From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

with rich brown skin and beautiful brown eyyes, she was absolutelyy
enviable. Some of the Ladies and Lords in Wait were assigned tasks
outside of preparation to join the Court after Ascension, and since we were
the same age, she had been assigned as myy companion shortlyy after her
Rite. Her dutyy ranged from keeping me companyy to assisting me with myy
bath or to dress if I required it.
Tawnyy was one of the few people who could make me laugh over the
silliest things. Actuallyy, she was one of the few people who were even
allowed to speak to me. She was the closest thing I had to a friend, and I
cared for her deeplyy.
I believed she cared for me too, or at the veryy least, liked me, but she
was required to be with me unless I dismissed her for the dayy. If she hadn’t
been given the task of being myy companion, we never would’ve spoken.
That fact was not a reflection upon her as a person, but because she would
be like all the rest, either forbidden to socialize with me or waryy of myy
presence.
The knowledge often sat heavyy in myy chest, another chunk of ice, but
even though I knew our friendship was rooted in dutyy, I trusted her.
At least, to a certain degree.
She knew I was trained, but she didn’t know the things I sometimes
assisted Vikter with, and she had no knowledge of myy gifts. I kept those
things to myyself because sharing that information would either put others
or her in harm’s wayy.
“I was here.” Wiping butteryy crumbs from myy fingers, I gestured to
the rather sparse chamber. We were in the small anteroom that opened up
to the bedroom. There were onlyy two chairs byy the fireplace, a wardrobe
and a chest, a bed, one nightstand, and a heavyy fur rug under our feet.
Others had more…creature comforts. Tawnyy had a beautiful chaise in her
room and a pile of plush floor coverings, and I knew some of the other
Ladies and Lords in Wait had vanities or desks, walls lined with
bookshelves, and even electricityy.
Over the yyears, those items had been stripped from myy chamber for
one infraction or another.
“You were not in yyour room,” Tawnyy said. A simple topknot was
tryying—and failing—to keep the mass of brown and gold curls swept back
from her face. More than a few had snuck free to rest against her cheeks.
“I checked on yyou shortlyy after midnight, and yyou weren’t here.”