Marisa Coulter wore a long silk night gown and had her dark hair strewn over her shoulders. She stared at herself in the mirror for some time. The beautiful wife of a powerful and rising politician, but was this what she truly wanted? There was no love, on her part, in their marriage. Edward Coulter adored her beauty and loved the fact that she made his appearance to society even more presentable. Wasn't this what she had always wanted? To have power and status in society? This was what she had always dreamed of as a girl, but she felt unsatisfied. Ever since she had met Lord Asriel, a week ago, her life felt dull and meaningless. They had shared one passionate night together when Edward had been away and yet she could not stop thinking about him. It is a sin! She thought with disgust. But she couldn't stop think of Asriel. She knew her sleek golden monkey daemon thought the same about Stelmaria, Lord Asriel's daemon. This is not love, she thought trying to reassure herself, it is lust.

"Mrs Coulter," Lord Carlo Boreal said, "How nice it is to see you."

"You too, Carlo," She murmured in her sweet intoxicating voice as she entered the Royal Artic Institute. She wasn't interested in talking to him or anyone else, she had come to see Lord Asriel. Just to make sure, she thought, Just to prove to myself that he means nothing. Yet she felt uneasy.

"Tell me, Carlo," she said sweetly, "Is Lord Asriel still around?"

"To my knowledge, yes," he answered rather dryly. Marisa Coulter, throughout her life, had wanted three things: money, status and power. She had worked hard to gain them and in her experiences she had always got what she wanted. For she, was a passionate woman with a fierce desire and determination.

Entering the spacious museum of the Royal Artic Institute she looked around casually. Across the room there were many glass cases rowed with artifacts that had been found by various explorers. There were also many intriguing artifacts plastering the walls. A few of which, Marisa herself had donated. She spotted Asriel staring intently at a small decaying skull in a glass cabinet about halfway across the large room. She smiled to herself her daemon trembling with desire in her arms. She walked elegantly and seemingly carelessly over to where Asriel stood towering over the skull.

"Intriguing, isn't it?" Mrs Coulter said in her honeyed voice.

"Yes…" Lord Asriel mumbled not taking his eyes off it. Mrs Coulter felt rather put back by his response, had he lost interest in her? She asked herself. But she was determined and persisted with him.

"I was wondering," she began, her daemon sat on her shoulder impatiently eying Stelmaria, "how long are you in London for?" She asked the first thing that popped into her head. Tearing his eyes away from the skull he looked at Mrs Coulter. He stared at her for so long that she felt somewhat exposed, like all her defenses had been torn down. Asriel kissed her almost spontaneously. Her body trembled with desire but she pushed him away.

"I am a married woman," she said in her sing song voice almost regretfully for every particle and fiber of her being longed to be held in his arms. It was an strange and new sensation to her and she was confused. She was torn between duty and desire. But who is to say I cannot have both? She thought wickedly, a thrill of excitement ran through her. He smiled almost mockingly at her and wrapped his arms around her. His body filled with the desire for her. He kissed her once more, but this time she kissed him back.

"Asriel…" she murmured uneasily.

…to be continued …