Of Special Note:
The custom even to this day in the far east, in finding a queen is to select 120 young virgin girls from 11 to 12 years old, then select seven out of those 120. Those seven are then examined by the Empress mother, who makes the final choice. In the case of this story, however, a general search for the greatest beauties took place. Seven were selected, put in a harem, given baths, and perfumed, and then each maiden, one by one were brought before the king. Esther was the one that pleased the king. She had hidden the fact that she was a Jewess (as was Mordecai's instruction at the time), And everyday while she was in the harem, Mordecai checked on her to see how she was doing.

In verse 5 of that same chapter, it tells about Mordecai. Let's read on:

Now in Shushan the palace there was a certain Jew, whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite; who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captivity with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away. [Mordecai] ... brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter for she had neither father nor mother, and the maid was fair and beautiful; whom Mordecai, when her father and mother were dead, took for his own daughter.
Esther 2:5-7

After 12 months of purification, Esther was brought before the king again.

And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.
Esther 2:17

Backdrop:
In chapter three, the king promotes Haman, the Amalekite, and an enemy of the Jews, to be in charge of all the princes. Haman was an EVIL man, whose desire was to kill all the Jews. (Herbert Lockler in Women of the Bible called him an Old Testament Adolph Hitler).

Everyone bowed before him as instructed by the king, but Mordecai refused. In verse 4 of chapter 3, Mordecai told the king's servants that the reason he would not revere or bow before Haman was that he, Mordecai, was a Jew. This really upset Haman. Let us continue...

And [Haman] thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had shewed him the people of Mordecai: wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai.
Esther 3:6

Haman tells the king about the people in the province and that Mordecai will not keep the king's laws. (Meaning the Jews of course). In verses 9 and 10 he makes his request to destroy the Jews known to the king, and the king gives his approval.

Mordecai is devastated, tears his clothes and goes into mourning for his people.

When Esther discovers this, she is greatly grieved. And they decide that she should go before the king herself to make supplication before him for her people -- even though she knows that if she goes in to the king without being summoned, his own law could put her to death.

Esther sends word to Uncle Mordecai to gather the Jews together and fast; while she and her maidens did the same (see verses 15, 16, 17).

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