--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He's not my lover,\" Isolfr said. She…" description: "\"“He's not my lover,\" Isolfr said. She raised an eyebrow, a long feathery, shaggy sweep. \"You're his beloved. Both of them. I saw enough on the war-trai..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8c/sarah-monette-19108_gaze_he-s-not-my-lover-isolfr-said-she-raised_562292.jpg" --- # He's not my lover," Isolfr said. She raised an eyebrow, a… ![“He's not my lover," Isolfr said. She raised an eyebrow, a long feathery, shaggy sweep. "You're his beloved. Both of them. I saw enough on the war-trail to know." Then she laughed, and took her hand off his and pushed his chest like a wolf-cub nudging playfully. "We don't get to pick who loves us…” quote by Sarah Monette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8c/sarah-monette-19108_gaze_he-s-not-my-lover-isolfr-said-she-raised_562292.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8c/sarah-monette-19108_gaze_he-s-not-my-lover-isolfr-said-she-raised_562292.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8c/sarah-monette-19108_gaze_he-s-not-my-lover-isolfr-said-she-raised_562292.jpg) > ““He's not my lover," Isolfr said. She raised an eyebrow, a long feathery, shaggy sweep. "You're his beloved. Both of them. I saw enough on the war-trail to know." Then she laughed, and took her hand off his and pushed his chest like a wolf-cub nudging playfully. "We don't get to pick who loves us, you know. And better to get him to write the song than be remembered forever as 'fair Isolfr, the cold.'" He scrubbed a hand across his face, roughness of beard and scars and the smooth skin of the unmarked cheek. "Is that really what they call me?" She smiled. "You frighten them, Viradechtisbrother. You went down under the mountain and came out again, twice, and the alfar call you friend. They'll have you among the heroes before you know it. And you can seem quite untouchable—'ice-eyes, and ice-heart, and ice-hard, his will.'" "Othinn help me. It is a song already.”” [Sarah Monette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-monette/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A character reflects on love, destiny, and reputation, noting that love is beyond one’s control and fame can be a double‑edged sword. **In simple terms:** Love and fame are not chosen; they shape us. Key Takeaway Embrace your role, but stay true to yourself. Themes love fate reputation identity heroism Mood reflective melancholic hopeful Type literary dialogue philosophical When to use this quote - war‑torn societies - heroic quests - personal relationships - public image Key Concepts mythic archetypes self‑perception social expectation Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance personal identity with external expectations? - What does it mean to be remembered for a song? A Different Perspective Fame can distort personal truth and create pressure to conform. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [“But I can tell you this,” he continued. “The white witch doesn’t feel things the way we do, do you understand? She’s all ice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-ursu/but-i-can-tell-you-this-he-continued-the-white-witch-doesn-t-feel/) [Anne Ursu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-ursu/) > [“I am Melody Malone, with ice in my heart and a kiss on my lips. 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How do I make it melt?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cold-mountain/all-this-while-ive-been-packing-ice-around-my-heart-how-do-i-make-it/) Cold Mountain > [Every writer must have a chip of ice in his heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/every-writer-must-have-a-chip-of-ice-in-his-heart/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [My heart is frozen every crack gets deeper the colder the solid ice my heart won't stop hurting boy it's so frozen luv is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-hood/my-heart-is-frozen-every-crack-gets-deeper-the-colder-the-solid-ice/) [Courtney Hood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-hood/) > [Quit acting like a wolf, and feel the shepherd's love filling you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/quit-acting-like-a-wolf-and-feel-the-shepherd-s-love-filling-you/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [“Do you fear the force of the wind, The slash of the rain? Go face them and fight them, Be savage again. Go hungry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamlin-garland/do-you-fear-the-force-of-the-wind-the-slash-of-the-rain-go-face-them/) [Hamlin Garland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamlin-garland/) > [“His eyes looked cruel, piercing, almost like those of a wolf seeking his prey, and his mouth looked thinner, more sinister than it had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serena-valentino/his-eyes-looked-cruel-piercing-almost-like-those-of-a-wolf-seeking/) [Serena Valentino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/serena-valentino/) > [“God you’re obstinate.” It was a snarl. “Must make me a masochist that I like that about you.” Her wolf bared its canines, charmed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nalini-singh/god-you-re-obstinate-it-was-a-snarl-must-make-me-a-masochist-that-i/) [Nalini Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nalini-singh/) > [A healthy woman is much like a wolf: robust, chock-full, strong life force, life-giving, territorially aware, inventive, loyal, roving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarissa-pinkola-estes/a-healthy-woman-is-much-like-a-wolf-robust-chock-full-strong-life/) [Clarissa Pinkola Estes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarissa-pinkola-estes/) > [I am like the she-wolf / I broke with the pack / I fled to the mountains / Growing tired of the flatlands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfonsina-storni/i-am-like-the-she-wolf-i-broke-with-the-pack-i-fled-to-the-mountains/) Alfonsina Storni > [If you live among wolves you have to act like a wolf.