Imperial Princess Leia was the jewel of the Empire and the star of Lord Vader's eye. Her beauty and elegance were unmatched, as sublime as the snow-capped mountains of Alderaan. Many suitors desired her hand, yet even those rare few who could win Lord Vader's approval found the princess's love still unattainable; her heart was as cold and sharp-edged as the clearest kyber crystal, and her interests lay in the cutthroat maze of politics rather than the frivolities of romance.
When the public discovered that she had been a captive of the Organas throughout her childhood, there was uproar and a call to have Alderaan's royal house executed. However, the princess, ever merciful and generous, appealed to her father to spare the Organas. Moved by her pleas, Lord Vader granted her full authority over Alderaan as a gift, and she thus enjoyed many visits of retreat among the planet's magnificent landscapes.
First post of 2026! To kick it off, here is Leia's official portrait as Imperial Princess, commissioned by Vader XD It's entirely based on Portrait of Victoria of the United Kingdom by Winterhalter; I really wanted to give Leia a grandiose silhouette with a dark velvet cloak, and Queen Victoria really gave off those vibes, so I just went with it loll
I also put the Imperial Palace in the background to symbolize her ties to politics and the Empire; but she reaches for her lightsaber as a way to show dominance through power, especially with the Dark Side of the Force.
Here are some of my ideas for Leia's imperial outfits, some with moon/night motifs! I imagine her style would veer more toward Naboo's extravagance, which would also serve as a link to Padme. The third design is inspired by Padme's black corset dress from episode 2, and I imagine it'd nearly give Vader an aneurysm upon seeing it loll The fourth design (black hole inspired) is supposed to have intricate embroidery like the others, but I got too tired to finish it ^^;;
Luke's portrait will come soon! :D