“My beautiful queen. Your entire court is staring at you, and I can't blame them."They were, too. The queen turned to look. Her glance swept through the crowd like a reaping sickle through grain. Mouths slammed shut on every side. There was a scuffling sound as the people in the back shifted, trying to screen themselves from view. The queen looked back at the king, who was broadly smiling.”

“The queen who mended her stockings in prison must have looked every inch a queen and even more a queen than at sumptuous banquets and levees.”

“I looked at the cards in my hand, the queen of hearts nestled between the king of clubs and the king of spades. No wonder she was smiling.”

“If you were Queen of pleasure And I were King of painWe'd hunt down Love together,Pluck out his flying-feather,And teach his feet a measure, And find his mouth a rein;If you were Queen of pleasure And I were King of pain.”

“She's here now," Loki said, but I didn't look back to see if he was pulling at Finn and Thomas. "Can you let me go?""Not until the agreement is finalized," Finn said through gritted teeth."My Queen, can we settle this, please?" Loki called to her, sounding irritated. "This tracker is getting handsy.""The Markis hasn't been too much trouble?" Sara asked, her cheeds reddening with embarrassment."Not too much," I replied with a thin smile.”

“Jenny threw back her head and laughed, laughter that rang out through the leaves if the oak tree above them. Jack pulled her to him, to kiss her and whisper her name again. And the oak tree above them whispered back, of love and sacrifice, of a king and a queen, and a future made anew.”