I know that love is about power, too. Who gives, who takes. Who is willing to risk showing their true self.

Don't ask any questions and you won't hear any lies.

His Majesty has always been a powerful man. Perhaps he has never had to distinguish between the two.

Don't say anything. Just act cool," I whispered. Mavkel started to shiver. "Like this?" it asked. "No, I mean act calm." Mavkel stopped shivering.

A man who lifts his chin in pride will fail to see the chasm at his feet.

It is also important to understand that a hidden nature is not always an evil nature

There was a saying that the strength of a man’s steel was only known under the hammer of circumstance. If anyone had asked me a few hours ago, I would have said that nearly five years of boyhood had hammered me into constant fear and excessive caution. But now I realised it had done the opposite. It had shaped me into someone who stepped forwards and reached for what she wanted. It was too late for me to tuck my hands behind my back and wait like a good woman.