“Everyone gets scared at times. It's only the fools who won't admit it.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Runaway King
“Above all else, I think that you are a compulsive liar."
My laughter was tense, but sincere. "Hardly. In fact, I consider myself a compulsive truth teller. It's only that everyone else seems compelled to misunderstand me.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Runaway King
“You wouldn't want to be king of my country," I said.
"Why is that?"
"Well, you're rather fat. I doubt you'd fit onto my throne.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Runaway King
“You should thank me for tolerating you. I had hoped that becoming a royal would cure your foul manners."
"That's interesting. My father hoped that stripping me of royalty would do the same thing.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Runaway King
“You're such a young king. I barely remember being your age."
"Then clearly we're talking about how old you are, not how young I am.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Runaway King
“Her eyes scanned the dark skies. "Did it rain? Why are you all wet?"
"A nighttime bath."
"Fully dressed?"
"I'm modest.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Runaway King
“The pirates wanted my life, Vargen wanted my country, and my regents wanted to paint rainbows over reality and claim all was well.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Runaway King
“Erick: "I think I may grow to hate you before this is over."
Jaron/Sage: "But you don't already and that's got to be some sort of record.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Runaway King
“Is it true?" Devlin asked me. "You're Prince Jaron?"
"KING Jaron, actually. News must travel slower amongst the illiterate." I glared at Gregor with every inch of disdain I felt. "Shouldn't you be groveling to me or bowing or something?"
Gregor smiled. "I think before I have the chance, you will already be dead."
"Ah. So much for all your toasts to my long life.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Runaway King
“I need a sword first," I said. "People here keep taking mine.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Runaway King
“I thought you were from a civilized country," he said. "How have you come to look more like Carthya's whipping boy than its king?"
"I have a habit of irritating some of our less civilized people," I answered. "But you seem like a civilized...pirate. I'd much prefer it if you didn't have me whipped."
"And why shouldn't I?"
With some effort, I forced a smile to my face. "Because it will hurt.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Runaway King
“Long live king Jaron. If he leads us half as well as he entertains us, then Carthya has a truly great future ahead.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Runaway King
“(Talking about Jaron's broken leg)
"How does it feel?" Fink asked.
"Like butterfly kisses, what do you think?”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Runaway King
“I won't start the battle, but if it comes, I'll finish it.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Runaway King
“Fink had a full bowl and grinned at me as he sat back on the bench. "It would help if you used words like 'please' and 'thank you.'"
"Then I'll thank you to please stay out of my business.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Runaway King
“Any chance we can bypass the cruelest method of death and settle this over a game of cards?”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Runaway King
“My hands folded into fists. "As king, that is my order."
"Forgive me, but the king's order is the most reckless thing he's ever said, which we both know is quite an accomplishment. If you want to stop me from dragging you back to Drylliad, then you'll have to kill me here."
"I can't do that," I said. "Who'll make sure Tobias gets back safely? He can hardly cross a road without endangering himself."
"I can too," Tobias said.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Runaway King
“With introductions out of the way, Erick got down to the business of having abducted me.
"Why were you asking Fink about the priest?"
"I have some sins to confess," I said. "For ruining the life of the last man to kidnap me.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Runaway King
“Finally I grinned and said, "I won't eat meat if it's been overcooked." She (Amarinda) glanced up at me, confused, and I added, "I thought you should know that, since we're going to be friends now."
Amarinda's smile widened. "I think it's unfair that women aren't allowed to wear trousers. They seem far more comfortable than dresses."
I chuckled. "They're not. Every year I think fashion invents one more piece I have to add to my wardrobe."
"And one more layer to my skirts." She thought for a moment, then said, "I think it's funny when you're rude to the cook. I shouldn't admit that, but his face turns all sorts of colors when you are and there's nothing he can do about it."
"He can overcook my meat.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Runaway King
“Kerwyn pulled me aside as the last of the supplies were being loaded. "Please, Jaron, don't go."
Despite his pleas, I could only shake my head. "There's no other choice now."
"I thought a little sleep would change your mind."
Placing my hand on Kerwyn's shoulder, I said, "I had the same concern, so I kept myself awake.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Runaway King
“By now, Gregor had recovered. "Sage? Devlin, forgive my accusation, but you are a fool. Don't you know who this is?"
Devlin didn't appear to forgive the accusation. With a sneer on his face, he folded his arms and said, "Enlighten me."
Gregor looked at me and frowned. "He can perform the Avenian accent as well as his own Carthyan tongue. And although he has a reputation for being able to steal the white off snow if he chooses to, this boy is far from being a mere thief. Devlin, you are facing the boy who has haunted the pirates for the past four years. This is Jaron, the lost prince of Carthya.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Runaway King
“And I want you to find something in the hills for the vigils to protect, like a rock or a thornbush. I don't want them around here.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Runaway King
“Do you laugh at me?"
He was quiet for a moment and finally the tention drained from him. "No, Jaron," he said darkly. "I curse you with every breath I exhale, but I do not laugh.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Runaway King
“How is it that you can see your enemies so clearly and never your friends?”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Runaway King
“Let's begin with an easy agreement. Before his death, your father and I were negotiating for a small area of land on our borders, near Libeth. The Carthyan land has a spring that my farmers need for their crops. Carthya has other spings nearby, so you won't miss it."
"My father wouldn't have missed it, but I would," I said, with no actual idea of what spring he meant. "It happens to be my favourite water source in all of Carthya, and I won't part with it.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Runaway King
“You'll address me by my title," I said sharply. "And bow until your pointed chin scrapes the floor.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Runaway King
“As they began to tie me, I wanted to yell out, to release some of my fear that way, but I held it in. Imogen wouldn't be that far from here yet, and I didn't want her to know what was about to happen.
If it was possible to scream on the inside, though, I was, and the sound of it was deafening.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Runaway King
“Wherever our lives lead us, one thing is certain. You and I will always be connected. You might be able to deny that, but I can't. Even I am not that good a liar.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Runaway King
“I replied with an Avenian accent. "Is the priest of this church still here?"
"No." He squinted at me. "Never seen you before. You from out of town?"
"I've never seen you before either," I said. "So maybe you're the one from out of town."
That amused him. "My name is Fink. Well, that's not really m name, but it's what everyone calls me."
"What's your name, then."
"Dunno. Everyone just calls me Fink."
"Don't you have anywhere else to go?"
"Not really. Why d'you want the priest?"
"A doctrinal question. What punishment does the Book of Faith recommend for a kid who's being too nosy?”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Runaway King
“I can't do that," I said. "Who'll make sure Tobias gets back safely? He can hardly cross a road without endangering himself.”
― Jennifer A. Nielsen, quote from The Runaway King
Jennifer A. Nielsen
Born place: in The United States
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“Guilt. That might have been the only purely human feeling Knox had left.”
― Alex London, quote from Proxy
“Love, hope, and self-esteem, like clouds depart
And come, for some uncertain moments lent.
Man were immortal and omnipotent,
Didst thou, unknown and awful as thou art,
Keep with thy glorious train firm state within his heart.”
― Percy Bysshe Shelley, quote from The Complete Poems
“And of course, everybody pays taxes. You don’t mess with the IRS, no matter which race you belong to.”
― Rebecca Zanetti, quote from Fated
“Success was individual achievement; failure was a social problem.”
― Michael Lewis, quote from The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine
“Adoption is a beautiful picture of redemption. It is the Gospel in my living room.”
― Katie J. Davis, quote from Kisses from Katie: A Story of Relentless Love and Redemption
The Judgement
Bluebeard
The Complete Poems
Hope Was Here
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