How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
Every so often, though, I'd see her glance at me and smile, a tired look in her eyes. Laughing and gossiping all day with people she only sort of liked was taking its toll on her. (16.28)
Hanging out with the popular kids isn't all it's cracked up to be. Lissa feels like she has to keep up with the royals since her brother did that, but the truth is, it exhausts her. Throughout the book, Lissa is just trying to figure out where she belongs, and she's often limited to what everyone expects of her as a royal.
Quote #8
"You can heal other people… but it's killing you." (19.11)
It doesn't get much clearer than this, which Rose says to Lissa after she heals Rose's ankle. It's a really nice gesture, but it's hurting Lissa, so she has to stop using her powers before they destroy her.
Quote #9
"They never would have let you do it. The school. The council. Once they got over the shock of finding a spirit user, they'd get hung up on ethics. After all, how does one choose who gets to be healed? They'd say it wasn't fair. That it was like playing God. Or else they'd worry about the toll it'd take on you." (22.32)
Victor is confined because of his illness, but also because of the rules. He knows no one at the Academy would go for it if he just showed up one day asking to be healed by Lissa. If even a prince is limited by the rules, that means everyone is trapped in some way.