The Royal Exchange: Series 1-The lost throne

 

                                     Foreword

This story is inspired by the Bible, the true and faultless guide.

                          The Lost Throne

She entered the courtroom, half running, half walking. Her beautiful face was stained with tear-washed mascara. Trying to stifle her sobs, she dragged her legs, her shoulders normally held in elegance now drooping as she walked into the middle of the courtroom of the palace.

She looked around 'Is  today going to be my last day in this palace? The last day of my title 'Queen Vashti'?' She walked towards her former throne, beside King Xerxes, the gold seat plated with beautiful gem stones. She ran her tapering fingers along the arms of the seat. This was where she once sat, her rightful place beside her husband, the king.

She moved her eyes to the king's throne; a beautiful shining seat, with leopard skin covering the backrest. Her handsome husband. He was everything any woman would want in a man.

"What went wrong with me? Where had I missed it? What got into me a few hours ago? 

Earlier that day, she was in her chambers where she received and entertained her female guests. Princess Aleah from India, the pompous elegant princess from Ethiopia, the sophisticated princesses of Persia and Media, other princesses and wives of the officials from the one hundred and twenty-seven provinces of the kingdom. She had dressed up in her beautiful purple gown laced with silver edges. Her neck was on fire with the diamond necklace she got as a gift from King Xerxes after his visit to the Arabs. Her fragrance a blend of sweet petals and oils from India and Susa.

"My queen, the king summons you into the courtroom." Mehuman had said, his hands clapsed behind him and his gaze looking down as a sign of respect for the queen. She smelt alcohol on him. 

'Surely, they have been drunk to stupor there in the courtroom' she thought within her.

"And did he say why he wants to see me?" She asked, poised on a beautiful feather cushion , her eyes checking out her beautifully manicured fingernails painted in bright scarlet.

"He wants you to come with your royal crown to show your elegant beauty before his guests. He is proud of your fairness, my queen." Carkas, who had always been in admiration for the queen  replied excitedly. He had repeatedly encouraged his teenage nieces to look up to her as a role model.

The elegant queen of Ethiopia raised her beautiful long lashes, staring fixedly at Queen Vashti, a mocking look in her eyes. 'You are not going to display before a bunch of drunks, are you? I've always thought you were better than that' the expression in her eyes conveyed.

Queen Vashti caught that look. They had been discussing about men and their attitudes towards woman which was already becoming intolerable. " 

"He uses me in the bedroom like a slave. And I am scared of refusing him sex anytime he demanded it because of the dread of execution." A princess of the Media said, her high-pitched nose delicately set in her face with almond shaped eyes.

'The king doesn't treat me that way. Right from the day I entered into this palace, he treated me as an object of admiration and love. My Xerxes has never been like that. He tenderly talks to me and considers my feelings before being intimate with me. His touch is so tender and smooth. He makes me feel needed, not just wanted.' She continued in her thought as her eyes shifted to each of the faces as they gave her account of the various forms of maltreatment they received from their husbands.

" I am not allowed into the courtroom, not even on women affairs in the province. It is always men that get to make all the decisions." A plump woman said, her emerald crown slightly tilted on her delicately arranged hair.

"Women should also have a say in affairs of the kingdom, a say in politics, if not take over." another woman replied, her accent thick just like the solid gold bangles on her wrists.

"Women must be respected, we must have a voice." a princess of the Media said, her eyes glittering, the colour of her iris matching her clothes.

"I am not coming." Queen Vashti had said to Mehuman and the other eunuchs that came with him. She wanted to prove that she would be that woman, at least the first to show that women can reject  orders, even the king. She would prove she wasn't a jelly-fish, especially before that pompous African princess.

" I beg your pardon my queen." Mehuman said, shocked, lifting his eyes for the first time to meet that of the beautiful woman standing in front of him to affirm that she really meant what she just said. Her eyes reaffirmed the words. She meant it. She was not coming.

