Information and herd members. Kharin had listened dutifully any time he could catch an ear on his father speaking of leading; the boy wanted to make Rafe as proud of him as he was of Raegar, or Arsinoe. He wanted to make up for Encelia, too. She was too quiet, too passive. When she disappeared from the Badlands he had seen how it upset their mother and he had been angry on her behalf. Would it have been so terrible for Encelia to have at least said goodbye before she left?
She had not cared about their family, so Kharin would. Kharin would show both their mother and father how strong and intelligent and capable he was. His gaze sharpened with determination as he focused again on the Paradise queen before him.
Two herd members and information. There was a multitude of ways to collect herd members… he could go the quick and unsavory route of bullying weaker, more submissive horses this way and forcing them to stay, or he could try and be clever and see if he had the wit and charm enough to tempt others to live where he did. Both had positives and negatives and both would prevent very different challenges for him to face.
...there might be more of a reward than just that simple promotion. His slender, richly gilded ears flicked as he peered intently at her. He had been attentive before, but now a seriousness came over him; a want that tore down to his very bones. Power. Kharin wanted power.
The large, dark mare began to walk around him and Kharin listened as each of her hooves stepped, the way the air rustled the thick feathering over them. As she bumped her head into his body, he stiffened himself, keeping himself upright and hardly moving. The urge to reach out and nip at her was strong, having someone invade his personal space and touch him was unwelcome, but Kharin stayed still beneath her study. This was just another test, however small, and he was growing more and more determined to pass each of them.
And one last little piece to the puzzle Kharin…. Bring me someone from the peak or lagoon.
The Peak… his family had history with the Peak. They had descended upon his father years before he was born; Kharin had not been there to witness it, but whispers here and there of stories had reached him as he grew. Too, his mother had been born in the Peak to a mare who’d once been Prime Minister; the grandmother he had yet to meet and did not even know was on the very island he was considering establishing himself on. All these factors meant Kharin narrowed in precisely on that particular challenge. It would be the Peak he went after.
His eyes met hers as she concluded. A grin crept up his dark lips and he laughed a soft, breathy sort of chuckle. “I think we do, my queen.” That same determined light flickered in his gaze. “I will do what I can to impress you.”
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