“For now, Lady Queen," he said, "allow us to continue to obey you. But give us honorable instructions, Lady Queen," he said, turning a flushed face to hers. "Ask us to do honorable things, so that we may have the honor of obeying you.”

“Lady Queen," he said, "You've given me all I want. You're the queen a librarian dreams of.”

“Madlen came to sit beside her on the bed. "Lady Queen," she said with her own particular brand of rough gentleness. "It is not the job of the child to protect her mother. It's the mother's job to protect the child. By allowing your mother to protect you, you gave her a gift. Do you understand me?”

“Brigan threw his head back and smiled at the sky. "Well said, Lady. The world may be falling to pieces, but at least the lot of us can have a bath.”

“Madlen: 'It's a relief to me, Lady Queen, that in your own pain, you take no interest in hurting yourself.'Bitterblue: 'Why would I? Why should I? It's foolish. I would like to kick the people who do it.'Madlen: 'That would, perhaps, be redundant, Lady Queen.”

“That was a perfectly reasonable explanation," she said grumpily. "Perhaps my advisers don't lie to me.""Isn't that what you'd want?" asked Giddon."Well, yes, but it doesn't elucidate my puzzle!""If I may say so, Lady Queen," said Giddon, "it's not always easy to follow your conversation.""Oh, Giddon," she said, sighing. "If it's any comfort, I don't follow it either.”

“You're the queen, and it's the queen's house, and whatever Brigan may accomplish, he's highly unlikely ever to be queen.”