The news came to Ani five days later. His Imperial Majesty Ashurbanipal IV, Emperor of Assyria, was dead, leaving no heir. His wife, the young daughter of a Babylonian lord, had not even reached childbearing age yet, and he had no brothers, only one sister. One sister who happened also to be the mother of the King of Armenia.
All had known since Ashurbanipal IV ascended the throne that he was frail and sickly, barely fit to be Emperor. However, he knew politics, and none had sought to bring him down. At least, not in public. Many members of the court, nobility of Assyria, feared that he would die before his youthful bride could bear a childand he had. And so the court of Assyria turned towards the only person who could prevent a civil war in Assyria between the most powerful of its lords, Tiridates, King of Armenia and cousin to Emperor Ashurbanipal IV. And to him they offered the crown.
In light of the death of His Imperial Majesty, Ashurbanipal IV, and the lack of male heirs to the Assyrian throne, the Imperial Court of His Imperial Majesty summons you, Tiridates, King of Armenia, to Ashur for his coronation as Emperor of Assyria as the only male relative of Emperor Ashurbanipal IV. The Court hopes that, by your fast coronation as Emperor, we shall avoid a costly civil war between the most powerful of Assyrias lords. Given the recent incursions of Hittite barbarians into Assyrian territory, we cannot afford to divide ourselves now. We send to you the widow of Ashurbanipal IV with this notice to be your wife to consolidate your position as Emperor.
The next day, the Royal train set forth for Ashur.