"Oh, it's nice to lie to yourself isn't it?" He knew how well that worked. Anders was fine. Justice wasn't a problem. Meredith wasn't as dangerous as everyone said. Orsino would be his ally. All the things he had told himself while in Kirkwall to try and hang on to his happiness as much as possible.
He understood exactly what Emma was going through. It was hard to shake off failure. The guilt, the shame, and the self-hatred, none of those feelings left easily.
"Here's a secret, we aren't those things at home either," he said with a laugh. "Those were titles given to us. We carried them like the burden they are. I have Killian and learned so much. This place is miserable but damn if I haven't found a way to be happy. You have Jefferson, me as your teacher and a fight in you. You'll find it again. Killian's already bouncing back."