The stories of two women represented in Imperial Woman and Esther intertwined as both were chosen to come before their respective rulers in search for a new queen and impress. As their stories unfolded, each wondered if she would be chosen...
Orchid was from the house of Manchu Bannerman. Her kinsman, Jung Lu, had hoped to ask for her hand in marriage on a visit to her villiage, but found himself delivering the Golden Summons, as a guardsman for the emperor. Beautiful young women were being summoned by the Dowager Mother and Emperor for service as concubines in the Forbidden City. She was chosen among sixty virgins. Her serving girl spoke of her destiny before she left her home, possibly forever. Upon arrival, the young women were placed into particular classes, according to their families. Orchid was placed in Kuei Jen, third class. They were then bathed in perfumed soaps and oils. Their hair took an hour to be coiled perfectly for the emperor's visit. Yehonola, Orchid's clan name, was noticed by the tiring women and chief eunuchs immediately.
Hadassah was a Jewish orphan taken in a kingdom-wide search for beautiful young women. King Xerxes had banished Queen Vashti from the throne, and after four years, was seeking a new queen. According to custom, the queen was to be chosen from 7 noble families, however, the rules were altered for this occasion. For her safety, Mordecai, Hadassah's cousin, had told her to use the Persian name, Esther. This would aid in keeping her nationality hidden, as the Jewish people had been taken as exiles. The chosen girls were given 10 months of beauty treatments in the palace. The eunuchs administered special diets, spice baths, oil and beauty treatments, before they were brought before the king. Esther's chief eunuch quickly noticed her above the others.
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