He had said it. Now he needed to be prepared to follow through. A day. A week. A month. A year. Forever. And so he was. Resolved. Steadfast. He loved her enough to wait. He only hoped she loved him enough to see the reasoning to why he couldn' t let her die.
So, Silver went on about the business of living. Or, breathing at least. He had to at least be useful. He met with the Maroon Queen to discuss what he could do to make himself useful.
"Mr. Silver. Please. Come in." He inclined his head in deference, then entered and stood against the nearest wall. " I must thank you for your sacrifice. I knew she was important to you. And I worried that you would betray her should things go badly. I was wrong. You are truly a man of your word. And I am incredibly grateful to you for it. You gave up everything for her. And I want you to know, I am trying to get her to understand what that sacrifice truly means."
John was surprised. He thought he would have to beg her to allow him to work on the island. "Thank you. I feared you would also be angry at what I had done. I didn't want to betray her trust. But more than that, I couldn't lose her. It seems I have failed miserably at both. "
"Maybe. I doubt it. She is hurt. Feels all our sacrifice was for naught. That is obviously not the case. The Governor has been overthrown. Our way of life is preserved. We can go on as we have been. She needs to realize there are no absolutes. There is more than one way to do any task. I will do my best to get her to see that." she stood and walked to face him once again.
"Forgive me. But why? I never thought you cared in the least for me."
"Because one who would burn all they are, all they wanted, to the ground for another? That is love. That is selflessness. One does not find it every day, if ever. I had it. I want her to have the same." she placed her hand on John's shoulder and squeezed. "You may go find Julius. He will see that you are set up to run the merchant trading. He is much to busy to do all that I require of him."
"Thank you. I am grateful." John said. "You are most welcome."
Madi stood at a distance and watched John walk away. It was true. She loved him. Completely. But she was so angry. She didn't know how to address the rage that was welling up inside of her. She did what she would normally do. Went to speak to her mother for guidance.
"Mother? Do you have a moment?" she asked, walking into the Queens' lodgings. "Of course. I am making tea. Would you care for a cup?" Madi nodded. "Thank you." After pouring Madi a cup, the Queen looked at her. She was troubled. "What is bothering you, my child? You are conflicted. I can see it on your face."
Madi toyed with the cup, took a breath as if to speak, then stopped. "I ...do not know what to do. I am so angry at him mama. But... I love him so much. What do I do?" she looked to her mother, hoping that she could provide the clarity that had been eluding her for all these days.
"Madi, my daughter. I love you. You are what I consider the best of me. But you are being foolish. Allowing pride to be in your way." she walked around the table, looking directly at her daughter. "Do you not realize what he sacrificed? What he was willing to forgo? He knew what I have always known. There is more than one way to achieve anything. We wanted Woodes Rogers unseated, and he has been. We wanted to maintain our lives here and keep our people free. That also has been achieved. We wanted new contacts to be able to wield influence in Nassau. Also done. Although it did not occur through bloody revolution, it did occur. You behave as though you are unaware these things have happened. I am disappointed. I have raised you to have your own mind. To recognize sacrifice. To see things from a different perspective. What, exactly, are you doing? Do you even know?"
Madi was taken aback. She had assumed her mother would be a sympathetic ear. Soothe her battered and fearful heart. "I do not believe you are taking his side. I thought you would support me." Madi stood, angry and bewildered.
The Queen stood as well. "Do not dare speak to me so willfully. There are two sides here. Right, and wrong. You, my dear, are wrong. I support you, but you are being inherently short sighted. Think girl. With your brain, not your heart. What is it telling you?"
"Mama. He planned all along to get rid of Captain Flint, and did not tell me! He knew, and he deceived me. I cannot forgive that. " Madi's eyes filled with tears, and she crumpled into the chair.
"Think Madi. How many times did you hear that all Captain Flint's partners did not survive? That those in that orbit were sucked under as well? Did you not realize you were in that orbit? That all Mr. Silver wanted was to protect you? Save you from the darkness? All the while returning this tortured man back to the one thing that made him human? The one thing that made his life have meaning? Did you not see it? Or were you so angry that you did not get your way that you could not see it? " The Queen took hold of Madi's hand, and looked at her expectantly.
