The Lost Queen Quotes
"Silence thundered in my ears like a band of warhorses."
"Sleep—when it came—brought some relief, but each morning when I woke, my wound tore open anew."
"The wisdom of our ancestors is like the vast ocean; we swim in the little pools left in the rocks on the shore."
"In the heart of every storm lies peace, if one knows where to look."
"Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it."
"Every choice we make ripples through the fabric of time, shaping our destinies in ways we cannot foresee."
"Love is the light that pierces through the darkest night."
"In the tapestry of life, every thread is essential, no matter how insignificant it may seem."
"Hope is the anchor that steadies our soul in turbulent seas."
"True wisdom begins with the acknowledgment of our own ignorance."
"What was the sense in loving if all those you cared for were taken away?"
"I do not think it is only Gwenddolau’s leaving that troubles you."
"Spirit does not choose to show itself lightly. It comes to those in need, when it is needed, and, most important, in its own time."
"You and your brother have roles to play in the events that must unfold."
"But you will have your own influence, as is your fate."
"The antlers of the stag arch into worlds unseen."
"You will discover it when the time is right, and not a moment before."
"He meant no harm. We have only just arrived to the capital, you see."
"The enemy comes from across the sea, from Angleland, and they arrive in wave upon wave, like locusts."
"We need seasoned warriors, and whilst your clan may be smaller in number, your men are among the best."
"The sight of his bloodstained teeth in delight."
"The land of Bright Hill is also under the jurisdiction of the Kingdom of Strathclyde."
"I will not wait for a king's permission to cleanse my own land."
"We share this outrage. I should be with you."
"You are too hasty, Lailoken. You cannot ride out into the night as if you weren't made of skin and bone."
"Your blood is my blood, and my blood is yours. If we cannot trust each other, who can we trust?"
"It was as if the air itself were alive and breathing. Waiting."
"You are many days’ ride from us. Even if you and your men had whipped your mounts to their bones, you would have arrived only to bury him."
"Despite the destruction of Bright Hill on Beltane eve, we have not seen famine, flood, or disaster."
"Now you are a woman. A Torch Bearer, unlike any other."
"It is for the same reason men do all things, daughter. For power."
"It is a lucky horse that can choose its master. Many do not have the luxury of choice."
"You train with some sort of weapon, foremost."
"I drink from Brant’s and Brodyn’s often, I assure you."
"But I saw no weakness in freedom, only strength."
"But just like warrior kings, not all warrior queens who wear golden torques are fit to rule."
"The days of youthful freedom are passed, Languoreth."
"I know the great queen Boudicca raised an army of three hundred thousand, and in doing so nearly brought the might of the Roman Empire to its knees—something no king in the history of battle has done."
"As a people, we prize the individual: Who is the greatest warrior? Who is the greatest king? Who out of the dozens is the greatest of our gods?"
"It is a lucky thing indeed that the kings of the Britons have been able to protect the boundaries of Strathclyde from this place for so long."
"Old magic takes time, but more and more, I was beginning to see it required surrender."
"You must take heart, sister. You were captivating. You were clever. You were disarming."
"Strike me, chieftain’s son, and you will regret it."
"I cannot maneuver my heart open and shut with the pulling of a lever."
"I would have music. Summon Dane the Song Keeper. Perhaps he can soothe us all."
"A wise woman realizes this. She keeps her heart as full in times of pain as she does in times of good fortune."
"The mountain was still shedding water after weeks upon weeks of rain."
"You must be careful up here, on the mountain. Sometimes it’s best not to open your ears."
"When you spend enough nights in wild places, you come to see there’s little superstition in it."
"The wind whipped up over the mountain and the feather fluttered against my neck."
"I am mad with love of you and I cannot shake it."
"I would pray to the Gods every morning and night if I thought it could keep you safe."
"I am but a warrior. What is that when put beside a man who might someday be king?"
"You must have faith in me, Languoreth. And I will have faith in you."
"I find King Morken’s grievance is not without reason. The bishop Kentigern shall henceforth return the grain by sundown on the morrow, along with the vessel his disciples have plundered to transport any goods."
"But I warn you, Mungo. You should keep yourself from my sight. Keep your monks from my tenants; keep your ghoulish face from my door. For if I should catch sight of you on my lands or near any of my people, I can assure you my actions will be swift and unforgiving."
"No man shall steal from me without answering for it."
"Perhaps Tutgual will find he cannot so easily extinguish the fire he has kindled."
"The Old Way flows through your body; it lives in your very veins."
"The babe in my belly was proof of the Gods’ magic."
"Let us speak plainly and agree that you are sorry for nothing."
"I have borne three children, and each time I see an infant I am reminded anew what tiny little seedlings they are."
"We are brother and sister, after all. We must always forgive each other. It is what we must do."
"Better she not know, you thought. Well"—her fingers fluttered dismissively—"I suppose you did not know Desdemona was a Christian?"
"Your father is just. He does his duty for the land and the Gods, and in turn the Gods protect him. He is an honorable man and better than most."
"I could be cast away, only let me take my son."
"You are within your rights to do what you must," I said. "You will hear no complaint from me."
"You do not love me," he said. A statement, not a question.
"I love you as any man has loved a woman, Languoreth."
"I did not wish to betray you. Please. I want to stay."
"Sometimes events happen that people can forget, but the landscape does not."
"I have seen war, and I tell you, there are horrors you cannot imagine."
"Everything I’ve done, I’ve done for the love of you."
"What is seven years in exchange for destiny?"
"But I have seen her speak to things that I cannot see."
"I will rest easier if I know you had no knowledge of the most recent dealings of Gwrgi and Peredur."
"Perhaps there would yet be a way to make my influence felt."
"Tonight I would tell her that in the morning she’d be leaving."
"Was this how my own mother felt when she had to break my heart?"
"You and I, we both must be brave. Can you do that?"
"To see the wide world, protected under the mantle of a Keeper, is an honor and a privilege."
"What was the loss of a lover compared to that?"
"I could feel Maelgwn lying awake, too, his thoughts trained on me."
"My daughter was leaving when next I opened my eyes."
"Gladys’s path is hers. This path belongs only to you."
"We may be apart, but nothing will alter the fact that I am your mother."
"The heart is a bird pricked full of feathers."
"You need only deliver the message and come back."
"I wanted to fly at the door, to strike it, to scream."
"I felt it rise like a looming tower of water, until the very pressure of my chamber dropped."
"But tombs were sacred places, portals to the dead."
"But as Rhys looked at me one last time and closed the door, I discovered a pain unlike any I had felt before."
"The beast had been hunting me the whole of my life, and it came this day to finish me in my chamber."
"I could deny it no longer. It could only mean war against Gwenddolau."
"I saw a mountain capped in snow, Dragon Warriors retreating into the forest."
"I saw Cyan as a man, on the heights of Clyde Rock."
"I saw further, further than I had ever imagined one could see."