--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He could do none of that. But if there…" description: "\"“He could do none of that. But if there was something that Laurent wanted, he could give it to him. He could deal the Regent a blow from which he would..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7dc/c-s-pacat-628_prince_he-could-do-none-of-that-but-if-there-wa_2944995.jpg" --- # He could do none of that. But if there was something that… ![“He could do none of that. But if there was something that Laurent wanted, he could give it to him. He could deal the Regent a blow from which he wouldn’t recover. If the Regent wanted Damianos of Akielos standing alongside his nephew, he would get him. And if he couldn’t give Laurent the truth, he…” quote by C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7dc/c-s-pacat-628_prince_he-could-do-none-of-that-but-if-there-wa_2944995.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7dc/c-s-pacat-628_prince_he-could-do-none-of-that-but-if-there-wa_2944995.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7dc/c-s-pacat-628_prince_he-could-do-none-of-that-but-if-there-wa_2944995.jpg) > ““He could do none of that. But if there was something that Laurent wanted, he could give it to him. He could deal the Regent a blow from which he wouldn’t recover. If the Regent wanted Damianos of Akielos standing alongside his nephew, he would get him. And if he couldn’t give Laurent the truth, he could use everything else he had to give Laurent a definitive victory in the south. He was going to make these three days count. \*”” [C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Strategic sacrifice can secure larger victories; sometimes indirect actions achieve goals when direct means fail. **In simple terms:** Use clever tactics to win. Key Takeaway Plan beyond immediate actions. Themes strategy politics warfare Mood tense intriguing Type literary fantasy When to use this quote - military campaigns - political intrigue - personal ambition Key Concepts tactics power dynamics Questions to Reflect On - What are you willing to sacrifice? - When is indirect action justified? A Different Perspective Ethical dilemmas arise from manipulation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Laurent Wanted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laurent-wanted-3609780/) [Nephew Couldn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nephew-couldn-858660/) [Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prince/) [Recover Regent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/recover-regent-4409068/) [Regent Wanted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regent-wanted-4409066/) [Wanted Damianos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted-damianos-4409067/) ## Related quotes > [“Laurent shuddered against him as they kissed, as if, having surrendered to it, the painful exchange of brother for lover, he was in some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/laurent-shuddered-against-him-as-they-kissed-as-if-having-surrendered/) [C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/) > [My first nephew, he couldn't say Auntie Nicole, so he called me Coco. So ever since then, everyone's called me 'Coco.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-bella/my-first-nephew-he-couldn-t-say-auntie-nicole-so-he-called-me-coco-so/) [Nikki Bella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-bella/) > [“Laurent wanted to make sure you never came near me again. He just did not know that as time went on, the world would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inger-iversen/laurent-wanted-to-make-sure-you-never-came-near-me-again-he-just-did/) [Inger Iversen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inger-iversen/) > [“Reporting to Jord, Damen found himself caught in a conversation that he wasn’t ready for. ‘I could tell from your face. You didn’t know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/reporting-to-jord-damen-found-himself-caught-in-a-conversation-that/) [C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/) > [“Laurent’s shoulders started shaking. Around the laughter emerged, ‘You wrestled him without any clothes on.’ ‘That is sports,’ said Damen. He folded his arms,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/laurent-s-shoulders-started-shaking-around-the-laughter-emerged-you/) [C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/) > [“Damen was breathing hard, his hands clenched into fists. How dare you talk that way about my father. The words were on his lips.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/damen-was-breathing-hard-his-hands-clenched-into-fists-how-dare-you/) [C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/) > [“Rumours of Damen’s enslavement in Vere had spread like fire through the camp. To see the Veretian Prince wear the gold cuff of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/rumours-of-damen-s-enslavement-in-vere-had-spread-like-fire-through/) [C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/) > [“With a clear moment of insight, Charls saw that Lamen was not a cloth merchant’s assistant. He was the prince’s private companion, and had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/with-a-clear-moment-of-insight-charls-saw-that-lamen-was-not-a-cloth/) [C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/) > [“For a moment he thought Laurent wasn’t going to do it. But in public, Laurent had no recourse to refusal. Laurent extended his hand.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/for-a-moment-he-thought-laurent-wasn-t-going-to-do-it-but-in-public/) [C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/) > [“A fourth son, thought Damen, waiting for someone to notice him. When he wasn’t trying to please, he was baiting authority, as though negative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/a-fourth-son-thought-damen-waiting-for-someone-to-notice-him-when-he/) [C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/) > [“You are too quick to pledge yourself to me.’ He felt the hard, bright edges of the pin in his fist. ‘You are my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/you-are-too-quick-to-pledge-yourself-to-me-he-felt-the-hard-bright/) [C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/) > [“Instead of leaning in, Damen took Laurent’s hand, brought it towards himself, and kissed his palm, once.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/instead-of-leaning-in-damen-took-laurent-s-hand-brought-it-towards/) [C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/) > [“You want to hear the truth about my uncle? I’ll tell you,’ said Laurent, a new light in his eyes. ‘I’ll tell you what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/you-want-to-hear-the-truth-about-my-uncle-i-ll-tell-you-said-laurent/) [C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/) > [“My uncle plans everything,’ said Laurent, as though reading Damen’s thoughts. ‘He plans for victory and he plans for defeat. It was you who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/my-uncle-plans-everything-said-laurent-as-though-reading-damen-s/) [C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/) > [“The ache of loss didn’t make sense, because Laurent had never been his. He had known that. The delicate thing that had grown between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/the-ache-of-loss-didn-t-make-sense-because-laurent-had-never-been-his/) [C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/) ## More by C.S. Pacat > [“Not everyone could have the blissful equanimity of Lamen, who seemed to pay the Prince no deference of rank, a piece of very good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/not-everyone-could-have-the-blissful-equanimity-of-lamen-who-seemed/) [C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/) > [“The ache of loss didn’t make sense, because Laurent had never been his. He had known that. The delicate thing that had grown between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/the-ache-of-loss-didn-t-make-sense-because-laurent-had-never-been-his/) [C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/) > [“His hands slid impotently down Laurent’s tight-laced clothing. Beneath him, Laurent’s kisses were all open-mouthed. Desire flamed, painful and bright. It”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/his-hands-slid-impotently-down-laurent-s-tight-laced-clothing-beneath/) [C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/) > [“He let his lips form a half-smile. ‘You aren’t going to offer me one of your gaudy Veretian handkerchiefs?’ ‘You could use the clothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/he-let-his-lips-form-a-half-smile-you-aren-t-going-to-offer-me-one-of/) [C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/) > [“My uncle plans everything,’ said Laurent, as though reading Damen’s thoughts. ‘He plans for victory and he plans for defeat. It was you who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/my-uncle-plans-everything-said-laurent-as-though-reading-damen-s/) [C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/) > [“You want to hear the truth about my uncle? I’ll tell you,’ said Laurent, a new light in his eyes. ‘I’ll tell you what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/you-want-to-hear-the-truth-about-my-uncle-i-ll-tell-you-said-laurent/) [C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/) > [“I would court you, with all the grace and courtesy that you deserve,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/i-would-court-you-with-all-the-grace-and-courtesy-that-you-deserve/) [C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/) > [“Instead of leaning in, Damen took Laurent’s hand, brought it towards himself, and kissed his palm, once.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/instead-of-leaning-in-damen-took-laurent-s-hand-brought-it-towards/) [C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/) > [“Laurent, he realised, had guarded his solitude for him. And his people, fearing the fierce, strange foreign prince, had done as Laurent ordered, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/laurent-he-realised-had-guarded-his-solitude-for-him-and-his-people/) [C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/) > [“I’m not your slave,’ said Damen. ‘I’m a man.’ Don’t”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/i-m-not-your-slave-said-damen-i-m-a-man-don-t/) [C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/) > [“Stirring drowsily, Laurent shifted a fraction closer and made a soft, unthinking sound of pleasure that Damen was going to remember for the rest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/stirring-drowsily-laurent-shifted-a-fraction-closer-and-made-a-soft/) [C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/) > [“You are too quick to pledge yourself to me.’ He felt the hard, bright edges of the pin in his fist. ‘You are my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/you-are-too-quick-to-pledge-yourself-to-me-he-felt-the-hard-bright/) [C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/) > [“Dear Charls. Whatever will you do with your own Kemptian silk? It will spoil on the road.’ ‘We aren’t carrying any Kemptian silk,’ said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/dear-charls-whatever-will-you-do-with-your-own-kemptian-silk-it-will/) [C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/) > [“What changed your mind?” Damen said, carefully. Laurent didn’t answer him, just looked at him with hostility. “Don’t speak, unless you’re asked a question.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/what-changed-your-mind-damen-said-carefully-laurent-didn-t-answer-him/) [C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/) > [“A fourth son, thought Damen, waiting for someone to notice him. When he wasn’t trying to please, he was baiting authority, as though negative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/a-fourth-son-thought-damen-waiting-for-someone-to-notice-him-when-he/) [C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/) [Explore all 438 C.S. Pacat quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/) ## More Prince quotes > [“Damen's understanding of Laurent rearranged itself, in order that he might despise him more accurately.