Jewel of Persia (67 page)

Kasia grinned. “Yes, my arms yearn for her.”

They moved toward the door together, and Mordecai slid an arm around Esther’s shoulders. “I am so proud of you, my daughter. When we needed you, you stood tall for the Lord.”

“Only by his strength.” She loosed a sigh. “I still cannot believe it came to this. But Jehovah knew it would. It is certainly a good thing you did not let me marry Zech.”

“Zech?” The king halted in the doorway and spun around. “
You
were the one who . . . I offered to have
myself
killed for him?”

With a bright laugh, Kasia tugged him from the room.

Mordecai kissed the side of Esther’s head. “You will be remembered for this. Our people will sing songs in your honor for centuries to come. Your bravery preserved our entire nation.”

Esther shook her head and moved toward the side door that he knew connected to the nursery. She would want to check on Amani after all this. “I do not care about being remembered. Only that there will be a people left to do the remembering.”

He could think of only one thing to say to that. “Amen.”

Epilogue

The thirteenth day of the twelfth month of the twelfth year of the reign of Xerxes

Zechariah gripped his spear in one hand, his sword in the other. The straps of his shield encircled his forearm, and the breastplate hung sure and straight over his torso.

He planted his feet and waited for morning to spill over the horizon.

Bijan took position on his right. “Adam’s group is ready along the southern wall. The city is covered. If they dare come out, they will be slain.”

“They will come. Not many, but some. There have always been those who hate us.”

His friend snorted a laugh. “I have learned that for myself.”

“I know.” He glanced behind him to check his ranks. Hundreds of his friends and relatives stood in position, ready to fight for their lives, for their families. “If we die today, Bijan, know you are my brother by more than marriage.”

“We will not die.” His words were easy, certain. “If Jehovah protected me against the Spartans, he will have no trouble with these lazy Persians. Besides—you promised Ruana you would be there for the birth of your babe this time.”

His lips pulled up. She had not let him leave the house until he swore it, his hand upon her rounded abdomen. “And I am a man of my word. I trust you made similar promises to Eglah.”

“Demanding woman.” Bijan grinned and looked out over the city. “I am proud to be one of you. Proud so many of my friends have decided to convert as well.”

“The truth makes itself known.” Zechariah turned his gaze toward the bowl of golden light rising above the bronze earth. Then a few degrees off, to the walls of the palace. “They are watching. I feel their prayers.”

“As do I.”

The first arrow of sunlight crested the hill, and Zechariah raised his sword to send it on.

~*~

Kasia drew in a breath when the slice of golden light reflected off her brother’s sword by the river. The day had come. There he stood, his army of would-be Immortals behind him. So many. So many had come to him these eleven months to learn.

Their enemies did not stand a chance. Not against spirits such as her people had. People who fought for a Law the world could not understand.

Xerxes slid an arm around her waist. “All the other armies in the other cities should be ready too. Pythius’s sons will lead the efforts in Sardis.”

“The Lord is with us. Can you feel him, my love?”

He breathed a laugh into her ear. “Have you still not given up on converting me?”

“Never.”

“Ahura Mazda swore he would destroy me through my wives, that he would take you from me. Jehovah prevailed, as I knew he would. Prevails still.” He kissed her cheek. “Yes, I feel him. I trust him. The king of Persia can never be a Jew—but you know I love the living God.”

“Ima, she is getting heavy.”

Kasia smiled down at Zillah and took Leah from her arms. The boys chased each other around the wall, and she bit back a rebuke. Let them run. Let them laugh. There would be fighting enough today.

Esther glided their way, Amani gripping a hand and Artaxerxes at her side. The boy stuck close to her. Ten years with Amestris had made him wary of Kasia, but he loved Esther. Even now, when the world knew of her heritage.

But when Darius and Artaynte took their place beside Xerxes, Artaxerxes turned his face away from them.

Some hurts, some wrongs were still unforgiven. Even in the heart of a boy who could not remember them, who only heard of them from his mother’s lips.

Xerxes tensed, shifted. “The city is waking. People are coming out of their homes.”

“Perhaps they are only going to the markets,” Zillah murmured.

“No one will go to the markets today, my sweet.” Her father rested a hand on her shoulder. “If people leave their homes, it is in search of violence.”

“I did not think any would dare.” Esther sighed. “Come, children. I will take you all inside. We will pray.”

Artaxerxes stepped forward instead of back, his eyes trained on the shadows slinking through the streets, toward the Jewish section of the city. “Why do they do it, when they know the consequences?”

“Hatred fuels many a bad decision, my son. Remember that.”

The boy shook his head at his father’s words. “Do you not worry the Jews will be hurt?”

“No,” Kasia said, smiling when he met her gaze. She shifted Leah on her hip and nodded toward the river.

Morning light bathed her brother’s army in promise while the enemy crept through darkness. “Our salvation is at hand.”

