The spell of an irresistible womanArtemisia the Queen of Caria finds adventure and glory amidst the atrocities placed before her. She thrives even when she is taken as a hostage in the Persian land. This is a story that unravels a secret romance and the grace with which she handles her own folly and yet emerges brilliant. Snippets from the book: The next day, Artemisia was surprised to find Xerxes earlier than her, all ready for the hunting session. She noted this mentally having made no mention of it to the Prince, who had now called upon her company for the second subsequent day. She wondered if she gave him the comradeship that he seemed to seek or wanted to check her competitiveness. She articulated that he had no qualms about her, but supposedly wanted to be with her to get into the spirit of practising and perfecting his skills. Artemisia kept a distance from Xerxes despite riding alongside by having very little conversation between them. She was conscious about Xerxes being around her, a rare privilege that no one could even think of. Artemisia wanted to do anything to keep up the trust that Xerxes had in her. She trod on answering the questions to what was asked of her to the best of her knowledge and what suited the situation at hand and most of the time listened to Xerxes views. She pre-empted that Xerxes needed an audience and a need for approval of authority. Although he was playing a vital role in the politics of Babylon as a newly crowned prince, at times he doubted himself how he would appear with respect to his contemporaries, being so young and inexperienced. Artemisia did not change her mind and tried to persuade Xerxes in a milder way again. She figured out when he would be in a favourable position to listen to her or at least wouldn't get into fits of anger. She reasoned out why they should not be getting on with the battle and wanted to avoid it. She says: "I was not the least brave of those who fought at the previous engagements, nor were my achievements there among the meanest. It is my right therefore, O my Lord, to tell you plainly what I think to be most for your advantage now.This then is my advice. Spare your ships, and do not risk a battle; for these people are as much superior to your people in seamanship, as men to women. What so great need is there for you to incur hazard at sea? Aren't you not the master of Athens, for which you did undertake your expedition? Is not Greece subject to you? Not a soul now resists your advance. They, who once resisted, were handled as they deserved.If you are not over-hasty to engage with them by sea, but will keep your fleet near the land and thus march forward towards the Peloponnese you will easily accomplish all for which you have come so far. The Greeks cannot hold out against you for very long. You will soon make them surrender and scatter them to their several homes. In the island where they lie, I hear they have no food in store; nor is it likely, if your land force begins its march towards the Peloponnese, that they will remain quietly where they are. Of a surety they will not greatly trouble themselves to put up a battle on behalf of the Athenians.On the other hand, if you are hasty to fight, I tremble that the defeat of your sea force might bring harm likewise to your army which is on land. This too, you should remember, O king, good masters are apt to have bad servants and bad masters good ones. Now, as you are the best of men, your servants will not be up to mark."One of the men who were next to Xerxes said to him: "Master, see Artemisia, how well she is fighting, and how she sank a ship of the enemy." and Xerxes then responded: "My men have become women; and my women, men." When Xerxes saw her sink the ship, he said: "O Zeus, surely you have formed women out of man's materials and men out of woman's."Thus Artemisia's exploit operated like a double stratagem.