Richard's wrath is great, but he is not unchangeable. Although the bids are in and the King of Scotland has used the wealth of a nation to trump the Earls of England, the loss of Northumberland to Scotland is not a foregone conclusion. There is still guile and time aplenty to keep England intact, unless, of course, you have no desire to see it intact. Perhaps Northumberland would be better off in Scotland than in the hands of a rival?

Such is for you to decide.

Over the course of the day, any character in a scene with Richard can attempt to sway his mind on this point.

Characters may use Orate, Intrigue, or Stewardship to make an argument to Richard that either he should honor his word and invest the King William with the Earldom, or abnegate his word and invest it in the highest Anglo-Norman bidder.

The side with the highest number of successes will secure the Earldom either for Scotland or for Geoffrey de Tournemine. Successful arguments earn +10 Glory.

If Richard abnegates his word, this will have serious consequences for England's relationship with Scotland.
If Richard keeps his word, Northumberland will become a fiefdom of the Scottish crown, increasing Scottish power and wealth at England's expense.