" The young woman remained lying on her sofa a long while after the countess had left her. She fought her battle. Earth rose up against heaven, love against love, but her childhood's beloved won the victory. Where she lay, right here on the sofa, she saw the western sky glowing with a magnificent sunset. She thought that this was a greeting from the good king, and as she would not have been able to remain faithful to him if she had lived, she decided to die. She could do nothing else, when her mother wanted her to belong to one who could not be the good king's servant. "
― Selma Lagerlöf , Gösta Berling's Saga