I just wanted to come and say that I've adored this from the first words of Between the Shadow and the Soul, to the very last sentence of this sequel. Mostly because you made Arthur love Merlin from his first glimpse of him in that photo album, and from that moment on as one by one, all the little 'hidden things' about him came to light, Arthur loved Merlin, and didn't let the terrible pain he was going through be what made him, that wasn't Merlin; they were things that happened to him but Arthur didn't allow those things make Merlin what he was. *not making sense* I just was taken by the way Arthur loved him through them and took care of him, even when he could hardly contain his own want of him.

Strangely enough it was the gentleness of this gripped me so. Thank you for writing it, and I would love, love to read more in this verse. I've friended you, if that is alright?