“Put your heart aside. Duty comes first. But when fulfilling your duty, put your heart into it. It helps.”

“You must put these dreams aside, they will only break your heart.”

“The old women only stuck around this long out of a sense of duty. Your mom was the same way. That's why I loved her. She put her duty first, ahead of evverything.”

“A fable from the Age of Heroes." The maester tsked. "You must put these dreams aside, they will only break your heart.”

“Always resignation and acceptance. Always prudence and honour and duty. Elinor, where is your heart?”

“We have come to think that duty should come first. I disagree. Duty should be a by-product. Writing, the creative effort, the use of the imagination, should come first – at least, for some part of every day of your life. It is a wonderful blessing if you use it. You will become happier, more enlightened, alive, impassioned, light-hearted and generous to everybody else. Even your health will improve. Colds will disappear and all the other ailments of discouragement and boredom.”