The Lavender Lie

Farrow Foncé was born a princess in the year 2375 to the king and queen of Northern Lyr'Lowain. Her birth was a celebrated occasion, a gift to a people who had long wished for someone to carry on the lineage of Orrin Galdarion. And what a gift she was. It was said Farrow did not cry, but laughed, when she emerged from the womb, a laugh that could lighten the hearts of even the darkest moods. Stories also say her first word was "lavender," a beloved flower of the people of Lyr'Lowain, which bode well for the future of a lineage often spoken of in whisper. Many were the tales of Farrow Foncé, extravagant and fantastical, because such was the love that adorned her world from her people.

It was later assumed she had killed often before the first animal was found when she was eight years of age. In late autumn, during the time of shedding leaves, in the year 2383, Farrow was found by an innkeep, far from the walls surrounding her home, caked in gore to her elbows, disassembling the innkeep's beloved pet. Shock pulsed through the community. Some were aghast at the act, others refused to believe it. Many made excuses, claiming a healthy interest in biology was good for a growing mind. But the innkeep and those who saw her there that night knew the truth of it. There was no shame, guilt, or regret in the princess. Her only response to the cries of the man who had lost his friend was, "We must learn to create again."

And with that the days shifted. Gone were the outpourings of love and support. Now, whispers of Eve Galdarion's cursed blood began once more. The princess of lavender was confined to her home. The people, so used to seeing the beloved child wander their streets, now wondered at the missing pets over the years, the rodents found dead and thought to be shredded by wolves. Their love turned to suspicion, and their suspicion quickly turned to disdain.

And behind closed doors, Farrow Foncé was allowed to continue. Whether it was an unwillingness to accept the darkness in their child, or a belief that she was somehow fulfilling a more righteous purpose, the king and queen of North Lyr'Lowain did not dissuade the behavior. And according to those who waited upon her, the stench of death and blood soon adorned the princess's quarters.

For two years Farrow was given leave to pursue her interests, and lavender was hung from every corner of every room in the royal home to mask the evidence of her crimes. Those who spoke out against the child were silenced. And it did not take the people long to understand that it was neither love nor ignorance that compelled her parents' allowances. It was fear.

In 2385, the house staff reported they no longer brought food to the princess's quarters and the stench began to fade from the halls. And in what is considered a most bewildering state of affairs, the king and queen refuse to admit they ever had a daughter at all. Since the day all trace of her disappeared, the people of Lyr'Lowain have slowly accepted this lie as truth. Over time, the memory of her has faded, and North Lyr'Lowain has moved on, pretending entirely that Farrow Foncé never existed.

But the halls of the royal home still smell of lavender.