Kristin Cashore, Graceling

"He leaned heavily on the desk now, as if danger had strengthened him before and its lack now made him weak."

"But everyone has some kind of power to hurt people."

"How absurd it was that in all seven kingdoms, the weakest and most vulnerable of people - girls, women - went unarmed and were taught nothing of fighting, while the strong were trained to the highest reaches of their skill."

"The only way for you to keep your mind straight is to run from those who would confuse you."

"Your brothers are the foolish ones for not seeing the strength in beautiful things."

"Lady Katsa, is it" "Yes, Lord Prince."I've heard you have one eye green as the Middluns grasses, and the other eye blue as the sky."Yes, Lord Prince."I've heard you can kill a man with the nail of your smallest finger."She smiled. "Yes, Lord Prince."Does it make it easier"I don't understand you."To have beautiful eyes. Does it lighten the burden of your Grace, to know you have beautiful eyes?"

"Hidden yourself in a hole and dared to burden no one with your grievous friendship? I will have friends, Katsa. I will have a life, even though I carry this burden."

"Skye kissed her forehead. "You saved my life."Katsa smiled. "You Lienid are very outward in your affection."I'm going to name my firstborn child after you."Katsa laughed at that. "For the child's sake, wait for a girl. Or even better, wait until all your children are older and give my name to whichever is the most troublesome and obstinate."Skye burst into laughter and hugged her, and Katsa returned his embrace. And realized that quite without her intending it, her guarded heart had made another friend."

"You're afraid of your own anger."

"I have no doubt that you are more than capable of bringing the Monsean queen and my son and the rest of my sons and a hundred Nanderan kittens through an onslaught of howling raiders if you chose to."

"Raffin appeared again, a floor above her, on the balconied passageway that ran past his workrooms. He leaned over the railing and called down to her. "Kat!"What is it"You look lost . Have you forgotten the way to your rooms"I'm stalling."How long will you be? I'd like to show you a couple of my new discoveries."I've been told to make myself pretty for dinner."He grinned. "Well in that case, you'll be ages."His face dissolved into laughter, and she tore a button from one of her bags an hurled it at him. He squealed and dropped to the floor, and the button hit the wall right where he'd been standing. When he peeked back over the railing, she stood in the courtyard with her hands on her hips, grinning. "I missed on purpose," she said."Show off! Come if you have time." He waved, and turned into his rooms."

"In the end, Leck should have stuck to his lies. For it was the truth he almost told that killed him."

"You won't even take your bow? Are you planning to throttle a moose with your bare hands, then"I've a knife in my boot," she said, and then wondered, for a moment, if she could throttle a moose with her bare hands."

"I wouldn't marry Giddon to save my life," Katsa said. "Not even to save yours."Well." Raffin's eyes were full of laughter. "I'd leave that part out."

"Perhaps I can stay by the fire and mend your socks and scream if I hear any strange noises."

"What are you grinning at" Katsa demanded for the third or fourth time. "Is the ceiling about to cave in on my head or something? You look like we're both on the verge of an enormous joke."Katsa, only you would consider the collapse of the ceiling a good joke."

"I'm not going to wear a red dress," she said."It would look stunning, My Lady," she called. She spoke to the bubbles gathered on the surface of the water. "If there's anyone I wish to stun at dinner, I'll hit him in the face."

"I know you don't want this, Katsa. But I can't help myself. The moment you came barreling into my life I was lost. I'm afraid to tell you what I wish for, for fear you'll... oh, I don't know, throw me into the fire. Or more likely, refuse me. Or worst of all, despise me," he said, his voice breaking and his eyes dropping from her face. His face dropping into his hands. "I love you," he said. "You're more dear to my heart than I ever knew anyone could be. And I've made you cry; and there I'll stop."