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The Peasant Princess · The Chosen People

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Speaker 1: Previously on The Chosen People In the heart of the
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Speaker 1: world's greatest empire, power was not whispered. It was shouted
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Speaker 1: from palace rooftops and poured into ornate goblets. And King
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Speaker 1: Xerxes was not a man of half measures.
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Speaker 2: Have you seen such a kingdom? Such splendor? Such a king. No, no,
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Speaker 2: not a king.
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Speaker 3: A god.
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Speaker 2: Bring me Queen Bashiti. Tell her to wear her royal crown.
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Speaker 2: Let my guests behold the jewel of Persia.
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Speaker 4: My husband asks that I parade the symbol of my
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Speaker 4: status before the court.
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Speaker 1: Tell the king no. Haman leaned over to Mamucan in
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Speaker 1: the chaos and whispered in his ear so only Mamucan
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Speaker 1: could hear.
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Speaker 4: Remind him who rules his house or soon.
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Speaker 5: A decree must be made, one that ensures this defiance
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Speaker 5: is never repeated.
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Speaker 6: Let Vashti be vanished, or banished, that is to say.
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Speaker 6: Let her name be struck from the annals of history.
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Speaker 2: So it shall be. Queen Vashti shall be banished.
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Speaker 1: And somewhere, far from marble halls and golden thrones, an
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Speaker 1: orphan girl, would soon step into a story no one
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Speaker 1: could imagine. The feasts had ended. The banners had been folded.
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Speaker 1: The echoes of laughter and indulgence faded, leaving behind silence
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Speaker 1: and regret. King Xerxes returned from his campaign to find
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Speaker 1: an empty throne room. The queen was gone, the court uneasy,
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Speaker 1: and the nobles restless. Mamucan, the king's advisor, came to
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Speaker 1: the king's side. He was eager for Xerxes to find
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Speaker 1: an impressionable wife whom he and the other advisors could
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Speaker 1: easily influence to their designs.
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Speaker 6: My king, you were wise to banish that rebellious woman
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Speaker 6: from the throne room. Truly, you have evaded dishonor and
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Speaker 6: dissension in this great nation.
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Speaker 1: Mamucan's eyes darted to Haman, who hung back in the
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Speaker 1: corner against a pillar. Haman nodded for Mamucan to continue.
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Speaker 6: We will find you a new queen, one who will
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Speaker 6: honor your commands as you rule this empire.
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Speaker 2: Is it that easy, Mamucan?
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Speaker 6: Leave it to us, great one. Let beautiful young women
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Speaker 6: be sought for the king and added to your harem.
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Speaker 6: Let them be gathered from every province, and let the
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Speaker 6: one who pleases you most be crowned queen in Vashti's place.
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Speaker 1: This notion pleased King Xerxes, who gave Mamucan's order out
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Speaker 1: across his 127 provinces. The royal messengers galloped, carrying scrolls
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Speaker 1: and reading the king's decrees. The search had begun. In
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Speaker 1: the heart of Susa, the capital of the Persian Empire,
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Speaker 1: lived a man named Mordecai. He was a Jew, the
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Speaker 1: descendant of exiles, whose inheritance was land in the possession
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Speaker 1: of foreigners. Stories of Israel captivated the longing hearts of
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Speaker 1: his fellow refugee Israelites living in Susa. Mordecai longed for
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Speaker 1: the homeland he had never seen, but he was a
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Speaker 1: man of practicality first, sentimentality second. Mordecai labored to assimilate
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Speaker 1: into Persian culture until he eventually secured an official position
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Speaker 1: in the empire's judicial system, hearing the people's disputes and
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Speaker 1: interpreting and applying the king's laws at the city gates.
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Speaker 1: Mordecai did all this while keeping his Hebrew heritage discreet.
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Speaker 1: It was at the city gate one day that he
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Speaker 1: overheard the plans of the king. One of the other judges,
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Speaker 1: a renowned gossip and busybody, sauntered over, eager to spill
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Speaker 1: the secrets he had learned.
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Speaker 4: Judge Mordecai, good morning. Have you heard the latest news
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Speaker 4: from the palace?
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Speaker 7: Good morning, Judge Arzog.
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Speaker 4: No, I have not. Well, let me be the first
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Speaker 4: to tell you, I imagine it will affect you more
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Speaker 4: than the rest of us.
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Speaker 1: Mordecai frowned in confusion, but knew our Zhang would not
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Speaker 1: leave him wondering for long.
