โ why would the stars want to look down on one such as me? โ
โ sometimes i think everyone is just pretending to be brave, and none of us really are. maybe pretending is how you get brave. โ
โ come, curse me or kiss me or call me a liar. something. โ
โ some battles are not won with swords and spears, others with quills and ravens. โ
โ old stories are like old friends. you have to visit them from time to time. โ
โ still, night falls for all of us in the end, and too soon for some. โ
โ and i tell you truly, there is no man in all the world who will ever be half so true to you as me. โ
โ there are fights no swords can win. โ
โ nothing will happen to you. nothing. i could not stand it. โ
โ in such troubled times, it is hard to know friend from foe. โ
โ you hide behind courtesy as if it were a castle wall. โ
โ why do i enrage you so? iโve never done you harm that i know of. โ
โ it seems to me that a ruler who trusts no one is as foolish as a ruler who trusts everyone. โ
โ loveโs not always wise, iโve learned. it can lead us to great folly, but we follow our heartsโฆwherever they take us. โ
โ only lies offend me, never honest counsel. โ
โ it was never my wish to sow enmity between us. โ
โ best you were taken to your bed for a long resting, until you are stronger. โ
โ even brave men blind themselves sometimes, when they are afraid to see. โ
โ no harm will come to you, you have my word on that. โ
โ the worst is behind us. donโt be frightened. โ
โ silence. have you forgotten who i am? โ
โ there is something we must speak of. will you walk with me? โ
โ you shall rise again, i am sure. a man like you. โ
โ i am not a cruel man. you know me. โ
โ the world grows a little darker every day. โ
โ i have need of good counsel, and you never gave me less. โ
โ you are a treacherous old rogue, but a good friend all the same. โ
โ madness and greatness are two sides of the same coin. โ
โ if you love me all so much, why are you still dressed? โ
โ youโre mine. mine, as iโm yours. โ
โ wars need not be fought until the last drop of blood. โ
โ one voice may speak you false, but in many there is always truth to be found. โ
โ when it comes to battle, discipline beats valour every time. โ
โ sometimes the best thing you can do is nothing. โ
โ it is too late for ifs, and too late for rescues. all that remains is vengeance. โ
โ only blood can pay for blood. โ
โ why do you hesitate? kill him, and be done. โ
โ i will fall into those eyes and drown. โ
โ harsh justice is still justice. โ
โ i am cleverer than most, surely wits count for something. โ
โ thereโs a storm coming. a bad one. โ
โ men will read all sorts of things into a knowing smile if you let them. โ
โ the greatest fools are ofttimes more clever than the men who laugh at them. โ
โ all these kings would do a deal better if they would put down their swords and listen to their mothers. โ
โ you were made to be kissed, often and well. โ
โ i walk alone with no true companion but tears. โ
โ there is a savage beast in every man, and when you hand that man a sword or spear and send him forth to war, the beast stirs. โ
โ there are fights no swords can win. โ
โ here you are my guest, and safe from harm at my handsโฆthis night, at least. โ
โ i love the smell of you. i love your hair. i love your mouth, and the way you kiss me. โ
โ i am alive, and drunk on sunlight. โ
โ we look up at the same stars and see such different things. โ
โ let them kill me. so long as i die fighting, a blade in hand. โ
โ they are still behind us. they are taking us one by one. โ
โ cry if you must. in your place, i would likely rip my hair out. โ
โ would you wake me, please? iโm having this terrible nightmare. โ
โ i know what it is like to love so greatly you can think of nothing else. โ
โ if truth be told, iโm bored with your company. โ
โ i am tired of fighting you. what say we make a truce? โ
โ no man grows rich by kindness. โ
โ it is well you did not lie to me. i would have known. โ
โ the blood of my enemies i will shed gladly. the blood of innocents is another matter. โ
โ i do not know who you are, and it may be thatโs for the best. someone important, i fear. โ
โ is every word you say a lie? โ
โ why should i tell you my name? you havenโt told me yours. โ
โ you are weak as a child, and no warrior. โ
โ if i look back i am lost. โ
โ if you lie to me, i will have your tongue. โ
โ youโve grown more amusing since last we met. โ
โ i wonder if i might have a few private words? โ
โ i dreamed a dream, no more. go back to sleep. โ
โ this is a bad place, is it not? a dark place, and foul. โ
โ i did not intend to give offence. forgive me. โ
โ you have never feared to speak the truth, why do you lie to yourself? โ
โ the musicโs still playing. might i have this dance? โ
โ your eyes give the lie to your tongue. โ
โ let me go now. for our friendship, wish me luck and let me go โ
โ a wise man never makes an enemy of a king. โ
โ this must be our last time together. the danger is too great. โ
โ some day try thinking before you speak. โ
โ i have a dragonโs temper, thatโs all. you must not let it frighten you. โ
โ you must not be saying such things, even in jest. โ
โ what we want is not always what we get. โ
โ put up that sword now, unless you want to be hurt. โ
โ sometimes a man knows more than he says. โ
โ when i donโt fancy a manโs eyes, i put an arrow through one. โ
โ my heart is full of doubts. โ
โ in times like this, we must make do as best we can. โ
โ i never dreamed how quick the sweet would turn to sour. โ
โ my skin has turned to porcelain, to ivory, to steel. โ
โ the stink of death is fresh on you. โ
โ you have repaid betrayal with betrayal, let it end. โ
โ the higher the man climbs the farther he has to fall. โ
โ i was hoping one look at this sweet face of mine would be enough to persuade you all of my innocence. โ
