The Royal Exchange Series 2: Quest for the Replacement

 King Xerxes was still in his chambers, his mind replaying the events of the day. The party had ended. The guests were already on their ways to their individual destinations in the kingdom, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Ethiopia, Elam, Iran, India, Balkan, Eastern Europe, Persia, Median, Sumeria, Arab, and others.  

Cyrus the Great had founded the Archamenid Empire, the first Persian Empire. It was larger than any previous empire in history, spanning a wide expanse of land, covering the Balkans to the Eastern Europe in the west to the Indus Valley in the east. It has been notable for its successful model of a centralized, bureaucratic administration, its multicultural policy. Also, the building of infrastructure such as road systems and postal system had made it more famous. Official language was used across its territories. There was also development of civil services. To top it all was a large professional army, consisting of swordsmen and seasoned archers. 

His father Dariusus the Great had succeeded  him. He was a very powerful man, conquering many provinces before he died from a wound he had sustained in war. His father had worked hard to build the kingdom, which he had also built upon. 

He remembered his father's last words " power does not last forever, use it wisely.  Life is like a stage, every actor will play their role in the script and leave for others. No one remains in the spotlight forever."

He deeply respects his father even after his death. "Deal with men in wisdom, the heart of man is desperately wicked, but you still have to live amongst them." His father used to tell him. He had been exposed to power since he became a teenager.

At the age of seven, he learnt how to ride and hunt. By age fourteen, he was looked after by four teachers seasoned in philosophy. "Wisdom, justice, prudence and bravery" were the basics which he was taught. 

He had also been taught on the basics of the Zoroastrian religion; to be truthful, have self-restraint and to be courageous.

 He would sit in the courtroom whenever matters in the kingdom were being discussed. He remembered the way the princes in the kingdom argued vehemently, some matters resolved, some left to the effect of time. His father would sit on the throne, carefully listening to each matter presented. He was never in a haste to make decisions, however there were times when he had to make quick decisions, but that was it, he was always quick, but never in a haste. 

"The king holds the life of many in his hands, any rash judgement could destroy a lot of destinies. That is why, my son, you must get wisdom. Walk with the wise. Have a inner circle of wise counsellors. They may not come from royal families, but I tell you, royalty is not the criteria for wisdom. I have seen many poor, insignificant men who are far better than men born and bred in royalty. Be wise, my son." His father had told him one day when they rode in the woods. His father had been his best friend. 

Even though he was a busy man, he always created time for him. "You are my legacy, my greatest investment." His father would always say to him.

He had never experienced the love of a mother. His mother had died from bleeding that wouldn't stop after he was delivered. He had been nursed by one of the royal nurses. And he had grown up to be a strong, powerfully built young man with tanned skin and beautiful eyes. He exuded masculinity and royalty, just like his father. He was eloquent and vast in knowledge, from chivalry to commerce, language and literature, and some science. He father was proud of him. He remembered the confidence at which his father committed affairs of the kingdom into his hands, trusting his judgements and discretion.  

He had access to everything he wanted, but his father restricted him on some things. "Never waste your energy on women. I can see how the princesses and royal servants drool over you. There is more to power than that, they will only drain you. Always remember son, be wise." 

His father had said to him one day after he finished his sword practice in the palace field. Some princesses who came with their fathers on affairs of their provinces, not without intentions to catch the eye of the prince though, prospectively to become the king's in-law, drooling over him as he walked from the palace field, his aura of masculinity was not unnoticeable, his muscles bulging with every stride, his body glistened with sweat in the sun.

"If only I had a chance to hug that chest" a teenage princess had said, her beautiful face conveying royal fragility. 

"Don't even think about it, baby princess." a princess said laughing, her blonde hair flowing to her shoulders.

" I don't even mind if I am just his concubine, as long as I get encircled with those strong arms" another princess said with her face beautifully made up.

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The king saw the princesses drooling on the prince as he walked across the palace field into his chambers. He was aware of his son's handsomeness and the effects it had on women. He had caught the some of the palace servants at the way they looked at him, they would have surely seduced him if not that they feared the outcome if they were turned down. Married women were no exceptions. 

"The only way we can overcome their fear of mistrust is to make ties with the Greeks. And the best way I would suggest is that a royal marraige be made between prince Xerxes and the princess of Greece" one of the king's counselor had said, bringing him back from his thoughts. A meeting was holding in the courtroom, matters of the empire being deliberated upon.

Dariusus the Great had been trying to make a liason with Greece in shipping products of inventions from them into the kingdom. However, the Greeks are afraid that Dariusus the Great would take over their country and had denied him access to those inventions, especially the new ammunition designed for war. They held the secret to their usage. And they would not want to give King Dariusus the key to destroy them. He was known to be a wise, prudent and shrewd king. They were not taking any chances.  

The king thought about the idea. It sounded good to him. That was their only chance with Greece. And the faster they acted, the earlier, because that would save them time and prevent the Australians to make any successful move. A liason between Greece and Japan will pose a great threat to his kingdom. 

