The Scottish Boy Quotes

“Then, in the most beautiful French Harry has ever heard, the boy whispers, ‘Of course I can fucking swim, you great Sassenach idiot. I grew up in a tower in the middle of a loch.”
― Alex de Campi, The Scottish Boy

“I will always come back to you. Always. Even if I have to drag myself out of the grave to do it.”
― Alex de Campi, The Scottish Boy

“Iain,' he says softly. 'If you're in heaven, I cannot let you go. I keep seeing you, trying to put you back in the world by sheer force of desire. I saw you in the Black Knight, and I feel like every step I make in this palace I am walking in your footprints. I you really are here, please know that I still love you more than anything in the world, and would make any sacrifice to have you with me again.' He shuts his eyes. 'And if you are but a spirit, protecting me, thank you for that. I have needed it, I have always needed you.”
― Alex de Campi, The Scottish Boy

“I don't know what we're doing. I don't know what this is. I prayed so hard, throughout my time away from here, that I could... be your friend. W-without sin. I thought I had succeeded. And I come back, and with one look from you I am ablaze again.”
― Alex de Campi, The Scottish Boy

“The boy laughs, sharp and hollow. ‘You killed them all and you don’t even know my name. Fuck you. Death. That’s my name.”
― Alex de Campi, The Scottish Boy

“Well, then,’ Harry says, rolling away from Iain and sitting up. ‘Let’s get out there and hit each other.’ ‘You have got to be fucking kidding,’ Iain says. ‘It’s England,’ Harry replies. ‘Fighting in the rain is an important skill.”
― Alex de Campi, The Scottish Boy

“Why can’t you just hate me?’ Iain sobs under his breath. ‘It would be so much easier.’ ‘Save your energy,’ Harry says. ‘We can fight tomorrow. Right now we have to rinse those scrapes out with vinegar before they fester. You’ve brought half the moor home with you.”
― Alex de Campi, The Scottish Boy

“There is only the bottomless fury that comes with the betrayal of love”
― Alex de Campi, The Scottish Boy

“The hurt is all he has left. Once it's gone, he won't feel anything at all.”
― Alex de Campi, The Scottish Boy

“Harry isn’t even surprised by the reward given to evil men any more.”
― Alex de Campi, The Scottish Boy

“A family doesn’t hold onto the crown that long by being nice people, Harry.”
― Alex de Campi, The Scottish Boy

“He doesn’t tell Iain. There’s no point. Iain would do something stupid, like try to kill Rabbie in his sleep. (It’s tempting to tell Iain.)”
― Alex de Campi, The Scottish Boy

“He shakes his head, and fights the urge to put it in the way of Rabbie’s mace. He’ll be riding up and asking for Iain’s favour next, to wear into battle. What a concept. His squire’s favour. (It would be something pale blue, he thinks. A scrap of ribbon he could wear around his wrist, where nobody would know.)”
― Alex de Campi, The Scottish Boy

“Given everyone’s abundant good cheer, Harry guesses that Iain hasn’t killed anyone and/or run away. But it’s always good to check.”
― Alex de Campi, The Scottish Boy

“Harry lies there and tries to glimpse the divine reason for Sir Simon’s death. For his mother’s. Because the alternative thought – that God doesn’t have a plan, that all this random pain and cruelty is merely the purposeless lurching of the human animal as it comes howling into the world and then goes screaming out of it – is unbearable.”
― Alex de Campi, The Scottish Boy

“He’s presented with Iain and Harry lying almost on top of each other in a pile of straw, giggling their heads off. ‘He turned his back on Numbles,’ Harry says, gesturing at the bite-mark on Iain’s shoulder. ‘I hate you all,’ hiccups Iain, tears of mirth in his eyes.”
― Alex de Campi, The Scottish Boy

“Iain,’ he says softly. ‘If you’re in heaven, I cannot let you go. I keep seeing you, trying to put you back in the world by sheer force of desire. I saw you in the Black Knight, and I feel like every step I make in this palace I am walking in your footprints. If you really are here, please know that I still love you more than anything in the world, and would make any sacrifice to have you with me again.’ He shuts his eyes. ‘And if you are but a spirit, protecting me, thank you for that. I have needed it. I have always needed you.”
― Alex de Campi, The Scottish Boy

“Then Iain’s on him, trying to pin his arms while tickling him, teasing him about how loudly he snores.”
― Alex de Campi, The Scottish Boy

“Alys finds the chest containing the scarves and ribbons. Her brow furrows. ‘lain, why on earth do any of us need so much haberdashery? I, for one, have no intention of ever going to court again.’