The impact of the words washed over Madi. She literally felt the words as if they were physical blows to her body. "I did not get my way. He gave up everything for me. Now he is here, in hostile and unwelcoming territory, just waiting for me." She breathed out, almost as if for the very first time.
"Yes. What will you do?" The Queen once again reclaimed her seat and took a sip of her tea.
But Madi was gone. She jumped up and ran towards the door, throwing a hurried 'thank you," behind her.
She ran towards the docks , finding one of her bodyguards. "Where is he?" she asked
"Who, ma'am? "
"Mr. Silver. Find him and send him to my quarters immediately."
"Yes ma'am."
Madi walked slowly back to her home, thoughts whirring. She had been so blinded by her feelings of betrayal, she had not seen the bigger picture. Had not considered what his actions meant for him, or for her. She had been a fool. Now, she had some explaining to do.
She brewed a pot of tea, cut up some mangoes, lit the lanterns, and pulled closed most of the long bamboo blinds. She wanted as much privacy as possible, in the case of raised voices, either in anger or disappointment, or passion.
Soon she heard the undeniable pattern of his footsteps on the stairs below, She heard him pause at the doorway, then knock. She took a deep breath. "Please come in."
He walked in, a sceptical look on his face. His eyes quickly wandered over her, making sure she was well. "You summoned me. Are you alright?" He asked , as he leaned against the doorframe for support.
" You must be tired. Please, come in. Would you like to sit? I made some tea, and there is fruit." her hands fluttered around like agitated birds. She was nervous, and scared.
"I...there is much work to be done before the end of the day. If you don't mind, brevity would be best." He could not take another of her dismissals. He was ever hopeful of her eventual forgiveness, but was more than certain this was not it.
"I...I would like.." she frowned, angry that, for the first time in her life, she did not know how to begin. "John, I fear I have done you a great disservice. I feel I must right this wrong right now."
"I don't understand." John moved forward into the room, and leaned his back against her desk.
"I was so angry with you. You tried to explain what you had done, and why. I did not listen, could not hear what you were saying. All because I wanted something and I wanted it my own way. I never considered all you did what out of fear for me. Out of love for me. I am sorry for this. It was selfish, and childish." she looked at his face, trying to read what she saw. She watched as fear, hopefulness, and doubt all flickered across his countenance.
"What...what are you saying to me? What does that mean?" He asked hesitantly. John knew what he wanted it to mean. What he dreamt it meant. But he did not want to attach his desires to her words. So he held his breath and waited.
She walked until she was directly in front of him. "You said you would wait forever. I am saying the waiting ends now. That is, if you are still of the mind that you even want me to be yours anymore." she stood in front of him , head down, waiting. But he did not move, did not speak. All she heard was the sound of his breathing. "John?"
"Say that again." his voice was low, strained.
"What? You need wait no longer. I am sorry. So very sorry, for what I said to you. For putting you through all this. I do love you. What you must think of me. I would not be surprised if you walked away and never looked back." she broke then, tears flowing, struggling to breathe.
It was then he moved. Gathered her against his chest. "You must know I would never leave you by choice. It would be akin to walking around with my heart outside of my chest. You are my heart, my world. I am here, as I shall always be." He looked down into her face, wiped her eyes of tears. "Do you believe that?"
"Yes. John?"
"Yes."
"Will you stay here with me this night? And every other night?" Her eyes were shining, hopeful.
"It's all I have wanted since I first kissed you." He rested his forehead against hers, arms still about her body.
She leaned up on her toes, pressed her lips to his in a gentle kiss. Once it ended, She grasped his head, and kissed him harder, willing a response from him. John breathed in, grasped the back of her neck and pulled her body even closer to his. Ending the kiss, he whispered her name against her lips. "Madi..."
"Tell me what you desire, my love. I will not deny you." She ran her fingers from his cheeks down to his lips, tracing over them.
"Madi...you do not want to tell me that. We were apart for so very long. I fear my appetite for you is voracious. Even more so than normal. Your people will fear you have been kidnapped. I would keep you here, under and over me, for days. " his eyes were heavy, their lightness obscured by full blown irises.
