Do enemy armies always automatically B-line to your new castles?

I swear I cannot advance as a vassal. I'll play as a merc for a long time, build up some good money, a seasoned/upgraded army, and then when I'm ready, I'll join as a vassal. Usually, the first castle the faction conquers (after I join), they'll give to me, assuming because I'm the only vassal without any fiefs. But almost the instant they do so, the enemy pretty much b-lines it, without fail, without exception, like clockwork every single time. The instant I receive any land, I know for a fact that a huge army is about to show up to take it. I can never keep a castle for longer than like 2 weeks before an enemy army of like 900-1200 shows up to sack it, and my own faction is suddenly no where to be found and does absolutely nothing to try and help me defend it.

So they sack it, I lose it, my faction later takes another castle, gives that one to me (since I'm the only vassal without any fiefs), but... like clockwork... the enemy b-lines it and sacks it. Rinse and repeat, rinse and repeat. It could be a castle completely out of their way, not even anywhere near the front lines, but they'll b-line it regardless. In fact, that's exactly what happened with this one, which spurred me to make this post. The castle they gave me was completely cut off from the enemy kingdom. They had to travel through an entirely different kingdom just to get to my castle when our frontlines are directly against one of their main cities. And, this enemy has been doing very very little all war, they are basically rolling over for us, but the INSTANT I get a fief, ohhhh suuuuuuuuuuuddenly they're able to raise a 950-strong army! How convenient.

It's as if the AI is programmed to just prioritize attacking player-owned land no matter what, but it makes it virtually impossible to get a foothold because it's sacked before you can develop a proper garrison or buildings etc.

Does anyone else have this issue? How do you get around this? How am I supposed to advance as a vassal if I can never hold onto any fiefs whatsoever because the AI auto-agros to any land I own the instant I'm granted it?

submitted by /u/hellenist-hellion
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