@dreamscaught
The child didn't know the truth about why she was different than the other children. Lyra didn't know why she had an animal companion that felt part of her, one that could talk, could feel everything she felt, that she could speak to internally. Lyra never knew that her mother had sent her away from their own world to make sure she was protected, safe from the Magisterium and the harm they would do if they ever learned of the prophecy about her. When her mother had gone to speak to an alethiometrist, she had told her about the prophecy. Knowing that if the Magisterium had ever found out, they would find and kill her, Marisa sent Lyra to the only place she thought she'd be safe, a world completely beyond their reach.
The nuns hadn't known what to make of this infant and animal, swaddled together when left at the doorstep of the English countryside orphanage. They had seen the animal change forms and at first wondered if there was something demonic at play, but they saw the sweet child, her bright smile, her gentle laugh, her kind eyes, and came to the conclusion that perhaps it was something divine. Though as Lyra grew older, the child's kindness persisted, but her penchant for trouble and chaos also began shining through. The nuns both loved and were troubled by Lyra, Lyra who both would do something like protect a stranger expecting nothing in return, and in the same day, spit out plum pits at the heads of people walking by for sport. There was also the matter of her animal, which Lyra had named Pantalaimon, after the names left on her blanket when left as a baby "Lyra and Pantalaimon". The shape-shifting animal was free to show himself and talk around the nuns, but when outsiders of the convent came in, like the priests or any visitors looking to adopt one of the children, Lyra was told to keep Pan hidden. The nuns worried about what an outsider might think of Pan, and worried about Lyra's safety.
Especially so when the President of the United States herself came to England apparently to adopt a child. The eleven year old was curious and went to go look at her, but one of the nuns stepped in front of her.
"No, Lyra, you mustn't." she spoke quietly.
"Why?" Lyra challenged.
"For your own good. Now go to your room."
The President was a public figure, and a child like Lyra with a secret like she had, that could be dangerous for her, some of the nuns thought. Though a few of the nuns also had a different reason, that Lyra was far too rambunctious and a menace to society to be adopted by someone as high profile as the president of America.
None of these reasons were told to Lyra, but even if they were, she probably wouldn't have cared. So few people ever actually came here to adopt children, and Lyra was always told to sit out the visits. She didn't know if the nuns intended to keep her here forever, but Lyra wanted to get out of here, to find out what Pan was, to find out why she had him and others didn't. All that, plus she longed for freedom of the outside, away from the orphanage. So it was why Lyra had snuck herself into the room that the President was in. First she went outside her window, climbing up onto the roofs. She had then lowered herself to the room they were in, and she swung herself into the window. Like the nuns told her though, she had Pan hidden as a tiny ladybug within her dress pocket. Landing on the floor in front of the woman Lyra had seen a glimpse of earlier, the President herself, Lyra lifted herself up off her knees and smiled brightly.
"Hi."
