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I am the son of Camaralzaman, king of the isle of Ebene, and of queen Badoura, for whom you are thus troubled; and I doubt not that they are both in good health in their kingdom. The king of China, overjoyed to see his grandson, embraced him with extraordinary affection. Such a meeting, so happy and unexpected, drew tears from both.
From the council-board the prince was conducted to a palace, which the Princess Badoura had ordered to be fitted up for him; where he found officers and domestics ready to obey his commands, a stable full of fine horses, and everything suitable to the rank of an emir. Then the steward of his household brought him a strong box full of gold for his expenses.
King Armanos listened to the princess with admiration, and when she had done, turned about to prince, Camaralzaman, saying, Son, since the princess Badoura, your wife, whom I have all along thought to be my son-in-law through a deceit of which I do not complain, assures me that she will divide your bed with my daughter, I have nothing more to do but to know if you are willing to marry her, and accept of the crown, which the princess Badoura should deservedly wear as long as she lived, if she did not quit it out of love to you.
The princes being equally handsome, the two queens loved them with incredible tenderness; but the princess Badoura had a greater kindness for prince Assad, queen Haiatalnefous's son, than for her own; and queen Haiatalnefous loved Amgiad, the princess Badoura's son, better than her own son Assad.
"Traitor," said he, to the eunuch as soon as he had perused it through, "is this the fidelity thou owest thy master and thy king?" At these words he drew his sabre and cut off his head. Having done this in a transport of anger he ran to the princess Badoura his mother, shewed her the letter, told her the contents of it, and from whom it came.
In the mean time princess Badoura gave notice to her officers, who still took her for their prince, of what she was about to do, that they might not be surprised, assuring them the princess Badoura consented. She talked also to her women, and charged them to continue to keep the secret she had entrusted to them.
Thus the bird drew him along from hill to valley, and from valley to hill, all day; every step leading him out of the way from the field where he left his camp and the princess Badoura: and, instead of perching at night on a bush, where he might probably have taken her, she roosted on a high tree, safe from his pursuit.
The less he conceived how it came about that he met with so much good fortune, the more he wondered at it, never once imagining it was owing to the princess of China. Two or three days after, the princess Badoura made him lord-treasurer, which office was then vacant, that he might be nearer her person.
She contented herself for the present with putting him into the hands of an officer, who was then in waiting, with a charge to take care of him till the next day. When the Princess Badoura had provided for Prince Camaralzaman, she turned to the captain, whom she was now to reward for the important service he had done her.
The princess's nurse, who ran to the door with her, made them come into her chamber, where the princess Badoura gave the prince her ring, saying, Take it, I cannot fairly keep it without restoring yours, which I will never part with: neither yours nor mine can be in better hands. The eunuch went immediately to the king to tell him what had happened.
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