Let us leave the page to go whither he was dispatched and meanwhile let us examine what took place in the queen's palace. The hubbub and commotion which they all made when the count was slain resounded noisily in the chamber where she was, for it was close by. Indeed, some thought that it was caused by people who had not attended the king's memorial, had just then arrived and were giving vent to their grief.

The queen was shocked on hearing the commotion and got to her feet without knowing what to think. She told those with her to find out what it was all about. The others hastily looked through the doorway and announced that the count had been slain. On hearing this, the queen, though in great fear, cried out: ‘Holy Mary, help me! They have killed a good servant of mine! He dies a martyr's death, because they have killed him for no reason whatsoever! But I promise God that tomorrow I shall go to the Church of São Francisco and will have a big fire made there and will make such protestations of my innocence as ever a woman did in such circumstances!’ This was something which she had very little inclination to do.

On seeing what had happened, the other people present, men as well as women, thought that the hour had come when they would all be killed and dared not leave through the doors but made off through the windows, some of them over the rooftops, while others rushed down the stairways, heedless of the number of steps, so that each one escaped as best he could.

João Gonçalves, the queen's secretary, was busy consulting the book of vassals but, when he realised what was happening, he began to run off, as also did all his assistants, each one through the best way out that he could find.

The Master now made his way from that spot to a nearby terrace. The queen then said, ‘Go and ask the Master whether I’m going to die as well.