The count spoke to the Master of Avis, telling him that Álvaro Pais would like to speak to him about a number of matters affecting his honour and service, and that he should go and see Álvaro Pais when next passing through the town, because, owing to his being incapacitated by his malady, he could not visit the Master in his residence.

The Master, in order to find out what this was all about, wasted no time in going to see Álvaro Pais and went to talk to him at his house. When they were both in a quiet spot, Álvaro Pais began to present the entire argument which he had put to the Count of Barcelos, mentioning as well the excuses which the count had made in his reply. Consequently, he had come to the conclusion that there was no one else in the entire kingdom who had better grounds for carrying out the task than the Master.

Álvaro Pais said: ‘First of all, it is because you are the king's brother and the person to whom the king's dishonour must be more painful than to anyone else. The second reason is that, at the behest of the king and queen, as everybody knows, you were arrested and placed in great danger; if simply for no other reason than to safeguard your own life, for it never will be safe as long as Count Juan Fernández remains alive; for that reason alone you should do this deed, particularly as, with the king being dead, they will now commit acts of even greater evil. They fear you because they know only too well that you are bound to resent this situation more than anyone else and they will, therefore, constantly seek ways and means by which your own life can soon be terminated. Moreover, since more than all others, you are the one most suited to seek revenge for this situation by acting in the way which I have described, you will accomplish a great and noble deed which will be recalled by posterity, so much so that among men, at this time, no other praiseworthy action could be found fit to be its equal.’