A King to Conquer: Empire of Israel Book 5 by Dale Ellis

Author:Dale Ellis [Ellis, Dale]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Unknown
Published: 2020-10-22T04:00:00+00:00

Abigail’s apartment in the royal palace in Jerusalem

“I said to go away!”

The persistent knocking at her door instantly stopped in obedience to Abigail’s harsh command. A week had passed since Kileab’s funeral. This sad event also marked the beginning of Abigail’s self-imposed isolation. She had heard enough condolences to last a lifetime…and accumulated enough guilt as well. The two things seem to go hand in hand for Abigail. The more someone tried to assuage her grief, the worse Abigail felt about her dark secret. Although Abigail had made it clear to the palace staff that she did not wish to be disturbed, someone always knocked at least once a day. The servants were probably checking that she was still alive.

Abigail snorted at the idea that she might kill herself. She was not ready to face God for her sin.

Some resourceful person, undoubtedly Tirzah, soon devised a discreet way to respect Abigail’s privacy while supplying her needs. On the second day of her mourning, Abigail discovered that a large table had been placed in the hallway outside her door. There she found food, a basin of water, fresh towels, and a clean chamber pot. The items on the table were refreshed three times each day. Abigail would take what she needed and set out items after they were used. When she put her bedsheets on the table, they were replaced within an hour with fresh ones.

Abigail developed a simple daily routine. She would rise, bathe, put on sackcloth, eat three meals, and then attempt to sleep. In between, Abigail would pray, cry, or stare at Kileab’s empty room. She spent countless hours rehashing the past ten years, searching for anything which she might have done differently to save her son’s life. It was of course a fruitless exercise, but the ever-present guilt forced her to attempt it again and again. Abigail knew that eventually she must leave her apartment and face the world…but not today.

The unexpected sound of the apartment door swinging on its hinges shook Abigail out of her gloomy thoughts. Abigail had never bolted her door since no one would dare to violate her privacy after being ordered to leave. She was preparing to vent her frustration when a man in his sixties entered the room. The air seemed to go out of her lungs when she recognized her visitor as Nathan the Prophet. The old man smiled apologetically as he spoke.

“I heard you send me away, Abigail. Tirzah told me to come in anyway.”

“So, did my friend ‘the spy’ send you to spy on me?”

“It’s not much of a secret that you’re hurting. By the way, Abigail, you look terrible.”

“I assume that you didn’t come here to fix my hair, Nathan. You must have a message for me from God. Please deliver it and then leave.”

“No message, Abigail. I just came to listen.”

“What makes you think that I want to talk?”

“My wife Judith taught me that women need to talk each day as much as they need to breathe.

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