"You think I do not feel the same fire? Miss the feel of you, the smell and sound of you in our bed?" she nipped at his lips and he groaned low, placing both his hands on her bottom and pulling her tightly against him.
"You do not know what you ask, woman." He turned her bodily towards her desk and bent her over its surface. "You deserve gentle. I am afraid this first time, I may not be able to deliver." He said, as he leaned down and grabbed the edges of her skirt and pushed them up over her hips. He then leaned in over her back and kissed her neck.
"I do not want you tempered. I want to feel the full weight of your emotion." she looked at him over her shoulder, grabbed a fistful of his hair and pulled him in for a kiss. And this kiss was not gentle. It was a battle for dominance. Teeth and tongues and wide opened mouths, threatening to swallow the other whole.
John leaned forward again, and pulled her skirts down with one strong tug. She stared at him over her shoulder as he did the same with her underwear. He stopped to resituate himself, by grabbing her leg and turning her on its surface, so he may sit in the chair and her legs straddle his chest. He jerked her forward, placed a hand on either thigh, and dove for her center.
As soon as his lips touched her, she let out a groan born from the bottom of her soul. Her body could not decide if it wanted to run away from the pleasure she was receiving from John's skilled mouth, or to stay. So it did the only other thing it could. She erupted in one of the hardest orgasms she had ever felt. Her back arched off the desk, legs trying to crush and simultaneously pull John in. But, he would not be dissuaded. As she started to come down from her peak, He stuck two fingers inside of her dripping core and sucked on her clit hard. And did not stop. She bolted upright, the wave reversed and she started to peak again. "JOHN!!!!!" her scream went on until she ran out of air and collapsed back onto the desk.
As she lay against the surface of the desk John reached forward and lifted he body slightly so he could remove her shirt. Laying her back again, he sat back in the chair and gazed down at her naked form. Her skin glistening, her chest heaving and her legs quivering. He ran his hand down her neck then down the center of her body.
"So beautiful." He murmured. Madi just gazed back at him.
"So unfair, my love. I am completely bare. Also reached my peak now twice. You have experienced no satisfaction." Madi feigned a pout.
"I have. To have you here, under my hands, so very responsive. I need nothing other." He leaned down and kissed her collarbone.
Madi reached up and grabbed his face. She sat up, grabbed his jacket and slipped it off of his shoulders. She unlaced the ties of his shirt and pulled it off as well. Then she slid her body into his lap, straddling him. She reached her hands down, unlacing his trousers. All the while, she kissed and licked at his neck.
"My dearest. What are you doing?" John asked, between kisses.
Madi did not answer, just lifted her hips and leaned forward slightly. Then she ground hip hips down, impaling herself on his flesh. John's head snapped back, his mouth opened, and an almost tortured groan left his mouth .
"Madi...Shit!!!!!!" He clutched her hips, his head falling forwards and captured a nipple. "Are you attempting to kill me? I would be quite happy to die here, in this moment."
"We have been without each other for so long. I could not wait one moment longer. I missed my husband. And from your enthusiasm, you missed your wife. Ahhhh...There, right there, my love."
John readjusted her in his lap, looping his arms under her arms and then over her shoulders so he could control her movements a bit more. At present, she was twirling her hips in a figure eight pattern, and it was driving him insane. "Slowly, my love. I cannot go the distance if you continue to move so."
"No. You are two releases behind me. We have all night. And I intend to use every moment." Madi licked at his lips, then kissed him deeply. She continued her twirling, but ground down at the beginning of each movement. Had she been laying on a bed, John would have pounded her through the mattress. He was losing control, and the need to possess her this way was rising within him.
"John, harder. Give me more." Madi whined.
John used his position to bodily move her up and down over him. She was so wet, he could feel it on his thighs. She squealed, then sighed. "Is this how you would like me to take you? I have so many ideas. Some of which would make the most learned blush."
"I cannot wait for you to show me." Madi whispered. She licked down his neck, then bit down, hard. The pleasure had the edge of pain to it, that skittered down his spine and settled in his groin. And he came, hard.
"He looked up at her, stroking gently down her chest. "How I have missed you, wife."
"Enough to show me some of these things you hinted at?" Madi asked, gleefully.
"I will employ all the tools in my arsenal." John said, smiling devilishly.