So the heralds of Persia welcomed him, and there came clerks and wise men and talked with him of the lands of Greece and of the West, and they told him of the nobles of Persia and of the wonders of the land and its richness, and of the land of India and the marvels that men spoke of it. Now among the clerks was one who was short and crooked and ungainly, and the others took little heed of him, and he stayed for a while behind and listened, saying nought. Then Alexander noticed him and said within himself: “Such a crooked and misshapen man would not be in the court of a king if he were not exceeding wise,” so he spake to him, and the clerk answered him in few words but weighty. But when those of the court were without for a space, the clerk said: “Were Alexander here, he would see the fairest maid on earth at the supper this even; and much honour would she do the knight who wore her scarf in the front of battle.” And with that he drew back, nor did he speak when Alexander drew out the scarf from his breast. Then the clerks and wise men departed and the great lords came to ask him of the arms of the Greek lords, and of their deeds in battle, and of Alexander.
When even was come the king gave his hand to Alexander and led him into the hall of his palace, and he sat at meat with Darius. And ever he thought within himself: “This barbarian does me great honour in this hall, but soon shall the hall be mine by right.” Now the hall of the palace was of beaten gold; the walls, the seats, the tables, the floor, all were covered with thick plates of gold, and the vessels of service, the cups and dishes and platens, were of fine gold. And those of the Persians that were there looked upon Alexander with curiosity, and they thought little of him since he was so short, for the heralds of the King of Persia were taller than any man in Persia, and the Persians are tall men; but they knew not the wisdom and the valour of the man, for they wist not that it was Alexander himself.
As they sat down to meat, Alexander was put in a seat on the left hand of Darius, and as he looked around him he saw at the table on the right hand of the King the fairest damsel that man had ever seen, and his eyes saw, almost without seeing, that her robe was of green covered with fair opening buds, the crown of spring and the promise of summer. And as he looked on her she lifted her eyes on him, and saw the scarf of green he wore, and she looked on his face eagerly and then looked down and away, and fear and longing and content and hope and joy struggled in her heart, but her face was that of a king’s daughter in the palace hall of her father. Then Alexander rejoiced in his heart and he said: “This maid shall be my very love and my queen.”