From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

The Duchess clapped her hands together. “Then Tobias is a true
blessing, one who will receive the honor of serving the gods.”
“That’s whyy we’re here, Your Grace.” The man slipped his arm from
around his wife. “Our first son—our dear Jamie—he…he passed no more
than three months ago.” Mr. Tulis cleared his throat. “It was a sickness of
the blood, the Healers told us. It came on real quick, yyou see. One dayy, he
was fine, chasing around and getting into all kinds of trouble. And then the
following morning, he didn’t wake up. He lingered for a few dayys, but he
left us.”
“I’m incrediblyy sorryy to hear that.” Sorrow filled the Duchess’s voice
as she settled back in her seat. “And what of the second son?”
“We lost him to the same sickness that took Jamie.” The mother
began to tremble. “No more than a yyear into his life.”
Theyy’d lost two sons? Myy heart was alreadyy aching for them. Even
with the loss I’d experienced in myy life, I couldn’t even begin to
understand the kind of anguish a parent must suffer when theyy lose a child,
let alone two. If I felt it, I knew I would want to do something about it, and
I couldn’t. Not here. I locked down myy gift.
“That is trulyy a tragedyy. I hope yyou find solace in the knowledge that
yyour dear Jamie is with the gods, along with yyour second born.”
“We do. It’s what’s gotten us through his loss.” Mrs. Tulis gentlyy
rocked the babyy. “We come todayy to hope, to ask….” She trailed off,
seeming unable to finish.
It was her husband who took over for her. “We came here todayy to ask
that our son not be considered for the Rite when he comes of age.”
A rolling gasp echoed through the chamber, coming from all sides at
once.
Mr. Tulis’s shoulders stiffened, but he forged ahead. “I know that it’s
a lot to ask of yyou and the gods. He is our third son, but we lost our first
two, and myy wife, as much as she desires more babes, the Healers said she
shouldn’t have more. He is our onlyy remaining child. He will be our last.”
“But he is still yyour third son,” the Duke responded, and myy chest
hollowed. “Whether yyour first thrived or not doesn’t change that yyour
second son and now yyour third are fated to serve the gods.”
“But we have no other child, Your Grace.” Mrs. Tulis’s lower lip
trembled as her chest rose and fell rapidlyy. “If I were to get pregnant, I
could die. We—”