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Speaker 4: Well, the puppet master himself, Lord Mimucan, has been whispering
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Speaker 4: in the king's ear about finding a new queen for
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Speaker 4: King Xerxes.
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Speaker 7: Is that so?
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Speaker 4: Yes, well, apparently Memucan has been eager to remind everyone
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Speaker 4: who will listen that he suggested they oust Queen Vashti.
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Speaker 4: But now they need to fill the vacancy. Rumor has
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Speaker 4: it they're sending beautiful young women from every province here
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Speaker 4: to Susa for the king.
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Speaker 7: And I get the sense you think there's something nefarious
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Speaker 7: to this search for a new queen?
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Speaker 4: Well, this sounds like a Memucan scheme to me. Vashti
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Speaker 4: was royal born. She's highbrow with education and standards. Memucan
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Speaker 4: hated that he couldn't control her.
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Speaker 7: So he's sending for women in every province, noble.
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Speaker 4: Born or not.
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Speaker 8: Yes, precisely.
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Speaker 7: I think he's hoping.
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Speaker 4: The king will... Select a young commoner who will be
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Speaker 4: too naive to interfere in politics like Vashti did. Someone
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Speaker 4: who will be so enraptured by being in a palace
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Speaker 4: for the first time that she wouldn't second-guess anyone.
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Speaker 7: Interesting. And I wouldn't put it past Mamyakin or the
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Speaker 7: other eunuchs close to the king. But you mentioned this
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Speaker 7: would affect me more than most. What did you mean
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Speaker 7: by that? I'm certainly no beautiful young candidate for the
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Speaker 7: king's harem.
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Speaker 4: But your ward, Esther, is your uncle's daughter. Is that right?
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Speaker 1: Mordecai's stomach dropped out.
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Speaker 5: Yes, she's my cousin.
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Speaker 7: But surely you don't think they would take her for
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Speaker 7: the king's harem?
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Speaker 4: I don't know, but the scale of the search sounded unprecedented.
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Speaker 4: Just think, though. What if she were chosen to be
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Speaker 4: the queen?
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Speaker 7: Out of thousands of women? And the queen of King Xerxes?
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Speaker 7: In the clutches of his scheming, dangerous advisors? I can't
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Speaker 7: think of a more perilous position in the whole kingdom.
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Speaker 7: But even if she were just taken as a concubine,
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Speaker 7: she would see the king what? Once, if that? Denied
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Speaker 7: her husband and family of her own? Then live out
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Speaker 7: her life in isolation from her people?
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Speaker 4: Her people? I had no idea you were so patriotic. Yes,
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Speaker 4: it would be a different path than you envisioned for her,
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Speaker 4: but it would be a great honor to be a
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Speaker 4: wife of the king of Persia.
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Speaker 1: Mordecai bit the inside of his cheek, masking frustration at
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Speaker 1: his near slip. He had taken pains to make sure
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Speaker 1: all the men he associated with At the city gate,
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Speaker 1: thought Esther was Persian, not Jewish. When he took her
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Speaker 1: in as a child when his uncle died, he forced
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Speaker 1: her to adopt a Persian name in an attempt to
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Speaker 1: conceal their heritage. Even though Mordecai wanted to protect her,
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Speaker 1: he had always imagined she would marry a Jewish man,
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Speaker 1: one of their community. The thought of their people intermarrying
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Speaker 1: with their oppressors made him uneasy. and the customs of
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Speaker 1: their people forbade it. Esther wound her way through the
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Speaker 1: crowded narrow streets, the scent of freshly baked bread and
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Speaker 1: ripe figs mingling with dust and sweat in the warm
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Speaker 1: afternoon air. Her basket, heavy with fresh fruit and fragrant spices,
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Speaker 1: tugged at her arm. The marketplace was too busy for
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Speaker 1: Esther's liking. She longed for the quiet of the modest
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Speaker 1: home she shared with her cousin Mordecai. She loved the
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Speaker 1: stillness of their shaded courtyard, the rustle of olive branches,
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Speaker 1: the comfort of familiarity. But for now, she would endure
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Speaker 1: the noise and bustle of the marketplace for just a
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Speaker 1: little longer. As she stepped away from her last store,
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Speaker 1: a commotion caught her ear. the sharp cry of a
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Speaker 1: royal messenger rising above the din of the crowd. He
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Speaker 1: stood on a raised platform in the wide square that
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Speaker 1: opened before the palace gates, flanked by guards in gleaming
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Speaker 1: bronze armor. Despite herself, Esther drifted closer. The messenger's voice
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Speaker 1: rang out again, clear and commanding, echoing off the stone walls.
