Chapter 449 - CH 449 — The Queen's Burden

The final light of day settled gently across the gardens surrounding Regina Estate, where long rows of white roses, ancient cypress trees, and quiet marble pathways glowed beneath a sunset painted in soft amber and fading crimson, while the evening breeze carried the delicate fragrance of jasmine through the peaceful grounds, creating a serenity that seemed almost determined to comfort weary hearts despite the unrest slowly tightening its grip beyond the estate walls, and the distant songs of returning birds blended softly with the quiet murmur of flowing fountains until the entire garden appeared suspended between the fading warmth of one day and the uncertain promise of another.