β why would the stars want to look down on one such as me? β
β sometimes i think everyone is just pretending to be brave, and none of us really are. maybe pretending is how you get brave. β
β come, curse me or kiss me or call me a liar. something. β
β some battles are not won with swords and spears, others with quills and ravens. β
β old stories are like old friends. you have to visit them from time to time. β
β still, night falls for all of us in the end, and too soon for some. β
β and i tell you truly, there is no man in all the world who will ever be half so true to you as me. β
β there are fights no swords can win. β
β nothing will happen to you. nothing. i could not stand it. β
β in such troubled times, it is hard to know friend from foe. β
β you hide behind courtesy as if it were a castle wall. β
β why do i enrage you so? iβve never done you harm that i know of. β
β it seems to me that a ruler who trusts no one is as foolish as a ruler who trusts everyone. β
β loveβs not always wise, iβve learned. it can lead us to great folly, but we follow our heartsβ¦wherever they take us. β
β only lies offend me, never honest counsel. β
β it was never my wish to sow enmity between us. β
β best you were taken to your bed for a long resting, until you are stronger. β
β even brave men blind themselves sometimes, when they are afraid to see. β
β no harm will come to you, you have my word on that. β
β the worst is behind us. donβt be frightened. β
β silence. have you forgotten who i am? β
β there is something we must speak of. will you walk with me? β
β you shall rise again, i am sure. a man like you. β
β i am not a cruel man. you know me. β
β the world grows a little darker every day. β
β i have need of good counsel, and you never gave me less. β
β you are a treacherous old rogue, but a good friend all the same. β
β madness and greatness are two sides of the same coin. β
β if you love me all so much, why are you still dressed? β
β youβre mine. mine, as iβm yours. β
β wars need not be fought until the last drop of blood. β
β one voice may speak you false, but in many there is always truth to be found. β
β when it comes to battle, discipline beats valour every time. β
β sometimes the best thing you can do is nothing. β
β it is too late for ifs, and too late for rescues. all that remains is vengeance. β
β only blood can pay for blood. β
β why do you hesitate? kill him, and be done. β
β i will fall into those eyes and drown. β
β harsh justice is still justice. β
β i am cleverer than most, surely wits count for something. β
β thereβs a storm coming. a bad one. β
β men will read all sorts of things into a knowing smile if you let them. β
β the greatest fools are ofttimes more clever than the men who laugh at them. β
β all these kings would do a deal better if they would put down their swords and listen to their mothers. β
β you were made to be kissed, often and well. β
β i walk alone with no true companion but tears. β
β there is a savage beast in every man, and when you hand that man a sword or spear and send him forth to war, the beast stirs. β
β there are fights no swords can win. β
β here you are my guest, and safe from harm at my handsβ¦this night, at least. β
β i love the smell of you. i love your hair. i love your mouth, and the way you kiss me. β
β i am alive, and drunk on sunlight. β
β we look up at the same stars and see such different things. β
β let them kill me. so long as i die fighting, a blade in hand. β
β they are still behind us. they are taking us one by one. β
β cry if you must. in your place, i would likely rip my hair out. β
β would you wake me, please? iβm having this terrible nightmare. β
β i know what it is like to love so greatly you can think of nothing else. β
β if truth be told, iβm bored with your company. β
β i am tired of fighting you. what say we make a truce? β
β no man grows rich by kindness. β
β it is well you did not lie to me. i would have known. β
β the blood of my enemies i will shed gladly. the blood of innocents is another matter. β
β i do not know who you are, and it may be thatβs for the best. someone important, i fear. β
β is every word you say a lie? β
β why should i tell you my name? you havenβt told me yours. β
β you are weak as a child, and no warrior. β
β if i look back i am lost. β
β if you lie to me, i will have your tongue. β
β youβve grown more amusing since last we met. β
β i wonder if i might have a few private words? β
β i dreamed a dream, no more. go back to sleep. β
β this is a bad place, is it not? a dark place, and foul. β
β i did not intend to give offence. forgive me. β
β you have never feared to speak the truth, why do you lie to yourself? β
β the musicβs still playing. might i have this dance? β
β your eyes give the lie to your tongue. β
β let me go now. for our friendship, wish me luck and let me go β
β a wise man never makes an enemy of a king. β
β this must be our last time together. the danger is too great. β
β some day try thinking before you speak. β
β i have a dragonβs temper, thatβs all. you must not let it frighten you. β
β you must not be saying such things, even in jest. β
β what we want is not always what we get. β
β put up that sword now, unless you want to be hurt. β
β sometimes a man knows more than he says. β
β when i donβt fancy a manβs eyes, i put an arrow through one. β
β my heart is full of doubts. β
β in times like this, we must make do as best we can. β
β i never dreamed how quick the sweet would turn to sour. β
β my skin has turned to porcelain, to ivory, to steel. β
β the stink of death is fresh on you. β
β you have repaid betrayal with betrayal, let it end. β
β the higher the man climbs the farther he has to fall. β
β i was hoping one look at this sweet face of mine would be enough to persuade you all of my innocence. β
