Albert Barnes Commentary Nehemiah 2:6

"And the king said unto me (the queen also sitting by him,) For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time." — Nehemiah 2:6 (ASV)

The queen - Though the Persian kings practiced polygamy, they always had one chief wife, who alone was recognized as “queen.” The chief wife of Longimanus was Damaspia.

I set him a time - Nehemiah appears to have stayed at Jerusalem twelve years from his first arrival (Nehemiah 5:14); but he can scarcely have mentioned so long a term to the king. Probably his leave of absence was prolonged from time to time.