Author’s Note

Nothing inspires me like history—but in the past, actual historical events have only played limited (if crucial) roles in my novels. In
Jewel of Persia
, nearly every major plot point revolved around a recorded event. The dreams Xerxes had of his god, the deposing of Amestris (Vashti), the day of darkness at Sardis, the battles of Thermopylae and Salamis, the ill-fated affair between Xerxes and Artaynte that led to the deaths of Masistes and his wife, and of course the events in the book of Esther. All these things are described either in the Bible or Herodotus’s
Histories
. Kasia is my own creation, along with the rest of her family and servants. Most other characters come from history, though I occasionally had to provide a name for someone described only by their association with another.

There’s some debate among scholars whether Xerxes I is really the king mentioned in the book of Esther—primarily because Amestris reigned as queen mother during Artaxerxes’ rule. Most read the book of Esther as saying Vashti was put to death, and therefore assume she couldn’t have been Amestris. But Esther only says she was deposed and thrust from the king’s presence, and when you put the time lines of Esther and Herodotus together, things click into place beautifully. I feel mine is a safe way to read the Biblical account.

Some will be surprised that I took a book of the Bible that never once mentions God (though it clearly demonstrates faith) and created a story of vivid spirituality. I didn’t really plan to, but that was how it came to me as I debated how to integrate the odd events the Persians experienced during the war. Most of my spiritual references were taken from the book of Daniel, which would have taken place about 60-100 years before Esther, in another city of the same empire. That Mordecai was a descendent of one of the three thrown into the fiery furnace is a product of my imagination.

Xerxes I, a man of passion and temper who was loved like a god by his people, was assassinated in the twentieth year of his reign, eight years after the events of Esther, in 465 B.C. He was 54 years old. The killer was the head of the palace guards, but it’s said that the conspiracy originated in the harem. I read that as “it was all Amestris’s idea.” Not shocking—history paints her as a cruel, power-hungry woman. What
was
shocking was when I realized it was the youngest of her sons that took the crown. Figuring out why she would cast her loyalty with her youngest son instead of her eldest provided me with much of my characterization.

Artaxerxes I was around 17 when he became king, and he’s credited with killing his two older brothers. I find it interesting to note that most of the information we have on him is in the Bible, when he helped the Jews rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Who’s to say he wasn’t softened toward them because of his affection for a certain Jewish queen that would have ruled when he was a boy?

I hope you enjoyed seeing some of the most beloved, familiar events of the Bible woven into obscure, oft-forgotten history brought to us by the Ancient Greeks. I had so much fun putting the stories together.

For more information on the history, characters, and just some fun facts I came across, please visit my website at
www.RoseannaMWhite.com
.

Discussion Questions

1.)   Kasia’s chance encounter at the beginning of the book leaves her with what Esther calls “a romantic story.” How would you have reacted if in that romantic story? Have you ever had an “at first sight” moment, whether it be love, infatuation, or instant connection with a friend?

2.)   Have you ever paused to consider what Esther would have been like as a girl? Did anything about this fictional approach to her surprise you?

3.)   Is Mordecai what you expected him to be?

4.)   Do you like Xerxes? Why or why not?

5.)   What would you do if you found yourself part of harem life?

6.)   Prayer plays a crucial part in the lives of Kasia and Mordecai. Have you ever seen the Lord respond to prayer like they did?

7.)   Is Amestris justified in her response to Kasia and the situation with the torc?

8.)   Is there a special object that has great meaning to you and your spouse? Or perhaps an heirloom in your family with a story attached?

9.)   Kasia’s headstrong outspokenness is both a blessing and a curse. What character trait do you have that leads you both into trouble and out of it?

10.)   Do bursts of temper and passion amuse you or appall you?

11.)   If you were Xerxes, how would you have reacted to the events during the Day of Darkness in Sardis?

12.)   Which deity the characters put their faith in plays a big role in how they interpret the events that transpire. Do you believe things like this can still happen today? And if they did, would you attribute them to God or another power?

13.)   As part of the New Testament church, we have certain views and understandings of the Holy Spirit. How did this portrayal of the Old Testament Spirit challenge or line up with your beliefs?

14.)   Have you ever chosen not to pray for someone? What happened?

15.)   Zechariah makes a series of poor decisions that nevertheless play into the plan of God. How has the Lord turned your mistakes into victories for His cause?

16.)   Is your faith stronger when all is going well, or when the storms are raging around you?

17.)   The affair that rips apart the royal family is a documented fact of Persian history, though the motivation is fictional. Why do you think Xerxes would have done such a thing? How far-reaching do you think the consequences would have been?

18.)   How has Esther grown throughout the book? By the time she joins the harem, is she the Esther you expect from the Bible? Does she grow more while there?

19.)   Kasia makes a decision to forgive for the sakes of Esther and Xerxes. Could you have done the same in that situation?

20.)   Though before the time of Christ, salvation plays a key role in the theme of this book. How do the ideas of it differ from or strengthen the New Testament realization of salvation?

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