July 26th 1723
"I still think you should wear a dress, it doesn't have to be white. But seeing as it will be your last wedding day, its your last chance to"
"Like I told you before Edward I don't want to wear a dress, I'm going to meet you at the end of that dock wearing my best boots, shorts and a shirt" I lean over to him "If it makes you feel better, I'll wear a white shirt" we're lying on the front beach watching the stars overhead, we're the only ones still awake and outside. Anne stayed at the manor in case any of the children woke up, after the day we've had planning our wedding for next month she knew we needed the time to ourselves.
"At the end of the day Mary, as long as you turn up and you're walking towards me I don't care what you're wearing or who's there"
It had taken us all day but we'd finally decided that out of a ship and the docks, we would marry at the end of the docks. We didn't want to marry on a ship because we couldn't decide which one we would use, also with marrying on the docks we could all get to the tavern easily enough afterwards. Edward had mentioned our beach in the early stages of planning, I would have loved to but I didn't want to share it with others. That was our place, the place where I could go without others or just with my family.
I'd told him that no one was going to give me away, I never had a father and apart from Edward there wasn't a man in my life that meant anything to me. He'd asked if I wanted any one with me, such as Anne or Jenny to follow me down the aisle. I decided that they could be there and be the closest to us, but I didn't want the formality every other wedding had.
We'd challenged each other to write vows, I knew what I wanted to say when I had initially challenged him but now I was struggling. We'd been through so much in such a short space of time, still all the words out there didn't seem to cover what I needed to tell him.
Finally we had battled out what we would wear, It had been sorted pretty quickly for Edward and the girls. He'd picked out a light suit and shirt, he didn't want a tie or neckerchief like other men wore. We'd joked that maybe full assassin robes would be suitable, I could use the peaked hood to hide my face instead of a veil. The girls were all going to wear identical dresses, as soon as I saw the material on one of the market stalls I knew that was what they would wear. The cotton material was almost the exact blue colour of their eyes, I'd bought a sample back with me from our day in the town and held it near to Charlotte's eyes to be sure. The dress design Anne had helped with, making sure it was nice enough without being to full for the summer sun. I pitied her, she'd be holding either Charlotte or the twins during the ceremony.
We'd invited everyone from the town to witness us being married, everyone had said yes and seemed to be more excited than I was. It wasn't cold feet, I just didn't like the idea of all the attention on me. Due to everyone being invited we hadn't had to worry about food or drink, everyone seemed to offer or promise something their trade could offer. The tavern would be where everyone would go to drink and the beach was going to be set up to hold a meal, this meant we could plan to be married much sooner than we thought possible. The harbour master said that he would offer to lead the ceremony, he wasn't a godly man and I liked that about him. We sorted it that he wouldn't have to say much so that it was all about us two getting married, then we would say our vows to each other and finally marry.
August 1st 1723
All of the plans were coming together nicely and the town looked a lot tidier, I didn't really like it too much but white bunting now ran the length of the path from the manor to the docks. Edward knew how I felt and I felt it rather odd that he only brought white flowers to me now, the large smirk on his face said he knew exactly what he was doing. Each time he did I bought out the outfit I had bought to marry him in, each night when we would help me tuck the twins in he would find my trousers and shirt hanging from the wardrobe. One night when he had found easily the largest bouquet of white flowers and came back to find the outfit he waited till we were in bed to broach the subject.
"You know I don't care what you wear to marry me, I'll still rip it off just as easily" I went to reply but he had already rolled over, tease!
"How exactly will they rip off I wonder" I whispered directly into his ear, I felt him shudder and lay on my back waiting for him
"You'll have to wait till our wedding night won't you" confused at why we hadn't given in to the temptation I took my top off and threw it over to the floor by his side of the bed.
"Why don't we have a practise now, just like people have a practise wedding" fully expecting him to give in I lay back again
"Well that would ruin the surprise now wouldn't it" the man had some inhuman willpower right now, as a last ditch attempt I removed all my clothing and lay flush to his back. He always slept with his shirt off and knew that he loved the way my breasts felt against his back, again he flinched but that was it. We stayed this way all night until I woke to feed the twins, I put on a plain night gown and went to sort them out down stairs
"I hate to see you go, but I love to watch you leave" I heard him mumble from the bed, rewarding his with a wriggle of my bum I left to sort out Eliza and Grace.
August 11th 1723
Although our wedding was anything but traditional, we still kept the tradition of not seeing each other until the day. Edward swapped with Anne for the night and although he was just in the garden I hated him being away, staying true to his word we hadn't slept together.
That night we moved Charlotte's and Jenny's beds into my room, Anne would share my bed for tonight and help out with the twins if needed. The children's dresses hung on the wardrobe and I had an identical dress made for Anne, the shorts and shirt set hung on the back of the door.
When all the children were asleep me and Anne stayed up and chatted, almost like we had used to.
"I can't believe you're getting married tomorrow, I can't believe who to either" she smiles at me "Did you ever think you'd settle down?"
"Honestly no, even when I'd had Charlotte the way everything happened I didn't think I would get the chance to settle down. It still doesn't seem real, as if I have too much luck" I think back to how everything could have gone wrong, if I'd never made it out of that prison. If stupidly I'd stayed on Inagua and refused to move here, going back to attack the prison. All stupid little things that I shouldn't have risked, but all events that lead up to this outcome.
"You both deserve happiness, I'm glad both of my dearest friends found it and found it together of all places. I don't see it as luck though, you know I always say everything happens for a reason. Everything happened so you two would know how much you mean to each other and so that you could love each other as much as you do" I realise what Anne is saying is true, every hardship we fought together to get past it and we'll continue to do so for the rest of our lives. Even if we do move to the New World or London, it'll be okay because we'll have each other. Me and Anne go to bed not long after, knowing that tomorrow no matter how fast it goes will be a long day.
