  The hour of decision had come, and she would know before the sun rose to its midday height whether she would live or die. Strange how one felt about life when its end could be so close.

  She rose and bathed, and Parisa helped her to dress in her royal robes. Shirin pulled her hair into a style reminiscent of her first night with the king. Mahin covered her glowing black tresses with a colorful veil. Hettie placed the royal crown on her head and a ring on her finger. Rosana tucked jeweled sandals on her feet. And Jazmin spritzed the faint scent of lavender over her clothes.

  Peace settled over Esther as Zareen held the golden mirror before her. She was ready. As ready as she was going to be. Olive oil moistened her lips, lest she appear as though she had been mourning. The king must not know that yet.

  “Shall we go with you?” Parisa asked, concern etched in her gaze. None of them looked at peace—not like the peace that Esther felt—but none of them had prayed as Esther had prayed, at least not with the knowledge she had. How could they? They had no idea what trials her people had been through. They did not know the history the Jews had with Haman’s people or how the Amalekites had attacked them when they were vulnerable on their journey out of Egypt. Hostility had existed between the Amalekites and the Israelites ever since.

  She looked at each one, cupped each dear cheek. “You have been a blessing to me these past three days. But now it is up to me to attempt what I did not think I could ever do.” She drew in a breath. “If I do not return, please know that I could have chosen no better maids. But do not mourn for me. Mourn for my people, and do what you can to tell your family and friends that we are not your enemies. Perhaps you will make a difference in my place.”

  She turned and headed toward the door to the sound of their quiet weeping. She straightened as she opened the door and met the guards standing there. “Take me to the inner court of the palace.”

  Two guards glanced at her, their expressions grim. But they did not try to dissuade her. She knew better than most what the law said. They could be escorting her to her final moments on earth. But neither guard spoke as they walked with her down the long hall and around several bends until at last they came to the inner court. She moved past them and stood alone, looking toward the throne, where her husband sat facing the entrance to his hall.

  She watched him, trying to read his expression, her confidence threatening to waver. Time stilled as she waited. He looked her up and down, and then slowly a smile lit his face. He extended the royal scepter to her.

  Relief flooded her, and sudden weakness in her knees added to her already weak state. But she stood taller, straightening her spine, and pushed one foot in front of the other down the long corridor toward the throne. At last she reached the end of the tile, where no one other than the king was allowed to pass, then bowed low, extended her right hand, and touched the end of the golden scepter.

  “Queen Esther, my love. What can I do for you? What is your request? I will give it to you, even if it is half the kingdom!” It was a common saying of favor, even if he did not literally mean it.

  Yet his words were far more than she had dreamed in her most desperate prayer. Her breath longed to escape in a rush, but she held herself in check. “If it pleases the king,” she said, offering him a gentle smile, one he would surely remember, “let the king and Haman come today to a banquet I have prepared for the king.”

  Xerxes kept his expression neutral, but she saw the appreciation in his eyes. How she missed time with him.

  He held her gaze for a lengthy moment, then turned to his attendants. “Tell Haman to come quickly to a banquet, as Esther has requested.” He looked again into her eyes, his own shining with the joy she so dearly missed. “Is there anything else, my love?” he said softly.

  “The king is already most gracious to grant my request.” She sensed a desire in him to say more, but she knew he wouldn’t. She bowed low and backed from his presence, her heart singing.

  Now there was much to do to have a banquet ready for the king by eventide. She left the inner court and hurried down the halls, her guards barely able to keep up. First she must have water. Then a date and some cheese. “Send for all of my attendants and servants,” she told the guards as she flew down the hall. “We have a banquet to prepare.”

  CHAPTER

  Thirty-five

  Haman looked up from the clay tablets he’d been working through all morning, but the answers he sought still eluded him. The measurements for the tower he intended to propose to Xerxes simply would not fall into the right calculations. What was he missing? The tower would be a testament to Xerxes’ greatness, and Haman would have the distinct privilege of knowing he had designed it. If things went well for him, he might even convince Xerxes to have his own name inscribed beneath the king’s in the cornerstone.

  But he would never get anywhere if he could not get the measurements to fit for the way he wanted it designed. He cursed under his breath at the same time a servant knocked on the door.

  “What is it?” he barked without looking up.

  Footsteps drew slowly nearer. Haman lifted his head to see his trusted attendant standing with head bowed, hands clasped in front of his thin frame. “What is it?” he said again, gentling his voice.

  “My lord, the king has sent word to tell you to come quickly and prepare to join him for a banquet that Queen Esther has planned for both of you this very night.” The man leaned back as though he needed to keep his distance.

