The Emperor's Bride

by Caylen McQueen

  “Just wait until news of that stagecoach robbery breaks!” Carol exclaimed. “Maybe I'll be on a wanted poster then. Do you think so? Or do you think you'll get all the credit for that?”

  A heavy, exasperated sigh swirled through Josiah's nose. “I think you're insane. That's what I think.”

  Josiah wasn't exactly sure where to find the Hershalls, and when he asked around, almost everyone seemed reluctant to part with information. Josiah wasn't sure if they were frightened of him, or frightened of the Hershalls. Either way, it took him nearly an hour to pinpoint their whereabouts. According to one loose-lipped source, they were staying in an abandoned hotel on the outskirts of Yooma.

  Josiah begged the girls to stay close as they approached the dilapidated building. When he entered, he saw Ed Hershall sitting at the front desk, whistling to himself while idly doodling on a yellowing strip of paper.

  “Ed,” Josiah greeted him in a low voice.

  “Heeey! If it ain't Josiah Cole! You're here already? We weren't expecting you for another few days, at least!” Ed sat forward in his chair and rubbed his palms together. He kept his revolver close at hand, discouraging Josiah from trying anything. “Did you already scrounge up my brother's money, or are you here to waste my time?”

  Josiah hurled the bag of money onto Ed's dusty desk. When the bag fell, they heard a loud jingle, and a cloud of dust exploded in Ed's face. “It's all here. Every bit of it... plus a couple of extra trinkets tossed in as a show of good will.”

  When Ed opened the bag and money rained onto his desk, he cooed, “Oooo! I like the looks of this!”

  “My brother,” Josiah reminded him. “Bring him out now, or I won't keep my patience for long.”

  “Alright, alright! Don't get your little panties in a twist, boy.” Ed's chair loudly creaked as he rose. “I'll be back with Flynn right away.”

  “And Nicky!” Josiah added. “I almost don't want to claim that rascal, but I suppose he should be part of our deal.”

  “Alright then. I'll bring 'em around. Just so you know, my brother ain't here, but I'm pretty sure he'd approve of this transaction, so I see no reason to wait 'til he gets back.” As he left the room, Ed made eye contact with Gwen, licked his lips, and winked.

  “Ugh!” Gwen groaned. As soon as he was gone, her entire body was rocked by a shudder. “That's a truly vile man if I've ever seen one!”

  “True. And I hope that vile man is true to his word, because I don't look forward to putting a bullet through his head if this thing goes south.” Josiah's boot tapped the wooden floorboards as he waited for Ed to reappear.

  A few minutes later, an armed Ed Hershall shoved a terrified-looking Nicky and a remarkably calm Flynn into the hotel's shabby lobby. “Here they are, then.” Cradling his rifle in one arm, Ed Hershall scooped up his money. “It's been a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Cole. A real pleasure indeed. I hope our future interactions will be a little less... tense.”

  “I'm sorry it had to come to this, Ed,” Josiah said as he untied his brother's bound wrists. Nicky was tied up too, but since he was the cause of it all, Josiah wasn't in a rush to free him. “No hard feelings, I hope?”

  “If you don't hold a grudge against us for taking your brother, we won't hold a grudge on you folks for taking our money.”

  “No grudges.” Josiah tapped his hat's brim as he stepped backward through the hotel's main doors. “Good day.”

  “And a damn good day to you as well!” exclaimed Ed, who whistled as he walked away with his loot.

  As soon as they were back on the street, Nicky cried, “Oh thank god! Freedom! I don't think I could've lasted another day in that man's company! Ed Hershall is a disgusting human being. Hey, can someone untie me?”

  Josiah moved forward to cut the ropes, but Carol beat him to it. With a grunt, Josiah said, “You act like you were locked up forever, but you were in there for a day.”

  “Yeah! I know! And we need to talk about that!” Nicky scratched his hair, which looked even messier than usual. “When your own brother's locked away, you have him out the very next day. But what about my brother, huh? You've left him locked up for months!”

  “Are you really making that comparison, Nicky? Really?” Josiah pulled a cigarette from his pocket, tapped it against his wrist a few times, then lit it. “I've tried my best to get your brother out, but that damn sheriff keeps asking for more and more.”

