I have no doubt that you are more than capable of bringing the Monsean queen and my son and the rest of my sons and a hundred Nanderan kittens through an onslaught of howling raiders if you chose to.

Katsa hugged her for a long time, and Bitterblue understood that this was always how it would be. Katsa would come and then Katsa would go. But the hug was real, and lasting, even though it would end. The coming was as real as the going, and the coming would always be a promise. It would have to be good enough.

Why are you still here?" she asked. "Shouldn't you be in a cave somewhere inspiring people?

I hear you're supposed to be good at manipulating people. Try a little harder to make me like you, all right? I'm the queen. Your life will be nicer if I like you.

Circumstances don't always align themselves with human intention.

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

Why does everybody throw every troublesome thing into the river?