Obsidian Ridge - Jess Lebow [65]
It was here, the kingdom now known as Erlkazar, where they had first concocted their plans. Back then, it was called Elestam, and it was little more than annexed wilderness on the outskirts of Tethyr. Xeries's father, King Strohm II, had only just made this overgrown patch of land an official part of the kingdom within the last year.
Xeries and his wife had been married since before the annexation. They had ventured out for a long ride, exploring the newest piece of what could one day be part of their lands.
"Do you wish you were in line to become king?" his wife had asked him.
"I am in line to be king," he had replied.
They rode side by side, their horses picking their way through the pass at the top of the Cloven Mountains. An entire unit of King Strohm's army accompanied them.
"Yes," she said, "but you're the fourth son. Your oldest brother will become king, and his son will inherit the throne."
Xeries nodded. "That is how it usually works, yes. But that doesn't mean I'm not in line for the throne. If for some reason my three4rothers and father are no longer fit to rule, then I shall become king."
"And I would be your queen," said his wife, a wide smile on her face.
He smiled back. "Yes, Shylby, you would be my queen."
Shylby cocked her head. They had only been married a few years, not a long time by most people's standards, but he knew well what that look meant. "You have an idea," he said.
She nodded, her smile turning a little more devious. "If we were to live longer than anyone else in the family, we would be the rightful heirs to the throne."
Xeries spun around, looking to see if any of the soldiers could hear them talking.
"Shh!" he said. "Someone may hear you. These soldiers all work for my father."
Shylby laughed. "You don't think I'm plotting to kill your family, do you?"
That was exactly what he had been thinking.
She shook her head. "No. I said we had to outlive them, not kill them."
"How are we going to do that?"
"I have heard of a spell that can be cast upon two lovers," she said, leaning over in her saddle to place her head upon his shoulder. "If their love is pure, they live on forever, together in each other's embrace. Then we could be together forever and always."
"And we would live long enough to inherit the throne," said Xeries, finally understanding. "No matter how long it took."
"Precisely," said Shylby. "And then all of this"-she waved her arm out, taking in the entire valley below the Cloven Mountains all the way to the Deepwash-"shall be ours to rule. Together."
++++
It was nearly two years later before they had everything they needed to begin their spell. Their lives had been consumed by research and the procuring of rare magical components. But they had spent that time together, and they had only grown closer.
"The very last part of the ritual requires absolute concentration," Shylby said. "The words have to be spoken in unison."
Xeries nodded. "I know."
"If either of us misses a beat, the spell will backfire."
Xeries took a breath. "Are you sure you're ready to do this?" he asked as the two of them laid out all the things they were going to need for their daylong ritual.
"Of course I am."
Shylby smiled. To Xeries, Shylby's smile was the most intoxicating thing in the world. It calmed him. It warmed him. And it wiped away any doubt he had. "Are you?" she asked.
"Yes," he said, feeling tremendously lucky to have met and married such a wonderful woman. "I'm ready."
Taking their candles, they lit the censers and began the ritual. Since they needed an entire uninterrupted day to cast their spell, they had chosen a remore barn on the outskirts of Shylby's father's land. No one would find or bother them there, almost a full day's ride from the baron's keep. It was the perfect place.
Ground herbs and botanical oils were poured into the flame, one at a time, each in its proper order and accompanied by the correct words. They had rehearsed, over and over, the many different verses of the spell. Oftentimes reciting