Fritz scoffs, Spit? a cold, angry laugh erupts from him, Spit and insults. Yes, from my observation of your tactics against the Poles those are your most effective weapons. Stick to them and you may survive this yet, my Duke.

I will respect whom I choose, and it is not the fools who think they can stand aside and see who wins before declaring their loyalty. That is the way of a coward, pure and simple. Jan would be so proud of you Dieter, just remember how deftly he stood aside and never challenged the men he called rebels.

Wait... actually, if I remember the Papal decree I just used in the jakes, he actually died attacking them. You know, fighting in the field, capturing walls held against him, all those valiant, chivalrous actions you would expect from a man of 'honor.'

Know this, if you spit at me, I will kill you. The Kaiser himself wouldn't deny me that right for so disgusting an insult. Nothing I have spoken of you or Becker is untrue, Becker himself doesn't even bother to deny it. While you cowered at Madgeburg with your knights and cavalry I spitted half a dozen Danish nobles on militia spears and crossbow bolts. I even defended you doing so in these very chambers, though it sickened me, but now is the time to put it all to rest.

If you don't care to serve the Kaiser then stay there at Madgeburg and wait for me. I have more important business to attend to first, but even your little name shall find a place on the list. Denying the Kaiser the resources of the very Duchy he deeded to you is incredibly deceitful and disloyal; I will be astonished if my brother Peter tolerates it.

Fritz returns to his seat, clearly enjoying letting go of his normally tight control of himself.