When Ardashir drew near the court of King Ardavan, the royal chamberlains announced his arrival. Ardavan received the noble youth with warmth, speaking at length of Babak's renown, and granted him an honored place near the throne alongside a fitting residence in the city. Fine garments, rich carpets, and sumptuously prepared feasts were provided for him, and Ardashir presented the magnificent tribute brought from Babak. Ardavan cherished Ardashir like his own son, keeping him by his side continuously at banquets and in the hunting field.
On a certain day in a vast hunting ground, the royal troops and Ardavan's four princely sons scattered across the plain. Ardashir rode directly beside the king. Suddenly, a herd of wild asses appeared in the distance, and a clamor erupted among the hunters. Ardashir spurred his fleet charger ahead of all the rest. Drawing close to a mighty male onager, he notched an arrow and shot with such force that the shaft pierced straight through the beast from flank to flank. Ardavan rode up, marveled at the astounding marksmanship, and cried out praise for the master hand that struck the beast down. Ardashir boldly declared, "It was my arrow that felled this beast!" But Ardavan's son immediately claimed that he himself had slain it.
Ardashir replied, "The plain is vast, and there is no shortage of game or arrows. Shoot another in the exact same fashion, for falsehood is a grave sin among noble men!" Hearing this sharp rebuke to his prince, King Ardavan burned with fury. He shouted at Ardashir, "It is my own fault for elevating thee so high that thou wouldst outshine my son and boast of thy prowess! Go now to our stables, serve as master of the Arabian steeds, and assist the grooms!"
Weeping with indignation, Ardashir had no choice but to go to the royal stables. He wrote a bitter letter to his grandfather Babak, recounting Ardavan's injustice and cursing the Parthian monarch. When Babak received the message, he kept the matter secret, but immediately dispatched a swift dromedary rider with ten thousand gold dinars and a letter of stern counsel. Babak admonished him: "O foolish youth, why didst thou race ahead of the king's son? In his eyes thou art a servant, not a royal kinsman. Seek now his goodwill and obey his commands without question." Comforted by the gold and his grandfather's wisdom, Ardashir made suitable lodgings near the horses, surrounding himself with musicians and wine, patiently biding his time as destiny unfolded.