I was trying to think of a subject that would allow me to paint a beautiful, graceful male figure, and as I was trying to settle on a pose, the backstory for The Emperor's Boy just kind of fell into my lap.

The Emperor's Boy is something of a concubine. He is the Emperor's favourite courtesan, and he calls on him to dance when dark moods fall upon him. He gives him jewels and plies him with all the wine and sweets he could ever want, but make no mistake-- the boy is a slave.

As such, he both hates and loves the Emperor, and when he dances for him it shows in every step that he takes. His body is lithe, utter perfection as he performs for his master, but only his eyes tell of his true feelings.

The boy is, after all, a bird in a gilded cage.

Technical Note: This is the second version of the Emperor's Boy. The first version was too static for me, so I decided to change the position of his legs. He is, after all, supposed to be dancing... ^_~