Chapter 82 - How what Count Pedro was intending to do was discovered, and how he fled to Oporto

Summary

Too anxious to delay informing King Juan about all this, the Jew immediately hurried off to tell him everything which he had discussed with the friar. On hearing this, the king was greatly alarmed and could not believe what the Jew was telling him, despite his assertions that what he said was true. It was not surprising that the king did not believe it, since Count Pedro was his first cousin, being the son of Don Fadrique, the Master of Santiago and brother of King Enrique, who was the father of King Juan.

At this point the king sent for Queen Beatriz and told her all that the Jew had said. The queen had at once no difficulty in believing it, declaring, ‘Let me tell you, sire, that I’ve always been suspicious of this man, because of the great affection which I saw him show for my mother, though I’ve never mentioned this to you before now.’

When the day dawned on which the plan was due to be put into action, the king summoned the Count of Mayorga, revealed to him everything that the Jew had said and added: ‘Secretly warn all your men to be armed and in readiness this evening, and you along with them, for when Count Pedro pretends to ride out against those from the city. You and your men are to yell out, ‘Treachery! Treachery! Count Pedro's treachery!’ Then you should arrest him and as many of his men as you can, or kill them if they’re unwilling to surrender.’ He also told one of his knights to arrange guards to be posted that evening on Queen Leonor, so that she could neither be seized nor installed in the city.

Guarding the king that evening was Count Pedro's responsibility, and he strove as best he could to prepare what was necessary in order to complete what he had undertaken. And since the task was now very difficult and dangerous to carry out, he took so long in going to the palace that the guards on duty were due to stand down, and thus the king would be left with no guard at all.