How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
"I would like a horse friend," said Ani. "Very much." Perhaps a horse would not hit her with play swords, like her little brother, or treat her like a glass vase and then whisper behind her back, like the other palace children. (1.45)
Right away, Ani would rather hang out with animals than humans. Perhaps it's because animals don't plot and scheme the way people do, or maybe it's because they don't judge her for not acting enough like a princess. Either way, Ani's first friends are her horse and other animals.
Quote #2
She smiled. "Oh, I am too saddle-sore for wood benches. Anyhow, I don't want to leave you alone."
"You are a good friend."
"Mmm," she said, tapping her foot in time. (3.43)
… or is she? Ani might think that Selia is her bestie, but we could see the writing on the wall long before Selia took over as princess. Even here, Selia seems nervous, tapping her foot anxiously instead of really talking to the princess. For someone who knows how to people-speak, she sure is silent.
Quote #3
"My friends call me by my name."
"You don't have any friends."
"I don't want you to be my friend, Selia, or my servant, not now. I thought you were both. You have let me know I was wrong. So are you to treat me so. You are wrong." (4.26)
Oh, snap—Selia tells Ani that she doesn't have any friends, which is super mean-spirited; yet Selia's observation isn't totally inaccurate. Ani herself admits she doesn't like spending time with people, and that she doesn't really get how to be friends with humans. Maybe if she had more friends, she wouldn't be so easy to overpower.