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Speaker 1: The people pressed forward in anticipation.
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Speaker 8: By order of King Xerxes, let every young woman of
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Speaker 8: beauty be presented at the palace in Susa. Fathers, uncles,
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Speaker 8: and brothers. Bring forth your daughters, nieces, and sisters. Come willingly,
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Speaker 8: or be compelled. For from among these women, the king
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Speaker 8: will choose his new queen to reign over Persia.
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Speaker 1: Esther raised her eyebrows in surprise, and then she noticed
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Speaker 1: that the soldiers had been scanning the crowd. When the
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Speaker 1: palace servants ceased speaking, they dispersed through the crowd, surely
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Speaker 1: speaking with the fathers about their eligible daughters, enforcing the order.
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Speaker 1: of the king. Hester chuckled softly in disbelief to herself
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Speaker 1: at the notion of this mandatory beauty contest of sorts,
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Speaker 1: but she nonetheless pulled the scarf covering her hair down
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Speaker 1: onto her forehead. She readjusted the basket in the crook
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Speaker 1: of her arm and turned away from the square, already
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Speaker 1: creating a mental list of what she would do when
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Speaker 1: she got home, the first of which was to steep
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Speaker 1: a before preparing the evening meal.
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Speaker 9: Just think, if I were queen, someone else could make
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Speaker 9: my tea and prepare my meals.
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Speaker 1: Esther mused about living in a palace as she skirted
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Speaker 1: around the crowds pressing in the opposite direction, many mothers
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Speaker 1: and fathers pulling their daughters along to go before the
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Speaker 1: palace representatives. If women were being submitted to the crown willingly...
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Speaker 1: then perhaps the search would need not continue. She wondered
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Speaker 1: what Mordecai thought of all this. As if her thoughts
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Speaker 1: summoned him, his voice suddenly cut through the noise of
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Speaker 1: the crowd.
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Speaker 7: Esther!
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Speaker 3: Esther!
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Speaker 1: Esther turned and looked, and was surprised yet again to
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Speaker 1: see the familiar face of her cousin Mordecai rushing toward
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Speaker 1: her through the throng of people.
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Speaker 9: What is it, Mordecai?
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Speaker 2: It's all right.
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Speaker 9: I'm here.
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Speaker 4: Catch your breath.
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Speaker 7: Esther, have you heard the king's decree?
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Speaker 9: Yes, can you even imagine?
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Speaker 1: Mordecai grasped her elbow and made to pull her deeper
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Speaker 1: into the crowded narrow streets of the market when a
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Speaker 1: dark shadow fell over them both. Esther lifted her eyes
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Speaker 1: and saw two men towering above them. A soldier in
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Speaker 1: gleaming armor, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword,
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Speaker 1: and beside him, a eunuch dressed in richly embroidered robes,
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Speaker 1: the unmistakable mark of the palace on every fold of
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Speaker 1: his attire. Mordecai tracked her gaze and looked over his
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Speaker 1: shoulder at the pair of men. The color drained from
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Speaker 1: his face, but he steeled himself and addressed him.
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Speaker 7: Lord Hegai!
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Speaker 1: The eunuch gave Mordecai a solemn nod, but his eyes
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Speaker 1: lingered on Esther. Cold, calculating, appraising her as though she
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Speaker 1: were a piece of livestock at market. His companion followed suit,
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Speaker 1: his gaze bolder, hungrier, roaming over her body beneath the
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Speaker 1: light summer gown and cloak. Esther shifted her weight, her
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Speaker 1: palms damp and cheeks flushed, but there was nowhere to go.
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Speaker 1: nowhere to hide. At last, the eunuch's eyes settled on
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Speaker 1: her face, unreadable. His companion's gaze did not. It remained
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Speaker 1: on her body, making Esther's skin crawl. She felt Mordecai
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Speaker 1: stiffen defensively beside her in response, and then, without so
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Speaker 1: much as acknowledging her presence, the eunuch spoke, addressing Mordecai
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Speaker 1: as if she were invisible.
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Speaker 3: Judge Mordecai, you weren't thinking of keeping this young woman
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Speaker 3: from the king, were you? You seem to have lost
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Speaker 3: your way.
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Speaker 4: To the palace.
