Bystanders in a story of lots

Keeper of the maidens

The first batch of maidens turned out to be nothing special. An assortment of Susan girls hoping against hope for a better life. Most of them would never step outside the royal palace again, Hegai knew. He told them as much when they had the wits to listen. It was better than the streets, some would say, better than the old blacksmith rumored to have an unseemly appetite. Hegai wasn't sure. He knew too well what kind of life one had sequestered in the whimsical service of Ahasuerus, long ago forgetting any hope of having a life. Of having a family.

Many more groups followed, though, in the king's attempt to find a new queen. The second consisted of a dozen maidens of wealthy families from Babylon, their healthy figures and refined manners far overshadowing the poor girls who came before. They too were quickly outdone by novelties brought from far-off Sheba, Scythia, or India. Some were poor, kidnaped by slavers hoping for royal favor, or surrendered by fathers who could not afford to feed them; others were rich, of noble families hoping their nobility would gain them an advantage for the ultimate marriage, or merchant's daughters seeking political power to advance their family businesses. All were treated the same: twelve months of preparations in Hegai's care, one night in the king's presence, and the rest of their lives in the Concubines' Harem, never to be seen again but by eunuchs like himself and the other unfortunate concubines. True, some were called back by the king once or twice, but with so many novel maidens, few caught his attention for long.

So Hegai aided them in any way that he could in their limited twelve months in his care. Oils and incense were provided, of course, as was the wish of the king-of-kings. Jewelry and fine silks as well, for the crucial night. He made sure to have some extra silks brought in for the girls to train in beforehand – it wouldn't do for them to lose favor over something so trivial as stumbling upon a dress they had never worn. Each could request one item to bring with them to the king's chambers, and no amount of warning from a court eunuch seemed to prevent most girls from requesting what they thought was a splendid addition but was really but a trivial trinket to the king and more often than not was an unrehearsed factor that spoiled their examination.

Other things he provided them as well: fine foods and wines to better their time in his care, games imported from each girl's native land to dampen anxiety or homesickness. But ultimately, there was little he could do for them. And once out of his care, little dropped to nothing.

One of the new girls, however, was unlike any who had come through before. Not a week after she arrived, already some of the older girls were showing signs of envious depression over their diminished odds.

Esther was her name, though no one knew who she was or from what land. She was Susan raised, that much was made clear by the guards who brought her it, and she wasn't local, despite her Babylonian name – too much about her accent and coloration, her naïve mannerisms, and unusual timidity spoke of an immigrant family. Hegai suspected she was an orphan, for too many parents came knocking on the palace doors in search of their daughters that the lack of any such suiters for Esther suggested such a fate.

But what all agreed upon was the girl's beauty. Esther was a fitting name, Hegai thought, for if the goddess Ishtar had a mortal form, surely it would be that of this girl. She was slender yet not lanky, proportioned like the ideal form the Greeks preached. Her arms were soft but strong as if carved of marble or painted on fresh stucco. She was kind and elegant with a face comforting as a mother's yet youthful as fresh snow and symmetrical beyond flaw. Upon glancing at her piercing eyes, a color unmatched but by the gem upon the king's golden scepter, Hegai could have sworn he was seeing one of the Ameshas.

He did not lust women as true men did, though he did not feel remorse at the thought; he could barely remember a time when such feelings controlled him, so young had he been upon entering the late king's service. But his castration did not diminish his appreciation of beauty. It was quite possible that it had enhanced it, removing the stronger drives of procreation in favor of a more subtle pallet.

From the moment this Esther was brought in, shoved passed the palace gates like a common slave, Hegai decided she would be his special project.

He was not supposed to show favorites, and in truth, he tried to give each girl the best chance she could get, if only she deigned to listen. But with so many lost causes, so many maidens most beautiful in their clans and cities yet unnoticeable in the gilded halls of Susa, he had grown weary. So, when a maiden of remarkable beauty and mannerisms entered his hall, all Hegai could do was focus on her acceptance to the king's chambers and help her fulfill her potential as a concubine. Hopefully, one of them would be accepted as queen, and the king would stop this terrible pursuit that locked away so many young girls behind the thick harem walls.

Tonight, at long last, was Esther's examination with the king. He would be sad to see her leave.

"Thank you, Hegai, for all you have done for me," Esther bowed when he delivered the news, "you have been very kind to me; to all of us. Don't think I haven't noticed your personal care with the curtains, or when the other girls sickened." He remembered that terrible night, all moaning and vomiting. He had taken care of seventeen girls and might not have made it through the night were Esther puking as well. But she alone had not eaten the spoiled meat and was, thankfully, able to assist with the others.

"It was my duty and my pleasure to make these months bearable."

"You did more than make them bearable, Hegai," she laughed with the voice of angles, "they were outright enjoyable! I cannot bear the thought of not returning here after tonight."

"You will be missed. But I have no doubt you're placing in the Concubines' Harem will be high. Trust me, Esther, I know every girl who'd been brought before the king. None hold a candle to your star."

"Thank you Hegai," she blushed the precise amount between a prideful imperceptible change and an unseemly red shame. Whatever her claim on naivety – and Hegai had no doubt she had come to him untrained – the girl was surely blessed with both quick learning and intuition.

"Have you decided what to take with you to the king's chamber?"

"I have no knowledge of such things. What would you ask for, Hegai?"

Humble and wise! In all his years of expertise and personal knowledge of the king, no maiden has yet to ask his opinion on the matter. Daughters of peasants and nobles alike thought they knew the woman's craft better than a simple eunuch ever could. And daughters of peasants and nobles alike remained uncalled in the Concubines' Harem. He knew his answer, though it was a dangerous one.

"The king is a fool," he whispered, making sure none were around to hear. It was the worse kept secret in the empire – if it could even be called that – but Ahasuerus was a powerful, prideful fool surrounded by power-hungry eunuchs with little to lose. It would not fare him well to be heard voicing such commonly known truths. "He is feeble, has no initiative, and will do whatever those close to him say. But ruling the known world has made him mindful of his expected power and prestige. He cannot bear being told what to do. What you bring with you has little meaning, the king has seen it all. It's how you approach him that matters. Do not bore him with submission, but under no means be seen to be anything but." She nodded in the clear but almost unperceivable comprehension of a conspirator. This was not a true answer to her question, he knew – and Hegai would be in great trouble would these words be spoken to another – but Ahriman be damned, Hegai would not let this angle of a maiden fall to the fate of the multitude before her.

She stared at him for a long moment, her deep eyes darting in thought. "A diadem, then," she said with a smile both cheerful and sly, "a small, silver one, but a diadem nevertheless."

Hegai's grin was hidden a moment later by his low bow. He had done all he could, and the rest was up to her. But he had no doubts regarding her success – she had learned the game.