As time passed, the shadow of Gustaham’s rebellion weighed heavily upon the heart of King Khosrow Parviz. Troubled by the news that his formidable uncle had taken Gordiyeh—the valiant sister of Bahram Chubin—as his bride, Khosrow foresaw a dangerous coalition. Intelligence from Amol confirmed that Khosrow’s own vanguard had been repulsed and shattered by Gustaham’s forces, leaving the king's heart consumed with distress.
When darkness fell and the royal hall was cleared of strangers, Khosrow sat in absolute secrecy with Garduy, the loyal brother of Gordiyeh. The King confessed that the throne was unstable so long as Gustaham drew breath, but proposed a subtle stratagem. He bade Garduy facilitate a covert missive to Gordiyeh, offering her royal affection, the highest place in the golden imperial harem, and immense realm-governing rewards for her kin if she were to rid the world of the treacherous Gustaham.
Garduy, pledging his total allegiance to the throne, agreed without hesitation. He suggested dispatching his own wife as a secret envoy to Gordiyeh in the Narvan Forest, carrying both the King's solemn decree and a personal letter of counsel. Delighted, Khosrow ordered fine parchment and black musk ink. He penned a magnificent letter filled with binding oaths, sealing it with black musk and his royal signet ring. Garduy also composed a letter, reminding his sister of the tragic fate of their brother Bahram Chubin and urging her not to stray from wisdom.
Garduy's wife wrapped the royal decrees in silk and rode swift as the wind to the Narvan Forest. Gordiyeh welcomed her sister-in-law warmly, weeping first over the memory of Bahram. But when she opened the secret scroll bearing King Khosrow’s signet and solemn oaths, a smile touched her lips. Recognizing the fate of the realm, she bound five trusted retainers to her cause under oath.
Late into the dark night, when Gustaham lay senseless in a heavy alcoholic stupor, Gordiyeh and her five conspirators crept to his bedside. They fell upon the drunken commander; Gordiyeh silenced his cries with her own hands until his breath ceased in the dark. As uproar and laments echoed through the city, the formidable Gordiyeh donned heavy Roman armor, summoned the Iranian commanders, and displayed the sealed royal decree of Khosrow Parviz. Moved by her strength and the King's words, the war-captains offered her their praise and reaffirmed their loyalty to the crown.