The war-drums resounded across the land as the royal retinue moved from Bust and Nishapur, marching all the way to the border of Tus. Word reached Mahuy Suri, the governor of Tus, that the royal army and the Monarch of Iran were approaching his marches. Straightway, Mahuy rode forth to meet them at the head of a formidable host of armored spearmen.
When the glorious banner of the throne and the royal splendor of King Yazdegerd came into view, Mahuy dismounted swiftly from his steed. Showing utmost humility, he walked softly upon the warm earth, his eyes filled with tears of feigned shame and deference. Kneeling before the King, he kissed the ground and remained prostrate in homage.
When Farrokhzad witnessed Mahuy's grand display and the arrayed rows of his troops, his heart was relieved. He addressed Mahuy with solemn counsel: 'Behold, I commit into thy charge this King of Kayanid lineage, that thou mayest gird thy loins in his true service. Let not even the passing wind blow harshly upon him. As for me, I must journey onward to Ray, and I know not when my eyes shall again behold this Crown of the Kayans. For alas, many a brave warrior like myself hath perished upon the battlefield against the enemy spearmen. A rider like Rostam never lived in all the world, nor had the ears of wise men ever heard of his equal, yet he fell. May Yazdan grant him a place among the righteous and bring sorrow upon his foes.'
Mahuy replied: 'O Hero, the King is the light of my eyes and the brilliance of my soul! I accept thy sacred trust and swear to guard the Sovereign of the Realm.' Thereupon, Farrokhzad-e Hormozd departed for Ray by royal decree.
Yet as time passed, the revolving heavens turned the traitor's mind. The devotion in the bad-hearted governor's brain withered away. Though he was but a shepherd in comparison to kings, the desire for the Imperial Throne took root within his heart. His nature transformed; he feigned illness to avoid serving the King, setting the stage for dark treachery.