What will the royals think of the Altera family now? Probably that the young generation of Alteras aren't cowards like the currently ruling one. It's pretty strange how a duke would become a loser like Konrad's old man, unless the man had some specific plans of his own underway, and he's worried about them. Even in that case it would be his own fault for not having informed Konrad of such plans at all. Otherwise he should just grow some balls. Nobody will respect a duke who hesitates to act when a need arises.