In the final moments before Kourosh's departure from the palace of Anshan, amidst the secret and mysterious conversations with his father and mother, a bold and revolutionary idea took shape in little Kourosh's mind; an idea that could turn his absence not just into a hidden secret, but into a powerful tool for political transformation and the overthrow of the despotic Median rule. He knew well that his mere disappearance was not enough; this absence had to be aimed like a poisoned arrow at the heart of Astyages's legitimacy, shaking the foundations of his power from within. He turned to his mother, Mandane, and in a voice that was a mixture of ancient wisdom and childish affection, he made an unprecedented and difficult request; a request that was sharper than any sword or army.
Kourosh gently squeezed Mandane's hand and, with a look that spoke of deep pain and resolve, said, "Dear mother, you know better than anyone the sorrow that fills our hearts because of my grandfather's ruthless decision. This injustice has pained our hearts." Then, in a tone that foretold the future, he continued, "I want you to write a letter; an open letter to all the people of Persia and the nobles of Media. A letter written with the ink of your sorrow, but in our New Persian script, so that it can easily reach everyone and penetrate their hearts." Mandane, with eyes full of tears and a stunned look, gazed at her son. To write such a letter meant exposing the king's tyranny and openly challenging his authority; an act that no woman in that era would dare to do.
Then, Cambyses, with a face mixed with pain and pride, turned to his son: "My son, why don't I take action myself? Why should we place this heavy burden on your shoulders and your mother's? I am your father, and I have the power to confront Astyages." Kourosh looked into his father's eyes and replied, "Father, if you take action now, Astyages will use it as a pretext for your rebellion against the throne. He will mobilize all his power to crush you, and no one will have a word to say, because you are a king and have no right to rebel. This battle would be an unequal one."
Kourosh continued, "But as for my mother... they cannot say the same about her. She is a mother whose son has been innocently sacrificed to his grandfather's fear. Her laments will plant seeds of doubt and hatred in the hearts of the people and nobles of Media; seeds that arise from emotion and feeling, and no sword can suppress them." He emphasized, "You just remain silent, Father. Your silence is the strongest response; a response that will drown Astyages in the illusion of victory. And leave this task to us. This battle is a battle of hearts and minds, not just of swords and armies."
Mandane was initially filled with deep hesitation. How could she take such an action against her own father, even if he was a tyrant? Was this not a betrayal of her own blood and lineage? But Kourosh's gaze, in which a light of the future shone, and the memory of Astyages's cruelty towards her son, set her heart ablaze. She thought of the heavy sorrow of the impending separation, of this great lie that she must call her living son dead. All of this stemmed from the injustice Astyages had inflicted upon them. This pain and this injustice compelled her to a decision; a decision that arose from the depths of a mother's being to defend her child.
With trembling hands, Mandane took the pen. The black ink flowed onto the soft, white New Persian paper, and the words, one after another, in a simple, eloquent, and understandable language for all, settled on the pages. She wrote of Astyages's "unparalleled tyranny," of her own "endless sorrow," and of how her "brilliant and faithful son," the grandson of the Median king himself, had met such a bitter fate without any sin. With all her being, she lamented her son's fate and exposed her grandfather's cruelty, who was fearful even of his own blood; a letter that came from the depths of a mother's soul.
Kourosh, beside his mother, carefully supervised the content of the letter. He reminded Mandane how this letter should stir the people's emotions and bring them to their side; how the words should be arranged to not only show a mother's grief but also to display the king's injustice and fear. The letter was crafted to showcase not just a mother's pain, but also the king's injustice and fear, and to question his legitimacy. This letter, as a strategic tool, was written with the aim of questioning Astyages's legitimacy and gaining sympathy for Kourosh.
With the writing complete, several copies of the letter were reproduced using Kourosh's secret movable type printing. These copies were to be distributed secretly throughout Persia and Media at the right time, through Kourosh's hidden network. Kourosh's goal was to, by revealing this shocking story, etch an image of Astyages as a despotic, ruthless, and cowardly king in the public mind; an image that would weaken the foundations of loyalty to him, pave the way for future rebellions, and push the people towards change.
Mandane, despite the immense suffering she was enduring and her heart being heavy with grief, knew that this letter was not only an act of revenge against her father but also a way to preserve her son's legacy and ensure a brighter future for Persia. This act was a symbol of the silent power of women; a power that, through words, could penetrate the hearts of the people more strongly than any sword and guide them towards the ideals of justice and freedom. This letter was the first tangible and vital step in the psychological warfare against Astyages, which began with Kourosh's intelligence and Mandane's motherly love, and would change the destiny of Media.