Élise de la Serre

Élise de la Serre (1768 – 1794) was a French noblewoman and Templar, as well as the adoptive sister and lover of the Assassin Arno Dorian.

Biography
Élise was born the daughter of François, the Grand Master of the French Templars, and Julie de la Serre in 1768. Due to their Templar connections, the family possessed a lot of influence, leading Élise to have a very privileged childhood. However, her adventurous nature kept her from being idle, with the young girl preferring the company of servants to attending a ball.

Her father adopted Arno Dorian and raised him after the boy's biological father died under suspicious circumstances. As a result, she and Arno grew up together, with the energetic Élise often getting her adoptive brother into trouble;Such as th time she convinced him to jump a fence into an orchard, which happened to be patrolled by guard dogs.Or the time she had Arno steal an apple from a platter in a garden. Following her mother's death in 1778, Élise spent a lot of time traveling, including several years of study in Paris, during which she was separated from Arno.

Throughout her childhood, Élise was secretly being prepared for her eventual induction into the Templar Order, with her training being disguised as extracurricular activities, such as fencing classes. Élise was reunited with Arno when her father was murdered as a result of a coup d'etat in the Templar Order, occasioned by a shift in power and core ideologies.

In spite of their opposing allegiances, Élise and Arno shared the goal of finding the killer of Élise's father. However, while Arno sought to redeem himself, Élise was driven by vengeance, wanting justice for her father's murder. As a member of the "old guard", Élise also desired to safeguard her Order against corruption, clashing with the new Templars in power with Arno.

Personality and characteristics
A free spirit, Élise was rarely idle and would often go to seek out trouble in her youth. She was very similar to her mother, as she was never keen on joining any of the other noble womens' daughters, instead taking an interest in more masculine activities - such as playing war with the boys. Growing up, she developed a set of values which she loyally lived by and was willing to go to any lengths to see her goals fulfilled. Due to extensive training throughout her life, she was both well-educated and physically fit; her skill at wielding a sword outclassed even Arno. In battle she would rely on strategy, planning counters for her opponent's moves ahead of time.

Although they were technically family, Élise and Arno saw each other not as siblings, but as friends during their youth. Growing up, their feelings developed and the pair eventually fell in love with each other.

Trivia

 * The name Élise is a diminutive form of the French name Élisabeth, meaning "God's promise". Meanwhile, Élise's family name comes from the French Serre, meaning "talon" or "greenhouse", while de la, "from the", indicates nobility.
 * The pendant that Élise wears in the theatrical trailer originally belonged to Jennifer Scott, who received it from her brother, Haytham Kenway.