Peasants obviously know about war declarations.
That means it isn't just an announcement– it has some public element. Town criers start yelling in the streets that XYZ realm has declared war on ABC.
Peasants don't know if XYZ is big or small or strong or weak– they just know that the town crier is yelling in their face.
Should threatening messages about war cause big penalties? No.
Should a mechanic clearly intended to have direct effects on peasants have effects? Yes.
Declaring war in solidarity to allies, especially when you are actively fighting an ally of the target of war, or when you are actively supporting realms doing said fighting, is an entirely reasonable proposition. Just because Iashalur, for example, is far away from Falkirk should not prohibit them from declaring war on Falkirk: same for Zuma and Morek.
