3,000 Years

Portraits (April)

A/N: Warning, this is one of the longer entries. (8,000+ words this time).

.....

"I have great news! You are finally ready!"

Elizabeth wakes to the singsong of her mother's excitement, the cold morning breeze rushing into her room through her windows. The goddess finds herself shivering from the crisp wind, her wings quaking with her. The strong, overwhelming scent of flora floods the room and along with it comes small birds that flit and chatter in the background, naturally inclined towards the ruler of goddesses. Yet another standard princess awakening.

Normally, Elizabeth would find this greeting exciting. She enjoyed the early rising, the big song and dance of flowers and birds and her mother, but today she wasn't really feeling it. She wasn't feeling like it was normal. Normal was Elizabeth waking up herself and opening her window to talk to the birds; normal was Elizabeth getting ready and making sure she looked presentable; normal was Elizabeth waiting for her mother at the breakfast table. Normal was not this.

Watching as her mother flitted about the room, energetically rearranging things and randomly tossing dresses aside, the young goddess pursed her lips. It wasn't often that her mother grew excited. It wasn't often that her mother personally delivered good news.

Something was up.

"Mother," Elizabeth speaks up, her voice still scratchy with sleepiness. Gently, she clears her throat and tries again. "Mother, just what am I ready for?"

"A portrait!" Her mother leans towards her, bright and cheerful and loud. A row of shiny white teeth stretch into a dazzling, bright smile, startling the freshly awoken goddess. "All women eligible to be married have them these days."

"A portrait?" Elizabeth chokes out, her cheeks staining with pink. Her wings stiffen behind her, also taken aback by this sudden news. She stands next to her bed, frozen. Paralyzed. Her very worst fear was coming true - one she had buried within her ever since childhood. "Married? Mother, do you mean- "

"Yes, you are going to be wed!" The Supreme Deity turns to her daughter, holding a bright, white gown. In her other hand was a silver tiara, the crown blue jewels as pure as the celestial sky. "I'm just so happy! My one and only child coming of age and maturing so splendidly! This day was bound to come and it will finally end this blasted war with-"

All words fall deaf to Elizabeth's ears after that. Meaningless. After today, her whole life would be changed forever. No longer would she be able to have her reckless, thoughtless frolics through town, pretending to be yet another common girl. Childish antics such as that will be banned once her portrait is finalized and released into the world. Condemned.

Like in any respectable society, portraits were always the talk of the town among the goddess clan's social circle, the art always being a sign that a young lady was going to be married off to some pompous, self-centered man. Everyone would be abuzz with rumors of the lucky bride and groom. Plus, not just any young woman received a coming-of-age portrait these days - especially not a princess - and when they did it was often to do with bachelors, possible future links to further empower the throne.

In all her years, Elizabeth had never thought her mother would subject her to a marriage portrait. The Supreme Deity wasn't like the other aristocracy of the goddess realm: she was their leader. Being the headstrong, opinionated woman she was, she never conformed to the societal norms of her people. Inferiors. Yet, her words today made Elizabeth doubt her mother's true originality. It made her wonder just how far her mother was willing to go for the sake of maintaining an image.

Hopefully, it wasn't too far.

"Who supposedly am I marrying, mother?" Elizabeth hums absentmindedly, her thoughts unfortunately drifting down that alley. She might as well prepare to sign her life away - a good start would be knowing who would own her as their property.