Megillah question

Interesting question came up:

When Achashverosh wanted to pick a new queen, it says that he assembled the “besulos tovos”. If Mordechai & Esther were married, she would be a “be’ulah” and not a “besulah”, so why was she even in the “competition”?

And if you say that they got married after the competition, why? What is to be gained if once you are in the palace as queen you are there for life? If anything, it gives her more potential for aveiros to be with Achashverosh as a married woman than as a single woman. It’s my understanding that although it is b’ones, if she at all has thoughts of deriving pleasure, etc.. it could be considered adultery, and so intentionally getting married before going to the palace would be, I would think, a stumbling block if not worse.

Thoughts?

Michael Post