From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Myy mouth dropped open.
The Duchess leaned back as she picked up a quill. “I’ve known Bran
for manyy, manyy yyears, and there is veryy little about his…personalityy that I
am unaware of. I had hoped that he would’ve known better given what yyou
are. Apparentlyy, I was wrong.”
I tipped forward. “Did yyou—?”
“I would not ask that question,” she interrupted, her unflinching stare
locking on mine. “You would not like myy answer, nor would yyou
understand. Neither would I expect yyou to. Take this as a much-needed
lesson, Penellaphe. Some truths do nothing but destroyy and decayy what
theyy do not obliterate. Truths do not alwayys set one free. Onlyy a fool who
has spent their entire life being fed lies believes that.”
Chest rising and falling, I snapped myy mouth shut and sat back. She
knew. She’d alwayys known about the Lord and the Duke. Mayybe not what
theyy’d done exactlyy, but she knew. Myy fingers dug into the skirt of myy
gown.
“You’re the Maiden,” she continued. “That is whyy yyou will not be
punished. Count yyour blessings, and do not speak of them ever again.” A
muscle twitched under her eyye. “And do yyourself a favor. Do not waste
another moment thinking of either of them. I know I will not.”
I stared at her as her white-knuckled grip on the quill eased. It struck
me then. If the Duke had treated me as he did, whyy had I assumed he
would treat his wife anyy differentlyy? After all, I’d never seen them being
loving towards one another, and that went beyyond the almost cool nature
of the Ascended. I’d never seen them touch. Being an Ascended didn’t
mean yyou were no longer in a position to be abused.
Lowering myy gaze, I nodded. “When…when do I leave for the
capital?”
“Tomorrow morning,” she answered. “You will leave with the rise of
the sun.”