  But this was excellent news! “This night?” He laughed. The king would surely approve the tower now, especially since the queen wanted to include him in her company. “Of course I will go. Come to my house and help me to dress in my best robes.” They weren’t exactly royal garb, but close. His lacked the golden threads woven through the purple or the wide golden cuffs and hem. But they were still highly valuable, above all others in the kingdom.

  He stood abruptly, pushed the tablets aside, gave orders for a servant to carefully put them on the shelf, then followed his attendant toward home. What an absolutely fortuitous day! Surely the gods were shining down on him. He had taken great care to appease them, and this de
cree he had set out to keep was a holy war against the enemies of his people.

  Despite what others may say of him—and he knew they talked, for gossip was impossible to keep from him—he knew he was a favored one. He would go far in the kingdom. And this banquet tonight was just the beginning!

  Esther moved gracefully about the small banquet room connected to her personal chambers. She had chosen this place above the larger banquet hall at her disposal for the intimacy it would afford. Three people did not need an entire hall. No, this room would suit her purposes well. After a meal of yogurt soup, duck with pomegranate and walnut sauce over barley, stewed spinach, and baked apples, they could move to her receiving room and enjoy wine in the comfort of a more private setting.

  That Haman would be joining Xerxes caused her stomach to knot, and she prayed she would be able to eat lest she appear sorrowful to the king. Haman must not know the purpose of this gathering. Not yet. Not tonight.

  But the thought of his presence in her rooms made her skin crawl. She had managed to avoid much contact with the man. But now she must be strong, play the perfect hostess, even smile at this enemy of her people.

  If she didn’t, if she gave any hint of displeasure, he would go away suspicious instead of happy. And she did not want him to question the king or put false thoughts in his mind. Sadly, she did not know whether she could trust her own husband to listen to her over Haman.

  She moved a goblet that sat too close to the edge of the table and walked to the window that overlooked her gardens. Her gaze slanted heavenward. The sun had begun its descent toward its place of rest. They would be here soon. She looked back and surveyed the room once more. Sconces stood along the walls, casting the perfect ambient light.

  She stepped into her chambers, where Parisa met her. “You look lovely, my queen,” her maid said, bowing low. “Remember that we will be near—all of us. And we will pray to your god that he will grant you favor.”

  “Thank you, Parisa. Tonight is simply a test. Tomorrow we will know.” Why she needed two days to tell Xerxes, she was not sure she could explain. But she knew he enjoyed a surprise, and at times when she had teased him in the privacy of his rooms, he had laughed with delight. Tonight she wanted his heart to be merry. To remind him what she meant to him. If God was willing, tomorrow he would grant her request.

  Footsteps coming from the hall outside her rooms startled her out of her contemplation. She looked at Parisa, who simply nodded her assurance. She could do this.

  Guards opened the door to the small banquet room, and Esther met both men as they entered behind the guards, who remained standing along the sides of the room. She bowed to the king, then dipped her head toward Haman. “Thank you both for coming.” Her hand moved in a sweeping motion toward the food-laden table. “Please take a seat.”

  The king sat first on a plush couch, where he could recline as he ate. Haman sat on a similar, small couch beside him, and Esther sat opposite them—an upset in protocol, but one he allowed since in essence he was her guest. Servants began first with the soup, then continued with every Persian dish Esther had specifically chosen. She knew the king especially enjoyed the duck, and she was delighted when he praised her choices.

  “The food is excellent, my love,” Xerxes said, licking the sticky sweetness of the pomegranate sauce from his fingers.

  “Thank you, my lord. Would you both like to join me in my receiving room for the wine?” She stood and motioned to an adjoining room.

  Xerxes stood first and smiled. “Of course.” He followed her, placing one hand at the small of her back. He leaned close. “Thank you for doing this. I have neglected you of late, and soon we will remedy that.” He straightened as they entered the chamber. Haman lagged slightly behind.

  Soon the three of them were laughing and talking over one of the king’s best wines. After the sun had fully set and the stars poked through the latticed windows, Xerxes turned to her. “Now tell me, my love, what you really want. What is your request? I will give it to you, even if it is half the kingdom!” His voice held enthusiasm, and she sensed he was merry from a little too much wine. Definitely not the right time to speak her heart.

  She smiled demurely. “This is my request and deepest wish, my lord. If I have found favor with the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my request and do what I ask, please come with Haman tomorrow to the banquet I will prepare for you. Then I will explain what this is all about.”

