WHY?! you CANNOT just LEAVE it there. are you going to make a sequal? please do. *does puppy dog eyes*

To be honest, Merlin's acting like more of a jerk than Arthur in this fic.

This was by far the best Merlin story I have ever read. It was captivating and Lucan's point of view, shared by so many fun, wasn't made in an overly grandiose style that tried to overdo it all used by so many writers.

I loved Merlin and Arthur's confrontation in the village, particularly when Merlin pointed out he was his most loyal friend and the only one who hadn't been promoted. When he asked if it was because he couldn't hold a sword, I mentally cheered for you and him. I don't know what the writers were thinking with all those promotion...the knights being promoted before they did anything for Camelot was bad enough, everyone being able to sit a the round table but Merlin that was there to serve was bad enough...but Mordered, a boy that up until three second before had been part of a band of Saxons, being promoted because he stabbed someone in the back...that was too much. I mean...really, Merlin stepped in front of a Dorocha for him and he didn't even get a thank you for his troubles. Too bad the timeline didn't allow you to address that, I would have loved to see your take on that and to read what your Merlin had to say about it.

I was surprised by the ending, for a moment I had thought it was Gilli that you were introducing. This is way better though, sine it leave the ending open to a sequel...Right? Right?

I've read this entire story, and I love it, but I'm commenting on the first chapter because - your author's note: really? Of course we want you to continue! I don't know what I would have done if I had found this story before it was finished. It was very well written and suspenseful.

Also, I noticed on your profile that English isn't your first language: I couldn't tell at all. Nice job.

I’ll admit it; there were many times in which I almost put this down. Due to the fear of what would happen to Merlin and Arthur, the ‘what if they don’t get a happy ending.’ But I also wanted to know what happened in the end, so I kept on reading. And can I say how glad I am that I did?
The characterization was stunning and the pacing was perfect. This is probably either the best FanFiction I have ever read, or one of them. This is how Series 5 should have gone—still inevitably tragic (…and tear-jerking) but at the same time… showing how strong Arthur and Merlin and Gwen and all the rest truly are.

Honestly, I’ve never seen a story published or nonpublished, FanFiction or non-FanFiction (with the exception of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin or Harry Potter…) so beautiful illustrated in the written language. I felt sad for Arthur when he tried to show Merlin that he had changed, I felt frustrated and angry and annoyed and sorry for/at Lucan, and Merlin… dear goodness, I can’t even begin to describe how much my heart went out to him when it came to Lucan and Morgana and Arthur and destiny and everything else… or how much I wanted to wring his neck at times.

By the way, I honestly thought that maybe, just maybe, things would turn out all right in the end for Merlin and Arthur, but it didn’t. And you know what? /I’m glad/. I think having them part ways like that is so much more powerful than them uniting Albion and bringing magic back to Camelot together. It’s sad, of course, but there’s also the probability that Merlin would come back— and that Arthur would grow into the shoes of the Once and Future King himself. And that, I believe, is probably what makes this one of the best stories I’ve ever read. The writers’, I think, lost focus of that. They forgot that Arthur /is/ the Once and Future King, that he is a king and, as you so eloquently put it, couldn’t use the people around him as crutches. They focused too much on Merlin, and on Merlin and Arthur (though even that eventually started going downhill in S5). And yes, I don’t mind a good healthy dose of Merlin, but I believe that characters need to develop on their own. And that is precisely what you did.

Please don’t ever take this down—it’s a very powerful story and there are so many people who should read it, especially since English is not your mother tongue (and, /yes/, I do know how difficult it is to learn English—in fact, mastering the grammar and spelling of it is something I’m still working on, and I’m already 14). Sure, there are a few grammatical and spelling mistakes here and there, but they are minor and it doesn’t take away any of the beauty of this masterpiece—this piece of art.

If you ever publish something, I’ll be sure to buy it. :)

(D’aww, I almost got it at 500 words total… :( Oops. Sorry.)

TheDragonRider

C'est terrible de voir Merlin et Arthur enfermés chacun dans leur crainte, et de sentir qu'il s'éloigne l'un de l'autre. Ta fic me déchire le coeur.

j'ai beaucoup de peine pour Merlin.

While the idea that nobody takes Merlin for granted is one I love dearly (and I agree wholeheartedly), I'm hoping the writing style will improve.

There is the obvious Prince Mary Sue, and the characters acting like hormone-addled teenagers. And really, Morgana saying "do anything foolish against me, like, I don't know, attack". Inserting "like" and "I don't know" into sentences is the habit of (mainly)girls in their late teens to early twenties. In America. It's rather hard to read a story, however interesting (and it would be!), if the characters sound so very out of character.

It feels like I'm watching Vampire Diaries. (And lets face it, nobody watches that but teenagers and lonely housewives. Even my granny avoids it like the plague, and she'd watch practically anything. She quite enjoys Game of Thrones.)

Wow... Words fail me to describe how much I enjoyed reading this. I read it all in 4 days as I couldn't stop myself. It's the best Merlin fanfiction I've come across so far. I absolutely loved seeing Merlin standing on his own two feet in the end and pursuing the path that's best for himself... A whole lot better than a destiny of servitude. I wish this were canon, over the 5th season. Though bittersweet, the ending left me in peace and made me reflect on a lot things. If anything, I think a piece that makes you stop and reevaluate your life can only be sign that it is great one. Thank you very much for this.

Holy shit!

"Perhaps Gaius even meant for him to get possession of the letter. Perhaps not.
It didn't matter. Arthur needed to hold on to those words, those sentences, that, despite their apparent harshness, held a promise of hope as well."

What about what Gaius needs Arthur? Maybe he needs to hold on to those letters too, his own connection with the man he feels as a son to him.

Typical, selfish Arthur. Honestly, all he ever thinks about is himself and his needs.

OMG. So, im through and that is what comes to my mind first when i try to sum up my thoughts about this fic. It was so incredibly well done, never unrealistic in its descriptions and even better for the not ideal ending. I absolutely loved this. Honestly. Id would have been nice to read what the dragon has to say to Merlin but leaving it to ones imagination is a good idea as well. I will definitively miss this but for now all i can say is: thanks for sharing this amazing peace of art and have a nice day:)

Please write a sequel

Dude, sorry but the merlin I saw in the TV show would NEVER abandon Arthur. Or even suggest that idea. Besides that I think you wrote a good story :D.

Why'd you kill Percy? :(

Are you planning on writing a sequel? Please do, 'cos this, girl, this is DAMN AWESOME.