That's peculiar.

[Duck of Death]

Playing as the Romans around turn 70 and had something happen that's never happened before.

My heir was moving (alone) through hostile territory on his way to relocate to a forward castle.
I didn't see a Fatamid army in ambush-mode.

So they jumped me, but there was only 3 units, I figured I could probably take them if I played it out on the battle map (with heavy armor Roman generals have).
Turned into a tough battle that I lost and my Heir was captured.

After the battle, they released him (generous)!!!

Yet he still disappeared from play and I got a new Heir. What the dickens??

[xzavian]

Maybe he died in battle and they released the surviving bodyguards?

[+Marius+]

Nope, when a general is captured its actually the named person that is offered as prisoner.

This seems like a bug.