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Fateful Choice — Description

Here's something very special and unexpected: the turning point in Queen Jasmijn Fontaine's story and the debut of the main villain: King Francois Dionne.
15 years of peace has ended in the most brutal and tragic way possible: complete extinction. Blood stains the walls and everyone, not even children (tiny hand by Jasmijn's neck) were spared.
I originally intended for the story to be less violent (slavery instead of genocide) but I decided to go all out with creating a truly evil villain and the end result is what you see here. I had so much fun making this scene and painting the wall with blood was an experience like no other.
That's right. I painted the wall with blood.
The different colored blood stains on the wall near King Francois?
THAT'S REAL BLOOD.
And it's not my own blood.
When I was working on this, a mosquito was flying around. I caught it with one hand and crushed it. When I opened my hand, it was stained with blood. It was the perfect opportunity to use real blood to paint this artwork depicting the aftermath of a bloody massacre.
So I dipped my hand in the blood and smeared the wall with it. The color faded very quickly but seeing bright red blood being applied in real time onto artwork is an unforgettable experience.
How many pieces of artwork contains real blood? Not many.
The artwork is 11x14 inches (27.9x35.6cm) to give an idea of how much blood I had to work with. It was a generous amount considering the source and it was the first time I ever painted with blood. The rest of the blood was done with my "blood marker" which I love to use but it pales compared to painting the "natural way".
I also did a digital version and while the blood splatters may look better, nothing tops real blood. I also included my original line work. One minute after that picture was taken, the mosquito showed up and the drawing would be permanently stained with its blood.
I think it was fate that mosquito showed up. Creating a scene depicting the aftermath of a brutal, bloody massacre and a mosquito shows up at the exact moment I begin to color it and I kill it on the spot and stain my hand with a ton of blood? That's no coincidence.
This artwork is very special, not just because of the story significance, but because of the use of real blood. Not blood from a wound, a woman's menstrual cycle or even bloody meat, but blood from an animal I killed with my bare hand.
That's right. An animal was harmed in the creation of this artwork.
It doesn't get more hardcore than that.
Completed with blood and ink. Literally.
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After concluding a conversation with a blue haired man at the nearby oasis, Jasmijn returns to her kingdom and finds her people slaughtered to extinction. Men, women, children of all ages and even babies. No survivors. The extinction of the Da'Reshian race had been completed.
Now surrounded by the royal guard with blood stained weapons, she stands face to face with the man responsible: King Francois Dionne of Francia.
15 years ago, Francois's father attempted to invade and destroy the kingdom of Daresh. Despite having a stronger and bigger army, they were defeated thanks to the strong and strategic leadership of Jasmijn's father who was crowned king of Da'Resh after the war. Now 15 years later, the children of the same 2 kings meet face to face in a near identical situation. Only this time, Francois has accomplished what his father failed to do.
"2 birds with one arrow. I surpassed my father by achieving what he could not and have secured the revenge he so desperately desired. As for you, mademoiselle Fontaine, you couldn't even stand beside your people in their final moments of existence. A true disgrace to the last king of Da'Resh. King Fontaine was an incredible man, but a terrible father."
King Francois approaches Jasmijn and grips her chin.
"Deux options mademoiselle: Live as the queen of Francia, or die with your extinct subjects."
In a wicked twist of fate, Jasmijn has the opportunity to achieve her dream of having a husband and family. She even gets to retain her royal position, live in a greater palace, rule over a more prosperous kingdom and would be reunited with her own race.
But can she really marry the man who destroyed her people and even threatens to end her very life in an instant? Plus, marrying the son of her father's sworn enemy, the very same enemy who tried to destroy her future kingdom, and forsaken her father's name to take on the name "Dionne" would be the ultimate betrayal to both her father and his legacy.
Not only that, but the true story of how she became queen would be twisted from a life or death decision and become a tale of a beautiful woman captured by a savage race from the desert only to be saved by the "heroic" King Francois who finished what his father started: the complete extinction of the Da'Reshian race.
What will Jasmijn choose?
Live as "Jasmijn Dionne", Queen of Francia, or die as Jasmijn Fontaine, Queen of Da'Resh?
Life, or Death?