Perhaps somewhat sensing the fragile state his older sister was in, Reynard remained in Wellick for several years after Evelyn's death. Alyse was deeply appreciative of his company, and it helped ease the pain and loneliness she felt inside. However, as more time passed, she noticed her brother's restlessness growing, and she knew it was only a matter of time before she'd need to let him resume his travels.
True to his nature, Reynard eventually departed on another adventure, and Alyse was left alone with Cara and their staff in the Egris family house. Thus, the final buffer between Alyse and the loneliness she'd been dreading had disappeared.
In the centuries that followed, Alyse continued to serve as Cara's faithful bodyguard and advisor in official meetings and trips outside Wellick. For a time, and despite her rising discontentment and loneliness, she remained the cordial escort that Cara had asked her to be.
Unfortunately, as melancholy gripped her more tightly, she became prone to slips in composure around those who she thought were disparaging Cara or herself. This was especially true with some of the older Prima of their territory. Consequently, Cara eventually dismissed Alyse from any of her duties that involved interacting with others of importance, and Cara took family guards in her place.
At first, Alyse wasn't sure what to do after the dismissal, so she threw herself back into combat training. Unfortunately, that was far from a sufficient distraction, especially without her mother or brother to act as a suitable sparring partner.
Several years passed this way. As Cara continued her duties as matriarch without issue, Alyse couldn't help but feel that she was unnecessary around the Egris house, and she was reminded of her promise to her mother. As she reflected on that, she decided that it might finally be time to leave her home in Wellick.
Be that as it may, Alyse had no clue what she would leave Wellick for. Joining the royal guard was still equally unappealing to her, and becoming a Prima was no longer a viable option. She knew she couldn't tolerate all the meetings with the other Prima, even if Cara wanted her to take such a position. Naturally, Alyse defaulted to joining her little brother on his travels.
Unfortunately, it had been over a century since Reynard's last visit, and she had no idea where he was or how to get in touch with him. She doubted she could track him down physically, especially if he'd left the country, and she was just as likely to miss him making a visit while out searching. So, she decided that she'd simply bide her time and prepare, training and reading about other places on Azura, then join him the next time he returned from an adventure.
However, almost two more centuries passed without a visit from Reynard, any indication when he might return, or any clues as to where he was. Meanwhile, Alyse had grown deeply unhappy with her situation, but she still had no ideas about what to do with herself otherwise.
At this time, news began to spread that they might soon face an invasion by the demons. Though she felt the news was too premature to warrant acting on, Alyse decided that she'd be joining the military if they really did get thrown into such a war. As far as she could see, it would be the best use of her talents.
Not long after, she heard further news of a royal announcement planned in Avalon, with Cara being summoned for a corresponding nobles' meeting. Alyse was intrigued enough to consider attending, especially since it might shed light on the demon situation, but she was no longer in Cara's personal guard. She also worried that she may miss Reynard if he showed up while she was away. So, she remained behind and waited for news.
However, when Alyse later heard what transpired at the announcement, it defied her expectations. Not only had the demon crisis already been resolved, but the true perpetrator, Elder Dragon Veyron, had been crushed by Elder Dragon Nedonera. She'd ended the crisis on behalf of the elves.
Alyse also learned that Nedonera kept a kind of escort party with her that included an elf, a wolf-kin, and even a human. As surprising as the other facts were to her, Alyse was especially shocked by that information. By all accounts, the idea that an Elder Dragon would take a variety of weaker races into their traveling party was effectively absurd. Alyse couldn't wrap her head around it.
Another unexpected development was the change in succession. So she'd heard, Ilina Ophelle was instated as the new First Princess, and her older sister Alara had exited the royal family altogether to take a position as a noble. Allegedly, Alara did so amicably, and already had plans to develop one of the unsettled western territories.
Truthfully, Alyse found Alara distasteful. Alara reminded her of Tessa Uril, the only noble house leader that irritated her. While she didn't know much about young Ilina personally, she'd heard only positive things about her through the residents of Wellick and Avalon. So, she imagined that the succession change was probably for the best.
In the days following that initial news, Alyse took to intentionally roaming Wellick for gossip from the commoners about the events, and her intrigue deepened as a result. It seemed that Queen Elira had granted Nedonera's party permanent travel access to the country, even the human. More curiously, the wolf-kin and elf were recent additions to the party, former slaves that were rescued by Nedonera.
From what she'd heard about their abilities, the wolf-kin girl was said to have defeated a demon general and an elven royal guard in single-combat, using a sword no less. Alyse was especially intrigued by her, and she couldn't help but desire a sparring match with her. Then, there was the elf. Apparently, she was a mage, and a former scholarship student of the Magic Academy.
Finally, there was the human. He was allegedly just Nedonera's advisor, without practical combat skills. However, he also seemed to be the most trusted of all her subordinates. Out of all of them, his presence in the party was the most perplexing.
However, that information paled in comparison to what Alyse had learned recently in a letter from Cara – she'd befriended the Elder Dragon's party, and they were coming to visit Wellick. Reportedly, they were also planning to install an enchanted item that could transport a hundred people across the country in hours, called a train.
All in all, Alyse's head was practically spinning with curiosity over their visit.