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

“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.”

“Will you… I mean, do you want to get married?” Tove asked. “To me?”“I, um…” I didn’t know what to say.“If you don’t want to, nothing has to change between us,” Tove said hurriedly. “I asked because it sounds like a good idea to me.”“Yeah,” I said, and I didn’t know what I would say until it was coming out of mouth. “I mean, yes. I do. I will. I would… I’ll marry you.”“Yeah?” Tove smiled hopefully, and I nodded.“Yes.” I swallowed hard and tried to smile back.“Good.” He exhaled and looked back down the hall. “This is good, right?”“Yeah, I think so,” I said, and I did mean that.“Yeah,” he nodded. “I sorta feel like throwing up now, though.”

“I thought your life was like this because you were new, but it's always gonna be like this, isn't it? You'll always have to answer to people.""So it would seem," I agreed. "Life isn't a fairy tale,Duncan.""And you know what they say," Willa chimed in. "Mo' money, mo' problems.""Well,that was embarrassing to hear you say that, so I'm good.”

“You need to be Queen. Everyone who knows anything knows htat, but most people don't know anything, and that is a problem." He scratched at the back of his head and shifted his weight. "I would never take that away from you. No matter what happens, I'd never take the crown from you, and I'd defend you against anybody who tried."I didn't say anything to that. I'd never heard Tove talk so much before, and I didn't know what he was getting at. "I know that you're in love with...well, not me," he said carefully. "And I'm not in love with you either. But I do respect you and I like you.""I respect and like you too," I said, and he gave me a small smile."But it's a number of things, and it's none of them." He let out a deep breath. "That didn't make sense. I mean,it's because you need somebody to help you keep the throne, and somebody on your side, and I can do that. But...it's just because I think...I want to.""What?" I asked, and he actually looked at me, letting his mossy eyes stare into mine."Will you...I mean,do you want to get married?" Tove asked. "To me?""I,um..." I didn't know what to say."If you don't want to,nothing has to change between us," Tove said hurriedly. "I asked because it sounds like a good idea to me.""Yeah," I said,and I didn't know what I would say until it was comign out of my mouth. "I mean,yes,I do.I will. I would...I'll marry you.""Yeah?" Tove smiled."Yes." I swallowed hard and tried to smile back."Good." He exhaled and looked back down the hall. "This is good,right?""Yeah,I think so," I said, and I meant it."Yeah." He nodded. "I sorta feel like throwing up now,though.""I think that's normal.""Good." He nodded again and looked at me. "Well,I'll let you go...do whatever you need to do.And I'll go do what I do.""okay," I nodded."All right." He randomly patted me on the shoulder, then nodded again, and walked away.”

“You knew that she wanted me to marry somebody else,and you never told me?"He appeared confused by my reaction. "It wasn't my place.""Maybe it wasn't your place as a tracker, but as the guy making out with me in this bed, yeah,I think it was your place to tell me that I'm supposed to marry someone else.”

“How could you do nothing to him, if you fought so hard?” she asked. “I’m lust and he’s wrath!” he yelled. “I’m a lover, he’s a fighter!” Virtue - A Fairy Tale”