“I told them," he said in a clear, carrying voice, "that they should not give someone as old and powerful as I a daughter to love. That it would end badly.”

“People as old and powerful as he should never be given someone to love. For Anna he would destroy the world.”

“You should come with me.""What? I'm not going anywhere with you!""I think you should," he replied."And why would I do that? You just told me you're following me!""No, I didn't. I said someone was following you. I was following them.”

“I was going to say, No, no, don’t cry, I’ll go outwith you. Anything, but don’t cry. . . . But I stillcouldn’t make my voice work.And then he sort of cleared his throat and said,“Georgia, don’t feel bad. It’s always tough to hurt someone and tell them the truth. I know that. You’re a really lovely girl. Lovely . . . mad . . . butlovely. I’ll always like you. Don’t worry.”

“Would I lie to you?”“There was that time you told me the mud pies would give me flying powers if I ate them.”“Not my fault. I really thought they would.”

“Would you like to hear more romance of the evening? He told me that the Guard should be reduced by half, and I threw an ink jar at his head.""Is that when he cried?""He ducked," Attolia said dryly.Grown more confident of the queen's humor, Relius said, "I had not pictured you for a fishwife.""Lo, the transforming power of love.”