A Court This Cruel & Lovely Quotes

“How do you control a population? You keep the people poor and uneducated. Tell them the same lie for centuries, and tie that lie to religion. Those people will believe you even when the truth is dancing naked in front of them. Because to believe otherwise would mean their entire world has always been a lie. And that realization is too difficult for most people to take.”
― Stacia Stark, A Court This Cruel & Lovely

“Don’t survive for anyone else. Survive for yourself. Survive because the thought of not surviving, the thought of letting those who would hurt you win, is so repulsive, you can’t stand it. Survive because you deserve to survive.”
― Stacia Stark, A Court This Cruel & Lovely

“Until you face up to the reality of your life, you will forever be a victim to it.”
― Stacia Stark, A Court This Cruel & Lovely

“You don’t know that.” “You get to believe anything you want. Why would you choose to believe you will fail?”
― Stacia Stark, A Court This Cruel & Lovely

“How do you control a population? You keep the people poor and uneducated. Tell them the same lie for centuries, and tie that lie to religion.”
― Stacia Stark, A Court This Cruel & Lovely

“You get to believe anything you want. Why would you choose to believe you will fail?”
― Stacia Stark, A Court This Cruel & Lovely

“I thought I knew what jealousy was, and then you saw him. The man you’ve always wanted. The man you’d choose if you had your way. And I almost slaughtered him right there.”
― Stacia Stark, A Court This Cruel & Lovely

“Oh, how you wound me. I would rather be holding your head over a bucket than whispering sweet nothings to any of the ladies in this court.”
― Stacia Stark, A Court This Cruel & Lovely

“One day soon, you will have to make a choice. Be a torch for just one soul in the dark…or burn like the sun for all of them.”
― Stacia Stark, A Court This Cruel & Lovely

“In another life.” I forced a smile.”
― Stacia Stark, A Court This Cruel & Lovely

“I know what we're about to do. It doesn't change the fact that I want to strip that dress off you and see what I find beneath it."
"You'll find knives," I said, narrowing my eyes at him.
His smile was dark - almost feral. "Wicked women are my weakness.”
― Stacia Stark, A Court This Cruel & Lovely

“Figured you’d be going over it in your head,” he said gruffly, grabbing a pillow. “Sleep, savage woman. I’ll keep you safe.”
― Stacia Stark, A Court This Cruel & Lovely

“Survive because you deserve to survive.”
― Stacia Stark, A Court This Cruel & Lovely

“Expecting others to uphold your moral standards will leave you disappointed every time.”
― Stacia Stark, A Court This Cruel & Lovely

“I’d told her she was mine, but she hadn’t truly accepted it. Soon, she would learn exactly what that meant.”
― Stacia Stark, A Court This Cruel & Lovely

“You don’t have to be a seer to know life is kind to no woman, even those who are blessed with beauty.”
― Stacia Stark, A Court This Cruel & Lovely

“She shifted her attention to me. “Now which of these fine men is yours?” Lorian snorted. That. Was. It. “Well,” I said. “This is a little…awkward…” The barmaid’s eyes lit up, and she leaned closer. “It is?” “It’s just that…they’re all mine.” I surveyed the men as I said it, grinning at their reactions. A chunk of meat fell from Rythos’s mouth. Cavis’s eyes widened, while Marth choked on his ale. Galon closed his eyes and muttered something that sounded like “young enough to be my daughter.”
― Stacia Stark, A Court This Cruel & Lovely

“Never underestimate what people will do when it comes to coin. Expecting others to uphold your moral standards will leave you disappointed every time.”
― Stacia Stark, A Court This Cruel & Lovely

“Sometimes you just need to hold on a little longer and the pain will be over.”
― Stacia Stark, A Court This Cruel & Lovely

“Sometimes you do whatever you can to stop the pain.”
― Stacia Stark, A Court This Cruel & Lovely

“He’s worse. He’s evil with the conviction that his actions are for the greater good.”
― Stacia Stark, A Court This Cruel & Lovely

“Many people used faith to cope with the worst parts of their lives. As something greater than themselves to turn to when they had lost their way. But some people used it to justify why others had less than they did–and why they were deserving of more.”
― Stacia Stark, A Court This Cruel & Lovely

“In another life,” he said, his eyes dark. It sounded like a promise. I sucked in a shaky breath. I felt it too. That maybe in another life, we were meant to be different people. And we would have been those people together. “In another life.” I forced a smile. His gaze dropped to my lips. And then he buried his hand in my hair and crushed his mouth to mine.”
― Stacia Stark, A Court This Cruel & Lovely

“It was as if I’d been holding my breath for all these years, and with one long exhale, I could breathe freely once more.”
― Stacia Stark, A Court This Cruel & Lovely

“She couldn’t have done something so evil. Surely…”
― Stacia Stark, A Court This Cruel & Lovely

“I’ve…come to realize that in these kinds of situations, I respond better to impatience and the implication that I’m a coward than I do to soft words and encouragement.”
“Well, that’s not entirely healthy, but if it’s what you need…”
[...]
“You’re doing great, Pris. Ah, I mean, move faster, you weakling.”
― Stacia Stark, A Court This Cruel & Lovely

“I was so fucking happy to see him, and yet I wanted to punch him in the gut. Siblings.”
― Stacia Stark, A Court This Cruel & Lovely

“You wanted him because he was handsome, but most importantly, he was safe. You weren’t meant for a life of safety. A life of kisses on your cheek and mediocre fucking. A life of gossiping with villagers.”
― Stacia Stark, A Court This Cruel & Lovely

“He looked at me with predatory focus—as if I was a new, unexpected pawn and he was deciding which move he would play. I shivered and closed my eyes.”
― Stacia Stark, A Court This Cruel & Lovely

“You’re not dying. Don’t be dramatic,” he snarled.”
― Stacia Stark, A Court This Cruel and Lovely