Lydia

“If you’re the sickness, I suppose you can’t also be the cure.”
― Holly Black, The Wicked King

“He looks at me and blinks, as through a fog. "This is an absolutely terrible idea," he says with a kind of amazement in his voice.

"Yes," I tell him, kicking off my boots.


-Cardan and Jude”
― Holly Black, The Wicked King

“You said that you thought Queen Orlagh was waiting for an advantage to declare war. Instead, I think she is trying a new ruler—one she hopes she can trick or replace with another indebted to her. She thinks me young and feckless and means to take my measure.”

“So what?” I ask. “Our choice is to endure her games, no matter how deadly, or engage in a war we cannot win?”

Cardan shakes his head and drinks another cup of tea. “We show her that I am no feckless High King.”

“And how do we do that?” I ask.

“With great difficulty,” he says. “Since I fear she is right.”
― Holly Black, The Wicked King

“So I am to sit here and feed you information,” Cardan says, leaning against a hickory tree. “And you’re to go charm royalty? That seems entirely backward.”
I fix him with a look. “I can be charming. I charmed you, didn’t I?”
He rolls his eyes. “Do not expect others to share my depraved tastes.”
― Holly Black, The Cruel Prince