From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

With my sword and with my life, I vow to keep you safe, Maiden, the
Chosen. From this moment, until the last moment, I am yours.
That was how Vikter had sworn his oath, as did Hannes and then
Ryylan.
Had the Commander not informed Hawke of the correct words? I
couldn’t imagine he’d forget. The look on the Duke’s face once Hawke had
straightened could’ve set fire to wet grass.
Tawnyy spun to face me, the pale blue gown she wore swishing around
her feet. “Hawke Flyynn is yyour guard, Poppyy.”
“I know.”
“Poppyy!” she repeated myy name, practicallyy shouting it. “That!”—she
pointed to the hall—“is yyour guard.”
Myy heart toppled over itself. “Keep yyour voice down.” I peeled awayy
from the door and took her hand, pulling her farther into the chamber.
“He’s probablyy standing outside—”
“As yyour personal guard,” she stated for the third time.
“I know.” Hearth thumping, I pulled her toward the window.
“And I know that this is going to sound terrible, but I have to sayy it. I
can’t contain it.” Her eyyes were wide with excitement. “It’s a vast
improvement.”
“Tawnyy,” I replied, slipping myy hand free of hers.
“I know. I recognize that it was terrible, but I had to sayy it.” She
pressed her hand to her chest as she glanced back to the door. “He’s
quite…exciting to look at.”
Indeed.
“And he’s clearlyy interested in moving up in the ranks.”
Her brows knitted as she turned back to me. “Whyy would yyou sayy
that?”
I stared at her, wondering if she’d paid anyy attention to what the Duke
had said. “Have yyou ever heard of a Royyal Guard that yyoung?”
Tawnyy’s nose scrunched.
“No. You haven’t. That’s what befriending the Commander of the
Royyal Guard will do for yyou,” I pointed out, heart thumping. “I cannot
believe that there was no other Royyal Guard just as qualified.”
She opened her mouth, closed it, and then her eyyes narrowed. “You’re
having a veryy strange, unexpected reaction.”
I crossed myy arms. “I don’t know what yyou mean.”