The Book of Esther (an orphan raised by a male cousin) has haunted me from the time I first taught it as a Bible Study! It was not at all like I thought. How could this happen to a Godly teenager who had been taught scripture nightly by her cousin? Twenty years later and having taught it from 8 different sources I continued to want to find answers! Sometimes there is nothing one can do to solve an issue but dig deeper into the story - learn more about the times and the Jewish life style. Thus, I began my search! Young women then were expected to learn household chores, how to cook, perhaps plant a garden, sell items in the marketplace, be faithful to attend the synagogue, and obey their parents. Mordecai, her cousin, would have trained her more like a son! Nightly he would have shared God's word! As he worked at the King's gate, except for days of worship, she would have played a bigger part at her age in fulfilling the chores of a wife/mother. Once a young girl began her period (per Leviticus 15:19-23) however, things changed. It was then time to look at marriage. At the same time in their lives the King has sent soldiers all over his kingdom to find him a wife. Mordecai would have instantly known this as it would have been interesting talk at the gate where he worked. However, I don't believe he thought it would affect him! We see in scripture that Esther knew of him often counting his coins in the evenings and thought he was planning her dowry.