Antonina to Esther
Esther, you have come to the right woman. There is no one better at getting what she wants, especially when it involves manipulating men. Just ask Prokopios, he faithfully recorded all of my “misdeeds.” What an absolute idiot (as if his opinion is of any importance to me).
You were right to seek my help, for your situation is indeed a difficult one. As a Jew in the Persian court, your position was already precarious at best, and Haman’s vendetta against your uncle and all of the Jews in the land puts you at even greater risk. In order to survive, you must make powerful friends. Win their loyalty. If you are going to challenge your husband and defend your people, you need backup. Theodora’s support was absolutely crucial for me, although I had to do her some favors in order to get it. And trust me, as someone who despises helping people for any reason, I was skeptical at first. I concede, the payoff is not immediate. At first it’s just a lot of ridiculous supplication and disgusting friendliness. My advice to you is to think of it instead as an investment. It will be worth it in the end. Once I befriended Theodora, my path was clear. Why do you think I’ve agreed to help you? It is because I believe that it pays to have friends in high places and I trust that one day, you will be able to assist me in return. You didn’t think I was doing it out of the goodness of my heart, did you?
I sense that there’s still one major flaw in your thinking. The issue is that you’re still worried about pleasing your husband. Now, I understand that you feel your position necessitates obedience to him. But you have more power than you think, especially if you have followed my first piece of advice. Ally yourself with powerful people and you will never again have to concern yourself with what your husband thinks. Do you think obeying Belisarius was the first thing on my mind? Do you think I ever wondered about whether his feelings might be hurt? When your interests align, you are more than welcome to let your husband think that he’s in control. But never forget who really has the power. The minute that he attempts to stop you from pursuing what you want, the minute that it is no longer convenient for you to agree with him, shut him down. He may have deluded himself into thinking that he has some sort of dominance over you; remind him that he does not, or the Jews are surely doomed.
If anyone does come to stand between you and your goals, do not be rash and impulsive. A wise woman bides her time and waits until the opportune moment to exact her revenge. When that fool Constantine spoke out against me, I did not immediately make my displeasure known. I am sure that by the time I had him killed, he did not even remember the comment he had made to Belisarius about me. Theodora is too quick to anger. While I admire her brutality, she has not yet learned to conceal her feelings. If you are to succeed, Esther, you must not reveal your inner thoughts. Let your enemies think that you have forgiven them, or better yet, that you bore them no ill will in the first place. Lull your target into a false sense of security. Wait for him to drop his guard. That way, when you strike, he will be defenseless against you. For instance, invite this Haman that you spoke of to dine with you and the king. He will take it as a sign of your favor, and never suspect that you intend to undermine his authority and turn the king against him.
You seem like a sweet girl, Esther. But here’s my advice: sweet won’t get you what you want. At times you may choose to put on the veneer, but inside you have to be absolutely ruthless. Both of us belong to societies that place constraints on women. In spite of that, you and I have risen to positions of power. Do not, however, think that people will allow you to maintain that position. If they can, they will impose those restrictions on you all over again. There is no room for you to be worried about propriety. Let them criticize, let them speculate, but never let them win. And yes, they will say terrible things about you. They certainly do about me. But do you know what? I don’t mind being the kind of woman people write books about. Nothing they say changes the fact that I am getting exactly what I want with no consequences for my actions.
Finally, if worst comes to worst, magic is always an option. If people think you’ve consorted with sorcerers, they will give you a wide berth. Now is that magic real? That’s for you to know and them to find out. If they’re brave enough to cross you, that is.
Best,
Antonina
P.S. On an unrelated note, do you happen to have an adopted son? Mine is the best. If you don't have one, I would strongly recommend getting one. Seriously, if there's one takeaway, that should be it. You can thank me later.
You were right to seek my help, for your situation is indeed a difficult one. As a Jew in the Persian court, your position was already precarious at best, and Haman’s vendetta against your uncle and all of the Jews in the land puts you at even greater risk. In order to survive, you must make powerful friends. Win their loyalty. If you are going to challenge your husband and defend your people, you need backup. Theodora’s support was absolutely crucial for me, although I had to do her some favors in order to get it. And trust me, as someone who despises helping people for any reason, I was skeptical at first. I concede, the payoff is not immediate. At first it’s just a lot of ridiculous supplication and disgusting friendliness. My advice to you is to think of it instead as an investment. It will be worth it in the end. Once I befriended Theodora, my path was clear. Why do you think I’ve agreed to help you? It is because I believe that it pays to have friends in high places and I trust that one day, you will be able to assist me in return. You didn’t think I was doing it out of the goodness of my heart, did you?
I sense that there’s still one major flaw in your thinking. The issue is that you’re still worried about pleasing your husband. Now, I understand that you feel your position necessitates obedience to him. But you have more power than you think, especially if you have followed my first piece of advice. Ally yourself with powerful people and you will never again have to concern yourself with what your husband thinks. Do you think obeying Belisarius was the first thing on my mind? Do you think I ever wondered about whether his feelings might be hurt? When your interests align, you are more than welcome to let your husband think that he’s in control. But never forget who really has the power. The minute that he attempts to stop you from pursuing what you want, the minute that it is no longer convenient for you to agree with him, shut him down. He may have deluded himself into thinking that he has some sort of dominance over you; remind him that he does not, or the Jews are surely doomed.
If anyone does come to stand between you and your goals, do not be rash and impulsive. A wise woman bides her time and waits until the opportune moment to exact her revenge. When that fool Constantine spoke out against me, I did not immediately make my displeasure known. I am sure that by the time I had him killed, he did not even remember the comment he had made to Belisarius about me. Theodora is too quick to anger. While I admire her brutality, she has not yet learned to conceal her feelings. If you are to succeed, Esther, you must not reveal your inner thoughts. Let your enemies think that you have forgiven them, or better yet, that you bore them no ill will in the first place. Lull your target into a false sense of security. Wait for him to drop his guard. That way, when you strike, he will be defenseless against you. For instance, invite this Haman that you spoke of to dine with you and the king. He will take it as a sign of your favor, and never suspect that you intend to undermine his authority and turn the king against him.
You seem like a sweet girl, Esther. But here’s my advice: sweet won’t get you what you want. At times you may choose to put on the veneer, but inside you have to be absolutely ruthless. Both of us belong to societies that place constraints on women. In spite of that, you and I have risen to positions of power. Do not, however, think that people will allow you to maintain that position. If they can, they will impose those restrictions on you all over again. There is no room for you to be worried about propriety. Let them criticize, let them speculate, but never let them win. And yes, they will say terrible things about you. They certainly do about me. But do you know what? I don’t mind being the kind of woman people write books about. Nothing they say changes the fact that I am getting exactly what I want with no consequences for my actions.
Finally, if worst comes to worst, magic is always an option. If people think you’ve consorted with sorcerers, they will give you a wide berth. Now is that magic real? That’s for you to know and them to find out. If they’re brave enough to cross you, that is.
Best,
Antonina
P.S. On an unrelated note, do you happen to have an adopted son? Mine is the best. If you don't have one, I would strongly recommend getting one. Seriously, if there's one takeaway, that should be it. You can thank me later.
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