Once out out of ear and eye shot, Marisa grabs Lyra by the arm and her dæmon grabs Pan by the scruff of his ermine fluffy neck and goes into Lyra's room.
"Why do you have to be disobedient Lyra? I allowed you to go out alone and all I asked was you to be back by a certain time. I don't really want to do this but you've brought this onto yourself"
The golden monkey bit softly into Pan's neck slowly digging his sharp fangs into the poor dæmons fur and skin. Lyra grabs at her neck and starts cringing at the pain. Lyra looks up at her mother and all Marisa could see was herself when she was Lyra's age getting punished by her own mother for doing something that could of been dealt with in another way.
Marisa signals her dæmon to stop and he places Pan on the floor gently and he ran straight for his human. From that moment Marisa vowed to never hurt her child again. Marisa got onto the floor to comfort her child, at first Lyra moved backwards to get away from her mother, but deep down she knew she did wrong but wanted to be in her mothers arms.
"I'm sorry Lyra, I promise I won't do that again. You just remind me so much of me when I was your age and my mother use to punish me. I don't want to be like my mother"
Lyra just stared at her mother with tears in her eyes, she didn't move she knew she did wrong. Marisa left the room and went to rearrange a time for the ladies to come back to make Lyra some new dresses. Knowing she did wrong Marisa left Lyra alone.
It was getting close to dinner time and Lyra was still in her room. Marisa slowly walked up to her child's room to check on her. She was playing on the floor with Pan and the dolls she was given by her mother when she first moved in.
"Lyra, dinner will be ready soon. Can you please get ready"
Lyra stopped what she was doing, looked at her mother, smiled and got up.
Like every night Lyra sat in her chair and played with her food. She was hungry but didn't want to eat the food in front of her.
"Mama? Can I please be excused?"
"Aren't you hungry Lyra?"
After realising the staff brought out the wrong meal, Marisa ordered for Lyra's plate to be taken away and have the food that was told to be prepared.
The staff brought out the right plate and apologised for bringing out the wrong plate.
———————————-
A few months have passed and it's now been six months with Lyra living with her mother. Lyra had a birthday coming up and Marisa didn't know what to do for her daughter. She thought about asking Lyra, but instead she kept quiet about the whole thing and waited for Lyra to say something. This would be Lyra's first birthday with her mother and not in Jordan college.
It's around 2pm, both Marisa and Lyra are reading in the living room. It was nice and quiet in the flat except for the odd sound that would come from the kitchen. Next thing the bell was ringing from the elevator, Marisa chose to ignore it as she was enjoying her quiet alone time with Lyra.
Eventually a staff member finally answered the door.
"Well took your time, what are you deaf or something?"
Marisa looked up at Lyra who still had her nose in her book.
"Lyra, whispered Marisa. I need you to go hide in your room please"
Lyra looked at her mother, she had a desperate plea on her face. Lyra folded up her book and and quickly scurried off to her room.
Marisa walks around the corner from the living room and instantly recognised the voice.
"Mother? What on earth are you doing here? You know I've made it clear in the past that I don't want to see you again"
"Marisa, darling. You know you can't keep me away"
Marisa mutters under breath. "I have for the past six years"
"What do you want mother?"
"I was keeping tabs on your bastard child, till it accrued to me her whereabouts are now unknown. Would you have anything to do with that Marisa?"
Marisa stares right into her mothers eyes and stands her ground.
"Yes I know the whereabouts of my daughter, and no I'm not telling you where she is"
Madame Delamare hissed and her honey badger dæmon darted across the room toward the golden monkey. The golden monkey is thrown to the ground followed by Marisa falling straight to the ground.
"I'm a grown woman, you can't treat me like this mother"
"You will give me the respect I deserve Marisa. You maybe a grown woman, but I'm still your mother and you know what happens when you disobey me"
Marisa was staring at her dæmon, the hurt in his eyes reminded her of those few times she did something similar to Lyra.
Lyra heard all the commotion in the living room and decided to peak. Lyra saw her mother on the ground with hurt in her eyes trying to reach for her dæmon. Then she saw the other lady who was standing over Marisa. This gave Lyra flash backs of when it was her on the ground and her mother standing over her.
Lyra decided to run out and save her mum.
"STOP! You're hurting my mummy. Leave her alone"
Marisa looked up and saw tears in her daughters eyes.
"Lyra please go back to your room, I'm ok"
The honey badger dæmon retreated back to his human. Lyra ran to her mother and hugged her. This was the first hug Marisa has gotten from Lyra in months.
"So you're the bastard child that ruined my daughters life"
Lyra looked up at the mean woman and gave her a dirty look. Her main concern was her mother.
"You ok mama? I know you told me to stay in my room, but Pan told me we should go see if you were ok when we heard you scream out in pain"
Marisa wipes a tear away from Lyra's cheek and smile. The young child started getting angry and Pan changed into his polecat form and started snarling at the honey badger.
"Oh silly child, your dæmon is no match to mine. Now be a good girl and leave so I can finish talking to your mother"
Lyra stares and stands in front of her mother. They may not have gotten along in the beginning, but their relationship has gotten stronger in the past few months.
"You have to get through me first. You won't hurt my mummy anymore"
Marisa looks up to see her child, the one she gave up almost 6 years ago, was standing up for her. All these flashbacks of when Marisa was Lyra's age and when either one or both of her parents would punish her, she wished her brother or one of the servants would stand up for her. Marisa finds the strength to stand up and she pulls Lyra into her body to protect her.
"Leave mother, you and your dæmon aren't welcomed here no more"
Madame Delamare just laughs in Marisa's face and heads for the elevator door.
"Don't try to come to me for help Marisa, as I won't give it to you. You're on your own"
A servant opens and closes the elevator door before madame Delamare could try to come back. Marisa falls to the ground and starts to cry. Lyra didn't know what to do but hug her mother. What she didn't know is that's all Marisa has wanted since she came to live with her 6 months ago. Her daughters love.
