Defiant Throne

Defiant Throne is the story of Queen Zenia, who dares to challenge the king’s decree. The story is a narrative through the eyes of the prophet Daniel, captured during the Babylonian invasion of Jerusalem. Zenia was a royal princess, King Nebuchadnezzar’s great-granddaughter, and King Belshazzar’s daughter. She was captured and taken to the Susa Palace and placed in a harem after her father’s death, and her country was captured by Darius the Great. In the harem, by accident of her beauty and intellect, she rose to the power of one of the most remarkable powers in the world, the Achaemenid Empire. Quietly, she seeks ways to avenge her father’s death and restore the throne of Babylon..

During a military banquet of honored officials, King Dawit requested that Queen Zenia present herself in front of the guests, wearing only the royal crown, a gross breach of Persian etiquette and a cruel outrage upon one who was, above all men, appointed by Ahura Mazda and bound to protect her. The queen, a strong-willed woman with an independent mind, courageous and admirable, refused to heed the king’s request.

The proud king consulted with his royal advisors for matters of law and justice for matters of law and justice. The council’s advice was to remove Queen Zenia and be banished from the presence of her, the king, and replace her with a more honorable woman.

The clever queen finds ways to circumvent the decree and convinces the king to make her Queen of Babylon. King Dawit honors her request and gives her sovereignty to rule over Babylon.

Empress Adi, Mother Queen, learns of the treaty but despises Queen Zenia, stemming from harem rivalry. She disapproves of the royal marriage, and Zenia is barren. Secretly, she wants to end the influence Zenia had on her son, and the only way is to have her executed.

The story takes a turn after Babylon is attacked, the Temple of Marduk is destroyed, and the body of Zenia is not found in the destruction. Fearing her treason would be discovered. Mother Queen blames the Greeks, convincing her son to campaign against the Aegean Islands despite the significant ill omens against the king.

The long and bitter struggle between the great Persian Empire and the fledgling Greek city-states reaches its high point with extraordinary events unfolding in the Greco-Persian wars in search of Queen Zenia.

Historical fiction is a brilliant story, evoking dramatic momentous events in motion.