Roman had a plan.
When Joaquin gave his orders about the surprise attack to the rebel group, the seventh prince's gut feeling told him the crown prince was testing him. Thus, he took the gamble and proceeded with the preparation and then… die.
Or rather, Roman planned to fake his death along with the knights. He couldn't stay beside the crown prince since Joaquin was far more ruthless to traitors.
But what Roman didn't expect was that the knights who came with him with this attack weren't the crown prince's people. They were secretly replaced with his own; the knights who fought alongside him for years. Thus, while he tried to run away, he was stopped when a hand grabbed his foot, asking him for help.
His world stopped for a moment as the series of explosions blew off after recognizing the person whose veil was pulled down.
Then it hit him.
Not all the knights in the area were Joaquin's people. Some were his.