As a child Alyse was dismissed as plain and having, for a girl, an unhealthy interest in books.
She has a beautiful voice, dances well and becomes a talented artist. She is surprised to find that she attracts the attention of Gaston Comte de Foix. she gratefully accepts his help with her studies but becomes aware that there are sexual overtones in his interest.
Alyse rationalises the situation deciding it is quite a triumph for a bookworm to attract the attention of such a powerful man. Alyse tries to attain control. Purposeful and wilful, she believes that she can manipulate anyone to her point of view.
She believes that in the end whatever is good for her will be good for everyone. she searches for ways to contact other powerful men. Alyse is brutally honest with herself and decides she will do almost anything to advance her cause.
Those who are not too close to her, admire her decisiveness and perseverance. The flaw in her approach is that her wilfulness doesn’t always take into consideration the needs of those around her, steamrollering them, overpowering them, and relying heavily on her ability to control them.
Control is a real issue for her. She expects other people to stand up for themselves. Alyse is uncomfortable with relationships where she does not have control, but when her softer side surfaces, it gives her that much-needed third dimension.