β iβm sorry that i never trusted you. i donβt know how to do that any more. β
β you make it difficult for a man to swallow his anger. β
β history is a wheel, for the nature of man is fundamentally unchanging. what has happened before will perforce happen again. β
β the worst isnβt done. the worst is just beginning, and there are no happy endings. β
β words are like arrows. once loosed, you cannot call them back. β
β you are a lioness, and it is for all the lesser beasts to fear you. β
β anger is better than tears, better than grief, better than guilt. β
β kind? how boring that would be. i aspire to be wicked. β
β sometimes there is no happy choice, only one less grievous than the others. β
β when i make a jest i smile. do you see me smiling? do you hear laughter? β
β beauty can sometimes mask deadly danger. β
β i know what a burden you bear. you should let me share the load. β
β you would be wise to not take me lightlyβ¦and wiser still not to make of me a foe. β
β i need to sleep, but fear to dream. β
β i do not doubt that kindness and mercy and forgiveness can still be found somewhere in this kingdom, but do not look for them here. β
β no fight is hopeless till it has been fought. β
β open your eyes and look about you. the kingdom is in ruins. β
β my hand is hungry for a sword. i need to kill someone. β
β it does no good to speak of roads not taken. β
β i begin to think that all your words of love were lies. β
β i pray that i never offend you. you are terrible when roused. β
β a sweet face oft hides a sinnerβs heart. β
β when i am with you, iβ¦i can scarcely think. you are all i ever dreamt of. β
β i used to be someone, but now iβm not. β
β suffering is everywhereβ¦and grief and death. β
β you ought to be pleading for my forgiveness rather than seeking to provoke me further. β
β i have been here the whole time, waiting for you to come to me. β
β no one who wears a crown is ever safe. β
β i have touched more men that i can count. some with my lips, more with my axe. β
β i love you too, but youβre a fool. a beautiful golden fool. β
β i have been despised by better men than you. β
β i never wanted to see half the things iβve seen, and iβve never seen half the things i wanted to. β
β that man is as useless as nipples on a breastplate. β
β sometimes there is no happy choice. only one less grievous than the others. β
β most have been forgotten. most deserve to be forgotten. β
β heroes will always be remembered. the best. the best and the worst. and a few who were a bit of both. β
β we all dream of things we cannot have. β
β i do not know who we are, if truth be told, nor where we might be going. i only know the road is dark. β
β you lie. worse, you lie poorly. β
β do you even know what honor is? β
β this is not real. this is another bad dream, and soon iβll wake. β
β the rain feels good against my face. it feels like tears. β
β i need you as i have never needed you before. β
β there is no shame in being afraid, only in showing your fear. β
β it is a good thing that i thrive on chaos. β
β the times grow ever more interesting, and when the times are interesting you can never have too many swords. β
β curses are only in songs and stories. β
β you will forgive me if i am suspicious, but the times are troubled. β
β fear cuts deeper than swords. β
β be grateful that i have more honor than some. β
β you do turn a pretty shade of pink when you blush. β
β you would do well to ride with me. the roads are perilous. β
β some doors are best left closed. β
β it does no good to speak of things no man can change. β
β why wonβt they leave us be? we never did them any harm. β
β i cannot die yet. there is something i still need to do. β
β itβs time you told me the rest of your plan, donβt you think? β
β every man should lose a battle in his youth, so he does not lose a war when he is old. β
β words are wind. they cannot hurt you. let them wash over you. β
β you are not the only one with wounds. β
β when the cold wind blows the lone wolf dies and the pack survives. β
β i will teach them what it means to put a lion in a cage. β
β better to mock the game than to play and lose. β
β knowledge is a weapon. β
β you know me. if you want sweet words, look elsewhere. β
β you reckless fool. what do you think youβre doing? β
β youβll be safe here. no one will know where you are but me. β
β sorcery comes at a cost. β
β i have never taken kindly to chastisement, as any number of dead men could tell you. β
β so youβre brave as well as beautiful. β
β this will cause more trouble than you know, i fear. β
β will you throw your life away for pride? β
β the crows will feast upon us all if you go on this way. β
β our time together is at an end, i fear. β
β spare me your japes, i have no taste for them. β