"Alright Memucan, let's begin the process"  the king said.

"Yes, my king" Memucan said, bowing deeply. He had known the king over five decades now. He respects the unbiased mind and judgement of the king. He is the son of one of the royal servants who was a princess before their city was conquered by Cyrus the Great. He grew up together with king Dariusus who was then a prince in the palace. He was five years older than him. He was the prince's personal servant, dedicated to the prince right from the time he was born. He always carried his armor for him. Growing as a teenager, prince Dariusus and Memucan were always together, gradually the relationship grew from servanthood-master one to friendship, but of course there were boundaries. 

Prince Dariusus loved the sincerity and loyalty of Memucan. There was a day when the young prince and Memucan went for a ride in the woods when the prince was eight years old. Memucan had fought a bear who had wanted to attack the prince who was  unarmed and unsuspecting. He lost his right thumb in the struggle. He had stabbed the bear in its eyes before driving the knife right into its abdomen, ripping the intestine of the beast out. The bear had let out a groaning sound before he drove the knife into the chest of the staggering beast. The body of the bear had laid lifeless on Memucan, the prince thought they were both dead but summoned courage to check if the boy was alive. He pushed the dead bear from the thin frail body that laid underneath. He was about to let out a cry, thinking that he was dead when he heard a groan and saw a stiff movement, then the body went limp again. He hurried to his side and carried him. He was light. He was about to put him on the small carriage they rode to the woods when Memucan opened his eyes.

"You are alive" the prince had shouted, excitement and relief in his voice.

"Yes" Memucan had replied, a sound slightly above a whisper.

"Thank goodness you are alive" the prince had said.

"And thank you for saving me" he added, his eyes wet.

"I am only doing my duty, my prince" Memucan had replied, emotions also in his voice as he said so.

They hugged each other, after a while, the prince noticed dampness in his robe where Memucan's right hand had laid. He drew back from the hug and checked his robe, it was wet with blood dripping from the lost finger. The prince quickly tore his robe to bind the wound site. He had carried him home on the horse which he rode and called for the royal physician immediately he got the the palace.

"He would be asleep for a few hours because of some medicines I gave to him to reduce the pain." The physician had said as he stood up from beside the sleeping body. 

"He has kept in so much pain?" The prince had asked, his boyish eyes popping.

"I must confess, my prince, yes he has " the physician replied as he began to pack his equipments. 

'How could such a great courage be in that frail body.' the prince had wondered as he casted a glance at the sleeping body again. 

"So, will his finger grow again?"

"No, my prince. The wound will heal, but no finger will grow, instead, the wound site will be covered with scar tissue. The wound will heal in some weeks time."

'No one would have believed he killed the bear if not for the lost index finger, the lacerated base a concrete evident of tear and struggle.' the young prince thought as he inspected what was left of the finger, now wrapped and bound by a white clean linen. 

Since that time, their friendship had waxed stronger and stronger. 

During adolescence, there was distance between them because the young prince began to travel a lot, stayed more in the courtroom where matters are been deliberated and debated, study of history and commerce had been intensified for him. He was being prepared for the crown.

Dariusus became king when he was twenty-three years of age. He looked handsome with the crown on his head. His father had died after his health failed him. He just came back from a battle against  Arabs, a bloody and long one, although they later conquered them. A huge responsibility of the kingdom now lay in the hands of the prince.

But one thing he knew he needed was a inner circle of loyal men who could advise and counsel him. Even though he had studied, he still strongly believed in counsel from others. Who knows, the gods might give him guidance through one of them. He wanted to win more conquests than his father, he wanted his father to be proud of him, he wanted his kingdom to be proud of him. Hence, he had launched himself into higher self-development. In addition to the fifty provinces his father had conquered, he vowed to himself that he would conquer not less than fifty more. And the conquest had begun. He was moving at a very fast pace, before he clocked thirty, he had conquered twelve provinces. He wasted no time in making liasons with other powerful kingdoms, and all of them in subject to him. However, he never underestimated the power of counsel. He had made his father's closest adviser his friend, though there was distance in age, they still had the bond of friendship.

And then, Memucan. 

He had been loyal and even risked his life for his sake. He was a close friend, and the prince had noticed the uncommon wisdom with which he handled matters among the servants. The king had also brought him into the inner circle. Memucan had began to study to improve his knowledge of history and literature. He was naturally talented with valour and wisdom, but he was not going to stop at that. He would add knowledge to his wisdom to become relevant to the king in the affairs of the kingdom. The king had given him such a great honour to become part of the inner circle.

Till moment, Memucan still greatly respects the king. The fondness and love they had for each other since when they were little did not stop, but waxed stronger.

                   

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The Greeks accepted the proposal. Afterall, they also had benefits to gain from the tie. It would save them uneccessary anxiety and threat. Infact, they had been pleased with the proposal. 

 The preparation of wedding of prince Xerxes had begun. The palace was vibrant with colours of purple, silver, gold and wine. 

