Marra’s family ruled a small city-state with the misfortune to house the only deep harbor along the coast of two rival kingdoms. Both those kingdoms wanted that harbor, and either one could have rolled over the city and taken it with hardly a moment’s effort. Marra’s mother had kept them balancing between two knives for a long time.
-- Narrator (Chapter 2)

Importance: The Harbor City is precariously placed between two big, dangerous kingdoms. This quote is important because it demonstrates the terrible choice Marra's mother was forced to make.

The entire point of queens and princesses was to act as broodmares for royalty, but if there were ways to prevent it…
-- Narrator (Chapter 4)

Importance: When Marra starts working with Sister Apothecary, she learns all about pregnancy and illegal contraceptives. This quote is important because it demonstrates Marra's feminist ideals that inspire her to learn how to control the female body so that men cannot...