Author's Note: I think Lord Asriel is the SEXIEST character in all of His Dark Materials. He doesn't get near enough screen, er, page time. He gets two appearances in The Golden Compass, one mention in the Subtle Knife, and a few brief scenes in The Amber Spyglass. ::starts crying again:: Why'd he have to...oh crap! Better not spoil the ending for ya'll...Anyhoo, I just got inspired to write a little bit about Mrs. Coulter and Lord Asriel when they were younger, and in love. Not my best or usual work, but I like the chemistry between them. Just a tad risque. A little bit of implied smut here, but nothing graphic. Some mild cursing. Oh yeah, and they're both pretty much nakie...
Disclaimer: Did you really think I owned this stuff? Lord Asriel would have had much more page time!
Mrs. Coulter rolled over in the bed. It wasn't her bed, but she was far more comfortable here than any other beds that had been hers. She shared this bed with Lord Asriel, when she could get away of course. As it was, Mr. Coulter was away on business and Mrs. Coulter simply couldn't stand being alone for weeks at a time, especially when Lord Asriel's estate was just a day's ride off.
She didn't come for the man's estate. She came for the man himself. She turned her head toward the sleeping form of her lover. He was lying flat on his back asleep, just next to her in the four-poster bed.
And he was incredibly sexy. There was no other word for him. He was tall, and powerfully built, with dark hair and fierce dark eyes. Just looking at him would have made a lesser woman falter and stop, but not Mrs. Coulter, because she knew how helpless he seemed when he was sleeping. She never quavered under his glance, and they became lovers.
Lord Asriel stirred in his sleep. Mrs. Coulter knew he would wake soon, so she reached her had and lightly touched his bare shoulder. His chest rose and fell in the even breathing pattern of sleep a few more times and his eyes fluttered open.
"Good morning, Marisa," he said smiling.
"More like good afternoon, lazy."
"I wouldn't be calling anyone lazy, lazy. I can't help it if you keep me up all night."
"Perhaps I'll stop trying."
"There are other ways to persuade you."
He rolled over on his side, propping his head up with one elbow. There was no tenderness in the man. He was rough, strong and formal, but a bit playful in his good moods. In all the words there were, the best description came from the word powerful.
"I would like to see you try, my lord."
Under the Egyptian cotton sheets, his foot crept toward hers. She felt the gentle brush of his toes and giggled just a little. It tickled, and she knew that was his objective.
"Oh, Asriel! That's a poor method of persuasion. I'm disappointed."
"I have better ones at my disposal."
He was upon her in an instant, quick as his snow leopard daemon. In just moments he had seized Mrs. Coulter and had her in the spoon-like hold of a gentle lover. Perhaps there was some tenderness to him after all. They were quiet for a moment, then Mrs. Coulter spoke.
"May I be honest with you, Asriel?"
"If you haven't before now, I should be very angry."
"Asriel, I want to be really honest with you. I think something happened last night. I think I might be carrying your child."
"Balderdash! Whatever would make you say that?" Though his manner was calm, Mrs. Coulter could tell he was becoming nervous.
"Women's intuition."
He sat up and leaned back against the headboard.
"Marissa, I like you because you're straight-minded. You don't take in all that esoteric nonsense! If you're going to start talking like that, you might as well go."
"I don't mean to upset you, Asriel! I just think there would be...er...difficulty if the child looked more like you than Mr. Coulter."
"Mr. Coulter! What's he going to do?"
"He could kill you, Asriel. It's in the law."
"That man wouldn't come near me. He's far too cowardly. I tell you what I'll do. If this possible baby looks a bit too much like me, I'll ride over there just when she's about to be born. You tell Mr. Coulter she died in childbirth and I'll whisk her off even before the kitchen servants know she's taken a breath. She'll grow up here, and if she asks about her mother, I'll say she was an Oriental concubine of daddy's and that'll be the end of all the entire mess!"
"You've already got a plan! You think there's a baby too, Asriel! You called her a she, not an it! I knew it! You believe in all the damned esoteric nonsense yourself!"
"I think you drank too much last night."
"I drank no more than you did."
"But you forget, Marissa! I'm much bigger than you. I can take more drink."
"You talk like a little schoolboy. If I were to stick my tongue out at you and call you names, you'd blow a raspberry and call me something worse."
This was too much. The tension that had mounted eased with Mrs. Coulter's remark. She knew Asriel would be true to his word. If she was with child, the baby wouldn't be anything to worry about.
"Raspberries, Marissa? Now you've got me thinking about breakfast, or lunch. What time is it? Open the damned curtains!"
She crawled to the end of the bed and peeked through the heavy brocade. It must have been late morning, judging by the bright sunlight dancing on the floor in the patterns it made through the glass.
"I'd say you still have time for a late breakfast, Asriel," she said, stepping out of the bed and pulling on her robe, that had been so casually heaped on the floor.
"Be careful with those curtains! I'm blinded, Marissa. I shall hold you responsible."
She turned and looked at him, his eyes half-shut against the late-morning glare.
"You really are sexy, Asriel."
He smiled a smug half smile. "Need you tell me, Marissa? You have a talent for stating the obvious."
"Perhaps you'd ought to invest in some curtains for your windows as well as your bed. You look like an old man trying to see a book by candlelight."
"And you look like a frumpy librarian who just woke up. Go make yourself presentable. I'm going to order breakfast."
She turned around and stalked into the washroom in a mock-huff. He was so arrogant, and yet it was all part of his charm. The man was irresistible. She was lucky to have him as her lover.
Having brushed her hair and such, she walked back into the bedroom to find Lord Asriel tying the belt of his expensive dressing gown. Everything on his estate was expensive. The man reeked of money.
