An excuse presented itself less than two years later. According to an interpolator in the "History" of Chalkokondyles, referred to here as Pseudo-Chalkokondyles, David's niece, Theodora (also known as Despina Khatun), had written letters to him asking that he send one of his sons or his nephew Alexios, the son of his older brother Alexander, to live with her. Pseudo-Chalkokondyles states that George Amiroutzes found these letters, and in fear for his safety gave them to Sultan Mehmet. Theodore Spandounes claims that the letters were forged on orders of the Sultan, but the result was the same, regardless of the authenticity of the evidence: after some consideration, Mehmet ordered David, his three sons Basil, Manuel and Georgios, and his nephew Alexios imprisoned.