"I had a friend back home," Hild countered, seemingly changing the subject but wanting, instead, for Freddie to understand her. If the distraction eased some of his irritation, all the better.

"When we were children, we would play at war, playing out the battles from stories, fighting each other and pretending to be famous warriors. Because he was a boy, he was expected to be a warrior, so he was given a little wooden sword and shield, to practice with. I had whatever tree bough we could find. I would always end up with more bruises, always lose the fight, and this made Cian quite happy. One day I asked him for his sword and shield, and after much hesitation, he gave them to me. He found out what it was like to fight with only a branch, and the bruises a wooden sword could give, and he wanted the sword and shield back, because they were his. I said, of course they were his, no one could deny that, and at any time he could ask for them back and I would give them to him. He thought about this, and decided to let me keep the sword and shield a little longer. Because he knew he was the one choosing."

"It's the choice," she said, confidently. "He chooses. At any time, he can leave. But he chooses to stay. That's the control."