The Cardinal in the Gray Cloak

I have reached the highest power… Yes, an independent lord and a terrifying figure that instills fear in those around. No one will encroach upon what has been conquered. No one? Alas, there are more than enough who wish to… The king does not like a ruler of rich lands who is too unruly, the Order of Silent Brothers needs to exterminate their enemy, the warlike highlanders are used to robbing everyone indiscriminately, and there looms the dark figure of the neighboring monarch on the horizon…
So, perhaps the lord should leave, saving his wife and future child? An honorable retreat, and there will be no pursuit. But a soldier who has endured the crucible of Afghanistan and survived the upheaval does not have the right to betray the people who believed in him.