โ after all the storms weโve suffered, you should trust me better. โ
โ you can kill your enemies, but can you rule your friends? โ
โ could there be honor in a lie, if it were told for a good purpose? โ
โ i am the monster they all say i am. โ
โ pray excuse me, i need to hit someone very hard with a sword. โ
โ you did your best to kill me. perhaps i ought to return the favor. โ
โ you do, donโt you? you take me for a fool. โ
โ weโre all just songs in the end, if weโre lucky. โ
โ there is a long leagueโs worth of difference between wilful and stupid. โ
โ youโฆa man like you brings blood with him. โ
โ when did i make so many enemies? โ
โ i must be strong. if i despair, my grief will consume me. โ
โ give me sweet lies, and keep your bitter truths. โ
โ i know what it is to be betrayed by men you trusted. โ
โ all my victories turn to dross in my hands. โ
โ it is a pleasure to look on you again, even in such trying times. โ
โ are you scared? have you lost your belly for fighting? โ
โ you were so long, i feared something had gone amiss. โ
โ any man who must say โi am kingโ is no true king at all. โ
โ always keep your foes confused. if they are never certain who you are or what you want, they cannot know what you are like to do next. โ
โ small men curse what they cannot understand. โ
โ if youโre lying to me again, you wonโt be leaving here alive. โ
โ it all goes back and back to our mothers and fathers and theirs before them. we are puppets dancing on the strings of those who came before us. โ
โ when you know what a man wants you know who he is, and how to move him. โ
โ a pure world. i do not belong here. โ
โ you make me sorry that i am not the monster you would have me be. โ
โ i crossed a thousand leagues to come to you, and lost the best part of me along the way. donโt tell me to leave. โ
โ my big mouth will be the death of me, i swear it. โ
โ we have suffered much, and there is more peril and more grief ahead. โ
โ iโฆi suppose i earned that. โ
โ begging for help never gets you any. โ
โ youโre not made to lie. you blush and squeak and stammer. โ
โ one day you must tell me all. the good and the bad. โ
โ and there is stands, miserable as it is. my ancestral home. โ
โ whatever i do, all i make is death and horror. โ
โ it is safer to walk in darkness here. there are things you would not wish to see. โ
โ you have a certain cunning, but the plain truth is you talk too much. โ
โ that might have hurt me once, when i still felt pain. โ
โ we will fight a battle, and then we will rest. alive or dead, weโll rest. โ
โ every man must die. but first he must live. โ
โ all night i have been making songs for you in my head. โ
โ my blood, my body, my songs, you own them all. โ
โ if you lie iโll punch your face. โ
โ what a fight that was, and what a foe. โ
โ be quiet. i will tell you when you can speak. โ
โ forgive me. you have to forgive me. โ
โ never lie to me. never betray me. โ
โ there are two sorts of people. the players and the pieces. โ
โ the only thing i value less than my life right now is yours. โ
โ perhaps i should leave you here to rot if youโre going to be so discourteous. โ
โ i hadnโt forgotten, though i hoped you had. โ
โ i can still bite and kick. iโll die with the taste of blood in my mouth, thatโs something. โ
โ you bray like an ass, and make no more sense. โ
โ you do not belong here. this is not your place. โ
โ iโm not going back to sleep. my head is all a tumult. โ
โ some doors are best left closed. โ
โ it does not matter how brave or brilliant a man is, if his commands cannot be heard. โ
โ a man who fears battle wins no victories. โ
โ youโre not half bad with a sword, but youโre not good enough to take on two hundred men by yourself. โ
โ that is a good color on you. it goes well with your eyes. โ
โ if blood is what you wish, then let it flow. โ
โ i liked you well enoughโฆbut i never trusted you. a man needs to earn my trust. โ
โ it is good to see you know who i am. โ
โ i have told you no lies. yet there have been truths i have withheld. โ
โ pardon me if i do not weep for you. โ
โ youโll find nothing here but death. โ
โ donโtโฆdonโt talk like this. youโre scaring me. โ
โ you must be very brave or very stupid. โ
โ i gave you the truth. you owe me the same. โ
โ that loose tongue of yours will be your undoing. โ
โ i must have fire in my eyes when i face them, not tears. โ
โ it will take more than an arrow to kill you. โ
โ the soundโs inside, itโs in here with us, and itโs getting louder. โ
โ see? we know each other too well. โ
โ you meddle in matters you do not understand. โ
โ i have no luck. i have never had any bloody luck. โ
โ do all gods feel so lonely? โ
โ you are strangely quiet. how do you feel, i wonder? โ
โ stop trying to think up ways to kill me. none of it will do you any bit of good. โ
โ all you need to do is take my hand, come on. โ
โ weโre together, just as youโve always wanted, just as weโve always planned. โ
โ wars are won with quills and ravens. โ
โ if only i had my sword, nothing could harm me. โ
โ a valiant deed unsung is no less valiant. โ
โ there are wolves in these woods, and worse things. โ
โ say nothing of what weโve discussed here today. to anyone. โ
โ youโd best go. youโre making me angry. โ
โ fear cuts deeper than swords. โ
โ an ill-omened name. i have asked you not to use it. โ
โ you cannot hide from me. come closer, now. โ
โ thereโs no cause for all these tears. โ
โ it is good that you have woken, but you must give yourself time to heal. โ
โ there is no honor in hiding and sneaking. โ
โ come with me. we have to get away from here, and now. โ
โ kings are falling like leaves this autumn. โ
โ you donโt know half as much as you think you do. โ
โ you seem so sombre. is aught amiss? โ