More on this book
Community
Kindle Notes & Highlights
her red tresses flapping like ribbons
By Seasons, the woman could ride.
“A jester never listens to anyone’s plan but his own.” “Poet, don’t. If they catch you—”
“Heed your lover,”
Her features collapsed like scaffolding. “Please, don’t. Don’t, Poet.”
Dear ones. Only ones. I did my best, but I lost my way, for I’m not in your league. If this chase ends badly, and this tale ends worse, I might not see you again. So, remember, try to remember, my heart is yours. Be good and happy. Be loved elsewhere.
So possibly the knights were recalling the previous rumors I had spread about incubi and demons lurking in certain parts of the forest.
I could have worn the soldiers out, tricked them into believing those rumors more keenly. Except my steed huffed.
Always, jesters decided when they wanted to be seen and when they didn’t.
my face wrinkled into a frown. Something wasn’t right.
the scarlet ribbon untethered and slipped from my wrist.
Nicu’s ribbon fluttered like a plume, the color bleeding through the darkness.
my son’s ribbon slumped over the sword, in danger of being sheared in half or taken from me, like they’d tried to take him.
Two males. Presently, I clashed with two males. But there’d also been a female.
providence lured me here
My memory. My mistake.
During the Peace Talks, I’d failed to compose myself and had suggested born souls be treated better. I got into a fight with the Court Jester.
“A princess does not deny anything.”
“Take care, Briar of Autumn. That’s twice you’ve lied.”
“Hello, sweeting. I think we’ve been caught.”
“I give you my word as a man who jests.”
“You cannot be serious.” “Hardly ever. But that’s what you pay me for.”
“If you had taken your escape more seriously, you would have outrun our knights.”
“If you took humanity more seriously, I wouldn’t have had to try.”
“Don’t vilify her, Majesties,”
I targeted the princess
Because her virtuous Autumn nature was no match for my conniving Spring ways, I manipulated her into helping my cause.
“The princess was under my spell.”
“And don’t each of you know what that fuckery is like.”
I did not care to be portrayed as a damsel swooning un...
This highlight has been truncated due to consecutive passage length restrictions.
Poet’s influence stretched beyond Spring’s borders, and while half the court either desired Poet’s body, feared his tongue, or resented his position, the citizenry was different. Unanimously, they idolized him. He was the talk of the tavern, an idol among the brothels, and the main event in each story that drifted from the castle into the surrounding villages and towns.
the penalty of which is death.”
Poet cocked his head. “You’ll let me choose?” “I shall let you choose.” “Excellent. I’d prefer death by old age.”
They regarded Poet like a lover who had been unfaithful, me like a princess who’d never respected them in the first place, and both of us like traitors.
“Sweeting, if the princess doesn’t want to be touched—” he increased the pressure on the guard’s trachea and enunciated, “—you do not touch her.”
Me and Poet, protecting one another
She’d predicted I would grow up to be a daring female, ready to take chances and dismiss social rules.
A brief loss of temper. A willful spirit. A trick.
And she’s falling for him.”
“And I’m loving her.”
Poet whispers, “Right now, I’m loving her … because I do, and have, and will.”
“I love her,” he hissed,
And I loved it. I loved him. Seasons save me, I did. I loved this devilish man so much it hurt.
I loved Poet. I loved him desperately.
“Steadfast lady, sweet royal thorn, how lovely-cruel you are. My body’s taut, my soul is worn, from the lovely-cruel you are. The highborn chose the lowest born, ’tis the lovely-cruel you are. This trick unseen, this fated scorn, of the lovely-cruel you are. So, when you leave, I shall us mourn, the lovely-cruel we are.”
get the fuck out of here, darling Briar.”
“I’m in love with him.”
“He makes me laugh. That shouldn’t be forbidden.”
“I do not give myself,” I told her gently but surely. “I share myself.”
“Regardless of bloodlines or inheritance, we spend our lives learning how to be monarchs. But you’ve shown more determination during these past weeks than I’ve ever seen. That’s why I’m not fretting about the queen you’ll become.” She swept a lock of hair from my cheek. “And I’ve suspected for a while about Poet.”
