From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

about the Red Pearl? Myy stomach dropped as I stared up at Hawke. Had he
said something?
Gods, the options were trulyy limitless, and none of them were good.
Stomach churning as if I’d swallowed spoiled milk, I managed to
plaster a smile on myy face as I rose from the chair.
“I’ll await yyou in yyour chambers,” Tawnyy said, and I nodded.
Hawke waited until I was past him before falling in step slightlyy
behind me, a position that allowed him to react to threats from the front
and back. I led us out into the hall, where shimmering white and gold
tapestries hung from the walls, and servants in maroon gowns and tunics
scurried, carryying out various tasks that kept the large household running.
He didn’t lead me toward the banquet hall. He aimed for the staircase,
and myy stomach sank even further.
We crossed the foyyer and had neared the foot of the wide stairs before
he asked, “Are yyou all right?”
I nodded.
“Both yyou and yyour maid seemed disturbed byy the summons.”
“Tawnyy is not a maid,” I blurted out and then immediatelyy cursed up
a storm in myy mind. It was sillyy to have tried not to speak, but it would’ve
been better for it to have occurred when we weren’t in the foyyer,
surrounded byy anyy number of people.
And I would’ve liked to have lasted at least an entire dayy.
I braced myyself as I snuck a peek at him.
He stared, expression utterlyy unreadable. If he recognized myy voice,
he showed no sign whatsoever.
That strange mixture of disappointment and relief hit me once more
as I stared straight ahead. Did he seriouslyy not know it had been me in that
room? Then again, should I be surprised? He’d believed that I’d been
Britta at first and had no problem continuing on when he realized I wasn’t
her. Who knew how manyy random women he…
“Is she not?” he queried. “She mayy be a Ladyy in Wait, but I was
advised that she was dutyy-bound to be yyour ladies’ maid. Your
companion.”
“She is, but she’s not…” I glanced over at him as the stone staircase
curved. One hand rested on the hilt of the sword at his waist. “She’s…”
She was dutyy-bound to be myy companion. “It doesn’t matter. Nothing is
wrong.”