Hi everyone!

So, I was playing this game yesterday and I moused over Vassal State to Elizabeth, it was red and the reason I got was "Sorry, it's out of our hands". What does it mean? I was fighting Gilgamesh with her and Darius and was also fighting Saladin at that time. I first thought it could be that she had a peace treaty or something with him, but later Alex declared peace with Saladin and I tested the option of vassalizing him and the reason he said was something like "We can't join your war". Elizabeth was cautious with me and she wouldn't accept becoming my vassal anyway.

The second thing is that I'm playing as Pacal and Gilgamesh (always the goat-looking man - or man-looking goat!) has gone WHEOOHRN and he's coming for me. I've already upgraded my warriors to axes and started building a new one in each city. Is there a way to avoid war now? I've begged him 10 gold and that got me a peace treaty. I know he's coming for me because he has a lot of troops on my borders and sabotaged a farm. We share the same religion and he's pleased. The only diplo penalty we've got is a minus one for closed borders, but I've been his b...h the whole beginning of the game.
Anyway, I've tried to bribe everyone to attack him (if that happened he would quit attacking me, wouldn't he?), but everyone loves him. Am I doomed to fight right now?

Thank you all.