Bertrand's ransom was so overpaid that he was able to be generous with the surplus, and no one in that riverside city had anything more to ask of him.

He now summoned his knights and troops and headed down through Roncevaux with a thousand fine, bold men. In his company was Olivier de Mauny, and his own brother Olivier didn't let him down; with him also was Henry de Mauny leading a fine body of squires, and Alain de Mauny was there with lance aloft, and the bold Alain of La Houssaye, Guillaume de Launoy and Thibaut de Pavie, Sir Alain de Beaumont from Brittany, Sir Jehan de Beaumont, Petit Meschin, and brave Kerlouët who was later to kill Chandos near Poitiers, and Yvonnet de Launoy, who was to lose his life before the castle of Brest in Brittany.

Into Spain they marched, challenged by no one, and headed for Molina, a fine dukedom won by Bertrand some time before. He was greeted there with joy by all.

But King Enrique was elsewhere: he and his forces had laid siege to Toledo. His wife the queen was with him there, God bless her, as was the worthy archbishop of Toledo who showed the king much love and courtesy: many times he saved his wife and indeed his life.

Many knights and well-armed men were encamped outside Toledo, including the Bègue de Villaines who was to win great praise and renown in Spain.

But inside Toledo were a wildly determined bunch who were committed to bitter war: the castellan had vowed to defend the city and yield it to no man alive except King Pedro – such was his sworn oath. As long as the castle held firm and refused to negotiate, there was no way that the town could be surrendered. So to make sure the great castle was secure he wouldn't venture into the town for fear of being grabbed and abducted.

But the castle and the town came to an arrangement: if the citizens wanted the castellan to appear, they had to deliver four or five of their number to him as hostages; only then would he go into the town, morning and evening, to speak words of comfort and encouragement like a true friend.