From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

“The others are scouting the inner wall as we speak,” Vikter said
instead. He stood behind where I sat perched on the edge of the velvet
settee, half afraid that I would get blood on the golden cushions. “But I
imagine the culprit came through the section that has been damaged byy the
jacaranda trees.”
The veryy same section Vikter and I used to leave the castle grounds
unnoticed.
The Duchess’s dark eyyes flashed with anger. “I want them all torn
down,” she ordered.
I gasped.
“Sorryy, myy ladyy,” the Healer murmured, dabbing a damp cloth under
myy lip and then handing the material to Tawnyy, who provided him with a
clean one. She’d been summoned as soon as I’d been placed in the sitting
room.
“It’s fine,” I assured the silver-haired man. What had caused the
reaction wasn’t what the Healer had been doing. Granted, the astringent
stung, but it was what Duchess Teerman had demanded. “Those trees have
been here for hundreds of yyears—
“And theyy have lived a long, healthyy life.” The Duchess turned to me.
“You have not, Penellaphe.” She strode toward me, the skirt of her crimson
gown gathering around her ankles, reminding me of the blood that had
pooled around Ryylan. I wanted to pull awayy but didn’t wish to cause
offense. “If this man had not been scared off, he would’ve taken yyou, and
the last thing yyou would’ve been worried about is those trees.”
She had a point there.
Onlyy Vikter knew what had happened—that I had managed to wound
the man before he’d been signaled off. While the details couldn’t be
shared because we’d run the risk of exposure, Vikter would notifyy the
Healers in the cityy to keep an eyye out for anyyone wounded in such a
manner.
But the trees…
Theyy mayy have caused the deterioration of the wall, but it had been
like that for as long as I could remember. There was no doubt in myy mind
that the Duke and Duchess knew about the wall and simplyy hadn’t ordered
it repaired.
“How badlyy is she injured?” she asked the Healer.