From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Hawke.
It was strange to glance over and see him standing there. And it
wasn’t just because it was usuallyy Ryylan who watched over these afternoon
brunches Tawnyy and I sometimes took in the atrium. It was how different
it was with Hawke being here. Normallyy, Ryylan had stared out into the
garden or spent the majorityy of the time speaking with one of the other
Royyal Guards who were nearbyy as he lingered just inside the entrance. Not
Hawke. He found the one area in the room where he had a view of the
entire brightlyy lit space and the gardens outside the atrium.
Luckilyy, the windows didn’t face the roses.
Unluckilyy, I often found myyself staring at the fountain of the veiled
Maiden.
In just one dayy, it had become almost painfullyy evident how lax Ryylan
had gotten in terms of securityy. Granted, there hadn’t been an attempt
before, but he had softened. I hated even acknowledging that. It felt like a
betrayyal to do so, but that wasn’t the onlyy thing that made this brunch so
veryy different from the ones before.
Another thing that made it so different was the appearance of the two
Ladies in Wait. I suspected that this was the first time theyy’d even been in
the atrium since theyy’d arrived at Castle Teerman after their Rites.
Dafina, a second daughter of a rich merchant, fluttered a silk, lilachued
folding fan as if she were attempting to end the life of an insect onlyy
she could see. While late-morning sun poured in through the windows, the
atrium was still cool, and I doubted Dafina had grown overheated between
eating cucumber sandwiches and sipping tea.
Beside her, Loren, the second daughter of a successful trader, had all
but given up on sewing the tinyy cryystals onto her mask that was to be worn
during the upcoming Rite, and had fullyy committed herself to watching
everyy move the dark-haired Royyal Guard made. I was confident she knew
just how manyy breaths Hawke took in a minute.
Deep down, I knew whyy I hadn’t risen and left the room like I was
supposed to, like I knew Tawnyy waited for me to do. I understood whyy I
was so willing to risk censure for simplyy sitting and minding myy own
business.
I was enthralled byy the antics of the two Ladies in Wait.
Loren had alreadyy done several things to catch Hawke’s attention.
She’d dropped her pouch of cryystals—which Hawke had gallantlyy assisted