See my reply to mews1945 below. He's not as innocent as he may seem. And she's not anywhere near as cold-hearted as she's been portrayed in other fics. I think that's the most important thing to remember when reading this series - please forget the way these characters have been portrayed by others. She's a different woman in my story, and he's a different guy. I'm exploring a dynamic I haven't seen in other stories, especially between these two. She didn't leave him - the world tore her away. She's not the villain she's been portrayed as, at least not in my story. Definitely not in my story.