"Is the deposed Queen very beautiful, as everyone says?"
Esther asked the question quietly, her mind stuck replaying the image of the elegant woman in the garden.
"The most beautiful woman who has ever lived on this Earth!" Habeth declared passionately. ".. Or so I have heard. I have never had a chance to see her, myself."
"I think I would like to meet her," Esther mused. "She must be an incredible woman to behold."
Habeth stopped walking.
"I should be terrified to ever be in her presence," the Queen Candidate remarked thoughtfully. "I hear she is as fearsome as she is beautiful."
Esther, still lost in her thoughts, paused next to the woman.
"I think the truly terrifying thing," she replied, "would be taking the place of such a woman."
Rather than gasping in surprise at Esther's boldness or agreeing with her sentiment, Habeth pursed her lips and began fidgeting with her fingers.
"You.. don't suppose one of us will actually become the Queen, do you?" she asked in a soft voice.
"One of us?" Esther echoed. "It is certainly impossible to predict such a thing right now."
"Right. Of course it is," Habeth grinned, linking her arm in Esther's. "Shall we continue our walk?"
Esther could have been mistaken, but for just a moment, she thought the woman's mask had slipped ever so slightly, giving her the smallest peek of what lay beneath. And it seemed, beneath a confident façade, Habeth was uncertain of her own desire to actually become the next queen.
Whether or not Esther actually caught a glimpse of the truth, the two Queen Candidates continued on their stroll, looking very much like friends to anyone who saw them, but not knowing even the most basic things about each other.
The two had only taken a short tour of the palace grounds nearest to the House of Women when a maid servant approached them and pulled their handmaidens aside.
Habeth kept walking as the servants spoke to each other in hushed, frantic whispers. The Queen Candidate delicately clasped her hands behind her back and stared wistfully toward the afternoon sky, entirely unconcerned with what conversation may be happening behind her.
Esther mimicked the temperament as best she could, her ear ever pulling back, searching for any loose words from the whispers behind.
Finally, Baara addressed both of them.
"Queen Candidates," she bowed, "I am afraid we must return to the House of Women now. There will be a meeting with the matron servant."
"Ah, it's time already?" Habeth sighed quietly before turning to the handmaidens with a smile. "Alright, let us return."
Esther nodded in agreement, and fell in step with Habeth as they turned back toward the House of Women. As they retraced their steps, she couldn't help but wonder at the way Habeth seemed to have been expecting to receive the news.
It was unsurprising that the Queen Candidate of the second best place in the House of Women would know something Esther didn't. Yet, still, Esther found herself feeling unnerved at how unprepared she was for whatever meeting lay ahead of them while Habeth seemed perfectly relaxed.
For the first time, she had the thought that, perhaps, being a hopeless gossip could actually be quite advantageous.
Later, if any of the other Queen Candidates were caught off guard by the sudden meeting, Esther could not tell.
Thirty girls knelt daintily, their heads held high and eyes unwavering while the matron servant addressed them.
"I apologize on behalf of Lord Hegai and the other chamberlains of the King for calling you all so abruptly," the woman began. "I'm sure you all recall the meeting scheduled for two weeks from today."
The Queen Candidates nodded.
During their stay in the House of Women, the Candidates were scheduled to meet with the matron servant periodically. Any issues would be addressed, further instructions given, and updates about the preparation process announced during that time.The scheduled gathering in two weeks would have been the first of such meetings.
Some issue that could no longer be delayed or an update that must be effective immediately must have been brought up for the sudden change in schedule.
Esther's mind was brimming with curiosity at what could be so urgent. She envied Habeth who had already known about whatever it was that caused this meeting, long before they received the call to gather.
"Envoys from the East were scheduled to arrive next month at the palace," the matron servant continued. "We've just received word that, due to unexpectedly fair traveling conditions, they will be arriving any day now."
Not one of the candidates dropped their composure at the news. They all nodded casually again, the same way they had responded to the matron's earlier reminder of their scheduled meeting.
The woman's next words, however, caused the tiniest stir among the girls.
"While the envoys are here, no Queen Candidate will be permitted to leave the premises of the House of Women."
Many of the Candidates swallowed just a bit more loudly or breathed out the tiniest bit more heavily. Esther noticed that Habeth, as if to purposefully contrast the reactions of those around her, leaned her cheek lazily against her hand.
"You will be allowed to visit the courtyards and plazas in this house," the matron servant went on to explain the details of the new restrictions, "but you must not set foot outside these walls."
Now Esther understood what Habeth meant when she said she'd have Esther all to herself.
".. How long will the envoys stay?"
One of the Candidates of the lower places boldly spoke up, earning a tongue click from Habeth and sigh of relief from the other girls wondering the same thing.
"For one month," the matron servant answered the brash inquiry politely.
The muscles in Esther's abdomen began to ache from clenching them so tightly in order to hold back her reactions. In spite of the pain, she tightened them even more as she resisted the urge to look at the Queen Candidate of the second best place in the House of Women.
For the next four weeks, she would be trapped in Lord Hegai's house, forced to deal with Habeth at any hour of the day.