[ paradoxically, aside from Norna, ish cares the most about freedom. the freedom of others more than his own, but freedom nonetheless. and yet he chains the hearts of those he wants to guide, kidnaps others in pursuit of his fervent delusions.

he doesn't want to chain hwylryn, because one of the things that attracts him the most is his free spirit. yet hwylryn is the one who asked him for these terms: saying no would be denying him in a matter of the heart. that's not something he wants to do ever, if he can help.

maybe he shouldn't have said "only" because he knows that you can belong to more than one person, even if it's never something he's considered himself. but that's truly what he thought: who else would call him a sweet witch? he'd reject anyone else who tried. if hwylryn belonged to other people, how would he feel? he's capable of it, but- ]

I'll always belong to Norna. And you'll always belong to Gwawlyn and Balthazar.

[ he would not ask this to change, it's an impossibility. he loves Norna in a way he won't ever be able to describe and he knows, he feels, that Hwylryn feels similarly about them.

his fingers find hwylryn's on his cheek, resting there like they did the very first day they tripped into all of this. ]

But beyond that, if this is what you want...I'd be happy to give it to you. And it would make me happy too.

[ he's never been wanted before, but he's finally no longer deaf to the cries of his own heart. ]