Zoya Nazyalensky Quotes

“Stop punishing yourself for being someone with a heart. You cannot protect yourself from suffering. To live is to grieve. You are not protecting yourself by shutting yourself off from the world. You are limiting yourself.”
― Leigh Bardugo, King of Scars

“Most women suffer thorns for the sake of the flowers, but we who wield power adorn ourselves with flowers to hide the sting of our thorns”
― Leigh Bardugo, King of Scars

“This is what love does. In the stories, love healed your wounds, fixed what was broken, allowed you to go on. But love wasn’t a spell, some kind of benediction to be whispered, a balm or a cure-all. It was a single, fragile thread, which grew stronger through connection, through shared hardship and trust.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Rule of Wolves

“I would give you a crown if I could," he said. "I would show you the world from the prow of a ship. I would choose you, Zoya. As my general, as my friend, as my bride. I would give you a sapphire the size of an acorn." He reached into his pocket. "And all I would ask in return is that you wear this damnable ribbon in your hair on our wedding day.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Rule of Wolves

“Get a message to the Crow Club,” she said. “Tell Kaz Brekker the queen of Ravka has a job for him.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Rule of Wolves

“I suppose that's why I love you."
His eyes flew open and his face lit in an extraordinary grin. "All Saints, say it again."
"I will not."
"You must."
"I'm the queen. I must do nothing but please myself."
"Would it please you to kiss me?”
― Leigh Bardugo, Rule of Wolves

“Say something spiteful.”
“Why?” she asked faintly.
“Because I’m fairly certain I'm hallucinating and in my dreams you're much nicer.”
“You're an idiot, Nikolai.”
― Leigh Bardugo, King of Scars

“You are strong enough to survive the fall”
― Leigh Bardugo, King of Scars

“Don’t go,” he said, still half asleep.
“I have to bathe. I smell like a forest fire.”
“You smell like wildflowers. You always do. What can I say to make you stay?” His words trailed off into a drowsy mumble as he fell back asleep.
Tell me it’s more than war and worry that makes you speak those words. Tell me what they would mean if you weren’t a king and I weren’t a soldier.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Rule of Wolves

“None of this had been fated; none of it foretold. There had been no prophecies of a demon king or a dragon queen, a one-eyed Tailor, Heartrender twins. They were just the people who had shown up and managed to survive.
But maybe that was the trick of it: to survive, to dare to stay alive, to forge your own hope when all hope had run out.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Rule of Wolves

“You do realize you just referred to yourself as the queen. That means you agreed."
"I am going to kill you."
"So long as you kiss me again before you do.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Rule of Wolves

“He had wanted her for so long that it seemed impossible he should actually have her beside him every day, that he might lay down beside her every night. Not impossible, he supposed. Just improbable.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Rule of Wolves

“He would not beg Zoya to stay. It was not in his nature to plead with anyone, and that was not the pact they shared. They did not look to each other for comfort. They kept each other marching. They kept each other strong. So he would not find another excuse to get her talking again. He would not tell her he was afraid to be left alone with the thing he might become, and he would not ask her to leave the lamp burning, a child's bit of magic to ward off the dark.
But he was relieved when she did it anyway.”
― Leigh Bardugo, King of Scars

“And if...if I wished for more?"
She felt his fingers on her chin, turning her head. There was an unwanted ache in her throat. Zoya forced herself to meet his gaze. In this light, his hazel eyes looked almost golden.
"Then I would gladly be your prince, your consort, your demon fool.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Rule of Wolves

“Alina nodded. "The real question is how you're going to outdo this gown for the royal wedding."
"Don't get ahead of yourself," Zoya said. "Nikolai hasn't asked."
"Can you blame him?" Genya said. "He hasn't had much luck with proposals."
Alina snorted. "Maybe he should have offered me a dynasty and not a piddly little emerald.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Rule of Wolves

“I would make you my queen because I want you. I want you all the time.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Rule of Wolves

“I will always seek to make it summer for you.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Rule of Wolves

“I will kneel to only one ruler, and I will se only one person crowned this say. The age of the Lanstovs is over." He sank to one knee. "Let the Nazyalensky dynasty begin. All hail the Dragon Queen.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Rule of Wolves

“Sorry,” I mumbled.
“Maybe you’re hungry,” said Zoya. “I always get mean when I’m hungry.”
“Are you hungry all the time?” asked Harshaw.
“You haven’t seen me mean. When you do, you’ll require a very big hanky.”
He snorted. “To dry my tears?”
“To stanch the bleeding.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Ruin and Rising

“What if I say I can't bear to lose you?"
A smile tugged at her lips. "I'd say you're a liar. That claims like that belong to romantic ninnies." She raised her hand and let her fingertips trace the line of his beautiful jaw. He closed his eyes. "We would go on, you and I. If I couldn't be queen, you would find a way to win this battle and save this country. You would make a sheltering place for my people. You would march an bleed and crack terrible jokes until you had done all you said you would. I suppose that's why I love you.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Rule of Wolves

“Toss him over,” Zoya said. “Break his heart cruelly. I will gladly give our poor prince comfort, and I would make a magnificent queen.”
I laughed. “You actually might, Zoya. If you could stop being horrible for a minute.”
“With that kind of incentive, I can manage a minute. Possibly two.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Ruin and Rising

“That squash is as wide as I am tall, " Nikolai said beneath his breath as he smiled and waved.
"And twice as handsome. "
"Half as handsome," he protested.
"Ah, " said Zoya, "but the squash doesn't talk.”
― Leigh Bardugo, King of Scars

“If this stains my teeth orange—” said Zoya.
“It will,” interrupted Genya, “but I promise to put your teeth back whiter than they were before. I may even fix those weird incisors of yours.”
“There is nothing wrong with my teeth.”
“Not at all,” said Genya soothingly. “You’re the prettiest walrus I know. I’m just amazed you haven’t sawed through your lower lip.”
“Keep your hands off me, Tailor,” Zoya grumbled, “or I’ll poke your other eye out.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Ruin and Rising

“Has she at least done it before?" said Kaz. "For this purpose?" asked Sturmhond. "I've seen her do it twice. It worked splendidly. Once".”
― Leigh Bardugo, Crooked Kingdom

“I’ll call it a victory.”
“Then enjoy it,” Tolya said, climbing atop his huge gelding.
“People only say that when they know it won’t last.”
“Of course it won’t last,” said Zoya. “What does?”
“True love?” suggested Tamar.
“Great art?” said Tolya.
“A proper grudge,” replied Zoya”
― Leigh Bardugo, Rule of Wolves

“Do you read novels?"
"I read when I have time."
"So, no."
"I read when I can't sleep."
"So, regularly then.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Rule of Wolves

“She brushed the hair back from his face, placed a kiss on his forehead. "I would stay forever if I could", she whispered.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Rule of Wolves

“I will put a bullet in your brain before I let that happen, Nikolai."
"My ruthless Zoya, I'll load the gun myself.”
― Leigh Bardugo, King of Scars

“I believe in all kinds of things. Ghosts. Gnomes. True love.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Rule of Wolves

“I think fatigue suits you, Zoya. The pallor. The shadows beneath your eyes. You look like a heroine in a novel. "
"I look like a woman about to step on your foot. "
"Now, now. You're managing remarkably well. And the smiling hasn't killed you yet."
"Yet.”
― Leigh Bardugo, King of Scars