“... I wanted Ambiades to understand that I considered myself a hierarchy of one.”

“Sounis had been thinking of Ambiades. "He would have been a better man under different circumstances."Gen looked at him. "True enough," he said. "But does a good man let his circumstances determine his character?”

“I thought that being king meant I didn't have to kill people myself. I see know that was another misconception.”

“The flat top of the hill was scattered with the bodies of dead men in the uniforms of Sounis and Eddis. The outposts of both armies had met here. As I stood staring, I thought, These are my dead. All of them. The battle hadn't been unanticipated or forced on me, as the raid in the villa had been. I had chosen it. These men, Eddisian and Sounisian alike, had died for my decisions.When the magus stepped from the bushes toward the back part of the hill, I was more than horrified. I was perilously close to distraught....When he pulled away and looked into my face, I knew that he would tell me that I was Sounis and that I needed to pull myself together. "Your uncle," he said, "in all the years I saw him rule, never had a moment of self-doubt. Never a regret for a single life lost. Do you understand?"I understood that I didn't want to be my uncle.”

“I CAN DO ANYTHING I WANT!”

“Before you make a decision," he said, "I want you to know that I love you.”

“I want you to steal something."I smiled. "Do you want the king's seal? I can get it for you.""If I were you," said the magus, "I'd stop bragging about that." His voice grated.My smile grew. The gold ring with the engraved ruby had been in his safekeeping when I had stolen it away.”