When the dark shadow of Khosrow Parviz's suspicion fell heavily upon Zadfarrokh, placing the blame for the army's unrest solely on his shoulders, Zadfarrokh could no longer bring himself to enter the royal court. Standing outside the palace gates, he began to weave alliances among the ranks, gradually turning the hearts of the entire host away from the King of Kings. The generals agreed that Khosrow’s royal fortune (Farr) and divine luck had faded, and that a new sovereign must ascend the throne.
An elder advisor urged Zadfarrokh to act swiftly: unless a new ruler were established, Iran would burn in a furnace of grief. He pointed to Prince Shiruy, the valiant eldest son of Khosrow, currently languishing in prison under his father's harsh decree, as the rightful heir to be crowned with gold.
As these deliberations unfolded, a cloud of war-dust announced the arrival of the formidable general Takhavar. Zadfarrokh rode out to meet him, laying bare the full account of Khosrow's cruelties. Takhavar, a man of decisive action rather than empty words, agreed that if Khosrow retained power, every remaining hero in Iran would face the gallows or the pit. Spurring his steed like the sacred flame of Azar Goshasp, Takhavar led a fierce charge against the fortress prison.
The commander of the prison guard, backed by six thousand veteran cavalrymen, stood his ground, but Takhavar struck him down in the heat of battle. The royal guards collapsed in utter disarray. Armor-clad and triumphant, Takhavar breached the narrow dungeon and called out to Prince Shiruy. The young prince, overwhelmed with sorrow and fearing for his father's fate, wept bitterly. Takhavar bluntly warned him that if he refused the crown, one of his fifteen brothers would be chosen instead. Resigned to his destiny, Shiruy stepped forth from the cold shadows of captivity into the turbulent light of rule.