In The Stolen Heir, there is so much detail about how cruel and evil Cardan is ( understandably so because the POV is from Wren who hasn't exactly been around to see that the High King isn't a maleficent mastermind but a simp loser for his 100/10 wife ) that I think, it is completely glossed over how Oak Greenbriar, the crowned prince, ended up with a knight, actual clothes and the information to seek out the witch in the north.

In the Cruel Prince trilogy we have established that Cardan is involved in everything. He notices everything, has been since he was a little kid when no one paid attention to him. There is no secret he doesn't know. As High King and a spy for Jude, those tendancies have been only brought up. So, how could little 17 yo Oak, steal a knight sworn to Cardan's service, kidnap a cursed prisoner, gather an armory of clothes AND the intel to go north all in the spam of a number of days. All that without High King Drama, now well into his 30s - late 20s - not knowing a damn THING. Cardan knew.

In fact I am willing to bet anything that he was the one who put Tiernan up to the task to protect Oak in his journey to the north because well, good luck trying to talk a teen out of anything ( especially if you are Cardan ). Isn't it funny how the information that there was a witch ( whom Oak hadn't even heard about ) up in the north, who is older than his great grandma and who can help him find lost thing just "conveniently" fell upon Oak's lap?

And then there is the matter that, as a crowned Prince of Elfhame, Oak must be monitored to secure the line to the throne because, if something happens to Oak and Cardan one day dies without heirs, it is game over for the throne & the Greenbriar line given how it is just the two of them left.

Not to mention that, as Jude's adoptive brother, she must have kept tabs on him. And she hasn't called for him once since the Stolen Heir started.

Why?

Because Cardan has been covering for his nephew's ass, making excuses to Jude about where he is like: "you know how young boys are. He is probably in some lovely girl's bed, having the time of his life. Let him live Jude. You know how we were as teens *insert wink that makes Jude roll her eyes and drop the subject*.

But yeah sure "the high king is making an attempt on the crowned Prince's life because he is so evil and nasty".

I BET THE ONLY REASON WREN AND JUDE CLASH IN THE END OF THE STOLEN HEIR IS BECAUSE HIGH KING EYELASHES RAN OUT OF EXCUSES TO SAY.