The ambassadors went to Castile and told their liege lords how things had fared between them and the Portuguese, and how such matters had remained inconclusive; moreover, they believed that it would always remain so, however many times they went there on this business.

Queen Catalina very much desired peace and harmony between Portugal and Castile. She saw how necessary peace was for her son because of his tender age, both with the years of truce being used up, and with the close ties between the two royal families, which were at odds with their being at war. Feeling this very strongly, she worked in such a way that Prince Fernando, the king's uncle, and all the grandees of the kingdom belonging to her son's royal council, charged her with the task of speaking about the peace treaty and smoothing out any matters pertaining to it. She immediately made it known to the King of Portugal, who was then in Viseu, saying that, owing to the close bond that existed on both sides, if he wanted to come to a just agreement on the matters that up to then they had not agreed on, she had the intention of putting in place such measures that the situation might come to a good conclusion, and that he should send his ambassadors to her.

The king replied to the messenger that he had already sent his ambassadors to the border many times to talk about the question of this peace, and that always from the Castilian side there were so many varied and disproportionate requirements that nothing ever came of it, and the treaty had always remained inconclusive and negotiations fruitless. Therefore, he was very doubtful about sending them because, should his ambassadors be sent to her residence, and be asked such things as had been asked in the past, things that they could not grant, only to return without a good resolution, then he was not going to send them there without learning from her beforehand what was going to be discussed.

The king having left for Santarém, Juan Rodríguez, the Archdeacon of Gordón, arrived with a reply from Queen Catalina, saying again to King João that he should send word letting her know of his intention in those things which he thought should be discussed regarding the question of peace.