Quotes from Heather Dixon

Down with tyranny!' Bramble cried. 'Aristocracy! Autocracy! Monocracy! Other ocracy things! You are outnumbered, sir! Surrender !

He's around the twist,' said Azalea. 'Breaking all the windows? He's mad.' 'Ah, no,' said the King. 'It's only madness if you actually do it. If you want to break all the windows in the house and drown yourself in a bucket but don't actually do it, well, that's love.

Mr. Bradford," she said. "I'm not going to propose to you." The twinkle in Mr. Bradford's eyes faded. So did his smile. He managed to keep it on his face. It looked painful. "Oh," he said. "Mr. Bradford?" "Yes?" "Would you mind it so very much if...you know...you proposed to me?" The light in Mr. Bradford's eyes jumped to life. He beamed so largely it almost wasn't crooked. "If you want.

You forgot my birthday, too." "And mine." The girls looked miserable. The King opened his mouth, then shut it. "Sir!" whined Lord Teddie. "You forgot my birthday, too!" Bramble gave a surprised laugh, then slapped her hand over her mouth, as though shocked at letting it out. The tension broke. The girls laughed sheepishly, and Lord Teddie beamed. He probably did not have many ladies think him funny. In fact, he probably got slapped by a lot of them.

What happened?" said Clover, wetting a cloth in the basin, and dabbing Azalea's face. "She had a sort of fit," said the King. "I think her underthings may be laced too tightly." All the girls, including Azalea, blushed brilliantly. " Sir ," said Eve. "You're not suppose to know about the U word!" "Am I not? Forgive me.

What did Fairweller say? When you delivered the note?" "Oh," said Clover, calming a little. "Well...nothing, actually. I sort of...accidentally...tore it to pieces." "Accidentally," Azalea echoed. "And threw it into the fire," said Clover. "Oh.

Honestly, we don't kick or bite or throw potatoes at all our guests." A crooked smile touched Lord Bradford's lips. "Your family has spirit," he said, taking his hat from Azalea. "I enjoyed the evening." "Well, yes, you've just come from a war," said Azalea.

If your sisters come to your wedding, my lady, it will only be to murder me." Azalea slowly stood. "Well at least they will be there.

It would impress him!" "Do you think so?" Lord Howley brightened. "Oh,yes,he loves it when people tell him how to run the country.

She looked at him, his soft brown eyes and tall form, and contemplated raising herself on her toes and kissing his ear, or his cheek... Instead, impulsively before leaving, she reached up and smoothed his mussed hair. Mr. Bradford beamed.

Ah, Azalea," said the King. "He's not going to be the one proposing." The springs in Azalea's feet went poioioing . "Sorry?" she said. "You outrank him, you know." The King shifted, uncomfortable. "It would be highly inappropriate for him to propose to you . The Delchastrian queen had to propose-" "I will do no such thing!" said Azalea.

The teeth must have escaped while you murdered the rest of it," said Bramble, cough-laughing into her napkin. "Ha ha ha! You know, sometimes I think Clover is harboring some deep, dark shocking secret. Fire poker! Ba-hahahahaaa!

What a rotten shilling punter!" said Bramble, tearing her bread to bits. "I can't believe he stole our things! Especially the watch! We stole that watch first, fair and square!

I can be agreeable," said Fairweller. "If the other party is." "Oh,well," said Bramble. "There goes that, then.

I love you so much, my fingers hurt!

What did your mother do?" he said. "Sir?" "When it was time for bed," said the King. "Tell me." The girls exchanged nervous glances. He was talking about Mother. "She used to help the girls with their prayers," said Azalea, hesitant. "And-sometimes she would read stories." The King set the sword on the table, next to the vase. "Very well," he said as the girls whispered to one another. "I will read you a story." The whispering stopped.

When the High King was killed - first poisoned, several times, then shot with pistols, then his head cut off, then burned in the great palace fire ... no one really liked to talk about it ...

You look pretty, as always," he said. Azalea grinned, deciding not to remind him that the last times he had seen her, she had been soaked, frozen, unconscious, and a torn mess of the undead.

You cannot dance up there," he said, quietly. "I can see you are in mourning. But you are welcome to dance here, among the magic. Please. Come and mend you broken hearts here. Come back, every night.

And," said the Keeper, his eyes cold. "You are never to refuse me another dance again.

We can go without dancing and things a little longer." "Especially since our Great Slipper Scandal quickened the undead and nearly destroyed the palace," said Bramble. "It put us off dancing for at least an hour.

Hush," he murmured. "There now. Hush." He traced his finger along her jaw. "That is a sweet thought," he whispered. "Except, my lady, I cannot die.

It looked like his ponytail had revolted against him," said Bramble.

It is not a Christmas tree!" said the King, so firmly that all the girls stopped jumping about. "This is a house of mourning. It is nothing more than a tree. I thought it would look nice. Inside. That is all.