Small moments, unnoticed at the time, change the fate of empires
Did anybody else get goosebumps when this line was repeated in the Faith of Beasts? It opens the first chapter in Mercy, referring to how Dafyd's crush on Else and his decision to act on it is what shapes the entire rest of the story (I think due to how it formed the Dafyd/Swarm partnership which ultimately leads to the Carryx' downfall). In Faith it's repeated in a Jessyn chapter when she decides to do research at the orchard because it gives her an excuse to see more of Garral, and that decision leads to the Anjiin branch of humanity making contact with other humans. I haven't read the beginning of Mercy in a year and a half but I immediately recognized the line when I saw it again. This is a story about history being shaped by people having crushes.