Twenty-one years since the coronation of Princess Twilight Sparkle.
Twilight sat gazing out of her office window over the sunny gardens of her castle, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in her stomach.
Things had been going so well. While many pegasi still felt marginalized, many more were pleased with the progress that had been made so far and the secessionist movement had deflated significantly. The unicorns, on the other hoof, had been pleasantly surprised at how well the new generation of earth ponies had integrated into their workforce; combining a quality education with an earth pony’s stamina, work ethic, and pride in a job well done had proven more than effective. There was still a lot to be done to truly bring unity to Equestria, but it was no longer tearing itself apart.
Unfortunately, like all of her other social engineering projects of the past two decades, her solution to one problem had created and exacerbated another. The money pumped into Equestria’s earth pony communities had given a taste of wealth to a group of citizens who had never had it before, and the results were... less than optimal.
Next to her sat the pile of papers that was causing her distress: a list of grievances against the Duke of Northhold, signed by thousands of Northhold’s residents. Allegations of criminal behavior and gross abuse of his authority.
As his citizens got wealthier, the Duke had demanded larger and larger pieces of the pie, and had begun using harsher and more brutal methods to get it. With Equestria’s central government focused as it was on caring for the pegasi, the quasi-dictatorship had gone unnoticed for a disturbingly long time. Now, he had effectively become a tyrant, ruling his duchy with an iron hoof and treating his subjects like they were his property.
And worst of all: he had done it on Twilight’s watch. Now, things had finally reached the breaking point.
She heard the door open and close behind her and knew immediately who it was. “I’m listening.”
“The rumors are all true,” Sunshower mumbled. She walked up to Twilight and sat down next to her “Duke Stonebreaker tried to force some poor mare who couldn’t pay her taxes to marry him. He even had her real husband jailed and declared their marriage invalid.”
Twilight groaned and hung her head. “What’s happening now?”
“I’ve been told that she escaped and took refuge with Count Balanced Scales. Her husband is still imprisoned though, but my spies tell me he’s being treated well,” Sunshower said, gently laying a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “I know what you’re thinking, but this isn’t your fault. You did everything you could short of imprisoning the Duke yourself.”
“It might not be my fault, but it is my responsibility. Come, I’m tired of this twisted game he’s been playing with me,” Twilight grunted. She stood up, shooting one last glare over the gardens and turned around, stomping out into the hallway with Sunshower close behind. She glanced in each direction before calling out, “Helga, are you here?”
A young gryphon poked her head around a nearby corner. “Yes, Princess, I’m here.”
“Oh, good, I was afraid that you might have finished with this hallway already,” Twilight said, softening her expression and approaching the maid. “Listen, can you go get my nephew and ask him to meet me at the pond? Tell him I have something urgent to discuss with him.”
“Yes, Princess. Right away!” the gryphon said with a bow and turned to leave.
“Oh, and Helga?”
She stopped in her tracks and glanced over her shoulder. “Yes, Your Highness?
“Relax. You’ve been doing a great job.”
Helga blinked at her with a bewildered stare. “I have? B-but the other maids said-”
“Ignore what the other maids say about you,” Twilight interrupted. “When it comes to your job, there’s only one pony around here whose opinion matters.”
“Yours?”
“Mine. And I say that you’re doing fine,” Twilight said with a wink. Helga nodded happily and jogged off, leaving Twilight and Sunshower heading in the opposite direction.
“So I assume you’d like me to write up an arrest warrant for Stonebreaker?” Sunshower asked.
“Yes, for the attempted kidnapping of that poor mare; we can add on the rest of the charges when we send him to court. That won’t be the only thing I need from you, though,” Twilight muttered.
Sunshower stopped and retrieved a clipboard and quill from her saddlebags and took off into the air, hovering next to Twilight as the Princess walked. “Okay, I’m ready.”
