Re: Part VI/? notes
anonymous
November 6 2011, 04:24:32 UTC
Oh, dear. Dear you, wonderful A!A who brightens my day so with this exquisite piece of literature. And dear Arthur, poor darling Arthur, who doesn't accept love! I love how you took Arthur's canonical self-doubt, his awkwardness and self-deprecation and developed it into a truly tragic character study. God, the pain in his refusal to believe he's loved and the fear of letting others in! And yet you don't make him pathetic but strong and proud: this is an extraordinary feat, I think.
Alfred is just perfect here. I particularly loved how you refer to Alfred feeling the war as something personal, because of Arthur.
(The war is perhaps even more personal for Alfred than it is for Arthur; a long, steady love of Arthur has made everything personal since he was but a child. For Alfred, there has only ever been Arthur.)
You know, of all my headcanon, I think this is the one I love the most: the idea that Arthur has always been the centre of Alfred's life, that he has loved him from the very beginning and that, for him, there's always been only Arthur, as you put so well.
And just to make me happier, you included several passages and references to my favourite book from the Old Testament, including what I think is one of the greatest love (any kind of love) professions: Entreat me not to leave thee, and to return from following after thee, for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge; thy people shall be my people.
You know, when Princess Maxima and Prince Willem-Alexander got married, Ruth's words were read at the ceremony and I wept (actually wept) all trough it. It's just so beautiful! And in this case it has a double meaning: after all, Alfred's people are -at least symbolically and historically- Arthur's people.
All in all, a beautiful update to a breath taking story.
Alfred is just perfect here. I particularly loved how you refer to Alfred feeling the war as something personal, because of Arthur.
(The war is perhaps even more personal for Alfred than it is for Arthur; a long, steady love of Arthur has made everything personal since he was but a child. For Alfred, there has only ever been Arthur.)
You know, of all my headcanon, I think this is the one I love the most: the idea that Arthur has always been the centre of Alfred's life, that he has loved him from the very beginning and that, for him, there's always been only Arthur, as you put so well.
And just to make me happier, you included several passages and references to my favourite book from the Old Testament, including what I think is one of the greatest love (any kind of love) professions: Entreat me not to leave thee, and to return from following after thee, for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge; thy people shall be my people.
You know, when Princess Maxima and Prince Willem-Alexander got married, Ruth's words were read at the ceremony and I wept (actually wept) all trough it. It's just so beautiful! And in this case it has a double meaning: after all, Alfred's people are -at least symbolically and historically- Arthur's people.
All in all, a beautiful update to a breath taking story.
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