Moral Of The Story

All my life on Earth, I thought I was just some girl who had been thrown away. Unwanted and abandoned. I convinced myself I didn’t need answers, that I was strong enough to live without knowing who my parents were.

But deep down, I craved connection and belonging. I searched for comfort in every hug I shared with my orphanage siblings, in every story told at bedtime, and in the warmth of a friend’s shoulder.

Now here I am. Two mothers. One who gave me life, and the other one who saved it. Two bonds stronger than any spousal mark, any promise or any weapon. It’s not about dominion. It’s about belonging. That’s why I could never feel whole without them. 

Raiona made the ultimate sacrifice, giving up her soul so mother could live. She didn’t hesitate. Just as I didn’t hesitate when I met Ami again. Even with no memory of her, I knew she was important to me.

Love is vast and sacrificial, gentle and enduring. A princess and a daughter with a borrowed soul. A queen whose king would rewrite time and space for her. It comes in a multitude of forms I have yet to allow into my heart.

I have suitors who circle me like planets. Celphi, who would turn the sky inside out for me. Mede, who burns and heals in the same breath. Marik, who deserved better. Riye and Pan, anchors of different kinds.

They all teach me desire, safety, tenderness. They make me laugh until I can’t breathe. They get on my nerves as well. They are glorious and complicated, but necessary. And yet, none can give me what my mothers provide.

My life has been blessed with two remarkable mothers, each with their own unique and irreplaceable love for me. Their feelings for me are complex and layered, like light shining through stained glass. Their love does not diminish the loyalty and dedication that suitors show me, it outlasts them.

That is the mythical lesson of my life so far. You can be stitched between worlds and still be whole. I am both the child Aminata wanted to bear and the daughter Arye and Tiaret reclaimed. I am both Ina who learned to bandage wounds and Raiona who gave her life to bandage mother’s broken soul.

I am loved in many ways now. I don’t have to choose between being treasured and being needed. I can be both someone’s desire and someone’s child. I found that the deepest, truest belonging in my life comes not from crowns or suitors, but from the small, everyday acts of being a daughter.