Once the count was in Aragon, he entered into negotiations with the king of that country on a new settlement which contained further clauses about the planning for war and the payment which was to be made by King Fernando, namely instead of 1,500 lances for six months, he was to pay 3,000 lances for three months. That change was made on condition that, if King Enrique, at the time when the war actually began, were present on the frontiers of Aragon, the King of Aragon would be required to go there in person or send the duke, his eldest son, as captain of the aforesaid 3,000 lances, along with the other forces under his command. Agreement was also reached on other similar matters which are not wanting in our line of argument, even though they are not recounted here.

Moreover, the count also immediately strove, in concert with the nobles, to set in train the means by which they would prosecute the war, at what cost each would be rewarded and in what way coinage should be struck to enable them to pay their men. Documents were drawn up indicating the agreements and obligations accepted by each of them as to how they would fight in the war and with what number of lances, and how much the monthly pay would be, namely thirty florins per lance from the day he entered service. Likewise, he obtained from the king a licence and charter authorizing the minting of gold and silver coins there in Barcelona, that is to say, florins of the kind that the king was in the habit of issuing, as well as silver reales bearing the insignia and impress of King Pedro of Castile, where each real was worth four maravedís.

Work began in the Royal Mint, and at once up to 200,000 silver reales were struck, as well as 90,000 florins. Immediate payment for six weeks’ service was made to the captains, as, for instance, to Master Rodrigo de Navarra and Master Juan de San Martín, who were to serve with 400 lances, and to Don Gil García de Navarra with 200, and likewise to other Aragonese and Castilian noblemen, in accordance with the number of lances that each one had at his disposal.