Esther 5:8
So the king and Haman came to the dinner that Esther had prepared, and as they drank wine after dinner, the king again said to Esther, What is your petition? It shall be given you. And what is your request? Even to the half of my kingdom, it shall be fulfilled, repeating the scene of the previous day with the king's continued eagerness to grant Esther's petition, yet Esther remains silent about her actual request. This repetition of the dinner scene emphasizes the power of Esther's position with the king and the depth of his affection for her, while also building narrative tension as the reader anticipates the moment when she will finally reveal her true purpose.