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Meanwhile, Taj el Mulouk went in to his beloved, the Princess Dunya, and did away her maidenhead. Then King Shehriman proceeded to equip his daughter for her journey with her husband and father-in-law and let bring them victual and gifts and rarities. So they loaded their beasts and set forth, whilst Shehriman brought them three days' journey on their way, till King Suleiman begged him to return.
Then said he, 'This, O prince, is my story: hast thou ever heard a stranger one? Taj el Mulouk marvelled greatly at the young merchant's tale and said to him, 'By Allah, thou hast suffered that which never befell any but thyself, but thou hast life appointed to thee, which thou must needs fulfil; and now I would fain have thee tell me how thou sawest the lady who wrought these gazelles. 'O my lord, answered Aziz, 'I got me access to her by a stratagem, and it was this.
On each divan they had spread a rug, garded with gold and fit for a king, and in the midst of the shop stood a third seat of still greater elegance, even as the case required. Taj el Mulouk sat down on one couch and Aziz on another, whilst the Vizier seated himself on that in the centre, and the servants stood before them.
Then Taj el Mulouk returned to his dwelling place and his longing redoubled and impatience and unease were sore upon him; and when the night darkened upon him, he wept and sighed and complained and repeated the following verses: The shadows darken and my tears flow aye without avail, Whilst in my heart the fires of love rage on and never fail.
Then he folded the letter and gave it to Taj el Mulouk, who read the verses and was pleased with them. So he handed the letter to the old woman, who took it and carried it to the princess.
It may be that God will bring thee to thy desire; and if her father will not consent, I will shake his kingdom under him with an army, whose van shall be upon him, whilst the rear is yet with me. Then he sent for Aziz and said to him, 'O my son, dost thou know the way to the Camphor Islands? 'Yes, answered he; and the King said, 'It is my wish that thou accompany my Vizier thither. 'I hear and obey, O King of the age, replied Aziz; whereupon the King summoned his Vizier and said to him, 'Devise me some plan, whereby my son's affair may be rightly managed, and go to the King of the Camphor Islands and demand his daughter in marriage for Tej el Mulouk. 'I hear and obey, answered the Vizier.
Then she said to them, 'Leave me now, for I wish to be alone. So they withdrew and she betook herself to Taj el Mulouk, and the old woman brought them food, of which they ate and after fell again to amorous dalliance, till the dawn. Then the princess left him, and locked the door as before; and they ceased not to do thus for a whole month.
Meanwhile, King Shehriman went in to his daughter, the Princess Dunya, and found her weeping and lamenting for Taj el Mulouk.
And Taj el Mulouk delighted in Aziz's company and said to him, 'O my brother, I can never bear to be parted from thee. 'Nor I from thee, replied Aziz; 'and fain would I die at thy feet: but, O my brother, my heart is concerned for my mother. 'When we have attained our wish, said the prince, 'all will be well. As for the Vizier, he exhorted Taj el Mulouk to patience, whilst Aziz entertained him with talk and recited verses to him and diverted him with stories and anecdotes; and so they fared on day and night for two whole months, till the way became tedious to the prince and the fires of passion redoubled on him.
'Nowhere, answered she; 'except that I may drop behind thee and the chief eunuch may detain me, whilst I talk with him. Then they went up to the door, where the chief eunuch was stationed, and he, seeing Taj el Mulouk with her, dressed as a slave-girl, said to the old woman, 'What girl is this with thee? Quoth she, 'This is a slave-girl of whom the Princess Dunya has heard that she is skilled in different arts, and she hath a mind to buy her. 'I know no slave-girl, rejoined the eunuch, 'nor any one else; and none shall enter here without being searched by me, according to the King's orders. At this the old woman feigned to be angry and said, 'I thought thee a man of sense and good breeding: but, if thou be changed, I will let the princess know of it and how thou hinderest her slave-girl. Then she cried out to Taj el Mulouk, saying, 'Pass on, O damsel! So he passed on into the vestibule, whilst the eunuch was silent and said nothing.
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