When the fair handmaidens of Kabul returned from the flower-strewn meadows toward the palace, each bore two fragrant blossoms in her hands. The stern gatekeeper barred their path with harsh words, questioning why they walked abroad at so unseemly an hour. The beauties replied spiritedly that today was no different from any other, that no evil spirit lurked along the flower path, and that they had merely gone to harvest the hyacinths and roses of spring. Yet the guard warned them gravely that Kabul was no longer as it had been, for the mighty Zal and his Zabulian legions were encamped outside, and King Mehrab himself patrolled the city at dawn. Should the king discover them wandering with flowers, his wrath would be swift and severe.
Slipping inside the grand palace, the five maidens entered the private chamber of Rudabeh. Setting before her the sparkling gems and gold coins bestowed by Zal, they were eagerly questioned by the princess, who burned to know if the son of Sam truly matched the grand tales of his renown. With unified passion, the maidens described Zal's majestic presence: he was tall as a towering cypress, possessed of royal glory and supreme elegance, narrow-waisted yet broad-chested with the strength of a fierce lion. His heart was that of a wise priest, his thighs like a champion rider's, and though his hair was utterly snow-white, it brought no shame—it sat upon his glowing cheeks like silver armor resting upon purple rose petals, only enhancing his breathtaking splendor.
Rudabeh listened with a radiant smile, her cheeks blushing red like pomegranate blossoms. She playfully teased her maidens, pointing out how drastically their words had changed—from scorning Zal as a bird-reared, withered old man to exalting him as a glorious, handsome champion. The handmaidens urged her to embrace this divine fortune granted by Yazdan and prepare for the noble guest.
Overjoyed, Rudabeh commanded her secret pavilion to be adorned like a lush spring realm. The walls were hung with portraits of legendary kings, and the floors were draped in Chinese silk and strewn with carnelian and chrysolite. Golden trays and turquoise goblets were filled with clear rosewater and rich wine, while violet, narcissus, and purple blooms were combined with musk and ambergris until the intoxicating perfume of the moon-faced princess's bower ascended to the very sun.