Rose-gold curls frame her face. A few tendrils, artfully freed, nestle in the curve of her neck then fall caressing her porcelain skin. Her lips smile the slow beginnings of a smile, as if lulled to sleep by the heat of the day. Skin so fair as to be almost translucent, the hue underneath the gold wash is the pale pink of seashells. A wide satin sash hugs her sleeveless dark blue dress around her narrow waist. She stands alone on a marble balcony, her empty hands resting lightly on the stone rail. Below, the sea is azure crystal. Behind her the carvings in the stone bask in the sun, reflecting back warmth and an amber glow.

A southern belle in her element. But look closely, for underneath her long langorous lashes the pale blue-green eyes are looking back at you -- alert, awake, and fully aware.