" But, my queen, the ki......." Bigtha began, his eyes flickering, in fear for this fair creature. 

"Enough!" She said as she lifted her hands as if to keep him shut.

'Who dares refuse the order of the king?' He thought.

"As you can see, I am busy entertaining my guests. I will not leave my guests here and come and dance before a bunch of drunks" she said, gave Mehuman a cold stare and focused on the meal of roasted beef in mustard sauce, a gesture of dismissal to the seven eunuchs.

The seven eunuchs left the queen chambers, Carkas gave the queen a second look like she had suddenly grown horns.

"You are brave woman, my queen" a princess with a crown in which was engraved a large turquoise stone said, her full red lips curving in a smile, obviously pleased at the queen's action. 

The queen loved the admiration she received from the women in the chamber, especially relished that of the Ethiopian princess.

                                       ........................

Queen Vashti said what?!" The king exclaimed, spilling some of the wine in the golden goblet he held. 

"Are you sure she said that?" The king asked the eunuchs he sent. 

"Yes, she said exactly just that, my king" Bigtha replied, bowing lowly.

The king looked cooly at the eunuchs, his blonde eyes glittering against his tanned skin,  actually not seeing them as he thought, anger rising within him "Has she lost it? I know she gets easily influenced whenever she has other women around her. But today is not the day to throw tantrums or do anything silly." He slowly turned the signet ring on his finger. Today is a day when all the princes and officials of all the provinces converged for the a big celebration in his palace.

"Did I hear right? A woman refusing the order of the king? This is highly abominable." an official of the Persians said, an angry look clearly evident in his drunk eyes.

There were murmurs from across the hall where the princes and royalties were dining with king Xerxes. Bones with chunks of meat left on them were on platters on the big, long table. Different sauces and delicacies from several parts of the provinces abundant before them, many eaten, with some crumbs on the platters and bowls, while others were craving the attention of the royalties, untouched. Assorted fruits, from grapes to apples, watermelon and pineapples, bananas, pomegranate were in surplus. Wine abundant in gold chalices and goblets.

Whispers began to go round the beautifully decorated hall. The murmurs were now turning into uproar. The men were angry.

' A woman turning down the request of the king?!" an official of the  hundred and twenty-seventh province exclaimed. This was not just an unacceptable insult to the king, but a slap on masculinity of the entire kingdom.

A meeting needs to be hold and something done as soon as possible, before spiral get out of hands. 

Rising from the soft cushion where he reclined, the king staggered, both from wine and anger. 

"I want to have a meeting with my couselors." the king said as he went into his chambers. 

Memucan looked thoughtful. He was sitting next to the king. He stood as he went to call the other expert advisors of the king: Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres and Marsena, the seven highest ranking princes of Persia and Media, the inner circle with access to the king's ear. They followed the king into his chambers.

                                    ............................

" What legal recourse do we have against Queen Vashti for not obeying my summons delivered by my eunuchs?" the king asked, seething with anger at the her insolence.

"May I speak, my king?" Memucan asked. His exquisite robe was held firmly by a golden ring, a patch of grey on his temple.

"Go ahead" the king said, turning the signet ring on his index finger, an unconscious act he does whenever he is angry.

Memucan started "It is not only the king Queen Vashti has insulted, it's all of us, leaders and people alike in every last one of King Xerxes' provinces. The word is going to get out, beyond the walls of this palace; ' did you hear the latest about Queen Vashti? King Xerxes ordered her to be brought before him and she wouldn't do it!' When the women hear it, they will start treating their husbands with contempt. The day the wives of the Persian and Mede officials get wind of the queen's insolence, they will be out of control. Is that what we want, a country of angry women who don't know their place?"

So, if the king agrees, let him pronounce a royal ruling and have it recorded in the laws of the Persians and Medes so that it cannot be revoked, that Vashti is permanently banned from King Xerxes' presence. And then let the king give her royal position to a woman who knows her place. When the king's ruling becomes public knowledge throughout the kingdom, extensive as it is, every woman, regardless of her social position, will show proper respect to her husband."

