Roland says "Not as much as I used to."

"If the nobles try to keep Kriton as first captain are you willing to obey him?"

Roland says "No, definitely not!"

"Then you should really talk to the other captains. Both Kriton and Drake are going to try to force everyone to follow whatever plan the king comes up with."

Roland says "Alright, I will call for a meeting as soon as I leave. Do you have a plan to get out of here and join the war?"

"I have a few ideas, if they fail then I will just have to break out."

Warden says "You say that like it will be easy!"

"Oh, hello, warden. I'm sorry to say it but yes it would be easy."

Roland says "Ah, is my time up already?"

Warden says "No, I came here to verify a rumor that was just reported to me."

"What rumor would that be?"

Warden says "The rumor is that you knew an invasion was coming and paid for the defenses to be repaired."

"That is true."

Roland says "Wait, how did you hear about the invasion? That shouldn't be common knowledge!"

Warden says "I don't know where the information comes from but everyone knows about it."

Roland says "Ash, is this your doing?"

"Yes. The people have a right to know what is about to happen. Besides, ordering the evacuation of a quarter of the kingdom is not something you can keep quiet."

Roland says "This is going to cause a panic!"

"Better for them to panic now than when the enemy arrives at the gates."

Warden says "The king and the nobles aren't going to like this!"

Roland says "If the king doesn't react properly to this then the people might revolt!"

"Exactly! The king and the nobles are more likely to cause us to lose the war then help win it. With them out of the way we would have a much better chance of winning."

Warden says "But if the invading army arrives while the revolt is going on we won't stand a chance!"

Roland says "That is why you want me to turn the captains to my side! You want us to work on slowing the advance of the invasion!"

"Correct, Roland. I want you to buy time for the people to act and for things in the town to be settled."

Warden says "If the king falls then you would be freed. This is a huge gamble on your part!"

"Not really. The king could free me and let me fight the invaders. That would calm the people and prevent a rebellion."

Roland says "You think that is likely?"

"No. Not at all. I believe the king is an idiot and will do something to make things worse rather than better."

Warden says "With the rumors going around, if the king does something stupid, then a rebellion is almost guaranteed."

Roland says "So you set everything up so that the king is the one who decides how things will go?"

"Yes. He will determine what happens based on how he responds. If he makes a wise move he will keep his throne. If he does something stupid he will die. Simple as that."

Warden says "You dare set a test for the king?!"

"If the king is as stupid as I think he is, is he really worth following?"

Roland says "No! A king is supposed to protect the people, not lead them to destruction!"

Warden says "I happen to agree. In peace it doesn't really matter how bad the king is, but war is a different story."

Roland says "But if the king and the nobles fall, who is going to lead the kingdom?"

"For now it would be a combination of the guildmasters and the army. Once the threat is over then you can worry about finding a new king. If the kingdom survives."

Warden says "You think we will fall even if we don't have the king messing things up?"

"It is possible, the invasion force far outnumbers us. Also, if we win but are severely weakened then another kingdom may invade."

Roland says "I hadn't even thought of that! This just keeps getting more and more complicated!"

Warden says "You have thought about what happens after the war even though it hasn't even started yet. I must admit I have underestimated you!"

"Of course! I did my best to think about every possible contingency before I started putting my plan into action. I learned the hard way that not thinking things through all the way can lead to disaster."

Warden says "If you were human you would make an excellent king!"

Roland says "I think he would make a good king regardless of his race."

"Actually, I was thinking of making you the king."

Roland says "What?!? Me?!?"

"Yes, you would be a fair and honest king. Exactly what this kingdom will need to recover from all this."

Warden says "Hm, that is true."

Roland says "Hey, wait a second! I don't want to be the king!"

"That is part of what will make you a great king. Once you become a hero to the people through the war, no one will doubt your qualifications to rule."

Roland says "But I don't know the first thing about ruling!"

"You will learn. Besides, do you think the current king knows anything about ruling?"

Roland says "Ugh, this is all a joke right?"

"Nope. I am dead serious. You will be the next king if things go the way that I have predicted."

Roland says "How am I going to become king? The nobles will never stand for it!"

"I will be extremely surprised if there are any nobles left by the end of the week."

Roland says "What do you mean?"

"What do you think the nobles are going to do when they hear about how large the invading army is?"

Roland says "Join the king and help work out a plan?"

Warden laughs and says "You haven't met many nobles have you?"

"Most of the nobles are going to grab as many valuables as they can carry and flee just as fast as they can."

Roland says "No way! The nobles will defend the kingdom!"

The warden and I bust up laughing and Roland just stares at the two of us with a confused look on his face. The worst part is that I know Roland is an honest man and sincerely believes what he just said. The fact that he is so naive is the only drawback I can see to him becoming king, but he will have his eyes opened soon.