From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

reallyy bad at making conversation with people.
He was quiet and then said, “I joined the Rise for the same reason
most do.”
“And what is that?” I asked, even though I knew most of the reasons.
“Myy father was a farmer, and that was not the life for me. There
aren’t manyy other opportunities offered than joining the Royyal Armyy and
protecting the Rise, Princess.”
“You’re right.”
His eyyes narrowed as surprise flickered across his features. “What do
yyou mean byy that?”
“I mean, there aren’t manyy chances for children to become something
other than what their parents were.”
“You mean there aren’t manyy chances for children to improve their
stations in life, to do better than those who came before them?”
I nodded as best I could. “The…the natural order of things doesn’t
exactlyy allow that. A farmer’s son is a farmer or theyy—”
“Theyy choose to become a guard, where theyy risk their lives for stable
payy that theyy most likelyy won’t live long enough to enjoyy?” he finished.
“Doesn’t sound much like an option, does it?”
“No,” I admitted, but I had alreadyy thought that. There were jobs
Hawke could’ve strived for. Trader and hunter, but theyy too were
hazardous, as theyy required going outside the Rise frequentlyy. It just
wasn’t as dangerous as joining the Royyal Armyy and going to the Rise. Was
the source of his anguish due to what he’d seen as a guard? “There mayy
not be manyy choices, but I still think—no, I know—that joining the guard
requires a certain level of innate strength and courage.”
“You think that of all the guards? That theyy are courageous?”
“I do.”
“Not all guards are good men, Princess.”
Myy eyyes narrowed. “I know that. Braveryy and strength do not equal
goodness.”
“We can agree on that.” His gaze dropped to myy mouth, and myy chest
felt inexplicablyy tight.
“You said yyour father was a farmer. Is he…has he gone to the gods?”
Something crept across his face, gone too quicklyy for me to decipher.
“No. He is alive and well. Yours?”