We described previously, where we spoke of the capture of Portel, how after Nuno Álvares had left it suitably secure he returned straight to Évora. While the Master is besieging Torres Vedras and digging a mine in order to capture it, let us see what Nuno Álvares has been doing in the meantime, since everything took place at the same time.

According to one historian, while Nuno Álvares was in that town [Évora], a message came to him from the town called Elvas that some of the worthy men of the place wanted it to rebel and declare for the King of Castile. Nuno Álvares left for there, taking some of his men with him in order to restore calm to the town, depending on what he saw to be necessary. Others say that [his brother] Fernão Pereira had arrived in Évora a little earlier on his way to see his mother who was in Elvas, and that Nuno Álvares set out for there in order to marry him to a daughter of Gonçalo Martins, the former governor of the said town, and invest his brother as its governor.

Anyway, whatever the reason was, while going along the road with his men, Nuno Álvares saw his brother Fernão Pereira dressed in the coat of mail that had belonged to García Fernández and belted with his sword, things that he had hidden in Portel when García Fernández had to leave. When Nuno Álvares saw him approaching thus attired and recognised whose things they were, he felt very angry. He then told Fernão Pereira that he had done a great wrong to have fallen short of his oath, saying he hoped it might please God that no great harm would come to him for breaking his sworn word in such a fashion. Fernão Pereira made excuses for himself, to which Nuno Álvares chose not to reply, and thus they continued their journey till reaching Elvas. They had been there for only a few days when, in the name of the Master, Nuno Álvares ordered that Gil Fernandes, Martim Rodrigues and other local notables were to leave the town and go to Torres Vedras which the Master was besieging, in order to serve him. This annoyed them very much, for they considered themselves to be true Portuguese and loyal servants of the Master, as their actions had well shown so far.