“The more I see and hear, the more I realize how much I don't know.”

“I know you don't want this, Katsa. But I can't help myself. The moment you came barreling into my life I was lost. I'm afraid to tell you what I wish for, for fear you'll... oh, I don't know, throw me into the fire. Or more likely, refuse me. Or worst of all, despise me," he said, his voice breaking and his eyes dropping from her face. His face dropping into his hands. "I love you," he said. "You're more dear to my heart than I ever knew anyone could be. And I've made you cry; and there I'll stop.”

“Then I'm sorry I don't remember more. If we kew a person was going to die, we'd hold harder to the memories.”

“I want to have the heart and mind of a queen,” she whispered. “I want it more than anything. But I’m only pretending. I can’t find the feeling of it inside me.”Fire considered her quietly. You want me to look for it inside you.“I just want to know,” Bitterblue said. “If it’s there, it would be a great comfort for me to know.”Fire said, I can tell you already that it’s there.“Really?” Bitterblue whispered.Queen Bitterblue, Fire said, shall I share with you the feeling of your own strength?”

“Perhaps I can stay by the fire and mend your socks and scream if I hear any strange noises.”

“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—”

“Your sadness is one of the things that makes you beautiful to me. Don't you see that? I understand it. It makes my own sadness less frightening." (Brigan)”