How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
"It's all right, Calib," she said. "I was upset at first, but I'm resigned to it now. The crown is yours. Enjoy it, and do it better than I would have." (3.17)
Cue the emotional music. Ani has a touching moment with her brother here about the power in Kildenree. It's clear that Calib will make a better ruler than Ani at first, but we like that he's not so cut-throat and kill-anyone-who-stands-in-your-way about it like Selia is.
Quote #5
She thought, she hoped, that the handkerchief was something fantastic, like a piece of a tale, but real, and just for her, a symbol of the real, hidden love of her mother. She so desperately wanted something magical, something powerful, something that meant her mother had not flung her aside but loved her as deeply as her own heart. (4.51)
The handkerchief the queen gives to Ani has magical powers in it—or is it just in Ani's imagination? Ani thinks about how something from her family can be so important to her mother and protect her on the journey to Bayern, but ultimately she loses the handkerchief and its power. If you want to know more about this symbol, hop on over to the "Symbols" section.
Quote #6
"Fraud?" said Selia. "Royalty is not a right, Captain. The willingness of the people to follow a ruler is what gives her power. Here, in this place, by this people, I have been chosen. These men are tired of being told whom to follow. Now they have a choice, and they use that choice to call me Princess." (4.133)
Selia wants power so badly she can taste it. And she does—for a while. We're pretty sure the type of power she wants is to dominate people so she can get whatever she wants, but Ani learns that it's better to actually please the people and fight for them, not against them.