Whatever is written, indeed. If Claudius is a villain in his story, if Wei Ying is a villain in his, then so be it. Lan Wangji has seen how gently Claudius holds a rabbit, how tenderly he loves Galahad, and how kindly and carefully he has accepted every painful secret that Lan Wangji has given him, voluntary or not. If Claudius fears a return to his own world, then Lan Wangji's will be open to him, from the back hills of the Cloud Recesses to the bustling markets of Gusu and Caiyi. Once, he thought himself cold and inhospitable, and that any impulse he had to shelter the people he loved was something to fear. Now, he finds that he wants to open himself and his home to them. Wei Ying is no longer welcome at Lotus Pier. Valhalla is not safe for Magnus. Claudius never wants to return to Elsinore. The Cloud Recesses can hold them all and keep them safe.

He looks steadily at Claudius and, after a moment, says, just as soft but with that characteristic steeliness of his, "I will."