“Then, in the spirit of benevolence, "Your face is well balanced." She slapped him encouragingly on the back, "You have very long eyelashes. Like a cow.”

“(Dorothy) Dunnett is the master of the invisible, particularly in her later books. Where is this tension coming from? Why is this scene so agonizing? Why is this scene so emotional? Tension and emotion pervade the books, sometimes almost unbearably, yet when you look at the writing, at the actual words, there's nothing to show that the scene is emotional at all. I think it is because Dunnett layers her novels, meaning that each event is informed by what has come before (and what came before that, and what came before that) but Dunnett doesn't signpost in the text that this is happening, leaving it to the reader to bring the relevant information to the table”

“Damen found himself alongside Jord. ‘If you want to live, ride fast.’ White-faced, Jord took one look at his expression and said, ‘He’s not coming.’‘We’re outnumbered,’ said Damen, ‘but if you run, you might still make it out.’‘If we’re outnumbered, what are you going to do?’Damen drove his horse onward, ready to take up his own place on the front line. He said, ‘Fight.”

“It was like watching a man smile as he surrendered himself to drown in deep water.”

“A kingdom, or this?”

“I'm glad you're here,' said Laurent. 'I always thought that I'd have to face my uncle alone.' He turned to look at Damen, and their eyes met.'You're not alone,' said Damen.Laurent didn't answer, but he did give a smile, and reached out to touch Damen, wordlessly.”

“That is the man you face. He has more honour and integrity than any man I have ever met. He is dedicated to his people and his country. And I am proud to have been his lover.”

“I would court you, with all the grace and courtesy that you deserve,”

“Then, in the spirit of benevolence, "Your face is well balanced." She slapped him encouragingly on the back, "You have very long eyelashes. Like a cow.”

“To get what you want, you have to know exactly how much you are willing to give up.”