Chapter 469 - CHAPTER 469 — The Queen's Loneliness

"Does it ever become easier?" Elara asked quietly without turning away from the palace balcony, her fingers resting upon the cool marble balustrade while the last light of the setting sun painted the distant rooftops of Regina in soft shades of amber and crimson, and although her voice remained calm, the faint weariness hidden beneath its gentle cadence revealed a question that had lived silently within her heart for far longer than she wished to admit.