“She’d meant, ‘When you understand that when the Empire commands, I can’t say no.’ She’d meant, ‘When you understand that there’s no room for me to mean yes, even if I want to.’ She’d meant, ‘You don’t understand that there’s no such thing as being free.’ Free to choose, or free otherwise.”

“She’d meant, ‘When you understand that when the Empire commands, I can’t say no.’ She’d meant, ‘When you understand that there’s no room for me to mean yes, even if I want to.’ She’d meant, ‘You don’t understand that there’s no such thing as being free.’ Free to choose, or free otherwise.”

— Arkady Martine