Theodore, having assembled an enormous army, including western mercenaries, is so confident of victory that he has taken the whole royal court with him, including his wife and children.
His army moves slowly and plunders villages along the way.
When the Bulgarian tsar learns that the state has been invaded, he gathers a small army of a few thousand men and quickly marches southwards.
For four days, the Bulgarians cover a distance three times longer than Theodore's army covered in a week.
The two armies meet on March nine near the village of Klokotnitsa.
It is believed that Ivan Asen II ordered the broken mutual protection treaty to be stuck on his spear and used as a flag.
A good tactician, he manages to surround his enemy, who are surprised to meet the Bulgarians so soon.
The battle continues until sunset.
The Epirotians are completely defeated; only a small force under the despot's brother Manuel manages to escape the battlefield.
The rest are killed in the battle or captured, including the royal court of Epirus and Theodore himself.
Ivan Asen II immediately releases the captured soldiers without any conditions and …