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Speaker 1: Mordecai's heart pounded. This was her guy, the keeper of
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Speaker 1: the women. It was this man who hand-selected and prepared
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Speaker 1: all the young women to meet with the king. Some
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Speaker 1: would become concubines, others turned away. and one would be
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Speaker 1: crowned queen, all by his hand. If Esther's fate was
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Speaker 1: already set and she was to go before the king,
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Speaker 1: her guy's influence would steer the outcome. Mordecai sighed and
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Speaker 1: did his best to summon his politician's smile.
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Speaker 7: Of course not, Lord Hagari. As you can imagine, as
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Speaker 7: a city official, I am, of course, eager to answer
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Speaker 7: the command of my king. But I did want a
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Speaker 7: moment with my cousin Esther to say goodbye. I have
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Speaker 7: no wife or children of my own, you see, and
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Speaker 7: when Esther's parents died, she was just a child. I
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Speaker 7: raised her as my own, and she's all the family
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Speaker 7: I have. could find no one more obedient or loyal
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Speaker 7: or with a more caring and gentle heart anywhere in Persia.
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Speaker 1: Mordecai's heart nearly broke in two as he glanced at Esther.
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Speaker 1: He watched her eyes widen and her face pale as
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Speaker 1: understanding dawned. Esther was so young and naive to the
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Speaker 1: ways of the world. Her world had been the quiet
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Speaker 1: streets of the Jewish quarter and the familiar rhythm of
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Speaker 1: the marketplace, and she was content with that small world.
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Speaker 1: Her guy's gaze softened as he glanced between them. Perhaps
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Speaker 1: it was mercy. Perhaps it was divine favor. He gave
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Speaker 1: a small nod.
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Speaker 4: I understand.
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Speaker 3: I remember the day I was taken from my own
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Speaker 3: family into the king's service. Say your goodbye and bring
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Speaker 3: her to the palace within the hour. And, Judge Mordecai,
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Speaker 3: do not mistake this kindness for leniency. I will expect
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Speaker 3: her there.
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Speaker 5: Of course, Lord Hegai.
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Speaker 7: Thank you.
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Speaker 1: Esther barely noticed the two men slipping back into the crowd,
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Speaker 1: or Mordecai taking the basket from her hand and wordlessly
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Speaker 1: guiding her through the streets to their home. The familiar
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Speaker 1: streets blurred around her, sounds and colours muted, distant. Only
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Speaker 1: when the door closed behind them with a soft snap,
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Speaker 1: sealing out the hum of the marketplace she had always loved,
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Speaker 1: did the tears break free. Mordecai set the basket aside
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Speaker 1: and pulled her into his arms. She wept into his shoulder,
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Speaker 1: and he held her close, his hands steady, though his
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Speaker 1: breath trembled. But that's... The name was like an embrace
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Speaker 1: in and of itself, for Hadassah was Esther's Jewish name,
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Speaker 1: a name that Mordecai never let her use in public
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Speaker 1: in front of the Persians. No, to the world, she
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Speaker 1: was Esther, Hadassah. Esther feared this may be the last
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Speaker 1: time she heard it on someone else's lips, for when
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Speaker 1: would she ever come back here? When would she return
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Speaker 1: to the people she loved? The word hung heavy in
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Speaker 1: the air, charged with a lifetime of meaning and now
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Speaker 1: anticipated loss. And then Mordecai pulled away to look her
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Speaker 1: in the eyes.
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Speaker 5: Batassa, Esther, you must go.
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Speaker 9: And leave everything I know?
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Speaker 7: My home?
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Speaker 9: Our people?
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Speaker 5: You?
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Speaker 7: Yes, you heard Haggai.
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Speaker 10: There's nothing we can do that would not disobey the
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Speaker 10: word of the king.
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Speaker 9: The king's word is law.
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Speaker 1: Mordecai and Esther both chuckled weakly after all their tears
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Speaker 1: at Esther's familiarity with all of Mordecai's sayings. Mordecai's smile
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Speaker 1: quickly waned, though, as he then urgently sought to arm
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Speaker 1: his adopted cousin with all the knowledge he had before
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Speaker 1: he would have to surrender her over to the palace.
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Speaker 5: That man, Hegai... I do not know him well, but
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Speaker 5: you must find favor with him. He is the keeper
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Speaker 5: of the king's women. He will prepare you to appear
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Speaker 5: before the king.
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Speaker 3: Prepare?