"It's not here yet. You know the cook, slow as a snail in the heat."
She smiled at him.
"I think we have time for a little something more..."
"Oh, Asriel..." Mrs. Coulter purred and stalked toward him.
(Whatya' think? More? Less? Ewoks? Series? Ransom Notes? Voice your opinion! Rock the review box!)
Disclaimer: Did you really think I owned this stuff? Lord Asriel would have had much more page time!
Mrs. Coulter rolled over in the bed. It wasn't her bed, but she was far more comfortable here than any other beds that had been hers. She shared this bed with Lord Asriel, when she could get away of course. As it was, Mr. Coulter was away on business and Mrs. Coulter simply couldn't stand being alone for weeks at a time, especially when Lord Asriel's estate was just a day's ride off.
She didn't come for the man's estate. She came for the man himself. She turned her head toward the sleeping form of her lover. He was lying flat on his back asleep, just next to her in the four-poster bed.
And he was incredibly sexy. There was no other word for him. He was tall, and powerfully built, with dark hair and fierce dark eyes. Just looking at him would have made a lesser woman falter and stop, but not Mrs. Coulter, because she knew how helpless he seemed when he was sleeping. She never quavered under his glance, and they became lovers.
Lord Asriel stirred in his sleep. Mrs. Coulter knew he would wake soon, so she reached her had and lightly touched his bare shoulder. His chest rose and fell in the even breathing pattern of sleep a few more times and his eyes fluttered open.
"Good morning, Marisa," he said smiling.
"More like good afternoon, lazy."
"I wouldn't be calling anyone lazy, lazy. I can't help it if you keep me up all night."
"Perhaps I'll stop trying."
"There are other ways to persuade you."
He rolled over on his side, propping his head up with one elbow. There was no tenderness in the man. He was rough, strong and formal, but a bit playful in his good moods. In all the words there were, the best description came from the word powerful.
"I would like to see you try, my lord."
Under the Egyptian cotton sheets, his foot crept toward hers. She felt the gentle brush of his toes and giggled just a little. It tickled, and she knew that was his objective.
"Oh, Asriel! That's a poor method of persuasion. I'm disappointed."
"I have better ones at my disposal."
He was upon her in an instant, quick as his snow leopard daemon. In just moments he had seized Mrs. Coulter and had her in the spoon-like hold of a gentle lover. Perhaps there was some tenderness to him after all. They were quiet for a moment, then Mrs. Coulter spoke.
"May I be honest with you, Asriel?"
"If you haven't before now, I should be very angry."
"Asriel, I want to be really honest with you. I think something happened last night. I think I might be carrying your child."
"Balderdash! Whatever would make you say that?" Though his manner was calm, Mrs. Coulter could tell he was becoming nervous.
"Women's intuition."
He sat up and leaned back against the headboard.
"Marissa, I like you because you're straight-minded. You don't take in all that esoteric nonsense! If you're going to start talking like that, you might as well go."
"I don't mean to upset you, Asriel! I just think there would be...er...difficulty if the child looked more like you than Mr. Coulter."
"Mr. Coulter! What's he going to do?"
"He could kill you, Asriel. It's in the law."
"That man wouldn't come near me. He's far too cowardly. I tell you what I'll do. If this possible baby looks a bit too much like me, I'll ride over there just when she's about to be born. You tell Mr. Coulter she died in childbirth and I'll whisk her off even before the kitchen servants know she's taken a breath. She'll grow up here, and if she asks about her mother, I'll say she was an Oriental concubine of daddy's and that'll be the end of all the entire mess!"
"You've already got a plan! You think there's a baby too, Asriel! You called her a she, not an it! I knew it! You believe in all the damned esoteric nonsense yourself!"
"I think you drank too much last night."
"I drank no more than you did."
"But you forget, Marissa! I'm much bigger than you. I can take more drink."
"You talk like a little schoolboy. If I were to stick my tongue out at you and call you names, you'd blow a raspberry and call me something worse."
This was too much. The tension that had mounted eased with Mrs. Coulter's remark. She knew Asriel would be true to his word. If she was with child, the baby wouldn't be anything to worry about.
"Raspberries, Marissa? Now you've got me thinking about breakfast, or lunch. What time is it? Open the damned curtains!"
She crawled to the end of the bed and peeked through the heavy brocade. It must have been late morning, judging by the bright sunlight dancing on the floor in the patterns it made through the glass.
"I'd say you still have time for a late breakfast, Asriel," she said, stepping out of the bed and pulling on her robe, that had been so casually heaped on the floor.
"Be careful with those curtains! I'm blinded, Marissa. I shall hold you responsible."
She turned and looked at him, his eyes half-shut against the late-morning glare.
"You really are sexy, Asriel."
He smiled a smug half smile. "Need you tell me, Marissa? You have a talent for stating the obvious."
"Perhaps you'd ought to invest in some curtains for your windows as well as your bed. You look like an old man trying to see a book by candlelight."
"And you look like a frumpy librarian who just woke up. Go make yourself presentable. I'm going to order breakfast."
She turned around and stalked into the washroom in a mock-huff. He was so arrogant, and yet it was all part of his charm. The man was irresistible. She was lucky to have him as her lover.
Having brushed her hair and such, she walked back into the bedroom to find Lord Asriel tying the belt of his expensive dressing gown. Everything on his estate was expensive. The man reeked of money.
"It's not here yet. You know the cook, slow as a snail in the heat."
She smiled at him.
"I think we have time for a little something more..."
"Oh, Asriel..." Mrs. Coulter purred and stalked toward him.
(Whatya' think? More? Less? Ewoks? Series? Ransom Notes? Voice your opinion! Rock the review box!)