Many things happened after the incident in the training room, many of which could have caused a massive upturn in the current situation, had word reached outside the Lorhen manor. But it never did.
Ulrick may have been only the first husband, and many were vying for his Guardian position, but through a show of force and threats that would make the most courageous men wet themselves, he kept everything under wraps.
Of course, it wasn't to say that the other Lorhen husbands didn't keep a tally of all the things that happened. But it was just too hard for them to strike at his public image from the shadows.
They had to wait patiently until the old man made a mistake that angered the Matriarch, and then they could pounce on the opportunity and point out all his other mishaps. But how long that would take was anyone's guess.
With how long mages could live, Ulrick could end up being a Guardian to the Lorhen Matriarch until she retired, for all they knew.