Five Times Marisa Coulter and Lord Asriel Never Lived Happily Ever After
Their First Meeting
Marisa Vinton stood at the new exhibit of walrus tusk carvings on loan to the Royal Artic Institute. In the polished glass of the exhibit case, she saw the reflection of a tall man carrying two champagne flutes, and his snow leopard daemon walking beside him. Her breath quickened as she realised this man's identity, and her golden monkey daemon dug his claws deeply into her shoulder.
"Hello," he said, offering her a flute of champagne.
Taking the proffered beverage, she replied, "thank you."
"You're Marisa Vinton, aren't you?" he asked, his face impassive.
"Yes, I am. And you are…" she let her sentence trail off questioningly, although she knew perfectly well who he was. However, he completely ignored her question.
"How would you like to be Lady Belacqua?" he asked, the faintest hints of desire and amusement appearing on his formerly impassive face.
She flushed delicately at the forwardness of his inquiry, yet coyly replied, "I think I could be brought around to the idea."
Knocked Up
"I'm pregnant, Asriel," Marisa said quietly over breakfast in bed at his estate. Asriel's entire face lit up as he knocked over the breakfast trays in an attempt to gather her in his arms. He placed a gentle hand on her soon-to-be swelling abdomen.
"It's mine, I assume?" he asked playfully, and she nodded, smiling.
Suddenly, he leaned over her and began rooting around in his nightstand. He finally found what he was looking for – a black velvet box. Gently opening it, he took her tiny, delicate hands in his own larger, calloused ones.
"Marry me," he commanded, and she began to cry tears of joy as he removed the wedding and engagement rings given to her by Edward. As he placed the ring from the black velvet box on her finger, she leapt out of bed and opened the window. Flinging the bands her husband had given her out into the yard, Asriel scooped her up in his strong arms. Spinning her around, he kissed her deeply before taking her back to his bed.
Life Cycle
Marisa hid in the closet with Lyra's nurse, Mrs. Costa; and Lyra herself. They heard two shots – and then everything was silent. Marisa screamed as the closet door was flung open by…Asriel.
"Oh, thank goodness!" Marisa cried, flinging herself at her lover, although he was covered in the blood of her late husband, "I thought he was going to kill you!"
"Well, he tried!" Asriel laughed, taking their daughter from Mrs. Costa's arms.
Marisa collapsed in relief at the foot of the stairs, and Asriel sat down gently beside her. Wrapping his arm around her, they both held their daughter and realised the shortness of life.
"Marisa," Asriel said suddenly, breaking the silence that had crept over them, "Marry me. Your husband's dead. We can be together without fear of retribution. We can raise our Lyra."
Marisa acquiesced, grateful that her most private dream had come true.
A New Universe
"Come with me, Marisa!" Asriel yelled to her as they stood under the blazing lights of the Aurora.
She hesitated. "What about the Church?" she asked pitifully.
"Damn the Church! Marisa, we've done what the Church has never believed to be possible – we've made a bridge into another world! How can they harm us when we're in another universe?"
She realised the validity of his statement, and suddenly ran across the Artic snows towards her former lover.
"Oh, Asriel," she breathed as she buried her face in his chest.
"Come, Marisa," he responded, taking her hand and leading her over the bridge and into a new universe.
5.Intention
Asriel, Marisa, and his entourage made their way through the factory Asriel had established in order to wage war against the Authority. Finally, they reached a quiet room with a glass ceiling, currently open to the night sky. An odd-looking, six-legged contraption was the main focal point.
"What is this?" Marisa asked, turning to her lover.
"It's an intention craft – it is powered solely by one's intentions. Only humans with daemons can use them, however. It's powered by Dust."
As he lost himself explaining the intricacies of the intention craft, Marisa was forming a plan with her daemon.
"Asriel, may I have a demonstration?" she asked innocently.
Asriel was too smitten to consider the consequences. "Of course, my dear."
He entered the craft, and his daemon grasped a leather handle in her sharp teeth. Before he could put on the helmet, she had pushed him out of the craft and took control herself. The intention craft sprung into the air, and she soon vanished from sight.
Marisa had changed her mind about her intentions after making her way to the Church. The intention craft sped back to Asriel's fortress. She exited the craft quickly and ran to his room, where she found him staring into a glass of Tokay.
"Asriel," she called softly. He looked up and saw her. Moving so quickly he was almost a blur, he had knocked over his glass of Tokay and held her in his arms tightly.
"Oh, my dearest," he said, "I thought I had lost you."
"I lost myself for a bit there," Marisa replied, "but the machine knew what my true intentions were."