The language of this novel is often stiff and formal, as many of the characters are royal, or at least of noble birth. The nobility speak to each other with stiffly formal courtesy, but often the sarcasm is so strong that no amount of formal courtesy can mask the speaker's true feelings. The low born use very base language, full of misspellings and profanity. There is much profanity in this novel, with even the nobility resorting to profanity and threats to show their feelings for each other.