‘Well,’ lain whispers, in his rough, ruined voice, 'you're going to go through a lot of ribbons, because every time that great Sassenach idiot rides into a tournament he's going to need a favour.'

‘Oh lord,’ Harry groans. 'You're teaming up on me?’

And two bright, mischievous brunets look at him and grin. 'Who, us?' says Alys, her face innocent.

‘We'd never,’ purrs lain. (505-506)”
― Alex de Campi, The Scottish Boy

“The aide scrunches his face in discomfort. ‘Those are the private royal gardens, Sir Harry. We do not look towards them nor do we reach into them, unless we have a very great desire to lose our hand.'

Harry's face reddens in embarrassment as he is led away from the bench, probably never to be allowed near it again.

'Are you worried the King overheard your prayer?' the aide asks.

'No. I prayed in English,’ Harry says.

'Pfft,' the aide snorts. ‘Then God did not hear it either, for He does not speak the vulgar tongue.' (474)”
― Alex de Campi, The Scottish Boy

“Harry holds up his hands, palms toward Rabbie, with a calm expression on his face. "I remember Lord Montagu once telling me that a cage was the safest way to transport a prisoner. Perhaps we have more in common with our French cousins than we thought.”
― Alex de Campi, The Scottish Boy

“Iain,' he says softly. 'If you're in heaven, I cannot let you go. I keep seeing you, trying to put you back in the world by sheer force of desire. I saw you in the Black Knight, and I feel like every step I make in this palace I am walking in your footprints. If you really are here, please know that I still love you more than anything in the world, and would make any sacrifice to have you with me again.' He shuts his eyes. 'And if you are but a spirit, protecting me, thank you for that. I have needed it, I have always needed you.”
― Alex de Campi, The Scottish Boy

“Iain,' he says softly. 'Of you're in heaven, I cannot let you go. I keep seeing you, trying to put you back in the world by sheer force of desire. I saw you in the Black Knight, and I feel like every step I make in this palace I am walking in your footprints. I you really are here, please know that I still love you more than anything in the world, and would make any sacrifice to have you with me again.' He shuts his eyes. 'And if you are but a spirit, protecting me, thank you for that. I have needed it, I have always needed you.”
― Alex de Campi, The Scottish Boy

“It feels like I left you yesterday, 'Harry says. 'As if the years apart existed only as a terrible dream.”
― Alex de Campi, The Scottish Boy

“Harry tries to smile, tries to pretend he's excited for the reasons they would be excited. Not for a different reason. Not because he's in love with Death, and keen to chase him across the French countryside.”
― Alex de Campi, The Scottish Boy

“I just want you to know I still think of you,' Harry says, his voice cracking. 'Every goddman day”
― Alex de Campi, The Scottish Boy

“Harry is glad he is riding to war. He badly wants to harm a lot of things.”
― Alex de Campi, The Scottish Boy

“There has been no one else,’ Iain breathes. ‘Beyond the afternoon I used Rolly. Which,’ he sighs, ‘wasn’t my finest moment.’ ‘Do not ever mention his name again,’ Harry growls, digging his fingers into the firm flesh of Iain’s backside. ‘Don’t ever go near him again.”
― Alex de Campi, The Scottish Boy

“everyone at Dartington continues with the conspiracy of Not Talking About Iain. Harry lasts three weeks before he loses his mind.”
― Alex de Campi, The Scottish Boy

“There is only the bottomless fury that comes from a betrayal of love.”
― Alex de Campi, The Scottish Boy