Ce'Nedra
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ce'Nedra is a fictional character in the David Eddings book series The Belgariad which is followed by The Malloreon. She is the wife of Belgarion and the daughter of Ran Borune XXIII, Emperor of Tolnedra and the Empress Ce'Vanne. Her name is alternatively spelled as X'Nedra (to follow the Dryad naming tradition where all names begin with an 'X'), the spelling was changed due to the dialect used in Tolnedra.
Born as an Imperial Princess of Tolnedra, Ce'Nedra is spoiled beyond belief, taught to be skeptical of sorcery, and obsessed with money, like most of her people. She is part dryad, a non-human species composed entirely of short females who have a special connection with trees and delight in male human visitors.
As a non-human being, among those that dwelt near and were among the creatures of UL, she, as well as the rest of her race, are dubbed monsters, for which when she is named one during The Belgariad, she shows her displeasure despite the word itself simply being a translation of the Ulgo word used for non-humans. At times arrogant, stubborn, and flighty, Ce'Nedra matures throughout the series, although is often preyed upon by enemies such as Zandramas in The Malloreon because her mind is least able to repel the domination of a foreign mind.
In The Belgariad, Ce'Nedra raises an army comprised of Arendish and Tolnedran soldiers to join the Alorn campaign intended to distract the Angaraks while Belgarion, Belgarath and Silk (Prince Kheldar) journey to Cthol Mishrak. She succeeds in persuading the Arends (both Mimbrate and Asturian) to join her through a series of speeches over several weeks and she 'steals' the Tolnedran Legions from her father with the promise of red Angarak gold. Throughout the campaign, Ce'Nedra is wracked with guilt, as she knows she is leading many men to their deaths, although in the end her campaign was highly successful.