  Behind him, Gwen looked a little bit sheepish. She hated to think her father was giving her favorite man a tough time.

  “Well, I think you're weak,” Nicky said. “You're supposed to be some big, tough outlaw... but when it comes to your supposed best friend, you leave him rotting in jail for months. You let that sheriff walk all over you. You let the Hershalls jerk you around and give you orders. Yeah... tough guy my ass!”

  “And what have you accomplished, Nicky? What good have you done for Pat? You waste your time on gambling, drinks and women. At least I'm working toward getting him out!”

  “Well, you're obviously not working hard enough... because here we are, Flynn and me, back in the sunlight! And yet Pat's still locked away...”

  Josiah seized the younger man's collar and gave him a shake. He brought his face closer to Nicky's—or rather, as close as he could, since Nicky was taller than him—and he screamed, “You ungrateful little shit! I get you out of prison, and this is what you say to me? No word of thanks, just insults? I wish I would've left your ass in there!”

  “Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoaaaa!” Carol gently slid her arms between Josiah and Nicky and tried to pry them apart. “Maybe you both need a moment to calm down? Why don't we go to that saloon over there and grab a drink or something?”

  “Good idea. Because drinking is just about the only thing Nicky's good for,” Josiah said as he shoved him away. “Drinking, and being a goddamn waste of skin and space.”

  “Yeah... well... at least I'm not pretending to be something I'm not!” Nicky kicked the dirt as he hollered at Josiah, who strode away with his hands in his pockets. “We both know your tough exterior's just for show! All that confidence? It's just a show! Inside, you're just a sad little man who can't do shit!”

  “Shh... shhhhh!” Carol laid a finger on top of Nicky's lips. “Try not to upset him anymore than you already have, huh?”

  Even though Carol had a finger on his lips, Nicky's rant continued, “He expects me to be grateful, but what has he done for me? Huh? Nothing, that's what. If Flynn wasn't with me, do you think he would've gotten me out? Hell no. I don't feel like being grateful to the likes of him!”

  “Well... how do you feel about being grateful to me?” Carol slowly withdrew her finger from his lips. “Because I robbed the stagecoach too, you know. I helped Josiah get the money.”

  “You did?”

  “Uh huh. To be honest, I don't think he could've done it without me. I was all like... bang bang bang! Those guys didn't stand a chance.” She might have been embellishing her role, as well as her success, but Nicky didn't look slightly incredulous, so her smile broadened.

  “Really?”

  “Really!”

  “Huh. Wow! That's amazing! Of course, that ass would try to take all the credit.” Nicky wrapped an arm around Carol and steered her toward the saloon, “Thanks, Miss Cassady. I'm eternally grateful to you. You're a real tough girl. I like that.”

  Behind them, a suddenly taciturn Flynn was shaking his head with disbelief.

  Twenty Two

  After Josiah stormed away, Flynn took it upon himself to watch over the ladies. Yooma wasn't a safe place for a lone female, and the saloon was especially raucous. He didn't sit anywhere near them; rather, he sat on the opposite end of the room and made sure no man made an inappropriate approach. He was their silent guardian.

  “Heeey Flynn!” With a mug in her hand, Carol plunked down in the chair beside him. “What's up, cutie?”

  “Hey, Carol.” Flynn's reply was so soft, she could barely hear it over the saloon'
s constant cacophony.

  “You know, one of these days, I might take offense to the fact that I'm the only girl you can talk to.” As she spoke, Carol raised the mug to her lips. Unbeknownst to her, the frothy ale left a mustache of foam on her upper lip. “I guess I'm not pretty enough to make you all weird and awkward.”

  “N-no... you're pretty,” Flynn tried to reassure her. “But we spent a lot of time on the road together, soo...”

  “I'm not pretty enough. Just admit it!” Carol sat back in her chair, crossed her arms, and exaggerated a sigh. “I've never been the prettiest girl in the room. I've always wondered what it would be like to be a head-turner like Gwen or Jun.”

  “Do you want me to be weird and awkward around you? Because I can be, if you want.”

