Christopher Healy

“No, Princes Charming," Duncan cheerfully corrected. "'Prince' is the noun; that's what gets pluralized. 'Charming' is an adjective; you can't add an S to it like that.”

“Duncan,we're still in prison," Frederic said dryly. "You're not going to see anything except this cell. Which has spiders, by the way. Have you noticed the spiders?" "Indeed I have: Carmen, Zippy, and Dr. T," Duncan said.”

“He was curious to know more about her. So he did something extremely rare. He sent her a note. Even more shocking, he suggested they meet. In person. Two people from different kingdoms - who are engaged to be married. Crazy, I know.”

“Once you've been squashed by a giant, a troll doesn't even seem nearly as heavy.”

“Frederic had imagined this moment - him running to Ella with open arms, calling her name - but being as winded as he was, doubled over with his hands on his knees, all he could do was nod in her general direction.”

“On still another road, a green-haired man wobbled by on peppermint-stick stilts; a fiery-plumed bird of paradise perched on his shoulder. But he's not in this story, so don't pay any attention to him.”

“Duncan, what are you?""Human!" Duncan cried, trembling with excitement."More specific," Liam said, still dramatically."A five-foot-two human!""I'm going for hero here," Liam hinted under his breath.”

“Wild card, got it," Duncan said. "Just like in Crazy Eights. I can be a diamond; I can be a spade. Whatever you need me to be, I'm that thing. That is so me.”

“Someone's having a pity party and didn't invite the rest of us.”

“You're a way-getter-inner, I can tell.”

“Please tell me he's not skipping.”

“Can you believe the man rhymed 'Rumplestiltskin' with 'crumpled napkins'?”

“I'm Liam of Erinthia. I'm here to rescue you ... And You are not Cinderella. You are a tree branch wrapped in a sheet”