August 12th 1723
I wake to the sun flowing through the windows, filling the room with a bright warmth. Everyone's asleep still so I make sure to go downstairs quietly, I eat and wash on my own making it upstairs in time to sort out the twins before they wake everyone. Anne wakes moments later though and helps me, I wake Jenny and Charlotte and we all go downstairs. The town is already bustling outside, the sound of peoples voices travels to the manor.
We feed and bathe the children quickly, Anne sorts their hair whilst I dress them. When they are all ready and Anne is nearly sorted, I go through to Jenny's room and get the dress that I kept hidden from Edward. Its identical to the one everyone else will be wearing except its white, the suit I pretended to buy for my wedding is part of a gift I'm saving for Edward. It'll make up a captains outfit for when we leave to whatever destination we decide, I'm sure he'll like it seeing as he used to comment on how nice it was.
Anne fixes my hair up for me and when I look in the mirror I struggle to recognise the woman staring back at me, picking up the last bouquet of flowers Edward gave me I finally feel like a bride. One of the women from the town comes to get Charlotte and lead Jenny down to the docks, Anne follows carrying the twins and then somehow its my turn. I don't know how my jelly legs carry me, I feel like I'm floating almost. The towns empty so I know everyone is already there, my nerves kick up a notch but instead they make me want to run. I want to see him, to be by his side already.
We round the corner in the town and I see his eyes watch his children, then they are searching for me. The moment our eyes meet I feel time almost stop entirely, its as if the world goes black and only me and him are on it. My legs keep me moving forward towards him, his grin now fully covering his face. I finally reach him and he takes my hand, still in a trance I don't hear the harbour master start to talk.
"I promised I won't say much and I'll keep that promise, I believe you have both written vows. Edward why don't you start" glad that I finally found the words we both bring pieces of paper out of our Pockets.
"I Edward Kenway, take you Mary Read as my life partner,
I will love you through illness or health,
through the good and the bad times,
through riches or poverty,
through the bright dawn of each morning
and through the darkest time of each night,
I promise to love you whether it be on land or sea,
I promise to hold and protect you through each storm life may throw at us,
But most importantly I promise to love you eternally"
I look up at him, amazed that he came up with those words. The tears from my eyes finally drop off my face onto my hand, he wipes them easily with his thumb
"Mary, would you like to say your vows?" I clear my voice and start.
"I Mary Read, take you Edward Kenway as my life partner,
Today I give you my heart, although you've already had it for a while,
I promise from this day forward you shall never walk or sail alone,
May my heart be your shelter and my arms be your home,
I offer all my love and support,
from the pressures of the present to the uncertainties of the future,
I will always be with you"
"Edward, would you like to kiss your wife?"
"Would I?" before I can react he has me in his arms, our lips locked as shouts of joy ring out. Lifting me up I can feel myself being swung around, when we finally let go our faces mimic each others joy "So where did the dress come from" he loops his arm around my waist and we make our way off the docks towards the beach.
"I ordered it when we bought the dresses for the girls, I was always going to wear white for you"
The party was a blur to me and continued long into the night until many were passed out with drink, Anne had sorted the children out long ago and was probably asleep in our bed right now.
"If like you said we were saving a certain something till our wedding night" I whispered to him "Aren't we going to need a bed?" the same twitch he had from about a fortnight ago happens again.
"Well you best come with me then Mrs Kenway" he leads us away from the party towards our beach, I guess I should have known we were spending it here. Although when we get there I know we won't be, just out to sea a massive man of war sits there anchored. Most of the lanterns are out apart from a few near the captains cabin, that's when I spot the small row boat on the beach "Your carriage awaits" he motions for me to sit in the boat and then pushes us out to sea.
When we reach the ship its hard to see, but I can just about spot that the detail is in blue and gold. "What's her name?" I have to ask, seeing as we have a Charlotte and a Jennifer. Unless there's another it won't be named after one of the twins.
"She's called Mary, I know she'll keep our family safe" he opens the door to the cabin, its massive easily the biggest captains cabin I've ever been in. Against the far wall sits a large double bed with high sides, two single beds with similar sides line the left wall and another two identical beds line the right wall. In the middle of the room sits a massive table, big enough for 7 to eat at one end and there be enough room for it to be used as a desk at the same time. "Where do you want to try first?"
"How long have we got?" again he shudders
"The rest of our lives" he engages his hidden blade and gestures at my dress "Can I?" pulling out a dagger from the garter on my thigh.
"That depends" I gesture at his clothing "Can I?" he raises his eyebrows and I don't wait for an answer, we desperately cut each others clothing off. Leaving only tatters of cloth on the floor, he lifts me and places me on the end of the table. So desperate for each other I start clawing at him to get closer, as soon as he enters me I start to moan. Its been so long so we've been together that it doesn't take long for me to start screaming, we start to twitch and before long we both finish together. Still aching for each other we crawl further up the table and hungrily kiss each other, we lie there for about half an hour until we are ready for round two.
This time its slower and more caring, we have the rest of our lives to do this so why rush. Right here in this moment we forget about everyone else, about everything that's happened or is happening and just focus on each other. We keep a perfect rhythm whilst kissing each other, this time when we find our climax we don't scream, there's no need to. The whole world doesn't need to know we are in love, as long as we know it.
Sorry this took so long, I tried to make up for it by making it a bit longer. So what did everyone think? how different did you imagine their wedding?
thanks again to everyone who made this their favourite or wanted to follow it. massive thanks to everyone who reviews it and just thanks for reading it, it means a lot that people are still reading this 4 months after I started it :) cya all soon