So they forthright did his bidding as regards the viands，and he commanded the wives of the Emirs and Wazirs and Grandees depart not until the time of the wedding banquet and of the unveiling of the bride.Hardly came the period of afternoon prayer when the tables were spread with whatso heart can desire or eye can delight in of roast meats and geese and fowls；and the subjects ate till they were satisfied.Moreover，Sharrkan had sent for all the singing women of Damascus and they were present，together with every slave girl of the King and of the notables who knew how to sing.And they went up to the palace in one body.When the evening came and darkness starkened they lighted candles，right and left，from the gate of the citadel to that of the palace；and the Emirs and Wazirs and Grandees marched past before King Sharrkan，whilst the singers and the tire women took the damsel to dress and adorn her，but found she needed no adornment.
Meantime King Sharrkan went to the Hammam and coming out，sat down on his seat of estate，whilst they paraded the bride before him in seven different dresses： after which they eased her of the weight of her raiment and ornaments and gave such injunctions as are enjoined upon virgins on their wedding nights.Then Sharrkan went in unto her and took her maidenhead；[299] and she at once conceived by him and，when she announced it，he rejoiced with exceeding joy and commanded the savants to record the date of her conception.On the morrow he went forth and seated himself on his throne，and the high officers came in to him and gave him joy.Then he called his private secretary and bade him write a letter to his father，King Omar bin al-Nu'uman，saying that he had bought him a damsel，who excels in learning and good breeding and who is mistress of all kinds of knowledge.Moreover he wrote，'There is no help but that I send her to Baghdad to visit my brother Zau al-Makan and my sister Nuzhat al-Zaman.I have set her free and married her and she hath conceived by me.' And he went on to praise her wit and salute his brother and sister together with the Wazir Dandan and all the Emirs.Then he sealed the letter and despatched it to his father by a post courier who was absent a whole month，after which time he returned with the answer and presented it in the presence.Sharrkan took it and read as follows，'After the usual Bismillah，this is from the afflicted distracted man，from him who hath lost his children and home by bane and ban，King Omar bin al- Nu'uman，to his son Sharrkan.Know that，since thy departure from me，the place is become contracted upon me，so that no longer I have power of patience nor can I keep my secret： and the cause thereof is as follows.It chanced that when I went forth to hunt and course Zau al-Makan sought my leave to fare Hijaz wards，but I，fearing for him the shifts of fortune，forbade him therefrom until the next year or the year after.My absence while sporting and hunting endured for a whole month'--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Sixty-eighth night，She said，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that King Omar bin al-Nu'uman wrote in his letter，'My absence while sporting and hunting endured for a whole month，and when I returned I found that thy brother and sister had taken somewhat of money and had set out with the pilgrim caravan for pilgrimage by stealth.
When I knew this，the wide world narrowed on me，O my son！but I awaited the return of the caravan，hoping that haply they would come back with it.Accordingly，when the palmers appeared I asked concerning the twain，but they could give me no news of them；so I donned mourning for them，being heavy at heart，and in sleep I have no part and I am drowned in the tears of my eyes.'
Then he wrote in verse，'That pair in image quits me not one single hour，Whom in my heart's most honourable place I keep：
Sans hope of their return I would not live one hour，Without my dreams of them I ne'er would stretch me in sleep.'
The letter went on，'And after the usual salutations to thee and thine，I command thee neglect no manner of seeking news of them for indeed this is a shame to us.' When Sharrkan read the letter he felt grief for his father and joy for the loss of his brother and sister.Then he took the missive and went in with it to Nuzhat al-Zaman who knew not that he was her brother，nor he that she was his sister，albeit he often visited her both by night and by day till the months were accomplished and she sat down on the stool of delivery.Allah made the child birth easy to her and she bare a daughter，whereupon she sent for Sharrkan and seeing him she said to him，'This is thy daughter：name her as thou wilt.' Quoth he，'It is usual to name children on the seventh day after birth.[300]' Then he bent over the child to kiss it and he saw，hung about its neck，a jewel，which he knew at once for one of those which Princess Abrizah had brought from the land of the Greeks.Now when he saw the jewel hanging from his babe's neck he recognised it right well，his senses fled and wrath seized on him；his eyes rolled in rage and he looked at Nuzhat al- Zaman and said to her，'Whence hadst thou this jewel，O slave girl？'When she heard this from Sharrkan she replied，'I am thy lady，and the lady of all in thy palace！Art thou not ashamed to say to me Slave girl？I am a Queen，daughter of King Omar bin al-Nu'uman.' Hearing this，he was seized with trembling and hung his head earthwards，--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
