“How could he possibly bow deeply enough to honor a thousand-year-old samurai queen?”

“He remembered the gracefulness with which she moved in battle—like liquid flesh. There was no one quite like his wife, and he never felt more triumphant and free than when he was in her company.”

“Don’t you dare come into my world and tell me what color the ocean is! It’s black. Black as midnight. Black and awful!”

“The heart knows the immensity it wants to achieve, but it is limited.”

“Victory is always bittersweet.”

“It is very easy to be a military strategist, a mercenary, or a king, but much harder to be a father.”

“You do not require a license to love someone; you don’t need to pass any complicated tests. Love does not have age limitations, rules, or restrictions. Love is our birthright—it is the one thing that all humans know how to do, the one thing we all deserve. You can’t force it or fake it. You can know someone for an entire lifetime, and not feel a drop of love for them. And you can know someone for a single day, and give your heart to them completely.”

“How could he possibly bow deeply enough to honor a thousand-year-old samurai queen?”

“There is magic in all life.”

“I can never gain something without losing everything I had before.”

“Love does not have gender. Love is not exclusive! Our hearts have the capacity to love so many people. The only tragedy is when fear, cultural barriers, ridiculous misunderstandings, or arbitrary numbers prevent us from experiencing the joy we could have.”