Excerpts from Unlikely Queen

Chapter One
Hadassah
Like many classic fairytales this one starts with, once upon a time, in a far away land , a land in the East, a land so huge that there were multitudes of people from every culture and ethnicity, there were Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, any one you could think of there , they were there. Even God's chosen people the Jews or should I say the Israelites. This empire was known as the Persian Empire in what we now call Iran.
A very long time ago in the reign of the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar had destroyed Jerusalem and bought the Jews, along with their king Jeconiah of Judah, why because the Jews were punished and this was there punishment to be sent in exile in Babylon. So as the story goes Once upon a time in a far away land in the East there lived a beautiful, young Jewish orphan named Hadassah, she lived with her guardian and relative Mordecai, who was from the tribe of Benjamin , Benjamin the son of Jacob and his true love Rachel and brother of Joseph. Yes Hadassah was of that line, which means greatness was her future, her very near future. 
Hadassah and Mordecai lived in the Persian of Susa, a busy and vibrant city where people from all over came to buy and sell. In the market there were olives, dates, wheat, beautiful Persian rugs, Greek and Egyptian art and sculpture. It was colorful and vibrant. Though many of these people with the expectations of the Greeks and a selective few others were conquered people, they were allowed to keep their traditions, culture, religion and language including the Jews who did not bow or worship to any gods but their own. 
In Susa Hadassah and Mordecai lived with a servant named Rebecca, she was Hadassah's nursemaid since her parents died many moons ago. 
The Persian winter was cool and nice and the wind was breezy Hadassah laid on her bed and drifted away sleeping, sleep took her to a time in her past, a time that was so painful, a time she longed to forget and not remember. That time was when her parents died. The dream was s vivid that it seem it was reality and was happening now, she was only five years old, she could hear her mother screaming and calling out for her father " Abihail! Abihail. ! her mother called out in terror, she could hear her father being beaten by the men, Hadassah saw everything while she hid under her bed and then her mother's screams stopped and she could no longer hear her father being beaten and there it was silence and darkness and Hadassah woke up in screams and she was wailing and calling out for her mother, waking both Rebecca and Mordecai and they rushed to Hadassah's side with concern in their eyes. Rebecca, knowing Hadassah since she was a babe decided to stay in her room with her and Hadassah was pleased. Mordecai with his concerns eased went back to bed. 
The death of her parents would haunt Hadassah for a long time, she thought God had curse her, or forsaken her but the good Lord had something planned, a purpose, something special for not only her but his people but Hadassah would have learn to let go of the past and embrace her greatness. Embrace her strength and let go. 
Mordecai was concern, it had been some 13 years since his brother and his brother's wife had died and Hadassah had those same dreams for all 13 years. Mordecai did not dare tell her that it was the soldiers who had killed her parents; they killed because they were Jews and they would not bow to them. Mordecai did not dare tell Hadassah fearing that she would use this as a justification to hate the Persians and curse God. 
Mordecai knew Hadassah was destined for something great, he did not know what but Hadassah was destined for something big but until then he would have worry about her dreams and find away in asking God how to stop them. 
Hadassah always felt safe with Rebecca nearby, so this night she would sleep peacefully and be rested. Tomorrow was going to be a good day she told herself, I will be rested and I could get back to my studies.
Hadassah was right tomorrow, her tomorrow would be good, no longer will just a plain Jewish Orphan but on one of her morrows she would become queen of all Persia, an unlikely queen that is.