221 The Terms of Surrender

Godoy and Saint-Cyr were on their horses, trotting along the streets that were almost unrecognizable. The Portuguese troops could only look up to them with a mix of fear, resentment, and defeat etched across their faces.

General Lafões stood among his officers, his gaze fixed on the approaching figures of the French and Spanish commanders. His shoulders were heavy with the weight of his decision, the choice to surrender in order to spare the lives of his remaining troops. It was a bitter pill to swallow, a concession that went against every fiber of his being as a military leader.