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Speaker 9: Prepare how?
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Speaker 10: I do not know exactly, but he will have a
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Speaker 10: say in which women will go before the king and
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Speaker 10: which ones will be sent away.
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Speaker 9: If I am sent away, could I come back here?
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Speaker 5: I do not think it would be wise to be
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Speaker 5: sent away. Do not know what happens to the women
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Speaker 5: who do not please the king.
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Speaker 10: No, Esther, like it or not, this is the path
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Speaker 10: you must walk now.
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Speaker 5: You do not know where it leads, but you must
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Speaker 5: have courage. Tell no one of your heritage. Tell no
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Speaker 5: one you are a Jew. Do not give them any
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Speaker 5: reason to cast you out or set you aside. And
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Speaker 5: tell no one that you know me either. Don't give
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Speaker 5: them any clues about your past. It is safer that way.
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Speaker 1: Esther nodded dutifully at her cousin's words and tried to
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Speaker 1: summon him. the courage she spoke of, but found that inside,
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Speaker 1: she just felt small and scared.
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Speaker 9: Will I ever see you again?
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Speaker 1: Mordecai did not want to lie or give false hope. Often,
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Speaker 1: the concubines of kings were not permitted to leave the
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Speaker 1: palace grounds. But admittedly, Mordecai did not know a lot
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Speaker 1: about the inner workings of the king's wives. Why would
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Speaker 1: he ever have needed to?
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Speaker 10: I will try and visit you in the palace courtyard
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Speaker 10: if I can, or send messengers if that is permitted.
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Speaker 10: But we must be careful who we place our trust in.
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Speaker 10: There are very few you can trust within the palace walls.
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Speaker 10: Even the servants could be spies, and nobles are almost
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Speaker 10: never trustworthy. You don't rise to high positions in Persia
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Speaker 10: without compromising your morals. Be very careful, my dear Esther.
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Speaker 10: Listen and observe.
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Speaker 5: People's words may deceive you, but their actions rarely do.
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Speaker 5: Do not become like them. Hold fast to your integrity.
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Speaker 7: Do not place your trust in the greedy hands of another.
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Speaker 7: Be wise....
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Speaker 5: Be cautious.
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Speaker 1: Esther dabbed her eyes and tried to put on a
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Speaker 1: brave face, but fear betrayed her. Mordecai took up her hands,
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Speaker 1: steadying her trembling fingers in his own.
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Speaker 7: Listen to me, Esther. I know this feels like exile
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Speaker 7: within exile, but you were made for more than a
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Speaker 7: life on the streets.
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Speaker 9: I never wanted more.
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Speaker 7: Sometimes more finds us, whether we ask for it or not.
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Speaker 7: And when it does, we can only walk forward in
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Speaker 7: faith and courage. Remember, you do not walk alone. The
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Speaker 7: guard of our people goes with you. Though you bear
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Speaker 7: a foreign name and keep your heritage a secret, you
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Speaker 7: will always carry the heart of our people within yours.
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Speaker 1: Esther took a shaky breath, understanding that her world was
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Speaker 1: suddenly expanding beyond anything she'd ever imagined, and far beyond
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Speaker 1: anything she'd wished for.
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Speaker 7: Remember what I've taught you. Speak little, observe much.
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Speaker 5: Kind, but not naive.
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Speaker 7: And trust, trust that what you can't see yet may
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Speaker 7: one day make sense.
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Speaker 1: Esther nodded, pressing her forehead briefly to his shoulder.
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Speaker 9: I will make you proud.
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Speaker 1: Mordecai swallowed hard, fighting back a fresh wave of tears.
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Speaker 7: You already have.
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Speaker 1: Esther walked in silence with the trickle of other young
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Speaker 1: women deposited there by their fathers or guardians toward the
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Speaker 1: palace gates. With each step, The streets of her childhood
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Speaker 1: fell away behind her. The towering stone walls of the
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Speaker 1: royal palace loomed ahead, a world of wealth, ambition, and
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Speaker 1: danger she had never touched. The gates creaked open. Her
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Speaker 1: guy stood waiting, arms folded, face impassive. Esther felt her
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Speaker 1: heart pound, but she kept her head low. She would
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Speaker 1: do as Mordecai had instructed, listen. Observe. Stay true. Weeks
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Speaker 1: turned to months. The palace was its own universe, white
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Speaker 1: stone columns towering overhead and gilded mosaics glinting in the candlelight.