β war makes monsters of us all. β
β you cannot eat love, nor buy a horse with it, nor warm your halls on a cold night. β
β i have a hole where my heart should be. β
β i thank you, but i have no need of your protection. β
β trust is earned. like gold. β
β a lie is not so bad if it is kindly meant. β
β far be it from me to question the word of such an honorable person. β
β i will bring the head of any man who would betray you. β
β noble words, but words are easy. deeds are hard. β
β my father is very good at doing nothing. he calls it thinking. β
β if you do not go, i will spend the rest of my life wondering what might have happened if i had. β
β the sea is never weary. i must be as tireless. β
β itβs strength thatβs needed here, not chivalry. β
β i did not come to you for comfort. β
β you see the wonders that can be worked with lies and gold? β
β an age of wonder and terror will soon be upon us, an age for gods and heroes. β
β a ruler gets no rest. β
β if you share your plans with no one, no one can betray you. β
β i have a confession. ours was no chance encounter. β
β you have your motherβs eyes. honest eyes, and innocent. β
β am i still a thief if i put it back and no one ever knows? β
β i am weak and full of sin, and scorn is more than i deserve. β
β when have i provoked any manβ¦unduly? β
β i have never met a man i didnβt provoke, you should know that well enough by now. β
β thatβs a cold suspicious look if i ever saw one. β
β youβve faced more things this past year than most men face in a lifetime. β
β there is a difference between fear and caution. β
β it is my look they will flinch from, my frown they must fear. β
β you have been disappointing me for years. β
β why? tell me that. tell me why. β
β i am surrounded by enemies and imbeciles. β
β go back. turn away. there is nothing here for you. β
β you would do well to omit βmustβ from any speech directed at me. β
β a bad dream. did i scream? iβm sorry. β
β i will not be afraid. i will not let them see my fear. β
β you will never know how sick it makes me to see you. you will never know how much i despise you. β
β i have seen terrible things in my time. β
β only a fool makes threats heβs not prepared to carry out. β
β stay with me. i do not want to sleep alone. β
β sometimes it is best to study a game before you attempt to play it. β
β why, do what you always do. do nothing. β
β no man ever truly knows what he can do unless he dares to leap. β
β what you meant does not matter. only what you did. β
β is there any more that you would care to tell me? β
β i canβt command you to be brave, but i can command you to hide your fears. β
β tell me something useful. tell me of our enemy. β
β go away. you are not welcome here. β
β these are such fearful times. some nights i can hardly sleep, for fear. β
β some wounds do not show. β
β i have never looked upon you as a rival, even for a moment. β
β go home. you have a home, which is more than many can say in these dark days. β
β play me for a fool, and you will die screaming. you are aware of that, i trust? β
β you must be more dangerous than you look. β
β tell me. i want to know all of it, from the beginning to the end. β
β i see you are as lovely as the tales. β
β your hands are shaking. they would rather be caressing me, i think. β
β dry those tears. have you ever seen a lion weep? β
β come! come kill me, if you can. β
β i never knew what love could be, yet nowβ¦i am afraid. β
β the enemy of my enemy is my friend. β
β young men are overbold, and think only of the glory of battle and never of its dangers. β
β you are weary and sick of heart, thatβs plain to see. β
β some doors are best left closed. β
β the world is full of horrors. you can fight them, or laugh at them, or look without seeing. β
β i was wondering. are you drunk, or merely stupid? β
β does it hurt so much? is there aught i can do to ease your pain? β
β what i want is none of your concern. β
β this must end, for your sake as well as mine. β
β glory is good, but gold is better. β
β please tell me who you are, and why youβre following me. β
β many a man will drown in those eyes. β
β the best lies have some truth in themβ¦to give them flavor, as it were. β
β what are you looking for? your destiny? your death? β
β love can make a fool of any man. β
β may i stay a while? i feel that we should talk. β
β is that a beard, or did you forget to wash the dirt off your face? β
β iβll hear the truth, or youβll wear chains. β
β if you love me, do not leave me. β
β only madmen fight wars they cannot win. β
β you have a strange look in your eyes. are you unwell? β
β last night, i had a dreadful dream. β
β you have to help me. where am i to go? what will i do? β
β i warn you, i am out of patience. β
