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In my view (and although it is not specifically stated within the book of Esther), it is strongly implied (for example, by the fact that Esther was returned to a different part of the king's harem after spending the night with him, as indicated in Esther 2:13-14) that the king had sexual relations with each of the maidens who spent the night with him. In the situation in which Esther found herself at that time and in that culture, her choice was very likely to either submit to the king or die. Also, although her choice came at great personal cost, it led not only to survival and increased influence for herself, but also to the survival of the captive Israelites as a whole (as Mordecai indicated in Esther 4:12-14).
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