“Everyone's scared. So scared they can't sleep sometimes. Or eat. Or keep their weight on.""Then why bother playing?" I asked. It was a whisper, this question."Because. You love the game. You love the people you play with. You love winning, maybe. You love that one moment when you get it right . . . I dunno. Why do you play?""Because," I whispered, "it's who I am."Sounds like a good reason to me.”

“I told them to place a cyvasse table in your chambers.""Who was I supposed to play with?""Yourself. Sometimes it is best to study a game before you attempt to play it. How well do you know the game, Arianne?""Well enough to play.""But not to win. My brother loved the fight for its own sake, but I only played such games as I can win.”

“I'm not scared because I can't give you my love in return, I'm scared because I love you so much sometimes it's hard to breathe."[...]"Everything I have to give, it's yours. It's always been yours.”

“Yeah, but you are a boy and boys don’t play games like that. It’s part of why I love you,- Sammy”

“Why?” she whispered. “Why should I dance with you?”“Because I love you. Because I love you so much I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make it go differently this time.”... "Because we should be a married couple, because I never wanted to not be married to you. Because all these men out here dancing with their wives can’t possibly love them as much as I love you. Because for me, there is only one woman, and I’m sorry to break it to you, but you’re it.”

“Eat good dinners and drink good wine; read good novels if you have the leisure and see good plays; fall in love, if there is no reason why you should not fall in love; but do not pore over influenza statistics.”