Your heart is not a state secret. You are meant to declare allegiances. You are meant to have favourites. Write the letter. Miss the train. Stay up until dawn talking. You should be caught red-handed loving something, someone.
"grace wasn't a coward" YES HE WAS, AND IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO HIS CHARACTER ARC. HE'S NOT A PERFECT HERO. HE DIDN'T WANT TO GO. HE WAS TOO SCARED. STOP ERASING THIS ASPECT OF HIM. HE LEARNS TO BE BRAVE BECAUSE HE FINDS SOMEONE TO BE BRAVE FOR.