For eighteen years Lyonesse O'Dwyer lived in a foreigner's land. "You're not like everybody else," she would hear constantly. Never allowed to leave the house, Lyonesse grew curiouser and curiouser of the outside world. The allure of the blue sky, emerald trees, and dazzling flowers would call to her, getting louder by the day.
The first time the young girl was allowed outside was twelve years ago during a harsh winter storm. She could remember it so clearly. The cold snow threatening to bleed through her heavy boots, the harsh wind that seemed to whip across her face.
From the time she should walk, she was fitted with a heavy black cloak that she was ordered not to leave the house without. This was the harsh reality of Lyonesse O'Dwyer. This wasn't to say her parents were ashamed of her, no, they made it clear how much they loved her. They had the ability to see something beautiful inside of her that frightened everyone else. They would tell Lyonesse how cruel the outside world could be if they got their hands on her. But she never knew why. "You're not like other children, young one," Her mother, Iliana would say. "You can't go play outside, not today. We'll try another day." But that day never came. No, she was often cooped up inside of her home- only allowed to leave home when she was concealed and kept by her parents' side.
The young girl never understood why she was so different. All her life, she tried to get answers from her parents to no avail. It was onher eighteenth birthday and she knew what she wanted now more than anything. The ache to know what was outside grew unbearable as it caused a raging fire in her chest. It was her eighteenth birthday. Had they really gotten away with keeping her locked inside for so long? It's been eighteen years. They couldn't plan on keeping her inside for all of her life, could they?
Lyonesse observed her pale, sunken face in front of a makeshift mirror. Her fingers grazed over her long, crooked nose, towards her sharp cheekbones, and ended on her prominent chin. Her green eyes scanned the mass of thick red hair that covered her body and just barely covered her pointed ears. Taking a deep breath, she pulled away from the large shard of glass on the wall and faced her parents. Today would be the day. All her life, she felt as if she had been working up the courage for this very moment. No longer would she be lost.
"Mam, dad." She said softly. "I- I need to talk to you." She strained to find the right words to use. She had been waiting for her answers so long, she didn't want to screw it up. She paused as she thought of what she could say. Nothing in her mind quite matched what she put forth into reality, but she managed to decide. "I love you both, so much. But, It's been eighteen years. And I.. I want answers. You've been hidin' stuff from me."
Her father, Elliot, lifted his eyes from a tattered book he was reading. "Hiding? What do you mean, sweetheart?" He asked, his voice calm as ever.
Lyonesse moved to sit by her parents at the moldy dark wood table. Her eyes peered over her parents' faces. Her parents always appeared calm and collected. They had never failed to calm her down when she had her frequent emotional outbursts. The world was too much sometimes and she couldn't make sense of it all. It made her frustrated, but her parents always were there to soothe her and bring her back to reality. "Why couldn' I play with the other kids?" She asked. "Wh-Why didn' you let me outside- by myself?"
"You know why, dear." Her mother replied. "You're not like everyone else."
"You 'lways say that!" She said as she felt herself grow more impatient. Taking note of her increasing frustration, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath in an effort to calm herself down. "Please, ma. 'M older now. I can handle it."
Iliana let out a soft sigh and looked around the hut that they called home. "I'll tell you the truth one day, my dear. But not now. I'm not ready now." She folded her hands in her lap and smiled. "Your father and I are going to go out to the market. How about we fetch you a nice treat for your birthday, and when we return, we can talk about this." She stood from the table and kissed the top of the young girl's forehead.