It sounded good in the ears of the king and the princes. The king did what Memucan proposed. He sent bulletins to every part of the kingdom, to each province in its own script, to each people in their own language: "Every man is master of his own house; whatever he says, goes."

                                  ..........................

The big party had ended in an almost abrupt manner. Queen Vashti was still entertaining her guests in her chambers when the news reached her. She had been dethroned!

"A royal decree! The king's messenger had said, reading out the contents of the bulletin " On the basis of contempt for the king by disregarding the king's order, Queen Vashti is hereby dethroned from this minute. She is to be evacuated from the palace as soon as possible, never to set eyes on the king again, for the rest of her life."he concluded as he folded the bulletin and walked out of the exquisite chambers.

Vashti blinked thrice, motionless, trying to absorb the information she just heard. 'Dethroned?' 

She was oblivious to the pairs of eyes all now fixed on her, waiting for her reaction. 

"Your carriage awaits you" another palace servant said few moments after, already following orders to take Vashti away from the palace.

The princess of Ethiopia said something under her breath, released a scornful snort as she arose and left the chambers, pushing the messenger away from the doorway as she left. The princesses of the Persians also arose, not giving Vashti another look, afterall, she is no longer a royalty. Princess Aleah stood and went over to Vashti and laid her hand on her shoulders, it felt soft. " Be strong" she whispered into Vashti's ears as she bent to give her a kiss. She also left the chambers. One after the other, her guests left, she heard a chuckle at a distance along the corridor that led away from her chambers where the princesses passed.

A trickle of hot tears ran down Vashti's succulent cheeks. She was alone.

 "What came into her?"

She remained in the position on the feather cushion she was when the decree was being read to her. 

"The king's order must be carried out, ma'am" the messenger said as two other palace soldiers stood beside her, ready to raise her to her feet if she wasn't willing to do that herself. 

She rose to her feet slowly. Her head was spinning. Her life changed way too fast. A few minutes ago, she was the queen, Queen Vashti! 

Some of her belongings were already packed by the palace maids and awaited her in the carraige. 

On her way out of the palace, she stopped at the courtroom and half-walked, half-ran inside, hoping to see the king, her husband, Xerxes. She would throw herself at his feet and ask for forgiveness for her stupidity.

 Yes, she was stupid. How could she try to transfer the rage of other women to her husband? How could she disregard him publicly? Xerxes had shown her love, despite the fact that there are many other women given to him in friendship from other kingdoms. He singled her out, gave her her honor.

"What was she thinking?"

Carshena and Shethar were just leaving the king's chambers, engrossed in a discussion. She saw them and ran towards them.

" Please, can I see the king one more time before I leave? she pleaded, her face distorted with tears and anguish.

Shethar looked at her with disdain " You cannot. You are never to set eyes on the king again, forever."

At the mention of the word 'forever', her legs wobbled beneath her, she swayed slightly. 

"And, don't endanger your life by trying to see him now, he is a bad mood."

Vashti knows how her husband could be when he is angry. That was a weakness she knew he had. Things were bad already, she wouldn't want to make them worse.

"He loves you and openly cherished you, why did you do that to him, Vashti?" Carshena added.

Without a word, she dragged out of the courtroom and out of the palace. It was over....her marraige, her rulership, her life.....all over.

Vashti entered the carriage awaiting her. Her box of jewelry were packed in a large silver box and her clothes in other two large beautiful boxes. "This is all I get to take out from here." That is the price she has to pay for her foolishness" she smiled sadly to herself. Taking a last long look at the magnificent building, hot tears trickled down her face as the carriage began to move away.

Questions

1. What was the influence of friends on Vashti?

2. Can there be complete unity between husbands and wives?

3. How do you avoid the mistake of 'cherishing a treasure after losing it '?

To be continued in the next series🤗

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Lotus🌷