When Daniel reached Kief, he saw dreadful misery. He prayed to the Archangel Michael; he implored the monks to pray for him, and then sailed down the river to Pereyaslavl. Hence he went directly along by Mongol stations toward the Golden Horde, and he grieved greatly when he witnessed the pagan ceremonies in the Russian land. In places Orthodox for centuries, men worshiped fire, bowed down to the sun, moon, earth, and dead ancestors. Beyond the Volga and near Sarai, he was troubled still more when he heard how at the Horde they would force him to pagan observances. By that time most other Russian princes had been at the Horde, and the Mongols declared that not one of them had violated the ceremonies established for receptions. One of the officials said to Daniel: “How great is Prince Yaroslav of Vladimir, but no exception was made for him. He bowed to the bushes, and thou wilt bow.” Daniel spat, and said: “The devil speaks through thy lips. God close them to guard me from hearing such utterances.” But Batu, in addition to saving Daniel from all that might seem like the worship of idols, greeted him pleasantly, and with unusual kindness. When the prince, led into the Khan’s tent, bowed in a way that seemed to humiliate him, Batu said: “Daniel, thou wert long in coming, but thou art here and thou hast done well to come. Thou art ours now. Take our drink.” And they brought him a goblet. The prince emptied it and bowed, repeating the commonplace words which all princes uttered on similar occasions: “God gave thee power. I obey thee through God’s will.” He bowed again, and begged to salute the Khan’s consort. “Go,” said Batu, and he added when Daniel was about to leave, “Thou art not accustomed to milk; drink wine.” And when he was taking farewell of the Khan’s wife, they brought a goblet of wine to him from Batu. They detained Daniel at the Horde a shorter time than was usual for princes. After confirming all his rights in Volynia and Galitch, they dismissed him with courtesy. Great was the delight of Daniel’s family when he returned to them unharmed. His success was mentioned on all sides. That summer the King of Hungary sent this message: “Take my daughter for thy son Lev.” The king feared Daniel because he had visited the Horde, and besides, on the San, he had beaten the king’s son-in-law and expelled him from Galitch. When the wedding took place Daniel restored all captive Hungarians. Thus he and the king became friendly. Roman, another son of Daniel, married Gertrude, a daughter of the late Duke of Styria. Roman now claimed Styria as the dowry of Gertrude. The King of Bohemia, whose queen was a daughter of the same duke, also claimed this inheritance.