TURNTURNTURNYou go with the Spymaster's plan. At dawn, riders are sent out around the wall, shouting about the 2 gold reward to all who would hear. At the same time, you make sure you're seen in full regalia by the guards on the wall, showing them beyond a doubt that their prize prisoner has escaped.
It takes a while to see the effects. An hour later, when the men are growing restless, a banner of surrender is raised over the main gatehouse. You gather a sizable escort of knights and freeriders, remembering what happened the last time you approached that gate, and ride in.
It's total chaos. Clearly, there was a fight between loyalists and turncloaks, but if the men now kneeling before you are any indication, the turncloaks won. You try to ignore the fact that they were hunting you down last night, and pardon them. Can't expect to pull this trick off again if you kill all the defenders, after all. The rest of your footmen pour into the town, meeting nearly no resistance. Looks like you managed to avoid a lot of bloodshed.
The castle is a different matter. There's no banner of surrender, but the main drawbridge is lowered, so you take it as an invitation to ride in. Parts of the castle are aflame, though the fire doesn't seem to be spreading. The interior has been thoroughly looted, down to the missing silverware. Halfway up the stairs a man hails you.
"Baron Reece, milord!" He holds up a severed head. Ewww. "Got into a bit of a scrap with the other fellows, so this was all I could get. I'll be taking that 2 gold now, if you don't mind."
You're kind of disappointed that you didn't get to actually meet Baron Reece face-to-face, find out what all this was about. But you pay the man the 2 gold regardless, and send him on his way.
632 AS, Mid Spring
A few days after you return to Tyneset, you call another council meeting to handle the miscellaneous fallout of Baron Reece's little rebellion.
"The peasants have all been sent back to their villages, my liege." That's your Marshal. "Some of them are disappointed that they didn't get to loot anything, but that's their business. The dwarven stone-slinger was interesting, though, I would have liked to see it in action. Oh, and Reece's brother Lamon escaped in the chaos."
"There's the issue of Merclefield itself to consider." The Advisor, and his expression tells you he didn't approve of your actions there. "The town is being ruled in your name by one of the captains, but we'll need to formalise this arrangement. You can either take the title of Baron of Merclefield for yourself, or give it to someone else and make them a new vassal. Baron Axel's put forward another cousin of his, Lyell, for consideration, or you could elevate one of the townsfolk, though they might have no experience of rulership."
The Steward, a little worse for wear but mostly recovered, simply passes you another tiny scroll.
Treasury 5
What? How did it get so low? "Well, you lost the 2 gold ransom when you were captured. Then the Marshal had to raise an army; while the peasants fight for duty and not for coin, we still had to spend to arm and supply them for the siege. Then, you paid the 2 gold reward for Reece's head. And we didn't pillage the town, because it would be dishonorable to do that as they surrendered. You'll have to find some more money before your taxes to Duke Wolstan are due next month, since you'll need to send them to him before your other vassals are done with collection."
Your Spymaster adds, "I've interviewed as many of Baron Reece's personal guard and staff to figure out why he did it." Good, you like some initiative in your subordinates. "It's probably best if I explained it privately, though."
Just then, a messenger interrupts the meeting. "There's a dwarf to see you, sire. Claimed you invited him to visit?"
What should be done with the Title of Merclefield?
A) Take the title for yourself, add Merclefield into your personal demesne
B) Make Axel's cousin, Lyell, the new Baron
C) Ask the townsfolk to elevate one of their own to Baron
Who will you talk to first?
A) Talk to the Spymaster
B) Talk to this dwarf