“Do you love your country and your king?"Karigan paused. What a curious question. King Zachary was relatively new to the throneand she knew little of his policies or methods, but it wouldn't do to sound disloyal to adying servant of Sacoridia."Yes.""I'm a messenger...Green Rider." The young man's body spasmed with pain, and blooddribbled over his lip and down his chin. "The satchel on the saddle...important messagefor...king. Life or death. If you love Sacor...Sacoridia and its king, take it. Take it to him.”

“Do whatever you must, Karigan," he told her, his voice so quiet it would not carry, "to come back. You must come back. To me." ~King Zachary”

“Who did you pass on the road?" the King went on, holding out his hand to the Messenger for some more hay."Nobody," said the Messenger."Quite right," said the King; "this young lady saw him too. So of course Nobody walks slower than you.""I do my best," the Messenger said in a sullen tone. "I'm sure nobody walks much faster than I do!""He can't do that," said the King, "or else he'd have been here first.”

“After one moment of gripped immobility, the queen bent to kiss the king lightly on one closed eyelid, then on the other. She said, 'I love your eyes.' She kissed him on either cheek, near the small lobe of his ear. 'I love your ears, and I love'-she paused as she kissed him gently on the lips-'every single one of your ridiculous lies.' The king opened his eyes and smiled at the queen in a companionship that was as unassailable as it was unfathomable.”

“So many vows... they make you swear and swear. Defend the king. Obey the king. Keep his secrets. Do his bidding. Your life for his. But obey your father. Love your sister. Protect the innocent. Defend the weak. Respect the gods. Obey the laws. It’s too much. No matter what you do, you’re forsaking one vow or the other.”

“Red for the blood of Christ, green for his everlasting love, blue for heaven above, and old for the King of Kings.”