  Xerxes gave her a curious look, assessing her. Esther held her breath as the silence lingered, but a moment later he smiled. “We will do as you request.”

  She smiled in return, slowly releasing her breath. “Thank you, my lord. I promise, I will tell you everything then.”

  “I count on it,” he said.

  As they left, Esther’s heart pounded with relief and fear. One more day. Tomorrow she would know whether the king would smile on her or allow her and her people to die. At least then she would die knowing she had done all she could.

  CHAPTER

  Thirty-six

  Haman strutted through the palace halls, head held high, barely able to hide his delight at his good fortune. The gods were definitely smiling on him! His careful planning and work to rid the earth of evil had surely found favor in the heavens.

  Or perhaps the good that had come to him was a result of his own hard work. If he considered it long enough, he knew deep down that he deserved the power now afforded to him. It had taken him years to rise to this position, and it was no small feat for him to grant the king’s every ridiculous wish just to fall into his good graces. Finding new rooms for him to inhabit after the war with Greece, simply because the king could not bear Vashti’s memory, had seemed an impossible task. And a foolish need. But he had done it! He alone had pulled it off. And his rise to power had improved ever since.

  And now to think Queen Esther wanted his company! The thought made him nearly skip down the hall, but he forced himself to remain dignified. He moved through the main corridors toward the palace gate and smiled with satisfaction as each man fell to his knees, head to the tiled floor.

  Until his gaze came to rest on Mordecai still sitting at his table, not bothering to look up. He would still ignore him? The man should be groveling at his feet, asking him to destroy the decree! How dare he act as if this was nothing?

  Haman stared for the longest moment, rage bubbling from deep within him. But he tamped it down. It would do no good to make a scene in front of the rest of the men, who were showing their respect. He would rise above and find a better way to deal with Mordecai.

  He left the palace, flanked by his guards, and walked to his home, which was in the wealthiest section closest to the palace. His guards remained stationed around his home. He could take no chances with his safety or that of his family. Not as long as the Jews lived. Any one of them might attempt to assassinate him before the year passed and the decree could be fulfilled.

  “Zeresh, dear wife, I have wonderful news!” Haman entered the house and kissed her cheek.

  Zeresh smiled, but her eyes held skepticism. “Tell me,” she said, cupping his cheek. She would believe him, but he needed a greater audience than his wife with whom to share what had happened today. And he needed advice regarding Mordecai.

  “I will. But first, gather my friends. Especially Artabanus. This news requires advice that goes beyond the two of us.”

  Artabanus was one of his closest allies—one of the few he trusted. Was he becoming like Xerxes, who trusted so few? He shook the thought aside. He would wait for his friends until they could also hear this news and give their advice. He turned Zeresh about and pushed her to hurry, while he sat and allowed servants to wash his feet and bring him wine.

  The sun had long since set and Haman had finished his first goblet of wine before all of the men entered his house. Zeresh stood in a corner, watching. She was useful to him, and she had given him ten sons, but sometimes her tongue tempted him to beat her. She should respect him more than she
did. But he held those thoughts in check. Mordecai was a far greater evil than a little disrespect from his wife. Still, she ought to have learned from Vashti’s downfall to be a little wiser with her tongue.

  “You called for us, my lord?” Artabanus spoke while the others bowed. Even his friends respected his high position.

  “Yes. I have need of your advice.” He motioned for them to sit on cushions about the room, then took the seat of highest prominence. “As you know, the gods have blessed me with great wealth and many children. I have been given many honors by the king, even promoted over all of the other nobles and officials in the land.” He paused to look each man in the eye.

  They all nodded, each gaze holding the proper awe.

  “And that’s not all!” He paused again, drawing out the effect. “Tonight Queen Esther invited only me and the king himself to the banquet she prepared for us. And she has invited me to dine with her and the king again tomorrow!”

  Artabanus clapped in a gesture of triumph, while murmurs of congratulations and smiles filled the faces of his other friends. Even Zeresh’s gaze held an expression of awe. He smiled. Good. Perhaps he could overlook her caustic tongue a while longer.

  He waited until the men quieted again, then frowned, his posture downcast. “But I called you here because this is all worth nothing as long as I see Mordecai the Jew just sitting there at the palace gate.”

  “He should not be allowed to get away with how he treats you,” Artabanus said.

  “Why the king puts up with him all these years is hard to understand,” said another.

  “Some say he is closely related to the queen. Though he is only her adoptive father.” This from Zeresh.

  “That makes no difference. He does not rank as high as Haman, and relative or not, he must bow,” Artabanus insisted.