“First, write to our Lupine Embassy and tell Luna everything. Tell her that I think this is going to get much worse and ask her to come home. After that, write to the Crystal City and ask my brother to send a company of Crystal Guards to Eastdale. Then write to Balanced Scales; send him the warrant and tell him to gather his men and march on Northhold once the Crystal Guard has arrived to back him up. Once he’s there, he’s to present the Duke with the arrest warrant and demand his surrender. Hopefully, he’ll come peacefully. If not...” Twilight trailed off, taking a deep breath. “I-if not, I’m authorizing the use of force.”
“A full company of C.G.s seems like a little much. Trying to intimidate the Duke into surrendering?” Sunshower asked softly.
“Exactly,” Twilight grunted.
“Luckily the Duke’s castle is far enough away from any towns so we don’t have to worry about civilians being hurt in the siege,” Sunshower murmured.
“Yes, but that doesn’t mean he won’t take hostages,” Twilight retorted. “Tell both the Count and my brother to be discreet until they’re too close for the Duke to react.”
“Got it.”
“After that, draft and fill out the forms necessary for me to appoint a regent in the Duke’s place and have the Prime Minister sign it. I won’t have Stonebreaker appointing his own,” Twilight said, her wings twitching with agitation.
“Next?”
“Next, draft the paperwork needed to revoke the duchy of Northhold and the paperwork I’d need to revoke all of his titles and holdings,” Twilight said as they came to the door leading to the gardens.
“Isn’t that, uhhhh, redundant? Revoking all his titles would take away the duchy too,” Sunshower asked. “And doesn’t he need to go to trial before you can do that?”
“True and true, but I don’t know which one of those I’m going to need, and regardless I’d like to have the forms ready to be stamped by the judge as soon as the trial is over,” Twilight explained. “The sooner we get Northhold into good hooves, the sooner we can start to fix the damage Stonebreaker’s done.”
“Oh, makes sense!” Sunshower smirked, writing down Twilight’s orders. “Anything else?”
“No, that’s it. If you think of anything I missed, just do it. You don’t need to ask me,” Twilight said with an attempt at a smile.
“Don’t worry, Princess. I’ll have the warrant, the letter to Shining Armor, and the regency papers done in an hour, then I’ll get to work on the rest. We won’t let him get away with all he’s done. One way or another, it’ll be over soon!” Sunshower said with a bravado reminiscent of Rainbow Dash.
“You really can find a bright side to everything, can’t you?” Twilight said, cracking her first real smile in days.
“Yeah! Who knew just how handy a talent like mine would be in this job?” Sunshower asked with a wink. She gave one hard flap of her wings, lifting higher into the air, and took off down the hallway.
Twilight chuckled and continued out into the gardens. She quickly made for the nearest tree to shelter herself from the summer sun. She strolled along the shaded garden paths, enjoying the mild humidity, breathing in deeply. When she finally reached the pond, she trotted over to its edge and flopped down in the grass.
This had become her favorite spot in the castle. The quiet serenity of the gardens seemed to be even more prevalent next to the rocky pool, and she had spent countless hours just sitting and enjoying the silence. Sometimes she’d lay there alone with nothing but the sun or the moon for company, other times Luna would join her and they would snuggle silently on the shore.
She gazed into the water, immediately noticing the bags under her eyes. It had been days since she had properly slept, her nights fraught with worry for the ponies of Northhold. Even her magically-preserved youth wasn’t enough to mask the exhaustion in her face. She slipped one of her golden shoes off and dipped her hoof into the cool water. She dipped her hoof in a few more times, smiling to herself as she watched the ripples roll their way across the water’s surface and bounce off of the rocks on the far side of the pond.
She had just begun swirling the water around with her hoof when she heard soft hoofbeat behind her. She turned around and smiled at the handsome stallion approaching her. “Hello, Dusk.”
“You wanted to see me, Princess Tw-” he stopped speaking as she shot a disapproving glare at him. “Aunt Twilight?”
“That’s better,” she muttered. She patted the grass next to her, so he trotted up and lay down. She gave him a hard stare, trying to find her voice in light of everything that had happened. “Dusk, have you- Did you... What have you heard about recent events in Northhold?”
He blanched, obviously not expecting their conversation to start like that. “Just... rumors. You know I don’t place much stock in them.”
