There is no mistaking her. The Empress wears dignity like armour and gold like memory. Her crown isn’t adorned with jewels — it’s woven from experience. Her eyes do not plead; they declare.
Gabrielle builds her from deep ochres and burnished tones, invoking heat not just from the sun, but from lineage. She is not made to please — she is made to lead. The Empress reminds us that womanhood is not a role, but a reign.