“...She had little patience with people who got intellectually lazy when faced with a difficult concept.”

“And maybe I was a little intense. But not as much as the princess who marched into that court in a very unprofessional pair of jeans and a T-shirt, looking like she had gone to hell and back--and was about to drag the rest of us back there with her, just like I kinda planned to do.I knew it in a split second--and everybody else knew it too, even old Fabio--that we weren't just seeing a princess standing there in a pair of jeans and boots.We were all getting our first glimpse of the next queen.”

“ Where is the stupid bus? And why did my dad have to be so big on mass transit, anyhow? Why couldn't I I own a car, like practically every other senior? But no, i had to 'share the ride' to save the environment. When I'm abducted by the menacing guy under the tree, Dad will probably insist my face only appear on recycled milk cartons....”

“Ranerio wrapped his hand around mine, guiding my fingers like Lucius had done when he'd shown me the latch behind the dressing-room door mirror. But while the warrior I loved had been offering me an escape route, the pacifist was trying to show me how to fight.”

“No one's making any decisions today," Mom translated. "It's late, and we're all tired and a little overwhelmed. Besides, Lucius, Jessica is not ready to contemplate marriage. She hasn't even kissed a boy yet, for goodness' sake." Lucius smirked at me, raising one eyebrow. "Really? No suitors? How shocking. I would have thought your pitchfork skills would be attractive to certain bachelors here in farm country.”

“Lucius smiled a little. "You do have a will of your own." The smile faded. "This is not the time to use it.”

“Her heart is so ten­der that she could not help but mourn even me—a man whom she can bare­ly abide.”