Portrait:Beauty Strength Grace

“Beauty, strength, and grace.”

The man looked up at the portrait. The full-length portrait showed three youths, all in their prime. He could well be describing each. Two youths were beautiful females and the last and tallest was a handsome male. Each of them had a serious look on their faces, but the artist that had captured their likeness obviously knew them well, for he had added touches that defined their individual personality.

The man, he noted, was dressed in blue. Wearing a blue taffeta cloak over a black houppelande, he cut a rather serious figure. The loose but cinched gown gave him the appearance of a scholar, but the mud-stained boots testified to the fact that the man travelled. There were hints of calluses on the hand that rested on the chair, behind the maiden’s head. This was a man who knew violence and dealt with it freely.

Black eyes fairly blazed at the viewer, and he seemed to have a permanent scowl on his face. His black hair hung down in untidy tangles, an unusual style for the period. Most interesting of all was the belt cinched around his waist. The buckle seemed to be an actual gem, a blue rose that shone brightly. It would have probably been the reason why he carried weapons.

The two females, on the other hands, wore very different clothing, though the stitching and the materials used were just as finely made and expensive as the man’s. Standing on the left side of the seated maiden, the other female wore a kirtle with a brocade surcoat over it, her only concession, it seemed, to court. The coat was a light teal while the kirtle was a darker shade of teal.

Her dark brown hair hung over one shoulder in a thick braid, enhancing her amber eyes. This time the artist did not hide the weapons. A dagger hilt could be seen protruding from the edge of her short boots. More importantly, a bow was slung over her shoulders. Over the bow though, hung around her neck, was an emerald rose pendant, the same design as the buckle on a thin golden necklace.

No matter how you looked at the other two though, your eyes would always be drawn to the third. The composition of the portrait was such that the blond maiden seated between them drew the most attention.

Her blue eyes ran straight through a person with a knife. Each person saw in her different promises; seduction, wisdom, innocence. She wore a conservative cote-hardie, made in silk pale blue to match her eyes. Even seated, the gown flattered the maiden’s slim figure. A diadem with the same rose pendant hung from her forehead. There was an almost imperceptible sigh on her lips; it looked as though she was fondly exasperated by the other two. One hand laid on her lap, cradling a rose, while the other was holding the hand proffered by the other maiden. They looked as close as sisters.

“Beauty, grace, strength.” Yes, it described them perfectly.