They will not love me, you say? When have they ever loved me? How can I lose something I have never owned? - Stannis

It was a story called ‘The Hero’ which I sold to Galaxy magazine in 1970, for $94.

When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies but the pack survives.

You don't just have people who wake up in the morning and say, "What evil things can I do today, because I'm Mr. Evil?" People do things for what they think are justified reasons. Everybody is the hero of their own story, and you have to keep that in mind. If you read a lot of history, as I do, even the worst and most monstrous people thought they were the good guys. We're all very tangled knots.

All dwarfs are bastards in their father's eyes

He raised his eyes. "Sister. See. This time I knew you." Asha's heart skipped a beat. "Theon?" His lips skinned back in what might have been a grin. Half his teeth were gone, and half those still left him were broken and splintered. "Theon," he repeated. "My name is Theon. You have to know your name.

Once you’ve accepted your flaws, no one can use them against you.