Riba de Santiuste © Mark Wade

Now, Yahia, when he saw that he could by no means hold Toledo, because on the one hand the Moors would give it to the King of Badajoz, and on the other King Don Alfonso warred against it, he made a covenant with King Don Alfonso to yield the city to him, if he with the help of Alvar Fanez would put him in possession of Valencia, which had belonged unto Hicem and Alimaymon, his fathers, but which the Guazil Abdalla Azis held now as his own, calling himself King thereof.

And he covenanted that King Don Alfonso should also put into his hand Santa Maria de Albarrazin, and the kingdom of Denia; and the King assented to the covenant, thinking that in this manner the land would be all his own.

Yahia therefore sent Abenfarat, who was his cousin, to Valencia, to spy out what the Guazil would do, whether he would peaceably deliver up the kingdom unto him, or whether he would oppose his coming, which he greatly doubted, because it was rumoured that he was about to give his daughter in marriage to the King of Zaragoza.

Abenfarat went his way, and took up his abode in the house of a Moor who was called Abenlupo; and while he sojourned there the marriage of the Guazil's daughter was effected, and the Guazil himself fell sick and died.

Then Abenfarat tarried yet awhile to see what would be the issue, for the men of Valencia were greatly troubled because of the death of their King.

He left two sons, between whom there was no brotherly love during his life, and now that he was dead there was less.

And they divided between them all that he had left, even the least thing did they divide, each being covetous to possess all that he could; and they made two factions in the town, each striving to possess himself of the power therein.

But the men of Valencia who were not engaged on their side, and they also who held the castles round about, they were greatly troubled because of this strife which was between them; and they also were divided between two opinions, they who were of the one wishing to give the kingdom to the King of Zaragoza, and they who were of the other to yield themselves unto Yahia the grandson of Alimaymon, because of the covenant which King Don Alfonso had made with him.

When Abenfarat knew these things he returned unto Yahia, and told him all even as it was; and Yahia saw that he should have the city, because of the discord which was therein.