β after all the storms weβve suffered, you should trust me better. β
β you can kill your enemies, but can you rule your friends? β
β could there be honor in a lie, if it were told for a good purpose? β
β i am the monster they all say i am. β
β pray excuse me, i need to hit someone very hard with a sword. β
β you did your best to kill me. perhaps i ought to return the favor. β
β you do, donβt you? you take me for a fool. β
β weβre all just songs in the end, if weβre lucky. β
β there is a long leagueβs worth of difference between wilful and stupid. β
β youβ¦a man like you brings blood with him. β
β when did i make so many enemies? β
β i must be strong. if i despair, my grief will consume me. β
β give me sweet lies, and keep your bitter truths. β
β i know what it is to be betrayed by men you trusted. β
β all my victories turn to dross in my hands. β
β it is a pleasure to look on you again, even in such trying times. β
β are you scared? have you lost your belly for fighting? β
β you were so long, i feared something had gone amiss. β
β any man who must say βi am kingβ is no true king at all. β
β always keep your foes confused. if they are never certain who you are or what you want, they cannot know what you are like to do next. β
β small men curse what they cannot understand. β
β if youβre lying to me again, you wonβt be leaving here alive. β
β it all goes back and back to our mothers and fathers and theirs before them. we are puppets dancing on the strings of those who came before us. β
β when you know what a man wants you know who he is, and how to move him. β
β a pure world. i do not belong here. β
β you make me sorry that i am not the monster you would have me be. β
β i crossed a thousand leagues to come to you, and lost the best part of me along the way. donβt tell me to leave. β
β my big mouth will be the death of me, i swear it. β
β we have suffered much, and there is more peril and more grief ahead. β
β iβ¦i suppose i earned that. β
β begging for help never gets you any. β
β youβre not made to lie. you blush and squeak and stammer. β
β one day you must tell me all. the good and the bad. β
β and there is stands, miserable as it is. my ancestral home. β
β whatever i do, all i make is death and horror. β
β it is safer to walk in darkness here. there are things you would not wish to see. β
β you have a certain cunning, but the plain truth is you talk too much. β
β that might have hurt me once, when i still felt pain. β
β we will fight a battle, and then we will rest. alive or dead, weβll rest. β
β every man must die. but first he must live. β
β all night i have been making songs for you in my head. β
β my blood, my body, my songs, you own them all. β
β if you lie iβll punch your face. β
β what a fight that was, and what a foe. β
β be quiet. i will tell you when you can speak. β
β forgive me. you have to forgive me. β
β never lie to me. never betray me. β
β there are two sorts of people. the players and the pieces. β
β the only thing i value less than my life right now is yours. β
β perhaps i should leave you here to rot if youβre going to be so discourteous. β
β i hadnβt forgotten, though i hoped you had. β
β i can still bite and kick. iβll die with the taste of blood in my mouth, thatβs something. β
β you bray like an ass, and make no more sense. β
β you do not belong here. this is not your place. β
β iβm not going back to sleep. my head is all a tumult. β
β some doors are best left closed. β
β it does not matter how brave or brilliant a man is, if his commands cannot be heard. β
β a man who fears battle wins no victories. β
β youβre not half bad with a sword, but youβre not good enough to take on two hundred men by yourself. β
β that is a good color on you. it goes well with your eyes. β
β if blood is what you wish, then let it flow. β
β i liked you well enoughβ¦but i never trusted you. a man needs to earn my trust. β
β it is good to see you know who i am. β
β i have told you no lies. yet there have been truths i have withheld. β
β pardon me if i do not weep for you. β
β youβll find nothing here but death. β
β donβtβ¦donβt talk like this. youβre scaring me. β
β you must be very brave or very stupid. β
β i gave you the truth. you owe me the same. β
β that loose tongue of yours will be your undoing. β
β i must have fire in my eyes when i face them, not tears. β
β it will take more than an arrow to kill you. β
β the soundβs inside, itβs in here with us, and itβs getting louder. β
β see? we know each other too well. β
β you meddle in matters you do not understand. β
β i have no luck. i have never had any bloody luck. β
β do all gods feel so lonely? β
β you are strangely quiet. how do you feel, i wonder? β
β stop trying to think up ways to kill me. none of it will do you any bit of good. β
β all you need to do is take my hand, come on. β
β weβre together, just as youβve always wanted, just as weβve always planned. β
β wars are won with quills and ravens. β
β if only i had my sword, nothing could harm me. β
β a valiant deed unsung is no less valiant. β
β there are wolves in these woods, and worse things. β
β say nothing of what weβve discussed here today. to anyone. β
β youβd best go. youβre making me angry. β
β fear cuts deeper than swords. β
β an ill-omened name. i have asked you not to use it. β
β you cannot hide from me. come closer, now. β
β thereβs no cause for all these tears. β
β it is good that you have woken, but you must give yourself time to heal. β
β there is no honor in hiding and sneaking. β
β come with me. we have to get away from here, and now. β
β kings are falling like leaves this autumn. β
β you donβt know half as much as you think you do. β
β you seem so sombre. is aught amiss? β