  “Naaaah. I'm glad you can talk to me, it just makes me wonder.” Flynn wasn't even looking in her direction, so she followed his gaze to a faraway table. When she realized what—or rather, who—he was looking at, she was hardly surprised. “You have a thing for Jun, don't you?”

  “What?” Flynn's eyes swelled at the thought. “No!”

  “You do. You so do. Well, good luck with that. I think she might have a crush on your brother.” Carol's expression suddenly turned sour. “That Josiah... why does he get all the ladies? I stand by my initial assessment, Flynn. I'm looking at the cute brother right now!”

  Flynn's eyebrows drew together at her remark. “You think so?”

  “I know so.”

  “Hmm...” Flynn folded his hands on the empty tabletop. He was probably the only man in the saloon who wasn't surrounded by drinks and a fog of cigarette smoke. “I don't have my brother's confidence, that's for sure. At least... not when it comes to women.”

  “Well, today's a new day, Flynnikins! I'm going to help you!” Carol declared. “I'm going to make you go over there and talk to Jun! Or would you rather practice with someone else?” Carol bowed her head in the direction of the Josiah-obsessed Gwen, who was sitting by herself, eating a sandwich. “Like her, maybe? If you crash and burn with Gwen, maybe you won't feel so bad.”

  “I'm not going to crash and burn!” Flynn exclaimed.

  “Good! That's a nice, positive attitude!”

  “...because I'm not doing this at all,” Flynn finished. “I can't. I just can't talk to Jun. She's the prettiest girl I've ever seen. I--”

  “You've got this!” Carol suddenly shoved Flynn as hard as she could, pushing him out of his chair. “I have faith in you, little buddy. Even if you don't believe in yourself, I do. And I'll be over here cheering you on!”

  “W-well... what should I say?” Flynn's voice went a bit shrill. He desperately needed advice.

  “I don't know. Say hello, ask her if she'd like a drink or food or something. Ask her what her favorite food is back home, and then tell her her hair looks pretty. Women like compliments and stuff.”

  Flynn sighed dreamily. “Her hair sure does look nice...”

  “Go go go!” Carol cheered for him. “You can do this!”

  After another push from Carol, Flynn stumbled in the direction of Jun's table. He held his head high and tried to convince himself he felt as confident as he looked. But when he was standing right in front of her, a harvest of anxieties cropped up in his chest. His muteness returned.

  “Hello, Flynn.” Jun was the one who greeted him. She sounded polite, which was encouraging. After he spied on her bath time, he was afraid she might hate him forever.

  Flynn opened his mouth, but not a single word came out.

  “Would you like to join me?” she asked.

  Again, not a word.

  Since he had nothing to say, Jun continued, “When we entered this saloon, I have to say, I was a little apprehensive at first. The last time I was in an establishment like this, Nicky and I had to escape together. This seems like a much more pleasant experience.”

  “Would you, uh...” Flynn started a sentence, but he struggled to finish.

  Jun smiled at the sound of his voice, but her smile only made it harder for him to function. “Would I what?”

  “Would you, uh... like something to eat?”

  “That's sweet of you, but Josiah gave me some money for food a little bit ago. I just had some fish. It had this flaky, crispy, golden crust, and it was a lot better than I thought it would be!”

  Josiah. Flynn secretly cursed his brother's name. He wanted to say something else to Jun, but it was impossible to get the words out. His shyness was a specter that never stopped haunting him.

  As soon as she saw the disappointment on his face, Jun changed her answer. “Oh, but... if you want to buy something, I wouldn't object. I--”

  “I like your hair,” Flynn suddenly blurted.

  “Oh! I... thank you.”

  The compliment expended his last ounce of willpower. With blushing cheeks, Flynn sputtered, “goodbye,” then he spun on his heel and marched back to Carol's table, sheepish and ashamed of himself.

  “Whoooooa buddy!” Carol greeted him with swollen eyes. “That was way too brief. There's no way that conversation went well.”

  Flynn fell into his chair and clutched his head in his hand. “It didn't.”

  “Well... y'know... there's always a next time!” Carol tried to encourage him.

  “She likes Josiah,” Flynn sighed. “I saw her eyes light up when she mentioned his name. I don't stand a chance.”

