When ChangChang was gone, Gwen fell into a restless sleep, riddled with nightmares. First, she had a dream where she was free-falling from an airship, followed by a disturbing nightmare where Josiah Cole lost both of his arms. She dreamt of her father rising from the dead, forgetting who he was. Then she dreamt of--
Gwen was roused from endless nightmares by a knock on the door. With an annoyed grunt, she dragged herself out of bed and shuffled across the room to greet her guest. On the other side of the door, there was a handsome, long-haired Huoxian man with a smirk on his lips and a dress in his hands.
“Good morning, future empress!” he greeted her jovially. “And how do you feel today? Tell me honestly. Are you dreading your nuptials as much as the last girl?”
Assuming the dress was for her, Gwen snatched it from his hands and answered sullenly, “I feel miserable.”
“My father inspires similar feelings in many women. Now that he's gotten old and fat, nobody wants him.”
“Your father is Emperor Ju-long?” As she awaited his answer, Gwen looked down at the dress in her hands. Its style was surprising. In an attempt to charm his new bride, the emperor decided to dress her in the traditional white bridal gown that had become popular with Western women.
“Indeed. I'm Prince Feng.” The handsome man suddenly seized Gwen's hand and brought it to his lips. “I'll be honest with you, Miss Montgomery, because you should know what sort of man I am. I bedded my father's last three wives.”
Gwen didn't know how to respond to that, so she simply said, “Oh.”
“I expected to want you too. Don't get me wrong... you are, without question, a very beautiful young woman. But now that you're standing in front of me, staring at me with those bright green eyes of yours, I find that I have no desire for you.”
His brutal honesty made her eyelashes flutter. “O...kay.”
“I hope I haven't offended you.”
“Uh... no. Not really.”
“I should want you... but I don't,” Feng continued. “I blame Shuchun Jun. She got into my head. She invaded my heart. She permeates my dreams like a sickness. I want no one else.”
“Shuchun Jun...” Gwen whispered the name of her former traveling companion. She didn't know if it was wise to mention they were acquainted, so Gwen held her tongue.
“Anyway, enough about Jun!” the prince declared. “Put on that dress. When you're ready, I'll be waiting outside your door.”
“Ready for... what?”
A smarmy chuckle skipped up his throat. “Are you stupid, girl? Have you not been paying attention? I'm going to escort you to your wedding.”
“So soon?”
“Yes. After his last bride slipped the net, my father wants to waste no time,” Feng explained. “So... get yourself dressed and find me in the hall. Don't keep me waiting.”
When Feng was gone, Gwen sluggishly slipped off her robe and donned the dress. With a dreary sigh, she studied her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes were hollow and lifeless, while her face was pale and permanently frowning. She looked every bit as miserable as she felt.
Even though her heart was heavy, Gwen had already accepted her fate, so she joined Prince Feng in the hall. As soon as she emerged from her room, he took her by the arm and led her from the airship. Together, they headed to Gravestone's town square, where the haunting notes of unfamiliar instruments graced the sky. The imperial family—including several of the emperor's children—gathered in front of a cheaply constructed podium, waiting for the ceremony to begin. Several of Gravestone's curious citizens had assembled as well, but they were some distance away, corralled like cattle behind a tall metal gate. Gwen thought she spotted Nicky, but he was far away, so it was impossible to know for certain.
Gwen's heart dropped when the emperor appeared. As he waddled toward her, Ju-long was unsteady on his feet, so one of his many wives handed him a cane. When he was standing in front of her, the emperor licked his lips. A young, foreign bride was exactly what he needed. She would surely return the spark of life to his aging bones. She was his greatest fantasy.
Before the priest spoke his first words, Gwen turned in the direction of the spectators. She silently pleaded with them, wishing for a rescue that wasn't likely to come. There weren't any Cole brothers lurking in the background, waiting for the right moment to swoop in and save her. None of Gwen's former suitors liked her enough to lift a finger. She certainly couldn't expect help from Nicky Gunn, who could barely walk in a straight line, let alone, shoot straight. Gwen wondered if she would ever see him again.
