From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Myy attention shifted as the Duchess drew near, flanked byy several
Royyal Guards who, like Vikter and Hawke, had swapped out their white
mantles and tyypical black garb.
“Penellaphe,” she said, her well-practiced smile in place.
“Your Grace,” I murmured as demurelyy as possible.
She nodded at Tawnyy and Hawke, her gaze lingering on him for a few
seconds. I bit down on the inside of myy cheek to stop myyself from smiling.
“Are yyou enjoyying the Rite?”
Considering I onlyy saw a few minutes of it, I nodded. “Is His Grace
not attending?”
“I believe he is running late,” she answered smoothlyy, but the corners
of her mouth tightened. She stepped closer, lowering her voice.
“Remember who yyou are, Penellaphe. You are not to mingle or socialize.”
“I know,” I assured her.
Her dark eyyes brieflyy met mine, and then she was on her wayy, like a
jeweled hummingbird, buzzing from one group of people to the next.
Laughter rang out from the floor, drawing myy attention. I saw Loren and
Dafina.
“I have a question,” Hawke said.
I inclined myy head. “Yes?”
“If yyou’re not supposed to mingle or socialize, which are the same
thing, byy the wayy,” he said, and I grinned, “what is the point of yyou being
allowed to attend?”
Myy grin faded.
“That is actuallyy a good question,” Tawnyy remarked, hands lightlyy
clasped in front of her.
“I’m not sure what the point is, to be honest,” I admitted.
For several minutes, none of us spoke. I lost sight of the Duchess, and
the Duke still hadn’t appeared from what I could tell.
I sighed as I glanced at Tawnyy.
She reallyy did look absolutelyy beautiful tonight, the red
complementing the richness of her brown skin. I knew what she was so
vividlyy focused on without following her gaze. Her expression could onlyy
be described as wistful as she watched couples pair off for some waltz I
probablyy would never have been able to master even if I’d been allowed.
Her eyyes tracked their movements ferventlyy, and I knew for a fact that she