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-u-pacat/damen-s-understanding-of-laurent-rearranged-itself-in-order-that-he/) [S.U. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-u-pacat/) > [People still knew me as Charles, so when I came across Charlemagne in a history book, that sounded good: Charles the Great, a warrior…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlamagne-tha-god/people-still-knew-me-as-charles-so-when-i-came-across-charlemagne-in/) [Charlamagne tha God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlamagne-tha-god/) > [After we first met, Prince told me Graham Central Station was one of his biggest influences - then he went back and listened to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-graham/after-we-first-met-prince-told-me-graham-central-station-was-one-of/) [Larry Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-graham/) > [“The Prince had fallen in love. She was only a farmer's daughter, but she was was beautiful, and also smart, as the daughters of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-ness/the-prince-had-fallen-in-love-she-was-only-a-farmer-s-daughter-but/) [Patrick Ness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-ness/) > [“I’d like to say I deserve you, but the truth is I don’t and never will. You deserve a prince, and you’re not going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jen-mclaughlin/i-d-like-to-say-i-deserve-you-but-the-truth-is-i-don-t-and-never-will/) [Jen McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jen-mclaughlin/) > [“The ache of loss didn’t make sense, because Laurent had never been his. He had known that. The delicate thing that had grown between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/the-ache-of-loss-didn-t-make-sense-because-laurent-had-never-been-his/) [C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/) > [Minneapolis has always been a mythical place for me because my mom is a massive Prince fan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlo-parks/minneapolis-has-always-been-a-mythical-place-for-me-because-my-mom-is/) [Arlo Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlo-parks/) > [“My uncle plans everything,’ said Laurent, as though reading Damen’s thoughts. ‘He plans for victory and he plans for defeat. It was you who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/my-uncle-plans-everything-said-laurent-as-though-reading-damen-s/) [C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/) > [I personally felt that his ad hominen attacks on British architects were not the sort of thing a Prince of Wales should be doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-holden/i-personally-felt-that-his-ad-hominen-attacks-on-british-architects/) [Anthony Holden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-holden/) > [I love the royal family. I even got up in the middle of the night to watch Kate and William's wedding. And I never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-collins/i-love-the-royal-family-i-even-got-up-in-the-middle-of-the-night-to/) [Lily Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-collins/) > [No government can be strong and flourishing while the national character is weak and degraded. A government must flourish and decay with its subjects;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-robbins-curtis/no-government-can-be-strong-and-flourishing-while-the-national/) [Benjamin Robbins Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-robbins-curtis/) > [“You want to hear the truth about my uncle? I’ll tell you,’ said Laurent, a new light in his eyes. ‘I’ll tell you what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/you-want-to-hear-the-truth-about-my-uncle-i-ll-tell-you-said-laurent/) [C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/) > [Prince Charles was a lot wittier than I thought he'd be, and passionate about the environment and architecture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kris-marshall/prince-charles-was-a-lot-wittier-than-i-thought-he-d-be-and/) [Kris Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kris-marshall/) > [Just because your prince hasn't come doesn't mean you're not a princess.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zayn-malik/just-because-your-prince-hasn-t-come-doesn-t-mean-you-re-not-a/) [Zayn Malik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zayn-malik/) > [“Instead of leaning in, Damen took Laurent’s hand, brought it towards himself, and kissed his palm, once.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/instead-of-leaning-in-damen-took-laurent-s-hand-brought-it-towards/) [C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/) [Browse all 977 Prince quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prince/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“He could do none of that. But if there was something that Laurent wanted, he could give it to him. He could deal the Regent a blow from which he wouldn’t recover. If the Regent wanted Damianos of Akielos standing alongside his nephew, he would get him. And if he couldn’t give Laurent the truth, he could use everything else he had to give Laurent a definitive victory in the south. He was going to make these three days count. *”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "C.S. Pacat" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/he-could-do-none-of-that-but-if-there-was-something-that-laurent/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Prince" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/he-could-do-none-of-that-but-if-there-was-something-that-laurent/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7dc/c-s-pacat-628_prince_he-could-do-none-of-that-but-if-there-wa_2944995.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7dc/c-s-pacat-628_prince_he-could-do-none-of-that-but-if-there-wa_2944995.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7dc/c-s-pacat-628_prince_he-could-do-none-of-that-but-if-there-wa_2944995.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“He could do none of that. But if there was something that Laurent wanted, he could give it to him. He could…” — C.S. 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