Following times of tragic turmoil, Azarmidokht, a princess of royal Sasanian lineage, ascended the Kayanid throne and seized the reins of the realm. Gathering the seasoned elders, wise counselors, and realm-hardened chieftains, she addressed them with sovereign authority. She decreed that her reign would be anchored upon unbending justice and ancient virtue, reminding all that in the end, every mortal's head must rest upon a pillow of clay.
She pledged to be a benevolent protector to those who remained loyal and upright; but for any who broke her covenant or strayed from wisdom—be they Persian dehqans, Arabs, or Romans—she vowed swift and ignominious death upon the gallows. Yet the turning sky granted her little time. Her reign endured for a mere four months, and by the fifth, the star of her destiny waned. She passed away, leaving the imperial throne once more vacant—a stark testament to the bitter whim of revolving fate that ultimately destroys even those it nurtures.