When Cassander returns to Withermine with the surviving children, Lady Violetta isn't surprised that her daughter does not count amid the crowd.
"Ah, that poor, stupid girl," she says with a light hum, stroking her hair atop her throne. "She should have known better. I wish that she could be buried in Withermine, but I guess that's not really a possibility, is it?"
Cassander isn't impressed, but he also doesn't discount a mother's love, even one so twisted. "You understand the punishment for harboring a demon amid your lair," he declares as a warning but does not outright accuse her.
Lady Violetta maintains her smile. "I understand," is all that she says.
In the end, Cassander does not oust her to the kingdom. He has a sliver of hope in his heart that she truly did not mean any harm. Why else would she lock her own daughter up and care for her all these years?
