There were those who wondered that he wasn't angry at your choice of XO when you combined our crews, who thought that his acceptance was due to adherence to Starfleet protocol and duty. They didn't see that while his loyalty as a Starfleet officer belonged to you as his captain, his personal loyalty belonged to you as Kathryn.
He watched me carefully, I know, to make sure I lived up to your trust in me, to ensure your safety. I don't doubt that had I proved a danger to you, I would have been dealt with swiftly and decisively. He would protect you from anything he could, enemies external and internal, even from yourself where possible.
I believe it can truly be said that the depth of his feelings for you were only surpassed by the love he held for his wife. Kes was possibly the only other one who knew. Not because he would ever have let her know, but she, for all her youth, had a way of seeing what lay beneath the surface.
His greatest gift to you was a love without illusion. He saw you clearly, knew your strengths and weaknesses, his view of you never obscured by his love for you, yet his love was never shaken by any reality. For that you gave him the gift of your trust. You might insist on going your own way but you loved him for the fact that he was prepared to stand up to you, to force you to consider your choices, yet his loyalty was never in doubt. He was a balance you knew you needed and he asked nothing in return from you. For that he had your eternal friendship, and your loyalty.