“I can't marry Tove!""Why ever not?" She batted her dark lashes at me."Because I don't love him!""Love is a fairy tale that manks tell their children so they'll have grandchildren," Elora said, brushing me off.”

“What a tragic tale! Why these stories for children always have to turn out so dreadfully is beyond me. I think if I ever tell it to my grandchildren, I will change the ending and have everyone live happily ever after. We are allowed to do that, are we not Mabel? To invent our own endings and choose joy over sorrow?”

“Oh yeah. That's why. Like a fairy tale. I was marrying the Prince. I just happened to be in love with the pauper.”

“Who will marry me? No one wants a girl who is not a virgin.""I will. I'll marry you.""Ma non posso sposarti." "And why can't you marry me?""Perché sei pazzo!""And why am I crazy?""Perché vuoi sposarmi.""Because I want to marry you. Carina, ti amo," he explained, and he drew her gently back down to the pillow. "Te amo molto.""Tu sei pazzo," she murmured in reply, flattered. "Perché?""Because you say you love me. How can you love a girl who is not a virgin?""Because I can't marry you."She bolted right up again in a threatening rage. "Why can't you marry me?" she demanded, ready to clout him again if he gave an uncomplimentary reply. "Just because I am not a virgin?""No, no darling. Because you're crazy.”

“You’re in love with me? Why have you never said anything?” He demanded. “No one wants to tell someone she loves him, and have him not say it back,” her eyes dropped and she said it so softly he had to strain to hear it.”

“No, I can just read you. Finally. I can't believe how blind I was. I can't believe I never noticed. Victor's comment...he was right." She glanced off at the sunset, then turned her gaze back on me. A flash of anger, both in her feelings and her eyes, hit me. "Why didn't you tell me?" she cried. "Why didn't you tell me you loved Dimitri?”