How unjust then to meet that person you love, and be kept away from them only because ones bed is made of hay , and the other, feathers.

Your eyes are beautiful," he said, and she felt warm suddenly, warm in the sun that dappled through the treetops and rested on them in patches.

A king who’s innocent of the things of which he’s guilty?

Go safely. Go safely, she thought to him. what a silly, empty thing it was to say to anyone, anywhere.

As he left to answer the call, she heard him exclaiming in wonderment on the rise. "Rocks, Nash. Is that a river mare out there? Do you see her? Have you ever laid eyes on a more gorgeous creature?

How absurd it was that in all seven kingdoms, the weakest and most vulnerable of people - girls, women - went unarmed and were taught nothing of fighting, while the strong were trained to the highest reaches of their skill.

Everyone was willing to take some small risk to lessen the damage of their ambition and disorder and lawlessness.