Alice Wayward is the oldest child of the once Lord Protector of the Mountain Realm, Borin Wayward, and his wife Lady Gloriana Thoren. She is a major POV in A Death at Dawn.
Appearance and Character
Fifteen years old at the start of the series, Alice Wayward's appearance relates to her Thoren ancestors. She is a beautiful girl and is very pale with long, raven-colored hair and bright blue eyes. Alice is extremely kind and quiet, wanting to please everyone.
History
Alice Wayward was born in Maryere, the Mountain Realm, on the eleventh day of the Plum Moon during the four hundred and ninetieth year after the Secession of Man. A member of House Wayward, she has two siblings: a younger sister, Jaslyn Wayward and a younger brother, Josef Wayward.
Afflicted with an unknown curse as a child, Alice spends her days in the Bloody Tower. Her family doesn't visit, leaving her sad and lonely. Her only company is her best friend and handmaiden, Myra. Alice constantly dreams of the day when she can feel better and leave the Bloody Tower.
Books
A Death at Dawn
At the beginning of A Death at Dawn, Alice had been stuck in the Bloody Tower for two moons. On the day her father returned to Maryere, Myra visits, telling Alice about a dinner later in the day to celebrate her father's safe return. Although she wasn't invited because of her illness, Alice decides to go anyway. At the dinner, she meets Lord Falk Osmont and her mother insults her. A few weeks later, Alice feels well enough to visit Myburn Garden. While in the garden, Jaslyn passes by and Alice meets Kai. Her uncle Falk appears while Alice was having a conversation with Jaslyn, forcing Jaslyn to leave. She has an awkward conversation with Falk leaving her with a feeling that something bad was going to happen.
She is betrothed to Doran Osmont, causing a stir amongst House Wayward and the highborn. The day she leaves Maryere, many of the highborn promise to protector. Less than an hour into the travel, Falk physically beats Alice. This causes Alice to sink into a deep depression. Falk demands that Alice dines with him, so Alice is forced from the wheelhouse she trapped herself in for over a moon. Many people traveling with her are shocked by her appearance. After the dinner, Ser Damien Clay informs Alice that he is aligned with her sister, Jaslyn. Myra is later raped by Lord Falk's knights and Falk refused to do anything about it. This causes Alice to tell Ser Damien to write a letter to Jaslyn for her rescue. The letter is intercepted, and Falk learns about this, imprisoning Ser Damien.
The moment Alice reached Kingment, she is rushed to the throne room to watch Ser Damien's beheading. This makes Alice feel like a failure. She meets Rosert Osmont and he tells her that he wanted to be friends, but she doesn't trust him. After speaking with Lady Raya Vale, Alice meets Doran and is surprised by his childish and discriminatory behavior. She is friendly towards Emeline and Catrain Osmont. As time passes, she learns to trust Rosert and begins to have feelings for him. At the same, she spends more time with Doran and learns more about him. She becomes conflicted when she falls in love with both brothers. She ignores Lord Falk as much as she can, angering Falk. To "get her attention" he abducts and personally beheads Myra. Fearing for her own life, she accepts Falk's proposal of murdering her aunt Victoria. When she attempts to murder Victoria, the woman's body melts into Lord Falk's. Falk dies and Alice tells Victoria that she did not mean to kill Falk, but Victoria tells Alice she will falsely accuse Alice of murder. No longer wanting to live, Alice jumps from a window and Rosert catches her. The bells of Kingment begin to toll signaling a death, so they decided to run away with Lady Raya Vale to Ihphy's Archipelago.