After this war had lasted for a year and nine months and at the beginning of the year 1371, the inhabitants of Carmona were grimly determined neither to surrender the town to King Enrique, nor to declare for him, owing to the great encouragement they had received from King Fernando, who had promised them that if they fell victim to a siege he would come and have it raised. Indeed, the situation was that, after the death of King Pedro, as we have mentioned, Martín López de Córdoba, the Master of Calatrava, was stationed in Carmona, accompanied by a large number of troops.

When the other places declared for King Fernando, the town of Carmona was one of them, as you have already heard. The inhabitants wrote at once to King Fernando to declare that they were all ready to serve him and that, if King Enrique were to lay siege to their town, they begged that King Fernando would deign to go to their aid, as they wholeheartedly wished to be his subjects. The king was delighted at this news and said that he was very grateful to them for it, informing them that they should be assured that, if indeed they fell victim to a siege, he would by all means go to their aid. To corroborate this assurance, he dispatched to them a royal decree bearing his signature. They were greatly pleased at this reply and worked hard to supply and equip the town even better, so that, if such a situation were to arise, they could defend the town well.

While they were entertaining these expectations, they learned that King Enrique was preparing to lay siege to the town, and so they swiftly sent a knight to King Fernando to inform him that the King of Castile was massing his troops in order to attack them. The knight came to King Fernando, addressing him thus: ‘Sire, Don Martín López and those other noble lords who are stationed in your town of Carmona have sent me to say that they most humbly kiss your hand and fervently commend themselves to your favour. They wish to inform you that they are certain that King Enrique has assembled his troops in order to lay siege to the town. Indeed, sire,’ he said, ‘it is my belief that by now they will already be under siege.