Thematic Bible: Wives taken by edict

And the king's servants who served him said, Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king. And let the king choose officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, so that they may gather together all the beautiful young virgins to Shushan the palace, to the house of the women, to the hand of Hegai the king's eunuch, keeper of the women. And let their ointments be given. And let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased the king, and he did so.

And it happened when the king's command and his order was heard, and when many young women had been gathered to Shushan the palace, into the hand of Hegai, Esther was also brought to the king's house, into the hand of Hegai, keeper of the women. And the young woman pleased him, and she received kindness from him. And he quickly gave to her purifiers and her portion. And seven young women who were fit to be given her, out of the king's house. And he moved her and her servant women to the best place in the house of the women. Esther had not revealed her people nor her kindred, for Mordecai had commanded her that she should not show it. read more.
And Mordecai walked every day in front of the court of the women's house in order to know how Esther did and what was to become of her. And when the turn of each young woman had come to go in to King Ahasuerus, after she had been purified twelve months, according to the law of the women (for so the days of their anointing were done, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odors, and with the perfumes of the women). And in this way the young woman came to the king. Whatever she desired was given her to go with her out of the house of the women to the king's house. She went in the evening, and on the next day she returned to the second house of the women, into the hand of Shaashgaz, the king's officer who kept the concubines. She did not come in to the king any more, unless the king delighted in her, and she was called by name.