When King Shehriyar heard his brother’s words, he rejoiced with an exceeding joy and said, “Verily, this is what I had wished, O my brother.  So praised be God who hath brought about union between us!” Then he sent after the Cadis and learned men and captains and notables, and they married the two brothers to the two sisters.  The contracts were drawn up and the two kings bestowed dresses of honour of silk and satin on those who were present, whilst the city was decorated and the festivities were renewed.  The king commanded each amir and vizier and chamberlain and deputy to decorate his palace and the folk of the city rejoiced in the presage of happiness and content.  Moreover, King Shehriyar bade slaughter sheep and get up kitchens and made bride-feasts and fed all comers, high and low.

Then the eunuchs went forth, that they might perfume the bath [for the use of the brides]; so they essenced it with rose-water and willow-flower-water and bladders of musk and fumigated it with Cakili[FN#191] aloes-wood and ambergris.  Then Shehrzad entered, she and her sister Dinarzad, and they cleansed their heads and clipped their hair.  When they came forth of the bath, they donned raiment and ornaments, [such as were] prepared for the kings of the Chosroes; and among Shehrzad’s apparel was a dress charactered with red gold and wroughten with semblants of birds and beasts.  Moreover, they both encircled their necks with necklaces of jewels of price, in the like whereof Iskender[FN#192] rejoiced not, for therein were great jewels such as amazed the wit and the eye, and the thought was bewildered at their charms, for indeed, each of them was brighter than the sun and the moon.  Before them they kindled lighted flambeaux in torch-holders of gold, but their faces outshone the flambeaux, for that they had eyes sharper than drawn swords and the lashes of their eyelids ensorcelled all hearts.  Their cheeks were rosy and their necks and shapes swayed gracefully and their eyes wantoned.  And the slave-girls came to meet them with instruments of music.

Then the two kings entered the bath, and when they came forth, they sat down on a couch, inlaid with pearls and jewels, whereupon the two sisters came up to them and stood before them, as they were moons, swaying gracefully from side to side in their beauty and grace.  Presently they brought forward Shehrzad and displayed her, for the first dress, in a red suit; whereupon King Shehriyar rose to look upon her and the wits of all present, men and women, were confounded, for that she was even as saith of her one of her describers: 

Like a sun at the end of a cane in a hill of sand, She shines in
     a dress of the hue of pomegranate flower. 
She gives me to drink of her cheeks and her honeyed lips And
     quenches the worst of the fires that my heart devour.

Then they attired Dinarzad in a dress of blue brocade and she became as she were the full moon, whenas it shineth forth.  So they displayed her in this, for the first dress, before King Shahzeman, who rejoiced in her and well-nigh took leave of his wits for longing and amorous desire; yea, he was distraught with love for her, whenas he saw her, for, indeed, she was as saith of her one of her describers in the following verses: