Esther and the King

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The time is 2,500 years ago.

The place is Persia.

The man is Ahasuerus, king of the Medes and the Persians.

Ruler of 127 provinces.

The most powerful man on earth.

The army of the conqueror of all the lands from India to Ethiopia.

They are returning home now from fresh victories in Egypt.

We'll encamp over there by the water.

Then only two more marches to Shushan.

Shall I send a messenger to herald my king's arrival?

Perhaps not.

It would give disloyalty time to put on its mask.

However, I already know someone who wears the mask.

Send your messengers.

Well Simon, my loyal Judean,

you no longer need that rusty sword of bronze.

I don't understand, sire. It served me well.

More important, it served me well,

for, in your hands,

it saved my life.

Still, it isn't worthy of you.

The Sword Of The Golden Rooster.

Persia's greatest military honor.

You're free to go home now, Simon. And when you're rested,

there'll be a place for you in my honor guard at the palace at Shushan.

Aye.

A royal guard to the king of the world.

My betrothed won't believe this could happen to me.

Who?

A girl of my village.

We shall be married before I go to Shushan.

A gift for the bride.

And may the gods make her fertile.

May my God bless you, sire.

= Hooray =

Take him to his house.

It is against the will of Haman,

the king's chief minister.

He demands an example to all who cannot pay their taxes.

Haman's will offends the will of God.

You heard the executioner.

10 of us will die if we remove him.

Yes, I heard them, Nathan.

Would you rather live in fear for the rest of your life?

Cut him down and take him home!

Esther.

- Oh my Esther! - Simon!

Oh.

Oh.

There will be no more hanging Esther, now that the king is back.

He's a just king.

He's given me honors and called me to serve him at the palace.

Simon, you say this king is just,

but he goes off to fight the Egyptians and leaves his army here to fight his people.

Does the hunting lion know what the cubs are doing while he's away?

The lion is the evil one.

If we could only go to our real home in Judah.

The king of Persia rules Judah too.

You called Judah your homeland,

yet you've never even seen it.

We were born in Persia.

Our home is where we live.

We worship our own god.

But Ahasuerus is our king.

You must admit he's generous. This is his gift for you.

So he bought your devotion with gifts.

This beautiful thing,

while our people are starving and men hang!

He gives you this from his bloodstained hand.

Oh, forgive me, Simon.

I've dreamed of the day that you would return, but the dream wasn't like this.

Oh, I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

The king approaches with his army!

The king's messenger!

Open the gate!

The king approaches Shushan.

The king.

The king, Queen Vashti.

But not until tomorrow.

I have followed his progress.

He is 10 leagues from Shushan.

The army is not even in sight yet.

Time is still with us.

No, Haman.

Your time has ended.

Ha, my time?

Our time, if that saves your pride.

You know, you might be throwing away

the next king of Persia.

I'm well aware of your ambitions, Haman.

Then why be so final, my dear?

Ahasuerus has no eyes in the back of his head.

And a secret alliance with me would be quite useful to you.

As well as to your own future, my dear Vashti.

Well, no one can say that the king's chief minister

did not serve him well during his absence, both

politically and domestically.

I trust you, prince Haman.

If I fall, you will lose your head too.

Ah, but what of your other lovers?

My queen's diversions have caused much gossip.

But who will stand forth to testify?

Their bloody heads would hang from the royal gates.

No.

When I hold the king in my arms again,

then who will he believe?

- Hmm? - I agree, Vashti.

The goddess of nature was especially generous to you.

And the royal purple is most becoming.

So wear it while you may.

Queens come and go.

Do your ambitions stem from the dreams that uh,

eastern potion brings to you, my dear Haman?

Take care it does not loosen your tongue.

Great lord of Media and Persia.

Shaker of the earth, master of the world.

Sovereign of Assyria and Babylon and Egypt.

Conqueror of Siber Asia and all the lands across the sea.

Your last statement is false.

I have not been able to conquer Greece.

I thought it only a matter of time, my lord.

Enough, enough.

Save that eulogy for my tomb.

I shall do so, sire.

So you plan to outlive me.

My master knows I would give my life

for him.

I wonder.

And you, my general Klydrathes,

what is the condition of your army which remained in Persia?

Splendid, master.

Splendid.

Where is uh, lord Mordecai?

Sire,

he is the one councilor whose cooperation I have not had.

It appears he pays reverence to no one

but his invisible Hebrew god.

Mordecai.

Welcome, sire.

Welcome back to Shushan.

I see my king is well. Not even a slight wound?

No, Mordecai, not even a scratch,

thanks to your friend Simon,

who saved me from being ridden down and

speared like a wild animal.

I am rewarding him with honors.

My strong Simon.

I too am rewarding him by giving him my niece in marriage.

You are a man of warmth, Mordecai.

That is why I was surprised to note

your absence at my welcoming.

I thought it better to pray for my king's safe homecoming

than to hail him.

This unseen god of yours is strange to me,

but he does seem to get things done.

His works are sure.

And I have faith that you will be his instrument for stopping

the cruelties of prince Haman.

I shall examine the administration of Haman.

I have no fondness for the man, but he is a politic necessity...

Efficient, though overzealous.

But...

let us speak of something more cheerful.

Queen Vashti.

I trust she has not pined for me too much.

Her beauty is undiminished.

And her behavior?

Still...

Gaily spirited?

Mordecai,

I have called you the eye of the king.

My keeper of the accounts.

My all-knowing minister.

So what have you to tell me?

Nothing, sire.

My vision does not penetrate into the harem

or the queen's apartment.

My king, my beloved husband, how long I've waited.

Adulteress.

What?

Have you gone mad?

No, I have my senses, or I'd kill you.

You shamed this palace with your corruptions.

Someone has filled your head with lies.

Truth!

Not lies.

The soldiers of my replacements told me,

men who fought and died,

they had no reason to lie.

Who shares your guilt, Vashti?

Name them.

Name them, I command you.

There are no names.

There is no guilt.

Well, whoever it was,

it's best I do not know.

My pride would fall with their public punishment.

Therefore, I condemn you in private.