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikita-khrushchev/if-you-live-among-wolves-you-have-to-act-like-a-wolf/) [Nikita Khrushchev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikita-khrushchev/) > [“Flattery looks like friendship, just like a wolf looks like a dog.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-auliq-ice/flattery-looks-like-friendship-just-like-a-wolf-looks-like-a-dog/) [Oscar Auliq-Ice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-auliq-ice/) ## More by Sarah Monette > [The fountain of youth is like the monkey's paw in the W. W. Jacobs story. It never ends well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-monette/the-fountain-of-youth-is-like-the-monkey-s-paw-in-the-w-w-jacobs/) [Sarah Monette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-monette/) > [What makes a story a story is that something changes. Internal, external, small or large, trivial or of earth-shattering importance. Doesn't matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-monette/what-makes-a-story-a-story-is-that-something-changes-internal/) [Sarah Monette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-monette/) > [“He fell away into the column before Isolfr could blink the thought of thanking him into his bleary mind, and Isolfr looked up at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-monette/he-fell-away-into-the-column-before-isolfr-could-blink-the-thought-of/) [Sarah Monette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-monette/) > [“Felix just sat there, not smirking exactly - or not so as you could call him on it - but clearly happy with how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-monette/felix-just-sat-there-not-smirking-exactly-or-not-so-as-you-could-call/) [Sarah Monette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-monette/) > [“Jonak says to say he send congratulations and well-wishes and all the things he ought—he was so pleased with himself for being an uncle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-monette/jonak-says-to-say-he-send-congratulations-and-well-wishes-and-all-the/) [Sarah Monette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-monette/) > [“There ain’t nothing worse than getting fired by somebody you hate, because it means they”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-monette/there-ain-t-nothing-worse-than-getting-fired-by-somebody-you-hate/) [Sarah Monette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-monette/) > [The obligation d'âme meant that his only allegiance was to Felix, making them a separate kingdom of two, with Felix as king and Mildmay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-monette/the-obligation-d-me-meant-that-his-only-allegiance-was-to-felix/) [Sarah Monette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-monette/) > [I have mild albinism, which means I am very sensitive to light, so the animal representation of my spirit would have to be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-monette/i-have-mild-albinism-which-means-i-am-very-sensitive-to-light-so-the/) [Sarah Monette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-monette/) > [“Beyond the window, snow fell like frozen drops of poison.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-monette/beyond-the-window-snow-fell-like-frozen-drops-of-poison/) [Sarah Monette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-monette/) > [“ 'You like jealousy. You like knowing people want you.' He wasn't talking about sex, and my heart slowed a little. 'Is it not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-monette/you-like-jealousy-you-like-knowing-people-want-you-he-wasn-t-talking/) [Sarah Monette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-monette/) > [“If I was really, really lucky, Felix might throw a fireball at me, and I'd get out of the rest of this freakshow.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-monette/if-i-was-really-really-lucky-felix-might-throw-a-fireball-at-me-and-i/) [Sarah Monette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-monette/) > [It is a rose planted in your heart, and as it's thorns tear you, so does it thrive and flower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-monette/it-is-a-rose-planted-in-your-heart-and-as-it-s-thorns-tear-you-so/) [Sarah Monette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-monette/) > [I gave up on cussing - I'd run out of words filthy enough - and just started praying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-monette/i-gave-up-on-cussing-i-d-run-out-of-words-filthy-enough-and-just/) [Sarah Monette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-monette/) > [I am a huge fan of world-building. I love doing it in my own books, and I love reading it done well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-monette/i-am-a-huge-fan-of-world-building-i-love-doing-it-in-my-own-books-and/) [Sarah Monette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-monette/) > [I catch a flash of red-gold beneath the surface of the water, and realize that there are koi in the pond, massive, serene, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-monette/i-catch-a-flash-of-red-gold-beneath-the-surface-of-the-water-and/) [Sarah Monette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-monette/) [Explore all 33 Sarah Monette quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-monette/) ## More Gaze quotes > [I need a bath." He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." The duke turned, leaning heavily on his cane. "Jameson, open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/i-need-a-bath-he-chuckled-you-smell-of-smoke-as-do-i-the-duke-turned/) [Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/) > [“Taylor said a prayer for the man, and apologized out loud. Knowing there was nothing left to do, she turned to leave. As she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-t-ellison/taylor-said-a-prayer-for-the-man-and-apologized-out-loud-knowing/) [J.T. Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-t-ellison/) > [“If it makes you feel any better, he’s been all sad doll lately too.” “What are you talking about, Chels?” Chelsea stopped walking and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-derting/if-it-makes-you-feel-any-better-he-s-been-all-sad-doll-lately-too/) [Kimberly Derting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-derting/) > [“Rodrigo tried to draw a deep breath, but his chest was too filled with anguish, rage and guilt. He kissed his ash-coated fingers. “I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-valdez/rodrigo-tried-to-draw-a-deep-breath-but-his-chest-was-too-filled-with/) [Lisa Valdez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-valdez/) > [“still feel the same way? Could he have changed this much on the inside too? Struggling for the right words, I opened my mouth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meredith-wild/still-feel-the-same-way-could-he-have-changed-this-much-on-the-inside/) [Meredith Wild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meredith-wild/) > [“Being held by him, kissed and mastered, taken under and swept away, enthralled her in a way she—an independent woman if nothing else in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-sumner/being-held-by-him-kissed-and-mastered-taken-under-and-swept-away/) [Tracy Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-sumner/) > [“Don’t you remember how hot we were together, Lane? God.” He takes a quick breath through clenched teeth and runs his hand down my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-a-valentine/don-t-you-remember-how-hot-we-were-together-lane-god-he-takes-a-quick/) [Michelle A. Valentine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-a-valentine/) > [“She knew how to play him so very well. He slipped his hand around hers. "Friends," he repeated roughly. Her smile was bright enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-smith/she-knew-how-to-play-him-so-very-well-he-slipped-his-hand-around-hers/) [Kathryn Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-smith/) > [“Damn.” Phineas turned the Big Boy off, then noticed he’d left the box on the bed. Damn, had Zoltan seen it? He stuffed the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerrelyn-sparks/damn-phineas-turned-the-big-boy-off-then-noticed-he-d-left-the-box-on/) [Kerrelyn Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerrelyn-sparks/) > [“Now you," Grandma barks at him. "Yes, you, the invisible truck driver," she added, giving me a wicked grin. "Go stand next to Rose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-freitas/now-you-grandma-barks-at-him-yes-you-the-invisible-truck-driver-she/) [Donna Freitas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-freitas/) > [His fingertips slid down from my face, lightly stroking the line of my neck, down toward my shoulder. Everywhere he touched, a trail of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/his-fingertips-slid-down-from-my-face-lightly-stroking-the-line-of-my/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [“from THE DEVIL YOU KNOW : She wanted him too. He could see it in the rapid rise of her breasts. He could smell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emery-lee/from-the-devil-you-know-she-wanted-him-too-he-could-see-it-in-the/) [Emery Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emery-lee/) > [“You know when I said I didn't need you?" I asked. He lifted one brow. "I was so wrong.I can't find words to express…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-jensen/you-know-when-i-said-i-didn-t-need-you-i-asked-he-lifted-one-brow-i/) [Melissa Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-jensen/) > [“I didn’t say it just to get you to jump. I’m in love with you, Zane,” he admitted in a calm, clear voice. “I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-urban/i-didn-t-say-it-just-to-get-you-to-jump-i-m-in-love-with-you-zane-he/) [Madeleine Urban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-urban/) > [“This explains so much," she said, clucking her tongue in mother-hen fashion. "You're compensating for this withered appendage." Withered appendage? What the devil was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-dare/this-explains-so-much-she-said-clucking-her-tongue-in-mother-hen/) [Tessa Dare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-dare/) Browse all 15,087 Gaze quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“He's not my lover,\" Isolfr said. She raised an eyebrow, a long feathery, shaggy sweep. \"You're his beloved. Both of them. I saw enough on the war-trail to know.\" Then she laughed, and took her hand off his and pushed his chest like a wolf-cub nudging playfully. \"We don't get to pick who loves us, you know. And better to get him to write the song than be remembered forever as 'fair Isolfr, the cold.'\" He scrubbed a hand across his face, roughness of beard and scars and the smooth skin of the unmarked cheek. \"Is that really what they call me?\" She smiled. \"You frighten them, Viradechtisbrother. You went down under the mountain and came out again, twice, and the alfar call you friend. They'll have you among the heroes before you know it. And you can seem quite untouchable—'ice-eyes, and ice-heart, and ice-hard, his will.'\" \"Othinn help me. 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