"Yes," He says, simply, trying to reconcile with the cold, as Felassan—

...As Felassan does not draw away?

"At first, I had hope that the anchor could be removed, or else that it would somehow integrate fully, and do her no great harm. She seemed to wield its power so naturally..." It had been a foolish hope, one among many, "But ultimately, none but myself could have borne it and lived. Removing the anchor would always have been a destructive process. I regret that I allowed her pain to be so prolonged."