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Teerman’s head cocked to the right.

“I also believe that the duty of guarding the Maiden does not require one to sacrifice their life,” I said. “As those who guard her should be skilled enough to defend their life as well as hers.”

“Interesting,” Teerman murmured, falling quiet as he took a short drink of his whiskey. “And how would you have handled what occurred in the gardens?”

The irony that it wouldn’t have even happened if I’d been there didn’t pass me by. “The attempt to take the Maiden occurred where the night roses bloom, correct?” I already knew the answer but waited for his nod. “That is also where the jacaranda trees have damaged the inner curtain wall of Castle Teerman, a location in the garden that is particularly dangerous.”

“So, you would not allow her to view the roses, then,” Teerman surmised.

“Restricting her access to where she would like to go in the garden is unnecessary,” I said. “I would simply position her so that she remained out of sight of anyone seeking to exploit that weakness.”

“You would then take the arrow in place of her, as Keal did?” Teerman smirked. “Did you not just say sacrifice was unnecessary?”

“Positioning her so she cannot be struck from afar does not equate to me being felled by an arrow,” I countered. “There are ways to view those roses that require neither of us to be in danger.”

Teerman’s stare shifted to Jansen.

“He is correct, Your Grace,” Jansen spoke. “There are several natural barriers that would’ve made any attack difficult. Unfortunately, Keal may have grown…too at ease guarding the Maiden since no attempts have been made against her.”

“And that is why he is dead,” Teerman stated. “He forgot that the threat of the Dark One has not lessened and paid that price in blood.” His attention returned to me. “And you believe that’s not a price you will inevitably pay?”

“Yes,” I answered without so much as a hint of amusement.

Teerman shifted, resting an ankle on the opposite knee. “With the upcoming Rite, there are already heightened concerns regarding the Descenters and the Dark One. And as she nears her Ascension, there will likely be more attempts.”

“There most definitely will be,” I agreed. “After all, if what people believe is true, and the Dark One wishes to stop her Ascension, then what occurred in the garden is only the beginning.”

“It is true,” the Duke confirmed. “The arrow used was engraved with their…” His lip curled. “With their rally cry. Or, more accurately, their dying whimper.”

I smiled. “From blood and ash?”

“We will rise,” the Duke finished for me, much to my amusement. He was silent as his fingers tapped the calf of his boot. “With the recent attempt to take the Maiden and the growing…unrest here, it is likely that King Jalara and Queen Ileana will request the Maiden be brought back to the capital. Which means, you could be required to leave and make the journey to Carsodonia at any time.”

It would be a damn blessing if such a thing occurred. Being granted permission to leave with the Maiden was a hell of a lot easier than absconding with her through the city. But I wouldn’t be traveling alone. There’d be a team of guards, which would present an issue.

“Would that be a problem?” the Duke asked.

“I have no ties here,” I answered.

“You say all the right things, Hawke,” he said after a moment. “And Commander Jansen believes you’re not only qualified but also ready for such an enormous duty. However, I admittedly have concerns. You would be considered young for such a position, and I find it hard to believe that none older are better suited. Though I do recognize that is not necessarily a detriment. Younger, fresher eyes carry different experiences. But you are also handsome.”

“Thank you,” I replied.

A faint smile appeared. “The Maiden is no child. She is a young woman with very little experience and knowledge of the world.”

I almost laughed at how incorrect he was.

His fingers continued tapping. “Nor has she interacted closely with a man of her age.”

“I have no interest in seducing the Maiden if that is what concerns you, Your Grace.”

Teerman laughed with a dismissive wave of his hand. “I’m not concerned about that,” he said, leaving me to wonder exactly why he was so confident. “I am more concerned with her getting infatuated and therefore becoming a distraction. She does have a…habit of not setting boundaries between her and others.”

What he said and what he hadn’t stoked my curiosity. “I also have no intention of becoming a companion or friend to her.”

He raised a brow. “She can be surprisingly charming—her innocence, that is.”

While he was correct about her being charming, it had nothing to do with her innocence. “She and I would have absolutely nothing in common to bond over or even speak of.” That was the truth. “She is a job. A duty. One I would be honored to have, but nothing more.”