How to defend against assasins

[macsen rufus]

Spies aren't that fast to obtain at the initial stage of the campaign. And there are other needs to spend your money on at the outset. So in my game spies appear after 50 or 70 years of campaigning. In view of this I have border forts in my provinces until I get spies.

In the earlier years, I use assassins for counter-spying, they work too, and you can get them just as early as the other factions, hence no need for the border forts Once the spies come on line, the assassins are trained up a bit and can go on other missions...