Tears threatened to spill from Gwen's eyes as she listened to the priest's speech. Her heart was torn apart by the words “love, honor and obey.” Her stomach wrenched at, “until death do you part.” On the inside, she was screaming in horror. As a little girl, she always imagined her perfect wedding day. This wasn't it.
There were a half-dozen rifles pointed at her head, so when they got to the part where she was supposed to say “I do,” she couldn't refuse. She said it, albeit weakly.
And when the emperor said, “I do,” the words echoed in Gwen's head, as if he'd shouted them into a canyon. Every time she looked at the emperor's bloated face, she felt ill. Dread prickled her spine. With each passing minute, the impending doom of their wedding night crept closer.
And then it happened. The priest announced them as husband and wife, and Emperor Ju-long's mouth descended on hers. When she felt him suckling her bottom lip, she fought the urge to retch.
Gwen Montgomery was officially Emperor Ju-long's seventh wife.
And her life was officially over.
Twenty Five
Julian Featherstone sprinted from store to store as he prepared for the mission of a lifetime. He had no idea what the mission would actually entail, he only knew it was necessary. To find Letitia Jordan, he would scour the world. He refused to rest until she was safe in his arms.
When he attempted to buy bullets from the local gunsmith, he was gobsmacked when the man refused.
“Why not?” Julian whimpered and simpered at a box of shotgun shells.
“The emperor's soldiers won't allow it,” the elderly gunsmith explained. “I'm allowed to sell guns, but all sales on ammunition have been banned until otherwise noted.”
“Well, that's... inconvenient,” Julian lamented. He cursed himself for failing to keep his airship stocked with supplies. Dejected, he sauntered outside and kicked the dusty ground. If Lettie was in trouble, how was he supposed to rescue her if he didn't have bullets for his guns?
“What'll we do now, Cap'n?” asked Wiggly Joe, who had been silently following his questing captain.
“I don't know, Wiggly. How many bullets do you have?”
Wiggly Joe frowned as he checked his gun's chamber. “Two.”
“Two...” Julian turned his eyes skyward and frowned at the clouds. “Well, it's more than I've got.”
“Aren't there guns on the airship?” Wiggly asked. “Maybe we should check those?”
“I already did. Someone took them.” Julian wanted to blame his new crew, but they were on shore leave. “How am I supposed to save Lettie without a working gun?”
“We don't even know what we're saving her from,” Wiggly pointed out.
“I know!”
“We don't even know if she needs saving.”
Julian's fingers wound through his hair in despair. “I know, I know!”
“For all we know, she might've run away.” Wiggly's remark earned him a punch in the arm. “Ow!”
“She didn't run away, Wiggly! She wouldn't do that!”
“But you were off flirting with women the other day,” Wiggly Joe's brow furrowed as he reminded his boss of his bad behavior. “What if she saw you and decided to bolt?”
“She wouldn't have done that. Lettie's not like that. She would have confronted me! She would have given me the tongue lashing of a lifetime!” Julian stuffed his hands into the pockets of his coat as he paced the dusty road. “And... sh
e wouldn't run away, either. She would have left a note. Besides... didn't you say she was with someone?”
“Aye. I did. But now that I've had time to think on it, I'm not so sure she's captured. What if she left willingly? What if she wasn't taken by force? We shouldn't make assumptions at all.”
“No... nonono!” Julian spun toward Wiggly and shook a finger in his face. “Someone took her. I feel it in my gut! We need to find her and we need to save her. I'm just trying to figure out how that's going to happen without bullets.”
“Um... Captain?”
“What, Wiggly, what?” Julian was shrieking with despair. In fact, he was dangerously close to tears. “This is my punishment, isn't it? I'm getting punished for flirting with those ladies. Lettie was the only woman I wanted... and now I've lost her. And I deserve it. I really do. I'm a terrible man and I deserve every bit of--”
“Captain,” Wiggly repeated, pointing over Julian's head. “Look.”
When Julian turned around, he saw Lettie alighting from a motocarriage. As soon as he saw her face, he dropped to his knees and squeaked with relief. “Lettie!” Julian crawled toward her as he cried her name. “Lettie Lettie Lettie Lettie... where did you go? Where have you been?”
