That would be the gay sumo wrestler standing right behind you. Have fun!

What if the peasant had the biggest tits and was open to visits of a sexual nature but was riddled with STD's and all kinds of other flesh rotting stuff?

I would likely appoint the Spy to be the 2nd in command. If watching Game of Thrones has taught me anything it's the behind the scenes players, the ones that do the spying and manipulating that can really shape the realm and how its run. I would want the spy right there as my right hand man to give me advice, inside tips..have his "birds" out gathering information on my enemies and friends alike. While The Noble would be a decent choice as well, because of the wealth.. it is also double edged.. the more I used and borrowed of him the more indebted to him I become and it could be possible he could just outright take the realm from me. The Ranger would be a good military advisory for strategy from any attacks.. but it would probably be better to appoint him Captain of the Guard and have him focus solely on keeping the realm safe. The Mage would be too concerned within his studies of magic and the arcane while clearly intelligent and scholarly he just wouldn't make a good choice. The Peasant wouldn't likely have the skills to help rule a land but they would have the ability to relate to the common people and help be a bridge between the two so I'd put him in a position of Commoner Relations, to help me keep the people as happy as I can by being the direct go between. I would likely let the Holy Crusader go to continue his good fight throughout the land purging it of evil, I would have little use for him directly. He'd be best served out hunting evil creatures.

I would appoint the mage.
Not only is his powerful magic useful in the defense of me, he should also be quite intelligent and wise since he has mastered magic after all.
The holy crusader should be out in the field fighting evil, not hanging around in the courtroom.
Obviously I can't make a peasant my second in command, I could give him a title and raise him to nobility perhaps (although squiredom or some other minor upper class-y thing would be better.
One of the nobles? I can't make one of them my second in command without p*ssing off the others.
The ranger would be a possibility, but really he is of more use finding the enemy and optimal locations for ambushes and such.
That leaves the spy, who (again) obviously would make for a terrible second in command. He's spent his entire life being secretive and building up his information network. Bringing him out in the spotlight like that would jeopardize everything he's worked for so far.
So it has to be the mage for me.

The peasant - Because I know him the longest time and can trust him more than the others.

The Holy Crusader. As befits the role of a vice emperor, he's a powerful symbol: of both my commitment to the people and the willingness for my own actions to be judged accordingly. He's also among the least likely to stab me in the back and seize power for himself.

Spies and rangers work best behind the scenes, out of the spotlight. Nobles can be rewarded in other ways, with land, arranged marriages or special privileges at court... and elevating one above the rest is a recipe for disaster in any case.

The peasant can become my valet and confidante, and may even become an important link to the underclass: few grapevines are more solid than gossip among servants. (Alternately, perhaps the mage has been looking for an apprentice...?)

And who's to say I can't simply elevate my mage to the nobility? In my experience, mages enjoy the trappings of power without any of its headaches; why would one wish to spend all day at court, when he could be spending all night doing research instead?

In the name of Solomon the Wise, let it be so.

Thank you so much for that... even if it's not allowed.. that's so nice it makes me blush... ;p

.. but perhaps you should enter and try to win for yourself, as I said to Ghorpm in other thread, I still have other RTS to play...

He used to be peasant but gained noble status thanks to his wealth and good wedding. He trained to be ranger, but it was interrupted when he joined holy crusade. After his return he became reknown mage instead. He also sometimes spies on girls in showers.

Perfect candidate.

Someone who can't make up their mind what they want to do and is easily distracted by a pretty girl?

Gotta go with the Mage. In any world where magic actually functions, someone who has mastered this is a combination of elite scientist and brilliant artist. Since I'm already the Tzar, I've got the political power and military expertise aspects covered hopefully, so the Mage fills in the major gaps in my leadership needs. And anyone who doesn't tow the line in my court can be held in check with threats of dark magics. They're not magicians, they've no clue what the possible limits of that may be anyway.

I'll go with the Mage. Why, what, why???

Because he can literally take the place of all the other possible second in commands depending on his talents. Is he an alchemist? He's replaced the Noble, he can create gold and silver, or at least dress up objects to look it, invaluable for counterfeiting. Is he a Seer? He's taken the place of the Ranger, a man who can tell you the outcome of battle, see the lands from miles away along with the opposing foe, and knowing exactly how and where is infinitely better than simply understanding the terrain, and the spy can't compete with someone who doesn't have to be there to see what is happening. Is he a battle mage? Sorry Paladin, even you can only fight one guy at a time, my friend over here can launch lightning bolts across a berth of area full of people wearing conductive armor. And I'm sure you're a nice person peasant, but peasants aren't known for being capable in very much at all, and a true king would not have forced you to serve him in exchange for saving his life.

And what if the mage is multi talented? HOLY SHIT, MY GUY CAN SEE INTO THE FUTURE AND SUMMON A TORNADO TO ROLL THROUGH THE AREA AT JUST THE RIGHT MOMENT TO MAKE IT RAIN PEOPLE AND TIN CANS FOR THE NEXT HOUR!!!!! And after that he can throw lightning at the survivors and join me with his experimental alchemic tea made in experimental alchemic silver cups.

Thanks for the giveaway.

Definitely.

One of the nobles, because without his gold, there is not much you can do. Gold is needed for everything just like today, money is needed for everything. How can I build a massive army and keep such an army together to crush all my enemies without gold? I can't expect men to join my army, fight and die for me if all they can gain from this is cookies and my thanks. How can I build the fortresses needed to defend my lands without gold? How can I hire elite mercenaries without gold? People won't respect me if I have no gold. And with gold, I will be able to bribe spies and train thousands of my mine.

But the other nobles might be jealous of the noble you pick. Together they can raise a bigger army than you and they'll have much more gold for elite mercenaries. You and your lone noble wouldn't stand a change if jealousy caused a coup d'état.