Violet pushed open the cottage door and stepped inside, with Henry following closely behind. The moment Anita noticed him, the warmth that had briefly appeared on her face vanished. Her eyes immediately settled on the prince, and the expression she wore made it clear that his presence was not welcome.
"You brought him back?" she asked, her voice restrained.
Violet stopped beside the doorway. "I asked him to come."
Anita glanced at her daughter before returning her attention to Henry. "Why?"
Violet hesitated. She had no proper explanation for why she had followed Henry after he left, nor why the thought of him wandering around without anywhere to go had bothered her so much. All she knew was that she couldn't simply watch him leave with nothing but the clothes on his back.
"He needs somewhere to stay," she finally said.
Anita folded her arms. "And you believe this cottage is a suitable place for a prince?"