  “Well, if it makes you feel any better, I think your brother's kind of blah. He's totally overrated. I mean... sure, he's got those crystal blue eyes... and that swagger... and this raw masculinity that pours from every pore of his body. But even so, he--”

  “Oh god...” Flynn groaned into the palm of his hand. “You like him too!”

  Offended by the thought, Carol snorted loudly. “Pfffft! What? No! Are you serious? No, I don't!”

  “Yes. You do.”

  Punching his arm as hard as she could, Carol screamed, “No I don't, man!”

  “If you say so.” Flynn's chair creaked as he leaned back and crossed his arms. “So... what now?”

  “Now we find you a new target.” Carol's eyes went wild as she scanned the room. She rubbed the palms of her hands together, which made her look a bit diabolical. “Hey, I think that girl over there is checking you out.”

  “Who?”

  “The redhead by the bar.”

  Flynn turned in his chair, trying to catch a glimpse of Carol's mystery girl. A freckled ginger with long curly hair was watching him so intently, she barely blinked.

  “Oh wow...” Flynn murmured. “She's pretty.”

  “I know, right? And she seems interested in you already, so I think you've got a real shot at this!” When Carol pushed him out of his chair again, Flynn scowled at her. “Good luck, my Flynny-kin-kins! I'll be rooting for you!”

  Carol claimed to be helping him, but she was acting like a cowpoke with a cattle prod. Getting shoved in the direction of various women didn't offer much in the way of actual assistance. Nerves simmered in Flynn's gut as he made his way to the red-haired beauty. When he was standing in front of her, he gave his head a nervous scratch and said, loud and clear, “hi.” It was weak, but it was the best greeting he could muster.

  “Hi, cutie,” the beauty returned his greeting with a wild grin.

  “Uh... hi,” he repeated. Being called a “cutie” temporarily tied his tongue.

  “I'm glad you came over here. I've got to admit, I was watching you from across the room, and I thought you were adorable.” She held out a freckled hand. “I'm Rose.”

  “I'm... Flynn.” He raised her hand to his lips and gently kissed her knuckles.

  “Flynn? Like... Flynn Cole, the guy from the wanted posters?”

  “Uh... yea. That would be me.” Flynn's eye twitched at the truth. He wasn't sure his infamy would do him any favors.

  But it did. “Oh my god... so you're an outlaw? That makes me hot.” It made her so hot, in fact, that Rose ripped a fan from her pocket, snapped it open
, and fluttered it beneath her cheeks. “I thought you looked familiar, but wow... you look a lot cuter in person.”

  Heat rushed into Flynn's cheeks when he heard the compliment. “Thanks.”

  “Do you think I'm pretty?” Rose asked.

  “Yes, ma'am. Very pretty.”

  “Would you care to join me in my room?”

  “I... I believe I would.” Flynn's eyes were bulging when he glanced back at Carol's table. When Rose grabbed his shirt and dragged him from the room, Flynn's proud accomplice gave him an enthusiastic thumbs-up.

  As soon as Flynn was gone, Carol leaned back in her chair, kicked up her feet, and silently congratulated herself on a job well done, even though she didn't do much. Her feeling of self-satisfaction didn't last long, however. She needed to ask herself a very important question—how long would she tag along with the Coles? They never really wanted her company, and she had probably overstayed her welcome.

  Soon, Carol decided. After they reached Santo Feo, she would have to think long and hard about the possibility of parting ways with them. She needed to go home, to see to her business. Carol Cassady's Amazing Mecca of Mechas was nothing without her. No engineer was talented enough or intuitive enough to complete her work or expand her research. The world needed her genius.

  “Excuse me, Miss?”

  Carol's eyes were closed, so it took her a moment to realize someone was speaking to her. In front of her, there was a dark-haired, bearded, middle-aged man with a pipe in his hand. “Um... hey. Hi,” she greeted him dubiously. “Can I help you?”

  “I'm looking for someone,” the man said. “She's about as tall as my shoulder, with orange hair and a face full of freckles. Have you seen someone who fits that description?”

  “Um...” Carol was wincing on the inside, but she tried not to show her concern on her face. “Maybe.”

  “She was standing by the bar a moment ago. Her name's Rose,” the man said. “I was supposed to meet her here a few minutes ago.”