Lettie froze when she saw him. She didn't expect to see her boyfriend on his knees, crawling toward her like an animal. Delilah and Mary dispersed, and she was glad they did, because Julian Featherstone was likely on the verge of doing something to embarrass her.
“Lettieeeee!” When he reached her, Julian hugged her legs. “Say something! Where were you? Were you captured? Do you hate me? Do you still love me?”
“I was captured.”
Her answer made him squeal like a seized swine. “You were? Are you hurt? What happened? Was it terrible? Are you alright? Dammit, why wasn't I there to stop it?”
“It wasn't so bad.” Shortly after the reassuring words were out of her mouth, Lettie shook her head. “Actually, it was kind of awful. But it could have been worse. Way worse.” She bowed her head in the direction of Flynn, who was standing behind Julian with Jun. “This man rescued me. His name's Flynn.”
“This man?” Julian crawled to Flynn and hugged his legs, even tighter and longer than he hugged Lettie's. In fact, he hugged him so long that Flynn started to look a little uncomfortable. “To you, sir, I am eternally grateful! I can't thank you enough!”
“Uh... it was my pleasure.” Flynn's reply was tinged with uneasiness. He wasn't accustomed to being embraced by strange men.
“What can I do to show my gratitude? Would you like a reward?”
“That's alright. Knowing she's safe is a good enough reward.”
“Would you like a medal?” Julian asked. “Wiggly Joe used to be a blacksmith. I could get him to bang one out.”
“Wiggly... Joe?” Flynn looked perplexed. “I, uh, I don't need a medal.”
“Surely I should give you something!” Julian insisted. “How about a massage from a half-dozen half-naked women? I could make it happen. I know people.”
Flynn chuckled nervously. “I think I'll pass on that. But... thanks anyway.”
“Oh well. Suit yourself.” Julian abruptly turned his attention back to Lettie. He was still on the ground, on his knees, so he grabbed her hand and pulled it to his lips. “Lettie... lovely Lettie... my beautiful, wonderful, gorgeous Letitia Jordan! You have no idea how good it is to see your face! I thought I'd lost you!”
“Nope.” Lettie smiled down at him. “I'm quite alright. And you should probably get up, because this is getting a little awkward.”
“It's not awkward! There's a reason I'm on my knees!” Julian kissed her hand at least twenty times before continuing. “Letitia Jordan, I've only ever loved one woman... you. For as long as I live, I'll only ever want one woman... you. I don't deserve you. I don't deserve your love, but I know I'm lucky to have it. So I ask you this: will you make me a lucky man forever? Will you make an honest man of Julian Featherstone?” His next words were so loud, they echoed through the sky. “Marry me!”
Lettie's cheeks were consumed by a nervous blush. Flynn, Jun and Wiggly Joe were watching the proposal, as well as a few curious passersby. It was certainly unexpected. “Julian...” Lettie's voice dropped to a whisper. “Are you only saying this because you want to have sex with me?”
“What? No!” Julian threw back his head, affronted by the thought. “No, of course not! I'm asking you to marry me because I adore you, and because I love you from the very depths of my soul, Letitia Jordan! I can't imagine a version of my life that doesn't have you at my side. I need you.” He attacked her hand with another barrage of kisses. “I need you.”
“In that case, I... uh...” Lettie's gaze shifted between the faces of their onlookers. “Of course I want to marry you!”
“You do?” Julian gasped. “Really?”
“I do!”
“Really and truly?”
“Yes!” Lettie giggled at his skepticism. “I want to marry you, Julian! I love you! You know I do!”
Julian suddenly sprang from the ground and lifted her off her feet. As he spun her in circles, he declared, “Then I'm the happiest man in the world!” A few of their spectators clapped for them, so Jun joined in.
When he put her down, Lettie asked, “Alright... don't get me wrong... I'm happy, but why did you decide to propose to me now?” Hours ago, she was nearly sold to the highest bidder. It hardly seemed like the most romantic time in the world to get engaged.
“Because I was so relieved to see you. Because I was worried sick! And maybe I was slightly inspired by the emperor's wedding.”
