Unexpected

Questions

She felt something, no someone with a little finger poking at her face gently. Her eyes slowly open at the sight of the little girl near her face looking worried, the girl kneeled at her side as she laid upon the marble floor.

The girl seeing Marisa slowly opening her eyes asked

"Are you alright?"

Marisa then waved the girl away as she slowly came to before sitting herself up from the marble floor. The golden monkey got up off the floor as he then kept his eyes upon the little girl, as Marisa placed her palms upon the marble to hold herself up as she took in the situation in front of her coming back to consciousness.

Lyra who was kneeled upon her knees next to Marisa was staring at her with some fear, worry, and nervousness.

Marisa then got a good look at her for the first time, she examined the girl's face noticing right away the resemblance to Asriel and to herself.

Marisa's eyes softened as she looked towards the floor looking away from the girl as shame, grief, and sadness took over her. Her emotions reached her, as she realizes that her daughter is in the same room with her for the first time since she had been born.

Marisa then stood up from the floor carefully, the girl rose from the floor as well not knowing what Marisa's reaction was going to be next.

Straightening out her dress and fixing herself she then glanced back towards Lyra who was looking at her nervously.

"Right, why don't we head into the living room and get this all straightened out" Marisa then gestured for the girl to follow her, by holding out her arm.

Lyra then followed her clutching her rucksack straps as she glanced around the luxurious penthouse taking in the details noticing how fancy it all looked in comparison to Jordan College.

She noticed Marisa's daemon staring at her and watching her every move, as she followed Marisa into the living room.

Marisa sat down upon the couch watching Lyra just as much as her daemon was, taking in the girl still heavily in shock feeling heavy emotions on her hardened heart.

Lyra sat across from her on the adjacent sofa, they both stared at each other in silence for a good while as Marisa tried to keep her heart rate under control and control her breathing as she tried not to have a panic attack.

The more she looked at Lyra, she saw it. This was her daughter, her daughter that she gave to Asriel.

Asriel and Edward fought after Edward found out about their affair, shooting him in self-defense from trying to kill Asriel and Lyra. Edward died, Asriel went to trial while Lyra had been sent to a nunnery when Asriel retrieved her and brought her to Jordan college.

Oh yes, Marisa knew all about what happened to her child. After Asriel left her at the college, Marisa was sworn off from being near Lyra and from seeing her at all costs. While she had associates and people she knew to tell her things about the girl, she never imagined she would get to see her again with her own two eyes especially within her reach.

Which begs a multitude of questions, why was Lyra here alone, where was Asriel, why now after keeping Lyra from her for five years does Lyra turn up at her doorstep?

As Marisa stared at Lyra, Lyra stared back at her with her arms in her lap nervously not knowing what to expect from this woman who she just met who is apparently her mother.

Marisa noted that Lyra only appeared to have one rucksack with her and nothing else besides her and her daemon.

"Where is your father?" Marisa asked calmly and openly, wishing to get some answers.

Lyra sighed before removing her rucksack from her back, her daemon moved to sit on the couch beside her giving Lyra room to move.

Lyra then stood up before walking over to Marisa where she sat and reaching into her rucksack

"He wrote you a letter" she then took out a white envelope from her rucksack before handing it to Marisa nervously who took it with careful hands.

Marisa then stood up before going over to the living room desk table and reaching for her letter opener opening the letter as she saw out of the corner of her eye Lyra moved around the living room looking at things.

The golden monkey eyed Lyra for Marisa as she quickly slashed the envelope open in haste frustrated at Asriel, she opened the letter before she had begun to mumble reading aloud skeptical at the situation.

Marisa,

I realize that you may find Lyra appearing into your life suddenly as a shock, I need you to watch her for two months. I have been called on an important expedition and won't be back till then, it's an emergency. I'll explain everything when I return.

-Asriel

Marisa scoffed at the note in annoyance, of course, Asriel runs off on research claiming it as an emergency. Always leaving and neglecting his responsibilities, it appears nothing has changed.

Lyra glanced around the living room with curiosity at all the fancy antiques, sculptures, and various artwork portraits of Marisa.

Her daemon was at her feet following close by as curious as Lyra glancing around while turning his little head he came face to face with the golden monkey who was reaching out to touch him which made him quickly climb up Lyra before perching on her shoulder being nervous and shy to the other daemon.

Lyra noticed the interaction as she patted her daemon holding him close shy as she looked at the golden monkey catching Marisa's attention away from the letter.

Lyra turned back towards the massive painted portrait of Marisa with curious eyes "You have a lot of paintings" Lyra turned towards Marisa who had been glancing at her in wonder, pulling her from her thoughts.

"Yes, well when one has many artistic acquaintances...."

Lyra's eyes were getting to Marisa, the girl stared at her with those innocent eyes which made Marisa's fester with guilt.

"Lyra it says in your father's letter that he will be indisposed for two months. What kind of expedition is he on that is greatly important?"

Marisa asked, trying to get to the bottom of the matter, trying to reason how Asriel would knowingly leave the girl with her over anyone else.

Lyra shrugged her shoulders as she rocked on her feet simply bored looking to the ground at the golden monkey.

"I don't know"

"So on his way to make a groundbreaking important discovery, he suddenly left you in my care?"

Lyra looked up at Marisa

"He had no choice. He didn't want to and then I asked him why and he said well Lyra, she didn't want you and she is rather busy with her life"

Marisa's eyes then began to become moist as she listened to Lyra, so the girl knew she had given her away. It explained why Lyra was nervous around her as well as shy, the girl only knew she didn't want her and then suddenly she was dumped at the woman who had abandoned her doorstep with only a letter and a rucksack.

Marisa was mad, she was mad at Asriel. However, not at Lyra, she couldn't.

"Why didn't he leave you at Jordan College?"

"Master went with him on the expedition, said it was important for the college" Lyra explained the best she could, she was only five years old.

Marisa then sighed, taking a breath as she tried to grasp at the situation at hand, she pinched the bridge of her nose still holding the letter.

"Ma'am"

One of the servants addressed Marisa, coming to tell her that lunch was served to which she glanced over at him remembering lunch just now.

Marisa then turned her gaze once more towards Lyra who was playing with her shoes with one of her feet in a cute manner.

"Lyra, would you like something to eat?"