Chapter one

Roughly a month after Lord Asriel killed Edward Coulter In self defence, the court ruled that Lyra to be raised in a nunnery. The next day Mrs. Coulter went to pay the judge that ruled Lyra to be raised by nuns a visit and demanded that Lyra were to comes home with her mother. The judge was not impressed with Marisa trying to use her high power over him to gain custody of her infant child.

After several hours and having her golden monkey to help convince the judge, he changed the outcome of baby Lyra to that she now be raised by her mother and not by nuns.

Marisa wasn't really equiped for a baby except for the couple of things Edward had bought thinking it was his child but everything was blue. She had her main servant Grace go to the shops and buy everything pink for when Lyra gets home. When Grace gets back to the flat she found Marisa in the bedroom she picked for Lyra and had painters and one of her man servants moving furniture around and having the spare bed dismantled so there was room for the crib.

The next day the lift bell kept ringing, when a servant finally answered it there was a nun holding baby Lyra and Mrs. Coulter comes pacing out of Lyra's room straight to the lift. Lyra was screaming and fussing but as soon as she was placed in her mother's arms she instantly stopped. Marisa was calmly walking around the flat showing her infant daughter around then when she looked down at her daughter she noticed she had fallen asleep so she placed her in her crib, closed the door and went to her office to do some work.

Not even five minutes later a servant came and knocked on Mrs. Coulters office door letting her know Lyra was crying and no one could settle her, so off she went to attend to her daughter. As soon as Marisa walked in and looked into the crib Lyra stoped crying. Marisa grabbed little Lyra's hand and said "mummy has some work to do, can you please be quiet and nap and when you've had your nap I'll be finished with work" Lyra just grunted and started to cry again. Grace mentioned that she had purchased a baby basket that she could have in her office so Lyra was close. Marisa had asked for it to placed in her office as she couldn't keep leaving her office every five minutes because Lyra wanted to be around her mum.

Eventually Mrs. Coulter got her work done but she had to do it with Lyra in her arms as that's where Lyra wanted to be and not in a silly basket next to her mothers desk. Lyra was placed back into the basket and she started hiccuping and Marisa noticed something real strange, her daughters dæmon changed every time Lyra hiccuped. Pan changed into a puppy, then a baby bird then this little golden fluff ball which kinda looked like a baby golden monkey then back to a ermine.

Marisa thought it was fascinating that he changed when his human hiccuped, she also wondered if this was his first change. Every time Lyra hiccuped Marisa wrote down every animal Pan turned into and then put it in a folder marked Lyra and Pan.

It's getting close to Lyra's first birthday and Marisa is planning this big party but then realised not many people know about her daughter as she usually hid her in the flat or had Grace take her for a walk when she had Father MacPhail or the Cardinal come over to talk about the Oblation Board and where it's heading. They knew Marisa had the child but would never say anything as the last time they brought up a conversation about Lyra, Marisa went into a frenzy as they hinted about having her do the procedure when she got a little older.

Just days before Lyra turns one, she heard the buzzer for the lift ringing indicating someone was up to visit. Marisa wasn't impressed as she just got Lyra down for a nap and was hoping whoever it was would just go away. She ignored the constant buzzing hoping they'd get the picture and go away, but they didn't. In the end Marisa could hear her daughter stirring in her sleep so she thought she would tell whoever it is off for waking her child.

When she unlocked the door she got the biggest shock of her life as she was not excepting to see Asriel on the other side. She didn't exactly know where Asriel went after the trial and in a way she didn't really care either. "Hello Marisa" Asriel said, Stelmaria walked up to the golden monkey who was ready to attack and started to rub herself against the golden monkey. Marisa was so mad at Asriel as he nearly woke Lyra up.

"I came to see the child" Asriel said.

Marisa standing there with her arms crossed with an angry look on her face just said "why now?" Asriel came to terms that he loves his work in the north but he also couldn't get his child off his mind, so he thought maybe visiting her would help and then he could get back to his work clear minded.

He asked Marisa where she was and at first she didn't want to tell him but then baby Lyra started screaming as she was getting hungry.

