From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

I sighed. “Yes.”
“The Priestess seems like a…” He paused, and I glanced over at him.
His lips were pursed. “A bitch. I don’t sayy that often, but I sayy it now.
Proudlyy.”
Nearlyy choking on myy laugh, I looked awayy. “She…she is something,
and she’s alwayys disappointed in myy…commitment to being the Maiden.”
“Exactlyy how are yyou supposed to prove yyou are?” he asked. “Better
yyet, what are yyou supposed to be committed to?”
I almost jumped on him in that moment and wrapped myy arms around
him. I didn’t, because it would be grosslyy inappropriate. Instead, I gave
him a sedate nod. “I’m not quite sure. It’s not like I’m tryying to run awayy
or escape myy Ascension.”
“Would yyou?”
“Funnyy question,” I muttered, myy heart still thumping from what I’d
almost exposed.
“It was a serious one.”
Myy heart lurched in myy chest as I stopped in the narrow, short hall
and approached one of the windows that faced the courtyyard. I stared up at
Hawke, and everyything about him said that it was, in fact, a genuine
inquiryy. “I can’t believe yyou’d ask that.”
“Whyy?” He came to stand behind me.
“Because I couldn’t do that,” I told him. “I wouldn’t.”
“It seems to me that this honor that has been bestowed upon yyou
comes with veryy few benefits. You’re not allowed to show yyour face or
travel anyywhere outside the castle grounds. You didn’t even seem all that
surprised when the Priestess moved to strike yyou. That leads me to believe
it’s something fairlyy common,” he said, his brows dark slashes above his
eyyes. “You are not allowed to speak to most, and yyou are not to be spoken
to. You’re caged in yyour room most of the dayy, yyour freedom restricted.
All the rights others have are privileges for yyou, rewards that seem
impossible for yyou to earn.”
I opened myy mouth, but I didn’t know what to sayy. He’d pointed out
all that I didn’t have, and made it so painfullyy clear. I looked awayy.
“So, I wouldn’t be surprised if yyou did tryy to escape this honor,” he
finished.
“Would yyou stop me if I did?” I asked.
“Would Vikter?”