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ThotPatrol in a Fantasy Book

submitted by GrayDragon to BookQuotes 2.2 yearsFeb 15, 2022 02:30:36 ago (+17/-1)     (BookQuotes)

I was thinking about posting this in /v/ThotPatrol, but you illiterate neanderthals would probably complain ...

Background: This well-written book series is The Belgariad. Ce'Nedra is a clever but highly conceited Imperial princess that is a newly minted queen in a foreign land by marriage. A war is scheduled, and so she wants armor, but she is extremely small-framed. The master armorer, Delban, who cares not for even royal titles, does not want to waste real armor for a small girl. Finally, they agree on ceremonial armor. Ce'Nedra comes to pick it up ...

Ce'Nedra, however, was staring disapprovingly at the breastplate Delban had made for her. It would quite obviously fit -- too well. "Didn't you forget something?" she asked him.

He picked the breastplate up in his big hands and examined it. "It's all there," he told her. "Front, back, all the straps to hook them together. What else did you want?"

"Isn't is a trifle -- understated?" Ce'Nedra suggested delicately.

"It's made to fit," he replied. "The understatement isn't my fault."

"I want it a little more --" She made a sort of curving gesture with her hands.

"What for?"

"Never mind what for. Just do it."

"What do you plan to put in it?"

"That's my business. Just do it the way I told you to."

He tossed a heavy hammer down on his anvil. "Do it yourself," he told her bluntly.




12 comments block

Ignore the movie. The book is one of the best revenge stories of all time. Also, it’s a translation from the original French. The quality of prose is very impressive. It really shows how lazy we’ve become with language.