“Skye kissed her forehead. "You saved my life."Katsa smiled. "You Lienid are very outward in your affection.""I'm going to name my firstborn child after you."Katsa laughed at that. "For the child's sake, wait for a girl. Or even better, wait until all your children are older and give my name to whichever is the most troublesome and obstinate."Skye burst into laughter and hugged her, and Katsa returned his embrace. And realized that quite without her intending it, her guarded heart had made another friend.”

“I'm not such a bad fighter myself," Skye said. Po exploded with laughter. "Oh, fight him, Katsa. Please fight him. I can't imagine a more entertaining diversion.”

“I wouldn't marry Giddon to save my life," Katsa said. "Not even to save yours.""Well." Raffin's eyes were full of laughter. "I'd leave that part out.”

“Your face will freeze like that, you know, Kat," Raffin said helpfully to Katsa."Maybe I should rearrange your face, Raff," said Katsa."I should like smaller ears," Raffin offered."Prince Raffin has nice, handsome ears," Helda said, not looking up from her knitting. "As will his children. Your children will have no ears at all, My Lady," she said sternly to Katsa.Katsa stared back at her, flabbergasted."I believe it's more that her ears won't have children," began Raffin, "which, you'll agree, sounds much less—”

“He considered her seriously. "Well. And that's easy," he said. "My Grace will protect me from him, And I'll protect you. You'll be safe with me, Katsa.”

“Raff,' Katsa said, 'your problem is that your heart's not in it. We need to find something to strengthen your defensive resolve. What if you pretended he's trying to smash your favorite medicinal plant?''The rare blue safflower,' Bann suggested.'Yes,' Katsa said gamely, 'pretend he's after your snaffler.''Bann would never come after my rare blue safflower,' Raffin said distinctly. 'The very notion is absurd.''Pretend he's not Bann. Pretend he's your father.”

“What are you grinning at?" Katsa demanded for the third or fourth time. "Is the ceiling about to cave in on my head or something? You look like we're both on the verge of an enormous joke.""Katsa, only you would consider the collapse of the ceiling a good joke.”