Diplomacy is Not an Option
Defend your people, and they’ll serve you well. Just make sure your troops have towers to shoot from and clear lines of sight, or you might find your best-laid plans embarrassingly blunted by your own fortifications. Because peasants, who are not fond of raised taxes and hunger, are rioting in your feud.
The fundamental Laws of life
As in real life, stupidity and greed lie behind most problems, but here it is far too late to talk it through.