Cendreile
- Full Name: Cendreile Rivira
- Position: Apprentice to the Minstrel Hall, then a soloist and teacher for the hall
Cendreile is a gifted harpist and singer who was rescued from a tavern by Sir Caderen, who found her being exploited by the keepers for her exceptional playing. She was orphaned when both of her parents died in the floods. Her father, a boatman, taught her how to play the harp and made her the instrument that she still carries with her to this day.
She is humble and painfully aware of her lack of status or wealth in comparison with the others in the castle—a fact that makes her fast friends with Akherien, a fellow acquisition from the lower city. Perceptive and wise beyond her years, she often perceives what others cannot.
Cendreile often wears her sandy blonde hair in intricate loops; her eyes are grey and she has pale, almost white skin. She is rarely seen without her harp, often carrying it with her when she travels.
Cendreile lived with her parents in the city of Dei-orin as a child, until she was orphaned at six when they drowned in the spring floods. She was left with the tavern for caretaking, but the tavern keepers used her skills with the harp to entertain their patrons while taking away the tips that guests left in her bowl.
The castle offered her a chance to pursue harp performance free of those cruel conditions. For a while, she struggled to believe she deserved the opportunity, though she captivated the castle from her very first performance.
Katreia, the princess, quickly took notice of her and brought her into the fold, joining Sariell and Akherien in her circle.
- Katreia: Her first friend in the castle, Cendreile is grateful to Katreia for welcoming her into her circle. Although Cendreile initially feels insignificant compared to the princess, she is quickly won over by Katreia's humility and candid nature, eventually becoming comfortable with advising her.
- Akherien: The two mutually confide in each other, having similar origins and feeling the oftentimes towering pressure that comes from wanting to prove they deserve their new lives in the castle.
- Sariell: Sariell became Cendreile's friend via Katreia, as with many others. The two soon take to sharing their favourite songs with each other.
- Eretain: The Prince of Kerade met Cendreile when Katreia brought her along on her first visit to their capital. He quickly became captivated by her exceptional playing.
- Her name is pronounced /sɛnˈdrɛɪlə/.
- Cendreile's harp was made by her father before he died; it is one of the only things she has left of him.
