[@Renny] Actually, Nikolas detests much of the nobility. He's fancies the hierarchy of the army to the hierarchy of society any day because he's part of that world more so than the other. He has an older brother who inherited their keep, so his title is more of a formality than him possessing any real influence/power. I mean, his connections within the army would make him more notable than most second sons. As well, he suspects it was a noble with whom his wife was unfaithful with (resulting in Alycia), mostly because it happened in a castle, and she was not the type of woman, at least in his eyes, who would belittle herself with a servant.