I DON’T KNOW WHY I LAUGHED. Maybe as a release of pent-up nervousness, or perhaps because the king’s laughter proved infectious.
Maybe I laughed because tears might have ruined his mood.
All I know is that when he laughed, I joined in, and I laughed even harder when I saw Biztha’s stunned expression. He must have thought the king and I had been affected by some sort of sorcery, or that the stress of the encounter had caused me to lose my wits.
In any case, the eunuch backed out of the chamber as swiftly as he could, head bowed, feet shuffling as he closed the doors behind him.
I stopped laughing when I heard the doors come together, shutting out the world and confining me with the king who held my life and my future in his hands.
I lifted my hand to wipe a tear of mirth from my eye, then lowered myself to the floor in proper obeisance. Crouching there, my nose pressed to the polished marble, I wondered if I should have kept silent. He was a king, after all, and I but one of his most lowly subjects.
“Rise and come closer,” the king said, gesturing for me to step away from the entrance. “Let me see what damage has been done.”
A wave of relief lifted me and carried me into his presence. He wasn’t evaluating my beauty or my grace; apparently he simply wanted to see my gown.
I moved a few steps closer, then halted and peered at the stain on my bodice. “It isn’t too—oh!” I fell silent, forgetting that I wasn’t supposed to speak unless asked a direct question. I bit my lip and peered at him, but he didn’t seem to be angry. “May I—may I speak, my king?”
He granted me a forgiving smile. “Please do.”
“The stain isn’t too terrible—a soak in cool water should make things right. Miriam taught me how to wash away worse messes than this.”
“And who is Miriam?”
“My—the woman who took care of me as a child.”
The king tilted his head, then walked to his couch and sank onto it. “Why didn’t your parents take care of you?”
“I was an orphan. My father died before I was born, and my mother did not survive childbirth.”
“So you were raised by strangers?”
“No, sir—by cousins. They were very kind to me.”
“But they used you as a servant? Made you do the cleaning?”
“We all worked, sir, at daily chores. Whatever had to be done, someone had to do it.”
“Your family had no slaves?”
“We never saw the need, my king. We worked together.”
The king stretched out in a languid pose, resting his elbow on the arm of the couch. “I must thank you, little one. Virgins are brought here to entertain me, but you entertained me more than most before Hegai left my chamber.”
Uncertain of his meaning, I gave him a wavering smile. Had I already fulfilled my purpose?
Apparently not. He lifted his chin and folded his hands. “I’m sure Hegai told me your name, but I’ve already forgotten it.”
“Esther, my king.”
“The name suits you. Do you sing, Esther?”
“Not very well, sir.”
“Do you dance?”
“A little.”
“A little, she says. Then we shall not bother with dancing. What have you planned for my entertainment, little Esther?”
“I thought—”
I hesitated when a servant entered from another passageway. I did not notice his face because he carried a gorgeous robe of deep purple silk, a luxurious garment that looked as though it would wrap around me twice.
“For you. Esther.” The king gestured to the eunuch, whom I recognized as Harbonah when I finally looked up. “Take off that sullied gown and give it to my servant. Put on the robe. I will wait for you on the balcony.”
I lifted a brow as the king stood and left the room, granting me a measure of privacy. Harbonah turned away, one hand extended as he waited for the soiled gown.
I undid the belt and the shoulder strap, then stepped out of the silky puddle at my feet. I took the purple robe from Harbonah’s arm, wrapped myself in it, and tied it with the belt. Then I picked up the stained gown and handed it to Harbonah.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
He glanced back and caught my gaze. “Congratulations.” He spoke in a faint whisper. “You are the first to make the king laugh right away.”
I wasn’t sure my misstep qualified for congratulations, but as the eunuch walked off, I drew a deep breath and wondered what the rest of the night would bring. I had either made a good start or ruined my life altogether.
I walked toward the patio, my heart braced to pass the next few hours as stoically as possible. I had already ruined my appearance, broken royal protocol, and proved that I would never be as dignified as Vashti. Surely I had done all the damage a girl could do in the space of half an hour, so why should I worry about the rest of the evening?
“My king,” I called, my fears falling away, “you asked how I planned to entertain you? I thought we might talk before you took me to bed.”