Her voice was barely a breath, but it shot an arrow through her. She nodded.
The maid sent her a look filled with . . . warning? “Watch your reaction.”
“What?”
The girl stepped aside, and Esther sucked in a sharp breath. The woman that stood in the center of the room—more beautiful, a bit older, but . . . Kasia? It could not be.
Kasia was dead, Kasia had been sucked away by the monsoon-swollen river—yet . . .
The maid blocked her view again and gave the slightest shake of her head.
Esther drew in a calming breath. It did not quiet the race of her heart, but she schooled her features.
Kasia.
To the others, Kasia would seem casually deliberate as she looked at each of them in turn, gave each a smile. But the others did not know her as Esther did. Did not realize
that she looked at each of them only so that she could meet Esther’s gaze and smile without it seeming strange.
Esther knew. She had to blink back tears, and she knew her smile was shaky. But no one else would see. Only Kasia, whose gaze held all their past, all their secrets, and a
whole future of promises.
Who cared if she became the queen? Esther had her sister back.
The Queen Mother stepped forward, her face absent a welcoming smile. “Women come into this palace all the time, but the twelve of you are special. One of you will be queen.
With that title comes immense responsibility. You will think it also comes with power, and to an extent that is true. But as your predecessor can attest to, power can be
taken away. My son is a fair man and a wise man, but he is done tolerating insubordination from his women.” She angled a grin at Kasia. “With, perhaps, one exception.”
Kasia chuckled. “When I was brought to the palace nearly three years ago, I felt overwhelmed and confused about what would be expected of me. I was blessed to have Queen
Atossa take me under her wing. Shortly thereafter I left with the king for the war, and since we returned, I have been a bit occupied with a new baby. But I have been
looking forward to extending to others the same advice and welcome I was given.”
Nearly three years . . . then she had come here from the start—but of course, Kish would not have liked that. He must have come up with the other story.
But how had she then gone with the king? Should she not have still been in her preparation when he left?
So many questions.
“Kasia will be speaking with each of you individually over the course of the next few weeks, answering questions and sharing her insight into my son.” The queen mother put
a friendly hand on Kasia’s arm.
Kasia grinned. “I will meet with one of you each morning, as Hegai sends you to me. After our initial talk, you may decide whether you want to spend more time with me or if
your time would be better spent in other pursuits.”
Esther gripped her skirt. How many meetings could she reasonably ask for without raising suspicions? Perhaps if she made a point of bumbling, she would need instruction each
and every day.
As if reading her mind, Kasia glanced her way and seemed to fight down a grin. “And now I shall retire to the back and let the queen mother dispense her wisdom. Afterward,
the first of you shall meet with me.”
Oh, praise Jehovah. There was no telling when Hegai would send her, but it hardly mattered. He would at some point.
“Do you mind if I sit here?” Kasia asked quietly, eyes twinkling as she took the chair beside Esther’s.
“Not at all. It is . . .” What was it safe to say, to speak of? “ . . . kind of you to come speak with us.”
“Ah, well.” She nodded to the front, where Atossa launched into an account of the Achamenid kings. “Had the queen mother not extended the same favor to me, I would have
been lost. I only had a week’s preparation, you see.”
“A week?” She figured that would shock any of them. “But why?”
“It is a rather romantic story.” Kasia moved her chair a little closer, leaned in. “You see, I was at the river one day with my . . . little sister. We met two Persian
men, one of whom gave me a torc. I did not know it then, but it was the king.”
Her stomach flipped. “It was?”
“Mm. He sent his men to my father a few days later, and I was brought here. He knew he would be leaving soon, though, and did not wish to wait until he returned. So after
one short week, I went to him.”
“Very romantic.” And terrifying. Would he recognize her? Take one look at her and realize she was Kasia’s “sister”? If so . . . what did the king do to those who lied
to his delegates?
But if Kasia feared that, she would not be protecting her identity. She had obviously known Esther was here, perhaps had spoken to Mordecai. For now she would trust. She
smiled. “And you just had a baby?”
“A little girl.” Pure contentment flooded her friend’s face.