Assuming said hubby is Xerxes, that means he was killed 8 years later. Esther would have been, in all likelihood, in her early twenties when she was widowed. Ever wonder what happened to her after that?

While reading Jewel of Persia, my hubby asked that question and demanded I figure it out. 😉 He offered his opinions on where she’d be likely to go, what she would likely encounter. And I gotta tell you–it’s intriguing to consider.

See, my reading of Esther, to go along with the history we have on Xerxes, requires that Vashti (a.k.a Amestris) is not killed, just deposed. I have to read it this way, because Amestris was Queen Mother during her son’s reign, after Xerxes’ assassination. Now, assuming all I do . . . can you imagine?? Can you imagine being the queen one day, then the next not only is your husband dead, but you’re under the control of the woman you replaced? A woman notorious for being bloodthirsty and cruel?

Yeah, um. I’m guessing Esther didn’t stick around the palace and hope that her marriage contract would see her set up in luxury for the rest of her days. I’m guessing she got out of Susa–fast.

But my little brain still has lots of questions it’s mulling over. What about Mordecai? Would he have fled too? (Probably.) Would Artaxerxes, well known for his kindness to the Jews (see Ezra and Nehemiah) have helped her or taken his overbearing mother’s side? (My answer–both, depending on who’s in the room, ha ha.) Where would they have gone? How long did she live? Did she ever remarry?

Which leads to a whole new realm of “Can you imagine?” questions. Like, can you imagine going into hiding, probably not letting anyone know who you are, then eventually having to confess to a would-be second husband that you’re the widow of Xerxes? As in, the former king? That you were the Esther??

Oh yeah. Many, many interesting plot points in the making. Roseanna is going to have so much fun with this! LOL.