93 - Concerning the message King Enrique sent to King Fernando and how he promised him the help of five galleys

Summary

It seems that, despite the treaty which we told you about, King Enrique changed his mind about attacking Aragon. We understand that there were two reasons for this: first, there was the great fleet that he had ordered to be built that year to help the King of France against the English; secondly, he had decided to ask the King of Aragon to give him his daughter Princess Leonor, whom King Fernando had intended to marry, to be the wife of his eldest son Prince Juan who had already been betrothed to her when they were children. He therefore sent a message to beg King Fernando that, if he (the King of Castile) were to make peace or a truce with the King of Aragon before the Portuguese galleys arrived in the River Guadalquivir, he should not hold it against him. He explained that his aim was to ensure that the King of Aragon rectified any harm he might have done to King Fernando, and he asked the latter to send him his proctors with the capacity to sign whatever was necessary, for it was the wish of the King of Castile to act in this as if it were in his own interests. Finally, he asked if King Fernando would help him against the English with ten galleys or at least six.

When King Fernando saw this message, he said to those who had brought it, ‘King Enrique, my brother and friend, knows well that the Emir of Granada has taken ships, goods and prisoners from my land, for which reason I am at war with him. During this conflict we are involved in, it would be very dangerous to my kingdom to send my galleys so far away, leaving my coastline unprotected. But to show our desire for goodwill, tell him that it pleases us to help him with five armed galleys for three months at our cost, for we need the others for the defence of our land and the war with the Moors. Our captain general of the fleet will go in these galleys and will do all that King Enrique's admiral commands, according to what he requires from us.