If it is said that the person who harms another person has his action inscribed in dust, and that the victim has his inscribed in marble, then this was certainly true in the case of King Pedro.

The king was driven by an overwhelming rage against his brothers and other subjects of his kingdom who had supported the cause of Queen Blanche, and opposed that of Doña María de Padilla's family, as you have heard. Indeed, these events had already taken place more than three years before, as it was by this time 1358. Now, whilst staying in Seville, he decided to have his brother, Don Fadrique, killed. When Don Fadrique was on his way back from war, after taking the town of Jumilla, in the kingdom of Murcia, in his brother's service, the king summoned him.

On the day that Don Fadrique was due to arrive in the town, the king sent for his cousin, Prince Joan. After making him swear on the Cross and the Gospels, he told him that he wished to have Don Fadrique killed, and asked for his help in the matter, saying he would see that he was well rewarded. He added that after the death of the Master of Santiago he planned to go to Vizcaya to kill his other brother, Don Tello, and then he would give him his lands. Prince Joan replied by saying he felt greatly honoured that King Pedro saw fit to confide his secrets to him, adding that he was happy to carry out what the king had in mind.

Accordingly, on Tuesday, 29 May, Don Fadrique arrived late in the morning. The moment he arrived he went to see the king, who was in the alcazar, playing backgammon. He kissed the king's hand, and several other knights did the same. The king gave him a warm welcome and treated him in a friendly manner, asking him where he had travelled from and enquiring about his lodgings. The master replied that he had set out from Cantillana, about 5 leagues away and said that he thought the lodgings would be satisfactory. As quite a lot of men had entered with Don Fadrique, the king told him to go to his quarters and settle in, and to come back and join him later.