While the Count was in Estremoz, he sent for certain people, both those who served him in the war and other criados and friends. A group of them were assembled there, and he addressed them, telling them how the king considered it to be in his best interests to take from him part of the lands he had given him, for which reason he did not see how he could maintain his honourable standing with what he was left with. Because of this, he wanted to leave the kingdom to seek his livelihood, while still continuing to serve his liege lord, the king; moreover, he was asking them to be his companions in this, and if any of them had any doubts whether they could do so, they should tell him straight away. Those who already suspected the count's intention in sending for the knights, squires and all the others who were there, replied that they had no doubt about the matter but would willingly go to live and die wherever he went. All of them swore to it, except for Antão Martins, a Lisbon inhabitant, who said that he had in his charge many things belonging to other people, which it behoved him to look after first of all, so he did not promise anything for the moment but asked for time to reply.

There the count liberally shared money as well as bread with those he had summoned. Then, they all departed for their houses to arrange their journeys while the count went to Portel, to set in motion the arrangements for their departure.

While he was there, the king found out that he wished to leave the kingdom and he was no less upset by that than was the count when he was summoned for his lands to be taken from him, so he sent Rui Lourenço, the Dean of Coimbra, to Nuno Álvares, to prevent his going. When he had put forward, like the learned man he was, all those good reasons that the king expressed to him, as well as those that he was himself capable of saying, nothing could dissuade the count from the plan he had undertaken, and with that message he returned.