Just to let everyone know, trade routes occur naturally between every town. Trade routes only don't occur if one lord embargos another, or if the trade route of two Wretched towns has their trade route raided four seasons in a row. However, you can sponsor a royal caravan to accrue income from every town visited, which is probably more what you guys had in mind. Forgive me if this is already what you were talking about.

@ Outcast: Light blue is Nexerus's land, silly. The giants are to the east, off the map. You'll still be attacked by them, but you don't share a direct border with their land.

As for fief locations, I did the best I could to organize the fiefs properly. I know how a plan can get ruined by not getting the kind of location you wanted. For that, I apologize.

EDIT: For a simple way to get a vassals army, just take all the troops you already have, and divide them as equally as possible between them. All the troops the Lords could not possibly afford on their own go to you.