Seneschal Quotes

“His grin widens, shows teeth. 'I don't think I will be a good king. I never wanted to be one, certainly not a good one. You made me your puppet. Very well, Jude, daughter of Madoc, I will be your puppet. You rule. You contend with Balekin, with Roiben, with Orlagh of the Undersea. You be my seneschal, do the work, and I will drink wine and make my subjects laugh. I may be the useless shield you put in front of your brother, but don't expect me to start being useful.'

I expected something else, a direct threat, perhaps. Somehow, this is worse.

He rises from the throne. 'Come, have a seat.' His voice is replete with danger, lush with menace. The flowering branches have sprouted thorns so thickly that petals are barely visible.

'This is what you wanted, isn't it?' he asks. 'What you sacrificed everything for. Go on. It's all yours.”
― Holly Black, The Cruel Prince

“Power is infectious. Power is greedy.”
― Holly Black, The Wicked King

“Beware the perfumed seneschal.”
― George R.R. Martin, A Dance with Dragons

“You've delivered your message. I have no big of doggerel to send back- my own fault for having a seneschal who cannot double as my Court Poet- but I will be sure to crumple up some paper and drop it into the water when I do.”
― Holly Black, The Wicked King

“He would never lose his only friend and family for something so materialistic. He was even fine if Rufus wanted the whole throne, he would become the seneschal and guide him in times of misery.”
― Gauri Sharma, Of Vengeance and Ashes

“Come on,” I say, taking Cardan’s arms and pulling him unsteadily to his feet. “You can’t sleep here.”
“What happened to your cheek?” he asks, his gaze focusing blurrily on me. He’s close enough that I can see his long lashes, the gold ring around the black of his iris.
“Nothing,” I say.
He lets me squire him into the hall. As we emerge, the Ghost and the rest of the guards move immediately to stand at attention,
“At ease,” says Cardan with a wave of his hand. “My seneschal is taking me somewhere. Worry not. I’m sure she’s got a plan of some kind.”
His guards fall in line behind us, some of them frowning, as I half-lead him, half-carry him to my chambers. I hate taking him there, but I do not feel confident about his safety anywhere else.
He looks around in amazement, taking in the mess. “Where—Do you really sleep here? Perhaps you ought to set fire to your rooms as well.”
“Maybe,” I say, guiding him to my bed. It is strange to put my hand on his back. I can feel the warmth of his skin through the thin linen of his shirt, can feel the flex of his muscles.
It feels wrong to touch him as though he were a regular person, as though he weren’t both the High King and also my enemy.”
― Holly Black, The Wicked King