Then he praised Him who is the Lord of Honour and Glory and replied （and he still standing），'O mighty Wazir and illustrious Chief；hear thou what I say！ Of a truth we are to King Sulayman Shah of the number of his subjects，and we shall be ennobled by his alliance and we covet it ardently；for my daughter is a handmaid of his handmaidens，and it is my dearest desire that he may become my stay and my reliable support.' Then he summoned the Kazis and the witnesses，who should bear testimony that King Sulayman Shah had despatched his Wazir as proxy to conclude the marriage，and that King Zahr Shah joyfully acted and officiated for his daughter.So the Kazis concluded the wedding contract and offered up prayers for the happiness and prosperity of the wedded feres；after which the Wazir arose and，fetching the gifts and rarities and precious things，laid them all before the King.
Then Zahr Shah occupied himself anent the fitting out of his daughter and honourably entertained the Wazir and feasted his subjects all，great and small；and for two months they held high festival，omitting naught that could rejoice heart and eye.Now when all things needful for the bride were ready，the King caused the tents to be carried out and they pitched the camp within sight of the city，where they packed the bride's stuffs in chests and get ready the Greek handmaids and Turkish slave girls，and provided the Princess with great store of precious treasures and costly jewels.Then he had made for her a litter of red gold，inlaid with pearls and stones of price，and set apart two mules to carry it；a litter which was like one of the chambers of a palace，and within which she seemed as she were of the loveliest Houris and it became as one of the pavilions of Paradise.And after they had made bales of the treasures and monies，and had loaded them upon the mules and camels，King Zahr Shah went forth with her for a distance of three parasangs；after which he bade farewell to her and the Wazir and those with him，and returned to his home in gladness and safety.Thereupon the Wazir，faring with the King's daughter，pushed on and ceased not his stages over desert ways，--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the One Hundred and Ninth Night，She said，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that the Wazir fared on with the King's daughter and ceased not forcing his stages over desert ways and hastened his best through nights and days，till there remained between him and his city but three marches.Thereupon he sent forward to King Sulayman Shah one who should announce the coming of the bride.The King rejoiced thereat and bestowed on the messenger a dress of honour；and bade his troops march forth in grand procession to meet the Princess and her company for due worship and honour，and don their richest apparel with banners flying over their heads.And his orders were obeyed.He also commanded to cry throughout the city that neither curtained damsel nor honoured lady nor time-ruptured crone should fail to fare forth and meet the bride.So they all went out to greet her and the grandest of them vied in doing her service and they agreed to bring her to the King's palace by night.More over，the chief officers decided to decorate the road and to stand in espalier of double line，whilst the bride should pass by preceded by her eunuchs and serving women and clad in the gear her father had given her.So when she made her appearance，the troops surrounded her，these of the right wing and those of the left，and the litter ceased not advancing with her till she approached the palace；nor remained any but came forth to gaze upon the Princess.Drums were beaten and spears were brandished and horns blared and flags fluttered and steeds pranced for precedence and scents shed fragrance till they reached the Palace gate and the pages entered with the litter through the Harim wicket.The place shone with its splendours and the walls glittered for the glamour of its gear.Now when night came，the eunuchs threw open the doors of the bridal chamber and stood surrounding the chief entrance whereupon the bride came forward and amid her damsels she was like the moon among stars or an union shining on a string of lesser pearls，and she passed into the bridal closet where they had set for her a couch of alabaster inlaid with unions and jewels.As soon as she had taken seat there，the King came in to her and Allah filled his heart with her love so he abated her maidenhead and ceased from him his trouble and disquiet.He abode with her well nigh a month but she had conceived by him the first night；and，when the month was ended，he went forth and sat on his sofa of state，and dispensed justice to his subjects，till the months of her pregnancy were accomplished.On the last day of the ninth month，towards day break，the Queen was seized with the pangs of labour；
so she sat down on the stool of delivery and Allah made the travail easy to her and she gave birth to a boy child，on whom appeared auspicious signs.When the King heard of this，he joyed with exceeding joy and rewarded the bearer of the good tidings with much treasure；and of his gladness he went in to the child and kissed him between the eyes and wondered at his brilliant loveliness；for in him was approved the saying of the poet，'In the towering forts Allah throned him King，A lion，a star in the skies of reign：
At his rising the spear and the throne rejoiced，The gazelle，the ostrich，The men of main：[465]
Mount him not on the paps，for right soon he'll show That to throne on the war steed's loins he's fain：
And wean him from sucking of milk，for soon A sweeter drink，the foe's blood，he'll drain.'