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Speaker 1: The scent of jasmine and myrrh lingered in the air,
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Speaker 1: heavy and sweet. Girls from every province, terrified, hopeful, shuffled
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Speaker 1: through corridors too grand for them, Some tried to charm
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Speaker 1: the attendants. Some wept in corners. Others plotted. Esther kept
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Speaker 1: her eyes lowered. She did not clamor, did not beg.
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Speaker 1: She listened and watched. She did not compromise her integrity.
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Speaker 1: Haggai noticed. You ask for nothing extra.
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Speaker 3: No jewels, no silks.
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Speaker 9: I trust your experience. Whatever advice you give to us
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Speaker 9: to stand before the king will suffice.
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Speaker 1: He gave her a look she could not read, then nodded.
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Speaker 3: You are different.
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Speaker 1: To Esther's surprise, shortly after that encounter with the enigmatic Haggai,
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Speaker 1: Esther was moved to the finest quarters for the king's
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Speaker 1: concubines and gifted seven attendants to wait on her. She
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Speaker 1: had no idea what she had done to gain the
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Speaker 1: man's favor. but she attributed it to the favor of
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Speaker 1: the god of her people, for who else would be
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Speaker 1: guiding her path here in the palace where she was
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Speaker 1: all alone? And at long last the night came, nearly
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Speaker 1: a year of carefully following the diet Haggai gave her,
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Speaker 1: nearly a year of stringently applying the perfumes and cosmetics
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Speaker 1: as Haggai instructed, and it was finally here, the night
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Speaker 1: Esther would be presented before the king. One by one
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Speaker 1: the girls before her had gone before him, and one
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Speaker 1: by one they returned and retired to the harem of concubines,
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Speaker 1: forgotten names, fading faces. Esther sat alone in her chamber,
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Speaker 1: her heart pounded like a drum, but her face was calm.
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Speaker 1: Esther closed her eyes, no words, just a whisper of
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Speaker 1: hope carried on a breath. When she was called, she rose,
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Speaker 1: smoothing her simple gown as she stepped forward. No excess,
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Speaker 1: no gold, just dignity. At the massive doors, she paused.
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Speaker 1: The guards swung them open with a groan that echoed
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Speaker 1: down the hall. She took one breath, one step, and
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Speaker 1: left behind the girl from the marketplace. She was stepping
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Speaker 1: into the unknown, but she would not step in fear,
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Speaker 1: and she did not tremble. When she entered the room,
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Speaker 1: the king's breath caught. He had seen beauty in thousands
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Speaker 1: of different ways, but this, this was different. She did
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Speaker 1: not dazzle, she calmed. She did not sparkle, she steadied
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Speaker 1: the room. She had a quiet, unassuming confidence that made
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Speaker 1: her rich brown eyes shimmer beneath her veil. Her porcelain
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Speaker 1: skin was radiant and smooth over her high, elegant cheekbones,
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Speaker 1: and her lips curved into an infectious, shy smile. The
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Speaker 1: king could not help but smile in response.
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Speaker 7: Tell me your name.
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Speaker 1: Esther kept her eyes downcast, awed. Alluring, as Haggai had
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Speaker 1: called it, and answered her king.
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Speaker 9: I am called Esther, my king.
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Speaker 1: And so, the orphan girl, the peasant princess, became queen
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Speaker 1: of Persia. But beyond the silks and splendor, destiny stirred.
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Speaker 1: A story far bigger than palaces or crowns was beginning
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Speaker 1: to unfold. She had been chosen. But what lay ahead
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Speaker 1: would demand more than beauty. It would demand a courage
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Speaker 1: she had not yet imagined. This Pray.com production is only
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Speaker 1: made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Katina,
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Speaker 1: Max Bard, Zach Schellebarger and Ben Gammon are the executive
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Speaker 1: producers of The Chosen People, narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters
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Speaker 1: are voiced by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan,
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Speaker 1: Stephen Ringwald, Sylvia Zaradok, Thomas Copeland Jr., Rosanna Pilcher, and
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Speaker 1: Mitch Lashinsky. Music by Andrew Morgan Smith. written by Aaron Salvato,
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Speaker 1: Brie Rosely, and Chris Baig. You can hear more Prey.com
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Speaker 1: productions on the Prey.com app, available on the Apple App
28:39
Speaker 1: Store and Google Play Store. If you enjoyed The Chosen People,
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Speaker 1: please rate and leave a review.