You’re beautiful, he whispered with his velvet lips upon her soft, small ear.
This was the first memory she possessed of her father, and even though she knew he could not—would not—ever physically see her, she believed him when he said this. Behind Yusuf’s clouded eyes lay a deeper sense; trust. This was why her mother loved him, despite the short time they had together before he said his final goodbye to them both.
What Ensign could not understand was why he had to die.
He knew what would happen if he confronted his brother. It was a fate clearer than her reflection in the pool of still water at her feet. She stared down, noticing his features in her mirror image and she missed him deeply in this moment. With a heavy sign, she wondered if anyone else would ever truly see her the way he did.
Ensign knew coming to these islands was exceedingly dangerous. She knew that her life was in jeopardy the moment she was born. Yet Yusuf understood these risks, and she was here anyway. Even if she couldn’t comprehend all his choices, she trusted her father to make good decisions. This was what drove her here, conviction, and perhaps a little naivety.
The golden girl drank from the pool and moved on, deeper into the grassy expanse of the common lands. With every step she filled her heart with hope. She hoped she would meet a new friend or two, she hoped she would find someone who loved her as much as she loved them, who could protect her from the cruelties of those who sought to ensure she never took another breath. She hoped she might learn the answers to the questions that needled at her mind in quiet moments, or that she might live a life so full the answers no longer mattered.
She was a beacon, her coat glimmering like gold in the afternoon sun, and as the wind weaved between her dark, slender legs and lifted her sand-white mane from her neck, she smiled brightly. There was nothing more gorgeous than the beauty and possibility of youth.
ENSIGN
daughter of yusuf
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