THIRTEEN: The House of Women pt 2

"I have barely reached sixteen years."

Lord Hegai nodded after each of Esther's answers to his questions, keeping a keen eye on the way her hands moved among the tea supplies.

"Who was your etiquette teacher?"

"My Esteemed Uncle worked day and night with great difficulty to teach me."

"From where in the city does your clan come from?"

"My clan lives in the middle ring, My Lord."

Mordecai had prepared her for these questions. Together, they developed and rehearsed answers that were neither false nor specific.

"You must make every effort to conceal the truth of your clan, but you mustn't lie," Mordecai had taught her. "A web of dishonesty is impossible to untangle from."

The balance between speaking the truth, but not too much of it, would be the greatest challenge for Esther. Like walking a high, thin rope, if she swayed too far to either side, she may fall.

As she began to pour the freshly steeped tea into the cup in front of Lord Hegai, the man asked a question that Esther had not been expecting.

"Queen Candidate, tell me what food you most enjoy the taste of."

Esther nearly forgot to tip the teapot back upright before the cup began overflowing.

She wondered if she had heard the man correctly, and he did, in fact, just ask what food she enjoyed the most.

Luckily, she remembered herself in time and pulled the pot back before causing a spill.

"Do not think too much of it, Esther," the man chuckled, glancing at his cup of tea that was much too full.

Such a question was probably common among acquaintances. The other girls who were asked the same likely answered it without a second thought.

"I apologize, My Lord," Esther smiled sheepishly. "I am a bit nervous."

"Yes," Lord Hegai nodded. "I thought a more lighthearted conversation topic would help you to relax."

"I deeply appreciate your consideration," Esther responded before beginning to pour her own cup of tea.

Fortunately, the exchange had given her enough time to ponder the question.

If she had been asked something of the sort a month ago, she would have been uncertain how to answer. The only food she ever ate was bread and stew, or on occasion, some simple porridge.

Among the Despised Clan, eating was something one engaged in simply to keep themself alive and healthy. She didn't learn otherwise until the day Mordecai handed her a meat skewer from a stall at the market. For other people in the Royal City, food was often used as a source of entertainment--pleasure, even.

During the days her Uncle spent educating her, he regularly brought several new kinds of food into their home for Esther to try. Perhaps, even if she had not foreseen being faced with such a question, Mordecai had.

Thanks to his attention to such small things, Esther could come up with a satisfactory answer.

"I enjoy the taste of dried dates," she spoke, remembering weeks earlier when she had first tasted the sweet treat.

"Dried dates," Lord Hegai repeated. "I also enjoy them, but I am curious as to why you have selected that as your favorite."

"They are very simple," Esther conceded, recalling the many other desserts Mordecai had brought for her to taste, "but they are sweet and straightforward."

After taking a sip of her tea, she continued, "They are neither too rich nor lacking. It is a flavor I think I would never tire of."

The flavor of the tea on her tongue added even more excitement to her voice as she spoke. Though, it had less to do with the topic of dried dates and more to do with the confirmation that she had brewed an excellent tea.

Lord Hegai had already taken more than one sip out of his cup. Even if her answers to his questions weren't quite satisfactory, hopefully the tea she made would compensate.

"Sweet and simple," Lord Hegai mused, reaching for his cup once again. "Somehow, it seems very fitting."

He took another drink of the tea, his lips curling at the sides as he did so.

For the first time in their meeting, Esther thought she caught a glimpse of a true smile. She found herself unable to control her own smile at the idea that she had pleased the Lord.

The two continued drinking tea in silence for several minutes, neither feeling the need to fill the empty air between them.

Esther risked glancing over at Baara as she stood near the far wall.

It was difficult to see the woman's expression, but her hands were relaxed and eyes closed softly. She seemed to be quite content with how the meeting was playing out.

After so many weeks of doubt and uncertainty, Esther finally felt a wave of confidence welling in her chest.

"I have one last question for you, Queen Candidate, Esther."

Lord Hegai set his, now empty, cup down with a clack, gazing expectantly at Esther across the table.

"Yes, My Lord," Esther nodded, replacing her own cup as well.

"Do you want to be the Queen of Persia?"

If Esther had been watching her handmaiden, she would have noticed the woman's hands tighten and eyebrows scrunch.

Now, the woman was worried.

Esther forced the muscles in her face to relax, as to conceal her own worry, as she considered the question.

She already knew the answer.

No, she did not want to be Queen. In fact, she planned to spend the next twelve months doing everything in her power to prevent herself from being chosen.

Based on what she knew of Lord Hegai so far, she could imagine how he would respond to such an answer.

With a smile on his face, he'd say that he understood her, and then place her in a satisfactory, though small, room while wishing her a happy stay in his home.

On the other hand, she could simply respond that of course she wanted to become the Queen, and the interview would end in much the same way.

However, both scenarios posed immediate problems.

The first was that boldly declaring she had no interest in the Throne would likely set her apart from the other candidates.

And, as Mordecai had cautioned her time and time again, she needed to avoid drawing attention.

The second problem was that claiming she desired to be Queen was a lie.

And, as Mordecai had described, one lie would only lead to more lies until she became too stretched and twisted to hold them together.

Once again, the only way to proceed forward was to find the right balance between truth and ambiguity.

"I wish only to serve my family and my homeland to the best of my abilities," she finally answered.

"I see," Lord Hegai nodded, rubbing his chin. "Since you've answered my final question, let's stop this conversation here."

He rose to his feet, and Esther hastily did likewise. Then, he called one of his attendants over to the table.

Now, the Lord would reveal Esther's fate for the next twelve months.