He cleared his throat. “I know all the Jewish families in Susa, my lord.”
“Especially those only a few doors away.” Kasia reached out her free hand. Mordecai took it, bowed over it. Made himself let go. Still she smiled. “Mordecai and my father
are good friends. I have known him all my life.”
“Perfect. He can update you on your family. I will give you time to catch up.” The king cupped her cheek. A blind man could have seen the tenderness, the devotion. He
could take comfort in that. Just as he could in the complex response he saw in Kasia’s eyes. On the surface was only polite acceptance, which barely covered the apathy
beneath. But Mordecai knew such apathy was only a bandage for hurt—the kind inflicted when one loved.
Xerxes sighed and brushed the lightest of kisses over her lips. Then he lifted the babe from her arms. “Zillah and I shall go make a few laws while you gossip of mutual
friends and share stories of how your God outshone mine in the war.”
Warmth flooded Mordecai’s heart. “You named her after your mother.” And the king had allowed it.
But . . . if Kasia were his favorite, she would have sway. Why, then, had he felt so strongly that Esther needed to accept the marriage? Had he forced his daughter into
something needlessly?
No. He could not believe that. He may not understand, but he had faith.
Kasia relinquished her daughter to her husband, a bit of feeling sparking through the apathy. “She should not be hungry for another hour.”
“I will return her to your room then. Come, princess. Let us go awe my court with your beauty.”
The babe yawned and nestled comfortably into the king’s chest. This must not be an unusual occurrence, for her to be so content in his arms.
Mordecai smiled as Xerxes nodded at him and then left. “She is indeed beautiful. How old?”
“Two months next week.” Sadness pervaded her smile. “You thought me dead.”
“Not for long.” He sat down on a bench when she motioned him to it. “Jehovah had me pray for you many times. I could not think he would have, had you been dead. Though I
confess, I did not imagine this.”
She sat beside him, hummed out a breath.
Poor Kasia. How much of the rumors would have to be true to explain her pain? “He loves you very much.”
“Too much, I have begun to think.” She squeezed her eyes shut, her hands balled in her chiton. “His brother is dead, his brother’s wife, because of his love for me. His
empire could have crumbled. His son could have led a coup. All because of his jealousy.”
Warning noted. He took a moment to praise the Lord that his love for her had deepened to something beyond the desire to make her his wife. Then he drew in a breath. “Did
you by chance go into labor during the wedding?”
She looked over at him, lifted her brows. “I did.”
“That accounts for that time of prayer, then. What of the first, two weeks or so after your supposed death? That one took me by surprise.”
Her lips twitched. “That would have been when Amestris first tried to kill me.”
He felt his face tighten, each and every muscle. “What of the worst one, the day the army was set to leave Sardis for Abydus? Were you with them when you fell down the
cliff?”
She stared at him, mouth agape. “How could you have known that?”
His eyes slid shut as the echo of sensation filled his memory. “The Spirit came upon me, impressed the need to pray. I felt your pain—at first, I think, just to let me see
how urgent the need was. But as I felt it, I knew you could not survive that as well as the injuries themselves. As I prayed for healing, I prayed also that I might take the
pain for you.”
“I . . . I know not what to say. Your prayers saved my life, then. I was pushed from the wall of the palace, down the mountainside. When the darkness fell . . .”
“Who?” He looked at her again. “Who would push you?”
She shook her head. “At this point, I assume we will never know.”
“Disconcerting. But you lived.”
“Miraculously. The next morning, my wounds were all healed. All but one.” She turned her face away and gripped the bench. “I lost a son that day. He was stillborn.”
“Kasia, I am sorry.” He covered her hand with his. “I should have done more. Prayed more.”
“It does not sound like you could have.” She dug up a smile. “Enough of me. Tell me of those here in Susa. My family?”
“All are well. The twins married last year, both are now with child. Your parents are well. They have had much work from the palace . . . which suddenly makes sense.”
Her smile flashed and faded. “What of Esther?”
She had spoken in a hush, and he could not help but glance around in search of prying eyes, listening ears. The only others present were her servants, and he had a feeling
they could be trusted. “She is here, Kasia. She was one of the twelve admitted to the house of women for a chance to become the queen.”