When news reached Sekandar that the host of Dara was on the move, he advanced to meet them, until merely two leagues separated the opposing armies. Sekandar gathered his noble council, and having pondered their words, resolved upon a daring scheme: he would guise himself as his own ambassador and enter Dara's camp to weigh the Iranian king's resolve and military strength. Adorning himself in a royal gem-encrusted belt and golden robe, he mounted a noble steed with a gold-trimmed saddle and a golden-sheathed sword, accompanied by ten fluent and wise Roman knights. At break of dawn, he approached Dara’s presence, dismounted, and paid homage. Imperial Dara summoned him forward, seating him near the throne. The Iranian nobles were awed by his stature, radiance, and commanding grace.
Standing before the king, Sekandar delivered his message with eloquent praise, declaring that he sought no war with Iran nor desired its soil, but wished only to travel the earth and behold its wonders in peace—yet if Dara insisted on battle, he would not shrink from the clash of steel. Struck by his majestic speech and regal demeanor, Dara suspected that this messenger was none other than Sekandar himself. With sharp cunning, Sekandar replied that the Roman ruler possessed too much wisdom to act as his own envoy. appeased, Dara invited him to the grand banquet.
During the feast, whenever a golden goblet of wine was served to Sekandar, he drained it and slipped the cup into his cloak. Observant cupbearers alerted Dara, who questioned the envoy. Sekandar smoothly answered that in Roman custom, the goblet belongs to the envoy who drinks from it. Amused, Dara smiled and presented him with a goblet heaped with gems and red rubies. But fate intervened: the very tribute-collectors who had previously been sent to Rome entered the hall and instantly recognized Sekandar, revealing his identity to Dara. Sensing danger as twilight deepened into night, Sekandar slipped out to the pavilion courtyard, leaped onto his charger, and spurred away into the darkness with his men. Though Dara dispatched a thousand horsemen in pursuit, Sekandar eluded them in the murky night. Returning safely to his camp, he displayed the royal goblets as omens of ultimate victory, rallying his generals for the grand battle ahead.