i'm feeling really sad over the withywoods staff this morning. like, they've been through so much death and loss in such a short amount of time. first the former king in waiting moves there with his wife, which is an honor even though he abdicated, and they get to witness chivalry and patience be in love despite all of the struggles, then chivalry dies. then they get august, who i think they might have doted on, then he also dies. the mansion remains empty for a long time (i think), then fitz and molly settle in. then patience dies, and molly dies. and the raid, obviously, but then they must have found out via nettle that fitz isn't coming back home either. another master of the house, who they have grown to tolerate and work with, if not be fond of, gone. nettle can't move in as long as she's skillmistress i believe, so is withywoods and its people waiting for bee. with the physical reminder of the love between fitz, beloved, and nighteyes hidden inside it

i'm rereading AA (i'm back home!) and you gotta give it to hobb for having the best closing lines. i'm only on chapter eight and they've all been bangers. "Utter loneliness was planted in me then, and sent its deep roots down into me." / "For the first time since I had known him, my wariness of him was tinged with pity." / "I believe that the knife is still there." / "By my count, I was thirteen years old." and of course, the most iconic line of all, "I grew up fatherless and motherless in a court where all recognized me as a catalyst. And a catalyst I became."

“Thinking is not always...comforting. It is always good, but not always comforting.” ― Robin Hobb, Royal Assassin