Taciturn Flynn suddenly spoke up. As he exchanged glances with Jun, he asked, “The emperor's wedding? What do you mean?”
Julian gave them the briefest summary of events. “Yesterday, a foreign emperor took over the town and married some girl.”
“Was it Emperor Ju-long?” Jun asked.
Julian shrugged. “Yeah. It was something like that.”
“So... Emperor Ju-long conquered Gravestone?” Flynn asked, scanning his surroundings. For a town that had recently been subjugated, it looked remarkably peaceful. “Didn't anyone fight back?”
“No. Not really.” Julian concealed a yawn behind the palm of his hand. West Columbigan news and politics wasn't a topic that interested him. “From what I can understand, the sheriff died recently, so there was no one to defend the town. Everyone in Gravestone laid down their arms and just... let it happen.”
“Which is a lot different than what happened in Santo Feo, that's for sure,” Jun added with a sigh.
Julian slipped an arm around Lettie's waist. As he led her away from the motocarriage, he said to the others, “Well... it was nice to meet you, Flynn and, uh... you.” When he realized he hadn't taken the time to learn Jun's name, he winced. “We should stay in touch. Maybe you can come to our wedding?”
“Sure.” Flynn gave him a tiny nod. “I'd like that.”
As soon as Julian and Lettie disappeared, Jun grabbed Flynn's arm and pulled him into the motocarriage for a private discussion. “The emperor's in Gravestone?” she shrieked. “What if that means Feng is nearby?”
Flynn's lips fell into a solemn frown. “It's certainly possible.”
“What should we do? Should we leave?” When Jun peeked out of the carriage window, fear tickled her spine. All around them, there were imperial soldiers patrolling the streets. “What if they won't let us leave?”
“Jun... I've been thinking...”
“What is it?”
“Maybe, um... maybe...” Flynn gave the collar of his shirt a nervous tug. “Maybe we should get married too.”
Jun's eyebrows jumped to her forehead. “What?”
“I... I know it sounds crazy, but I've given it a lot of thought,” Flynn explained. “If Prince Feng came back for you and you were already married, he'd have to give up. He'd have to leave you alone.”
“No.” Her answer came so quickly, it deepened Flynn's fro
wn. “I couldn't let you make that kind of sacrifice for me, Flynn. Besides, it wouldn't work like that. The prince would probably kill you and take me anyway. It wouldn't change anything.”
Flynn's head sank between his shoulders. It wasn't supposed to be a sacrifice. How could he possibly explain that he actually wanted to marry her?
“That's very sweet of you, though, Flynn.” When Jun's head landed on his shoulder, she felt his body tensing. “I've probably said this before, but I'm really lucky to have you.”
“Nah,” Flynn rejected the thought. “I'm the lucky one because I get to spend time with you!”
Flynn saw movement in the corner of his eye, so he turned his attention to the motocarriage window. What he saw was so unexpected, he wondered if he was hallucinating.
A mustached Nicky Gunn skipped down Gravestone's main street with an enormous cake in his arms.
Twenty Six
Josiah, Carol and Patrick all reacted differently to their teatime with Princess Isabella. The table was set on the deck of the airship. Josiah, whose experience with aircraft was limited, couldn't stop staring at the propellers as they spun and hummed. Conversely, Carol couldn't care less about the airship. Her attention was focused on the mound of cookies at the center of the table. Buttery shortbread biscuits and colorful crispy wafers were begging her to eat them.
Patrick had recently given up on his romantic pursuit of Carol. Secretly, he thought she belonged with Josiah, even though both of his friends were too blind to see it. Instead, he focused his attention on the princess herself. In Patrick's humble opinion, Isabella deserved better than the charmless masked man who hovered at her heels. In the corner of his eye, he could see the scowl on Thomas Harriot's face. Isabella's fiance was hovering in the background, quietly observing the princess' unorthodox teatime with her prisoners. He already looked unpleasant, but Patrick was determined to give him a reason to really be irate.
“Thank you for joining me,” Isabella expressed her gratitude with a growing smile.
“Thanks for having us,” Carol replied on their behalf. Her hand slowly crawled across the table, determined to reach the plate of cookies.
A Broken Outlaw Page 17
