We would still love each other, but what it meant was: if there was a burning fire, if two sisters were stuck in the inferno and they were screaming a name, the only right thing would be to pick the one the iron dictated to save. It is important to ignore any contrary instinct of your traitor heart.
-- Grace (chapter 5)

Importance: This quote is part of Grace's explanation of the iron ritual, which involves choosing an iron with a family member's name on it, and dedicating your love to that person for the rest of the year. Forcing the sisters to choose who and how much to love is part of King and Mother's lifelong efforts of manipulation and control of their daughters. They have been taught that the heart is a "traitor" that must be suppressed, its instincts ignored. Grace is able to do accomplish this fairly easily, but Lia's heart is...