Turtles have always been my sigil, I suppose. When I was a kid, growing up in Bayonne, NJ, I lived in a federal housing project, and we were not allowed to have a dog or cats. The only pets I could have were turtles. So, I had an entire toy castle filled with dime-store turtles. I gave them all names, and since they were living in a toy castle, I decided they were all knights and kingsand I made up stories about how they killed each other and betrayed each other and fought for the kingdom. So, Game of Thrones, actually began with turtles. I decided later to recast it with actual human beings.

Sometimes the best way to baffle them is to make moves that have no purpose, or even seem to work against you

If I wanted to honor you, I´d let you retire. I am planing to make you run the kingdom and fight the wars while I eat and drink

Sweet smells are sometimes used to cover foul ones.

She might have wept then, had not the sky begun to do it for her.

The things we love destroy us every time, lad. Remember that.

A long summer always meant a long winter to come.