Marisa walked straight to Lyra's room and picked her up cradling her in her arms and kissing her tiny nose. "Is mummy's little girl hungry?" Marisa said is a slight baby tone. Asriel smirked a little as he was looking at the love of his life with their daughter in her arms. "What?" said Marisa

"oh nothing" said Asriel " I just can't believe you actually have our daughter, you were so against wanting her when she was born and now you have her"

Marisa gave him a filthy look as if to say how dare you say that to me in my own home. "A mother can change her mind, I'd rather raise her than have her raised by strangers."

Both Marisa and Asriel walked out of Lyra's room to the kitchen where Grace was making Lyra some lunch. Asriel asked if he could feed Lyra, at first Marisa wasn't for it but then she got an important phone call she had to take and then gave in to Asriel and got him a cloth to wipe Lyra's face and a spoon. Five minutes later she returned to the kitchen to find Lyra in her high chair in just a nappy covered head to toe and mashed corn and peas. Marisa was mad but saw the funny side of it, she saw Lyra laughing and clapping her hands as she tried to spoon feed herself.

Grace came along and said "I'll give miss Lyra a bath"

Marisa said "no need, I'll do it this time"

Asriel tagged along and wanted to help bathe his daughter. Instead Marisa got Asriel to get a new nappy and some clean clothes from Lyra's room and he could dress her.

While Marisa was watching Asriel trying to dress their daughter, she kept thinking to her self about just having a celebration with just the three of them for Lyra's first birthday.

She kept thinking of ways to ask Asriel and hoping he's say yes.

In the end she ended up just blerting out "WOULD YOU JOIN US FOR LYRA'S FIRST BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS?"

Arises turned around shocked, that his ex lover, the mother of his child would ask him. Asriel just smiled and tears were forming "I would love to, but I'm heading north again in a couple of days and I would miss it."

Marisa got so angry and started to get all red in the face, Asriel thought she was going to lose her head.

"Okay, okay I'll change my dates and I'll be here for our daughters first birthday, said Asriel.

Marisa started to calm down after that and grabbed Lyra off her change table and walked out to the lounge room.

It's the day of Lyra's first birthday and all of Marisa's servants decorated the flat so beautifully, with ribbons and streamers hanging off pictures and the ceiling. Marisa had a purple dress made for Lyra that had a white sash around the waist that you could tie up in a bow. Lyra loves her dress and kept looking at herself in her mirror.

Marisa waited and waited and waited for Asriel to turn up. She was sitting on the floor with Lyra listening to her chat to herself.

She says to Lyra "I hope your father comes soon or we will have to get on with the party with out him."

Hours past and it was time for Lyra's nap, she she undressed Lyra and put her in her satin pink pjs and put her in her crib and placed her dress to the side.

Since there was no sign of Asriel, Marisa when to her study to do some work since she was a few weeks behind in paperwork as she was busy tending to Lyra.

Two hours later Lyra woke up from her nap and there still was no Asriel. Marisa was so mad and grateful that Lyra is at such a young age she won't remember this. She got Lyra dressed back into her purple dress and Grace came out with the photo gram device and took some pictures of Lyra and Marisa together In front of all of Lyra's presents.

Lyra got gifts from the servants and of course her mother. There were toys and books and some new clothes.

Just when Marisa thought all the presents were open she found a small box with a big red ribbon. Marisa asked Grace who it was from and she said Asriel.

"But he hasn't come" said Marisa. "Front desk had it and I went down to fetch it" replied Grace.

Marisa opened it and inside was a ring and a necklace made from silver. There was a note "my dearest Lyra, happy first birthday my darling. I'm so sorry I couldn't make it but I promise I'll make it up to you when I come back. Be nice to your mother and don't forget father loves you very much. All my love father"

Marisa started to tear up but was mad at the same time. She had a look at the ring, it was a silver band with Belacqua engraved on the inside and a design around the whole band Marisa had never seen before. Marisa noticed it was something similar to the ring Asriel wears.

Marisa found another note. Lyra, I had this ring made especially for you, I know it's a little big but I know you'll love it when you get older. I know you are very special and someone as special as you deserves a special ring like this. The pattern is part of your family background and I had Belacqua engraved on it so you don't forget where you belong. The necklace is a locket, I haven't put anything in it I'll leave that one up to you.

Marisa admires the present Lyra got from her father and she started off thinking nice thoughts and then she started to get mad again and slammed the box on the ground and got up and walked away.