Gabriel listened king's confession and he replied; "If you desire transfer power to your sister, it is your choice and right as a king. Even altough it would be against your father's wishes as he wished your sister spared from burden of the crown. But then again wiser king knows can he carry the burden or not the rulership and pass it on to someone who can do it. But I have confidence you could learn to be good king, as great kings come when they endure and come through their trials. King who has witnessed horrors of war, knowing pain of battlefield and felt covered in blood and felt a dead man's weight on his sword. Such king has every right to say he knows war and knows how brutal it is and so has resolve and wisdom to know to avoid war declaration as only a method when no other options are not left. Such king would lead with peace but if it would come to war he would know what to expect and so knows horrors what will come and it would be his duty prepare his subjects who had never witnessed war. Also remember that king is not just one man in top; he is man who presents his kingdom and it's hundreds inhabitants. A king does not rule alone, for that purpose he has knights, generals, spouses, family and friends to support him when weight of the crown feels drag him down."<br/><br/>Gabriel then gives a friendly sort pat on Michael's shoulder and he continues; "So your not alone my king, as I will support you and help carry the burden through these troubled times. What comes to pleasures and joys of having power to command others, that is actual very sin why power corrupts hearts of men and women. Power to have control of your life, your destiny and having also control over others makes you feel powerful. What more power and control man has, that greater addiction it can bring and can bring a complete fall to madness to think your a god." Gabriel then continues; "However as you have experienced, that power, the throne and crown, can work also as a prison. Make you vulnerable and make you easy target to hit. You are targeted because your king, you are plot against because your king, you cannot run off country and travel freely without having army of bodyguards or watched closely. The fear of loosing the power, can be prison which from there is no escape. As childhood you were watched, controlled and trained, even if you all wanted was to have day to walk in market alone."<br/><br/>Gabriel continued to speak; "I could say I understand some of that burden because I have taken oaths as paladin of Iomedae. My oaths restrict my life and are binding as oath what you took when you accepted the crown. But more so as I made that oath towards a goddess who has more power than any king among living ever will have. I also have sworn oath to kingdom and to the crown but those oaths burden me less than oaths as a paladin do. However there is one thing what makes a paladin that more frightening foe than a knight my lord...." He lets pause sink in and let king wonder a moment before he turns look him and smile and say; "Because we all are fools at heart and we actually love with devotion the ideals which we have sworn to uphold in name of god or goddess which we have given our oaths. Same way as a man can defend fiercely his child and wife whom he loves, same fierceness is lend to our blades when we let our love help and guide our actions when we perform our duties. In sense when paladin makes his oath towards god who's teachings he follows rigidly he swears love to said god and goddess altough such words should not be used or else it would be considered heretical. So when paladin knows and feels he has betrayed their code, it feels like you have cheated your wife or spouse but ten times more worse as you have failed yourself the most."<br/><br/>Gabriel pauses again and says; "So, not sure would my advice work anyway to you but I would advice you to seek something what you deeply love about the kingdom. May it be vision of people praising you to be good king, desire see peace and people laughing and happy under your reign, may it be build glorious white walls and rebuild whole city most beautiful city in world which shall awe all who come there during yours and numerous generations after you pass onto grave. Altough love can mislead easily as pride and hatred but love would help carry on burden of the crown much better than any other emotion. As love turns you to masochist who endures the burden because you find joy in doing so. So learn enjoy to be king because you enjoy doing it's duties which significance, weight and purpose you know. Than find enjoyment through crude means of just bossing people around you because you have power to do so."<br/><br/>After holding long talk with king to try get his spirit up he then starts; "Anyways if lady Luna already knows your true identity it spares me telling her grand secret then. I would had wished keep it secret for your safety, not that I question lady Luna's loyalty but what less people know about you that safer you are. Anyways good call to ask lady Luna to use divination's through personal belongins of the princess. So we could locate her. Once and if we find her and you decide pass on the scepter ceremonial fashion, you could declare yourself either a nobleman with blood of monarch or completely discard your noble blood and sign off any your offspring ever having chance for the throne and become a free man. Answer only to yourself and travel the world with no worries than other man have. There is certain appeal for such freedom but if you play with that kind of thoughts think it very thoroughly; such a life means loss of many rights and luxuries your used to as a heir or a king."<br/><br/>With that said he starts talk about plans what Gabriel had thought during interviews; "I may have plan how I rescue lady Shadecliff, if she is indeed where I suspect she is. I thinked smuggle few knights to bad parts of town through one recruit who has deep understanding how underworld and city streets work. While I smuggle myself best as I can through supply cart going there. Then commanding the crew I would command them surround the house where noble prisoner is kept I would sneak in along with that recruit and do rescue part first and then command knights rush in and perform arrests on people, or slay if need be those who have crimed against crown.<br/><br/>What comes war strategy I met a man who is highly skilled but has very questionable origins and background. I personally dislike the man but I recognize talent when I see it. He was years ago feared outlaw and knows kingdom's forest better than we know backs of our hands. I thinked send him and few men as single small military unit perform hit and run skirmish attacks on army's supply line which is approaching us. Bridges are going to be broken so they need go widely around and need more time to travel. However the part which asks your permission is that I thinked use same unit to infiltrate as part of enemy's army, to sabotage army from inside through letting them eat poisoned food and water supplies. Mind you nothing serious, just stomach ache and diarrhea. Those would look symptoms similar to legionnaire's disease and that can cause panic and break enemy lines before they get to assemble to strike us. Not to mention it affects battle will of the army and so they are no condition to strike us at all. This would remove one tool from C's arsenal without killing any of your kingdom's subjects either from our or their side. You could say they are traitors but I say they are misguided as I have feeling C is follower of god of Tyranny who uses rebel forces to try overwhelm you and act as a savior.<br/><br/>As it happens, I recruited now a alchemist who may even create poison which could cause diarrhea and such in enemy troops. Nothing instant but something which happens slowly so it looks more a progress of disease than poisoning. It would ask though we use the gold what we acquired to build alchemist lab for the man who could create other alchemical products. Like antitoxin vials to the powerful poison what some key members of C's agents seem have and use to kill themselves before they can be taken in for questioning.<br/><br/>Any ideas or input to these plans sire?"