"Emergence" by Megan Stringfellow

There once was a king's son, who fell in love with a daughter of another mighty king, who was named Maleen. The Princess Maleen was promised to be married to another, but she refused to be separated from her lover. Upon hearing this, her father fell into a great rage, and order a dark tower to be built, into which not a ray of light could penetrate. And he said to his daughter, 'You shall be shut up in that tower for seven years, and then I will come and see ifyour obstinance is not cured.'

And so Princess Maleen was locked away in the tower, for seven long years, Time passed, and by the decrease in provisions, she knew that the seven years was coming to an end, but no stroke of hammer was heard, and no stone fell from the wall. Knowing that she would soon run out of provisions, she took up the bread knife, and began to work away at the stone.

She worked very hard for very long, until at last, she broke through the wall. The sky was blue, and the air had a sweet fragrance, but how sad everything appeared to be! Her father's castle lay in ruins, and towns and villages around it were burnt and destroyed. The fields, far and wide, had been laid to waste, and not a living soul could be seen.

A picture inspired by the Brother's Grimm story 'Princess Maleen.' I have plans to do a whole series of picture to tell Maleen's story. Photoshop CS, 14 hours. Used references for the pose and hands.