[Harry] had always suffered from a vague restlessness, a longing for adventure that she told herself severely was the result of reading too many novels when she was a small child.

But the uproar this caused was nothing compared with the uproar when Katronia noticed [Rosie] had also cut her eyelashes. Various negotiations (including, finally, such desperate measures as "supposing you ever want to eat again") eventually produced the grudging promise that, in return for Katronia keeping her hair cut short, she would leave her eyelashes alone.

One keeps searching for ease, she did not say, and not finding it, till the memories of no-pain seem only like daydreams.

It was too important a matter, this talking to people, and listening to them, to do it lightly or often.

Because she was a princess she had a pegasus.

And none at all has ridden at the king's side since Aerinha, goddess of honor and flame, first taught men to forge their blades. You'd think Aerinha would have had better sense.

Those single-track military minds never think to ask their cleaning staff for help in giant lethal marauding creature matters.