Because the royal council had reached no decision on that day, very early next morning, having attended mass as was his custom, the count ordered the trumpets to sound. Grimly resolute, yet abounding in virtuous daring, and without discussing matters further with the king or with anybody else, he set off with his troops for Tomar, which was where the King of Castile was heading. When the king discovered that the count had left his lodgings and sallied forth, he was quite astounded; he concluded, as was in fact the case, that the count was very displeased that everybody was determined that a battle should not take place. The members of the council began to say that the count was very wrong to leave in the way he had and that such a departure was a clear indication of his contempt both for the king and for all of them as well; indeed, they uttered these and various other arguments in order to set him at odds with the king, on the grounds that he had no respect for the royal council.

However, the king, who placed great trust in the constable, owing to his splendid qualities and faithful service, rejected all they had to say, because he recognised the count for what he was. According to the learned scholar whom we mentioned, this is how he countered their arguments:

‘My friends, last night I pondered deeply on our quest and on the meeting of the royal council which we held yesterday. Having considered the arguments that were put forward here, as well as all others that came to my mind, it certainly seemed to me that those advanced by the count are the ones which we ought to pursue. From what is being said and according to the latest reports, the King of Castile is heading straight for Santarém, where he plans to spend several months consolidating his position and from where he intends to dispatch numbers of troops to Sintra, Alenquer and the other places which continue to side with him.