The night passed on quickly and I slept like a babe. When I awoke the next morning it was to the smell of roses and myrrh.

My lady servant had a towel in her hand and a bowl with all kinds of stuff in it. I groaned heavily and rolled over to my side, taking a silk pillow and placing it over my head.

Anahita smiled and placed the items in her hands to the side and proceeded to remove everything on top of me, including the pillow.

"Awe, that was comfy." I whined like a child.

She giggled and helped me up from the low bed. "Well now it's time to be pampered, we must get you treated."

I sighed and rubbed my sore arm where the guard had played rough the day before.

"Do I have to?"

I tilted my head and bit my lip. Her mouth dropped and her eyes squinted. "Esther you have to be the one girl who doesn't want to be pampered!"

I nervously laughed and chewed the now rawness of my lip deeper. "Well i just don't like having people do things for me, i'm used to doing things on my own."

My honest answer received a smile from her. "Well along with being beautiful, you're also kind and humble which i like. Most of these girls are from prominent families and expect everything to be handed to them on a silver platter."

Her tone made me laugh, "isn't that what you guys are doing anyway."

I received a tap on the arm for that and a laugh, "Stop giving me facts and come with me to the baths."

I sighed heavily and nodded obediently showing my acceptance. When we got to the baths there were already dozens of girls being pampered and fanned with fanners and receiving rose treatments in their hair.

It did look relaxing if i was going to be honest. I just didn't want to get caught up in all this competition action to become the queen. I honestly don't want to be queen.

How am I to please the king if i don't know him?

Are we to just have one night and that's it?

I needed more than that. I was a pleaser and I wanted to be what the king wished. If all he wanted was a brain dead queen with good looks that wouldn't speak unless spoken to I most likely wasn't his choice.

I have a intellectual mind with wisdom of my uncles teaching of the Lord. I wasn't that beautiful and to me a queen should be more than the person who sits to his right and bows and nods.

A queen should be his confidant, his advisor and servant.

She should be obedient and loyal to her husband.

And she should be his best friend and lover.

Not just some brainwashed heir producer.

I thought of these things as Anahita washed me and cleansed my hair. When she scrubbed my scalp, it reminded me of the times when my mother would wash my hair like that.

I smiled and leaned back more to let her work her magic. I was going to try my hardest to be the person Hegai wanted me to be.

I was going to ask him to teach me personally everything he thought the king would want in a queen. I also was questioning whether or not to reveal that i was the little girl in the garden that day when I accidentally caused the then young boy prince to fall into the fountain.

When I went to bed yesterday I remembered why Hegai was so familiar. It was because he was the man who was taking care of Xerxes and asked me if I was ok.

He had given me a stern but kind warning to be obedient to the royal family. I was going to take that to heart; but if I told Hegai about that day would he think i was trying to get in with him so that i could have a better chance at being queen?

Would he even care about that it was over 12 years ago and nothing special really happened. I decided to let things play out and see how Hegai warms up to me.

He seemed pretty happy with me yesterday anyways. By the time I was done thinking, Anahita was drying me off from head to toe.

She placed a silk robe around me and placed my hair in the towel. We walked through the corridor and back to my room.

My stomach began growling and wanted to take care of that.

"When's breakfast?" I asked.

Anahita smiled, "The harem are to have breakfast, lunch, and dinner alone with each other every morning. And You aren't allowed to roam around just anywhere Esther you have restricted areas so try not to get lost."

I smiled sheepishly at that. I didn't really get 'lost' yesterday.

"I won't."

Was all I responded. She smiled, "Good, now what would you like to wear today?"

She opened a tall wooden chest revealing dozens of dresses. I gasped, that was more than i was used to. I had maybe 4 dresses in total.

"Choose whatever you'd like, I had the tailor give me the best ones for you upon Hegel's request."

I silently gave a gasp, "Hegai?"

"Yes, he's taken to you which is a good sign."

She smiled honestly. I blushed and proceeded to choose a simple, sleek and elegant light blue dress with wide sleeves and a sash around it.

Anahita smiled and helped me dress then brushed my hair out letting my natural curls dry out. I was joined with the other harem in a straight line and was led to the breakfast table.

I had never seen so much food before. Hegai stood with his arms crossed watching us choose our food.

I had to be careful with what i ate, i didn't want to eat anything against the Jewish law but didn't want to draw attention to myself. I chose some fruit and eggs.

I chose to sit down on a blanket near the garden where i had met Hegai and the king and watched the local monkeys playing around.

"You do not wish to eat with the others?" Hegai's deep voice boomed in back of me.

I turned around and shrugged, "I felt like watching the little mischievous monkeys play."

He chuckled as if he couldn't believe what i had said.

I smirked, "You think of me as a child? Well you're wrong, I'm much younger."

He chuckled even harder. "Well I cannot disagree with a potential future queen. Enjoy your food, we gather within the hour to begin the lessons."

I nodded to him and watched him leave. I wondered how these lessons would go. What would they teach us?

I hope they would make us read and write laws of Persia. One cannot be queen or king without knowing the law of course.

I entered my room disappointed after the first lesson. It turned out the lesson was on beauty. Nothing of intellect or knowledge other than perfumes and spices for our skin.

How were we supposed to know how to be queen if all we did was bathe in roses and wash our hair in special spices.

Did the king not appreciate knowledge? I was alone in the room and became quite bored.

I decided to take a bit of a walk making sure to heed was Anahita said earlier about restricted areas.

I walked around the corridor and somehow ended up where we were brought the first day we arrived. Only a few feet away was the war council room which intrigued me more than anything else.

I bit my lip and looked around before heading down that path. I was just a bit curious to see what was being discussed this time around.

If Hegai caught me again i was sure to be in trouble but it was worth the risk. I quietly made my way down the hall and once again stood in front of the tall curtain where the voices of men could be heard.

Peeking through the curtain I was pleased to see the man who entrapped me once again speaking to the same men from yesterday.

This time he was a bit more angrier but he still had a kindness in his eyes that made me feel safe. I watched his pace back in forth around his enclosed area with his arms behind his back.

The way he spoke was elegant and regal. He had to be the King, i thought. No one else seemed so powerful or regal. He didn't wear his crown though so i couldn't be sure.

I leaned against the marble wall and listened intently to this group of men arguing back and forth. Half of the questions i myself had good answers to.

I was proud to be uncle Mordecai's relative. It showed just how much knowledge he has.

Oh! What it would be like to be a scribe in there, listening and writing to the words of the king and his council.

It would most definitely be an honor i thought.

"Meeting Adjourned." The man's words took me out my trance.

I watched the men leave one by one and I myself turned to leave but came face to face with Hegai once again.

I gasped and covered my mouth.

"Hegai I-"

He didn't say a word but had his arms crossed in disappointment. "I'm sorry, I was just so intrigued with it i couldn't stay away."

I mumbled with my head held low.

He kept his arms crossed, "Why would a woman be so intrigued with war council?"

I looked up with some anger in my words, "Hegai I won't pretend that didn't hurt, I know women aren't the most well taught here but I happen to love to educate my mind with learning and knowledge."

My words clearly astonished Hegai.

His eyes were widened at me but soon widened even more when they darted in back of me. I realized someone was behind us facing Hegai.

"What's going on here?", I recognized the powerful and regal voice immediately.

I turned around slowly and gulped, stepping closer towards Hegai.

He ignored me and reverently bowed before the figure before him.

"Your Majesty."