Question about lords defecting...

[NJSQRL]

I am mildly worried that one of my lords may choose to defect. My relation with most of my lords is positive, the few that are negative are only in the single digits yet with the exception of one... who is -43 at the moment.

It is not so much the loss of a lord, or the 160 men in his party that concerns me, nor is it that he may take his lands with him when he defects, its where his lands are. As he was the first of the lords to join my uprising he holds fiefs very close to my capital (Tihr) and I have spent a buttload of time doing everything in my power to raise the prosperity of Tihr and its surrounding areas.

Now if he defects to say the Rhodoks who I am currently at war with they have a holding in my financial core and I do not like that.

I have sent him gifts (diplomacy mod) and my relation with him is still poor. I know I could grant him fiefs to raise it but I only grant those to people who join my campaigns (which he has not for some time) or if my vassals pick him to get the fief.

I know I could just indict him for treason and reclaim the lands but I am trying to avoid that at all costs so basically I want to know... Anything other than poor relations to look for as signs that he may defect?

Any way to deal with him outside of granting fiefs/indicting him?

 

[Fatality81]

another way to raise it back up is you could possibly do tasks for him.

 

[NJSQRL]

Would try that but as a king I cannot ask my vassals if they have tasks for me. I see this as going one of three ways unless someone else has something to offer me...

1) He defects in which case I promptly declare war against whoever he goes to to recover his lands. As I type this it wont matter, I am at war with everyone but vaegirs and while I prefer to not to be at war with them as well beccause at the moment we have an alliance I have a solid army of huscarls that will tear their armies to shreds happily.

2) I indict him for treason, I get the lands back but take a hit from every other lord of mine, also think I lose honor for that.

3) I give him lands... again I take a hit from other lords but I gain some from him and dont lose honor. Ofcourse the downside of this is that I may get into this trouble again if I give him too much land.

Honestly I think next time I will stop at 5 lords... anything more than that and they all turn into sniveling brats that want more and more land. While they act the same at 5-6 lords I find that with 5 you can just divvy up the land between them and keep everyone happy.

I am considering a #4 as punting all my lords not of Nord decent and renaming my kingdom to something to do with Nords...

 

[Fatality81]

probally the best thing to do would be to indict him for treason, i dont think you lose much honor or even no honor, and even if you do it can be easily made up by tournaments or refusing the gifts you can get from helping villagers.

 

[lazlo]

Give him only villages that way if he defects he'll take nothing.

 

[haafie]

If you want to raise your relationship with that lord while being the king, get him to patrol somewhere, help him attack something and jump in (and win). After the fight, talk to the lord, result relation +4.
Back to step one, tell him to patrol, help him attack...well you get the point.