The princess was very beautiful. She was fair, her shoulders held in elegance as she walked. Her lips were jewel red, her height was perfect, her beautiful feet with enclosed in sandals, her earrings accentuating her beauty. She exuded sophistication. 

Prince Xerxes was pleased with what he saw. 

At first, he had not wanted the marraige when his father told him about the arrangement. "I should get to choose my bride myself" the prince had said, obviously not comfortable with the arrangement. 

"And besides, I am not ready to go into marraige yet, it's a whole lot of responsibility on its own because with it comes fatherhood."he added, as he poured himself some wine. 

His father smiled as he put his hands on his shoulders. "I perfectly understand you son, and I love your sincerity. But there are some sacrifices you pay for royalty. This is one of them." 

And don't forget the things I have thought you before now. You are now a man, not just any man, a prince who will someday take reins of affairs of the whole kingdom."the king said as he moved around to face his son.

 "The kingdom comes before your own desires, always remember that" his father had told him. And you can always have other women anytime you so desires, but this will be your queen. A king does not live for himself, he lives for his people."he continued. But I assure you, the princess is a beautiful young lady with youthful blossoming. You will not regret it" his father added with a wink. He smiled back at his father.

And he did not regret it. 

Seeing this goddess of beauty, her veil transparent enough for him to see her beauty,' the gods must have paid extra attention to her when she was being created, ' he had concluded.

His father was right after all. He had been mesmerized by her beauty. And they had gotten married. Her smile was charming. Her aura exuded sophistication and glamour. 

'But, what had come over her?' he thought within himself again as he stood and looked at the books of history and various laws that were neatly arranged on the shelf.

'Power, fame, or familiarity with the king that she forgot that there is consequence for every action? She forgot that she was a role model for every woman in the kingdom.

She got carried away that she forgot her main purpose in the palace, her place. Her place is with me, her husband and king. Her purpose is to make me happy and joyful. I was proud of her....her beauty, glamour, sophistication....... everything about her. How could she not see that? How could she not see that I am not in any way degrading her? How could she have forgotten my love for her so quickly, that she prefers to remain in her banquet rather than be with me?

And what had gotten into me too? I was too hasty in making that decision. Or was I not?' 

He continued in his thought as he took one of the books of history and opened it. 

'I loved her.' King Xerxes was deep in thoughts remembering the good days with Vashti. She had her flaws, but he loved her altogether. He went to the shelf of the neatly arranged books again to check the book of law of the Persians and Medes. According to the law, his decree against Vashti can not be changed. That is how it remains forever.

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In the evening, when the king was being entertained, music playing softly, with wine and assorted meat served in golden utensils. Some of the king's advisers were also with him. 

The king seem lost in thoughts. He didn't touch the assorted meat placed before him. The look on his face portrayed that he was unhappy. 

His advisers noticed this. The king is a cheerful and sociable person. He is witty but also with a good sense of humor. The dexterity in which he handles affairs of the kingdom is admirable. He is a man of courage and valour, even at a young age, he has achieved many feats. He can be described as the word 'charming'. A king that his subjects hold in admiration. It was unusual of him to be sad and moody.

 Admatha spoke up "my king, if it pleases you, may we know troubles the king?"

King Xerxes looked up, his endearing blue eyes now looking distant. 

He said nothing.

Meres shifted in his seat. He thought 'what could be wrong with the king? Or could it be the matter of the gold mine that has just been discovered in the Arabs? Or the rumours of revolt from Egypt? No, it couldn't be. The king is a strong man, he will confidently handle that.'

Marsena whispered to Admatha " I think he misses the queen. You know he was fond of her. Now that she is no longer in the palace, it's taking a toll on him."

"Oh" Admatha replied in acknowledgement of what could be the possible source of unhappiness to the king. 

"It is not good for the king to be alone. My king, why don't you make a search to find some beautiful virgins? You can appoint officials in every province of the empire and order them to bring all these beautiful young women to your harem here in Susa, the capital city. Put them in the care of Hegai, the eunuch who is in charge of your women, and let them be given a beauty treatment. Then take the young woman you like best and make her queen in Vashti's place."

The king slowly raised his head. He stared straight into Admatha's eyes. It was true he couldn't afford to remain in an unhappy state for long. He needed energy to handle the affairs of the kingdom. He had been stressed over the last few months, and the dethroning of Vashti was the last straw that broke the camel's back.

He thought about the suggestion. It was not a bad idea. That would be a good thing to de-stress. Young virgins........sounded good to him. 

"Alright. Let's begin with the process" king Xerxes said as he lifted the golden goblet to his lips, h gaze steady.

To be continued..............

Questions

1. Was the king wrong in the decision he took concerning the dethroned queen?

2. If you were the king, what would you have done?

3. "The kingdom comes before your desires..." What does this mean to you as a Christian?

You can send your answers to nikelotus123@gmail.com or directly to the comment box.

Adios amigos 🙋💖