@Ryll: I'm not convinced that he just wanted Marrine to back off. At the council he was happy for Alex to launch an offensive. It was only when he was asked to be the poster boy that he goes "oh no I could not possibly fight my cousin"

Even when Siluca advised to launch an offensive his demeanor suggested that he knew that was right all along - he just really didn't want to go against Alexis (so he should have just lead the right anyway). In doing so he's killed off his entire army and upper management.