“The desperation was coming off you in waves. You were all but begging to dance with me. I am doing you a favor.”

“I heard you're campaigning on my behalf." He walked over to me. "That wouldn't be because you'd miss me too much if I were gone,would it?""Don't be absurd," I scoffed. "I don't condone murder, even for people like you.""People like me,huh?" He cocked an eyebrow. "You mean devilishly handsome, debonair young men who come to sweep rebellious princesses of their feet?""You came to kidnap me, not sweep me off my feet," I said,but he waved his hand at the idea."Semantics.”

“Knock it off,Finn!" I tried to pull my arm from him, but physically he was still stronger than me. "Loki is right. You are my tracker. You need to stop dragging me around and telling me what to do.""Loki?" Finn stopped so he could glare suspiciously at me. "You're on a first-name basis with the Vittra prisoner who kidnapped you? And you're lecturing me on propriety?""I'm not lecturing you on anything!" I shouted, and I finally got my arm free from him. "But if I were to lecture you, it would be about how you're being such a jerk.""Hey,maybe you should just calm-" Duncan tried to interject. He'd been standing a few feet away from us, looking sheepish and worried."Duncan,don't you dare tell me how to do my job!" Finn stabbed a finger at him. "You are the most useless, incompetent tracker I have ever met, and first chance I get,I'm going to recommend that the Queen dismiss you. And trust me, I'm doing you a favor. She should have you banished!"Duncan's entire face crumpled, and for a horrible moment I was certain he would cry. Instead,he just gaped at us, then lowered his eyes and nodded."Finn!" I yelled, wanting to slap him. "Duncan did nothing wrong!" Duncan turned to walk away, and I tried to stop him. "Duncan,no. You don't need to go anywhere."He kept walking, and I didn't go after him. Maybe I should have,but I wanted to yell at Finn some more."He repeatedly left you alone with the Vittra!" Finn shouted. "I know you have a death wish, but it's Duncan's job to prevent you from acting on it.""I am finding out more about the Vittra so I can stop this ridiculous fighting!" I shot back. "So I've been interviewing a prisoner. It's not that unusual,and I've been perfectly safe.""Oh,yeah, 'interviewing,'" Finn scoffed. "You were flirting with him.""Flirting?" I repeated and rolled my eyes. "You're being a dick because you think I was flirting? I wasn't, but even if I was,that doesn't give you the right to treat me or Duncan or anybody this way.""I'm not being a dick," Finn insisted. "I am doing my job, and fraternizing with the enemy is looked down on, Princess. If he doesn't hurt you, the Vittra or Trylle will.""We were only talking,Finn!""I saw you,Wendy," Finn snapped. "You were flirting. You even wore your hair down when you snuck off to see him.""My hair?" I touched it. "I wore it down because I had a headache from training, and I wasn't sneaking. I was...No,you know what? I don't have to explain anything to you. I didn't do anything wrong, and I don't have to answer to you.""Princess-""No,I don't want to hear it!" I shook my head. "I really don't want to do this right now.Just go away,Finn!”

“You've come to say good-bye,I take it?" He arched an eyebrow. "You'll miss me terribly,I know,but if you want to avoid all that,you can always come with me.""That's quite all right,thank you.""Really?" Loki wrinkled his nose. "You can't actually be excited about the upcoming nuptials.""What are you talking about?" I asked, tensing up."I heard you're engaged to that stodgy Markis." Loki waved his hand vaguely and stood up. "Which I think is ridiculous. He's boring and bland and you don't love him at all.""How do you know about that?" I stood up straighter, preparing to defend myself."The guards around here are horrible gossips, and I hear everything." He grinned and sauntered toward me. "And I have two eyes. I've seen that little melodrama play out between you and that other tracker. Fish? Flounder? What's his name?""Finn," I said pointedly. "Yes,him." Loki rested his shoulder against the door. "Can I give you a piece of advice?""By all means.I'd love to hear advice from a prisoner.""Excellent." Loki leaned forward, as close to me as he could before he'd be racked with pain from attempting to leave the room. "Don't marry someone you don't love.”

“Oh,my gosh! You're even prettier than Finn said you were!""Ember!" Annali snapped when it appeared that Ember wouldn't stop.I blushed and looked away, unsure of how to respond to her. I understood in theory why it might be exciting to meet a Princess, but I couldn't see anything exciting about meeting me."Sorry," Ember apologized, but it didn't dampen her delight at all. "I've been begging Finn to let me meet you, and he-""Ember, you need to do your schoolwork." Annali wouldn't look at either of us."I came out because I didn't understand it." Ember pointed to her textbook.”

“I'm not all you need, and I don't even want to be. I just want to love you, for the rest of my life, and as long as you let me do that, we'll be okay.”

“I hate that you do this to me. I hate how crazy you make me. I hate you! - Wendy”