A few days after this, a nobleman by the name of Vasco Gomes de Abreu, who called himself a relative of the queen, seeing it had been some time since she had shown the goodwill to him that she was wont to do, and furthermore because some people said that they thought the queen did not feel warmly towards him, went to her one day and said, ‘My lady, you have done me much good and raised me to an honourable estate, so that I am no more than what Your Grace has made of me. For that reason, I am bound to serve and love you as long as I live, and so I intend to do always. Now, and I do not know why, for some days past you have showed your hatred of me, as if I had gravely wronged you or served you badly. Therefore, I beg of your mercy that you tell me why this is, or if people have said that I have done something contrary to your service. If what you have been told about me is true, I will pledge in fealty and homage that I shall not depart this place until I die.’

The queen answered him, saying, ‘I have good reason to complain about you, and I really do not see the point of all those words and such a grand speech, because you well know that you have done me a wrong great enough to merit my ordering your head to be cut off, or to suffer an even worse death.’

‘My lady,’ he said, ‘you can say what pleases you, but no one else can tell me in truth that I have ever wronged you to the extent of deserving that fate. If anyone has told you anything about me, I beg you, kindly tell me.’

‘What greater wrong could you do me,’ said she, ‘than to tell my uncle, Count João Afonso, that I was sleeping with Juan Fernández de Andeiro.’

‘My lady,’ he replied, ‘Heaven forfend that I should ever say such a thing. Whoever told you that was lying, and there is nobody who, if he says it, I would not challenge even though he may be of higher rank than I.’

‘Why are you denying and contradicting this?’ retorted the queen, ‘I’ll produce the person to whom you said it.’