Darkstone - An Evil Reborn (Book 4) Read Online Free PDF

underneath his shirt despite the heat.
    “Don’t tell anyone about it. Other hunters don’t wear armor of any kind,” Sulm had said. “It get’s dangerous on a royal hunt and you never know what kind of animal will gore you.” Sulm had been on a ride to another preserve three or four years ago. Vish had learned to trust the tutor and did as he said. It seemed that his words carried more meaning unsaid than what he had said.
    Vish looked back at the wagons following the party. Those held some armor, all of the weapons and a few carried food for the participants. The Emperor didn’t permit his courtiers to bear arms until they began the hunt. He looked ahead at a growing line of trees that bordered the fields surrounding the imperial city. Perhaps the time had come to practice with his knees and see if the groom had only been joking with him.
    He put a little bit of pressure to move the horse left, but nothing happened. Then he increased the pressure gradually and the horse moved to the left side of the road. Vish smiled and patted the horse’s neck.
    “Good girl,” he said as moved the horse to the different sides of the road. It didn’t take much direction, just as the reins didn’t take a lot of force to get the horse to move.
    Vish recognized a life lesson as he continued to work with the horse. He realized one didn’t need to apply brute force, but gentle guidings to get where one wanted to go. It had been four years since his testing at the Sorcerers’ Tower and they had tried brute force on him. What if they had been gentler in their approach? Influencing him bit by bit. Would he have succumbed to their request? Vish didn’t know the answer to that, but he conceded that a milder approach might have worked on him.
    He nodded his head as he rode. Did Sulm do the same thing? What kind of thoughts had been gently placed in his head as Sulm directed him? Vish frowned at the thought. Was that part of manipulation? Sulm had just begun to talk to him more about political strategy. Vish understood that successful politicians often manipulated others. He’d have to pay more attention now that he realized that any perspective could hide a lie or a deception and he now accepted that he could be manipulated with gentle guidance to believe in a certain way. These seemed to be connected and the principles involved were likely used all of the time in the Imperial Compound.
    Vish pressed his lips together in determination. He didn’t want to be manipulated by gentle pressure. He would have to be on his guard at all times. But he smiled as he continued to work with the knee commands. Riding the horse had become fun. He could manipulate as well as be manipulated, if his actions were equally subtle.
    One of his father’s guards rode back along the long line of horses and turned to ride next to Vish. The young prince realized that most of the others rode with a partner and none had offered to do the same with him. It was just as well. He couldn’t have practiced riding the huge mare if he had another person riding next to him.
    “Follow me. Your father would like to speak with you.”
    Vish smiled at the command. The Emperor would deign to speak with his son. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had an audience with his father and followed the guard up the line. Vish tried using his knees to guide the horse and he grinned as it followed his commands. He still held onto the reins because he didn’t know if he should be doing such a thing.
    “Your Imperial Highness,” Vish said as another rider gave his place to him.
    His father turned and smiled at him. “Vishan, welcome to the hunting party. This is your first time, isn’t it?” This man wasn’t acting as the Emperor, yet Vish could see the power in the way he spoke and held himself on his horse. The Emperor didn’t need all of the trappings he usually wore. Vish could feel his impressive confidence. He wished he could have known him as a father, but the