“Which rumors? Be specific,” Twilight instructed.
“Property confiscations, unreasonably harsh sentences for minor crimes, cripplingly high taxes... corporal punishments; that type of thing,” he said softly.
“It’s true. All of it. Lately, however, Stonebreaker’s gotten more brazen. His most recent crime was trying to force a young mare into marrying him,” Twilight muttered. She caught the horrified expression on his face out of the corner of her eye and sighed. “Don’t worry, she escaped. As we speak, Sunshower is drafting an arrest warrant for the Duke. He’ll be stripped of his titles and made to answer for his crimes.”
“Good,” Dusk said shortly. “If all that really is true, then his actions were... vile.”
“We are agreed. Personally I think I should’ve addressed this as soon as it came to light instead of hoping that sanctions would turn his behavior around, but that is neither here nor there. What’s truly important is repairing the damage done to Northhold and its ponies,” Twilight said. She turned to her nephew to look him in the eyes. “To that end, I’m landing you.”
Dusk gave her a stunned stare. “W-wait, me? You want me to... No way! I am not ready for that.”
“Dusk, the ponies of Northhold are hurting and probably think that Canterlot has abandoned them. I need somepony who has enough charisma to inspire them to follow him, yet is humble enough to ask for help as soon as he needs it and not wait until things have gotten out of control. Out of all the ponies in my court, you fit that description best. You’re the only one I trust to get this right,” Twilight replied pleadingly. “I didn’t think I was ready to become a Princess when Celestia died. Heck, I thought she was crazy for putting me on the throne, but I trusted her and you know what? She was right, I was ready. Now I’m telling you: I know you can do it.”
“Can’t you just make him abdicate?” Dusk squawked. “His son is ten years older than I am, he could probably do it!”
“I’ve met Stonebreaker’s son several times; he’s an arrogant little jerk with an ego as big as his father’s. I can’t put him in charge,” Twilight said.
“B-but I... I’m not...”
She took his hoof in both of hers, squeezing it tight. “I’m not doing this as a favor to you or as a reward. I need your help, Dusk. Please?”
Dusk choked on his words as his rebuttal died in his throat. He tore his gaze away from Twilight’s, staring at the ground. He remained silent for a long time, and Twilight kept quiet, allowing him to be alone with his thoughts. Finally, he lifted his head and heaved a heavy sigh. “Okay.”
“Oh, thank you!” she squealed, hugging him with one hoof. “You won’t be alone in this. I’ll make sure you have all the resources you need to succeed.”
“I know. You always do,” he replied softly. “What happens now?”
“Well, once Sunshower’s finished with the warrant, I’ll send it via courier to Eastdale and a letter to your father asking him to provide the Count with backup. After that their combined forces will march on Northhold castle and hopefully he’ll surrender without a fight,” Twilight said shaking her head skeptically.
“You don’t think he will?” Dusk asked uncertainly.
“I don’t know. That’s what scares me most,” Twilight confessed. “Either way, I’ll be sending you up to Eastdale tomorrow with papers declaring you Northhold’s regent while we put the Duke on trial. You’re to stay there until the Duke has been arrested and order has been restored. After that we’ll find somewhere in Northhold for you to stay and a spot for you to set up a temporary office for the duration of the trial. What happens after that depends on him. If he comes quietly, I’ll charge him with malicious abuse of authority and revoke the Duchy, pass it to you, and the rest of his property will go to his son. If he resists, I’ll add treason as a charge and confiscate his holdings as well. Once the trial’s over, you’ll get the Duchy, and either you or his son will get his castle.”
“Okay. That sounds good.”
“Dusk, listen to me,” Twilight said firmly, turning his head towards her to look him directly in the eyes. “You. Are. To. Stay. In. Eastdale. You’re brave, but you’re not a soldier like your father. You’re a scholar; like me. This is far too important for you to risk getting hurt, or worse, captured by the Duke. Understood?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Dusk said with a nod.
“Good. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if something happened to you because of all this,” Twilight muttered. Dusk opened his mouth to reply, but thought better of it any nodded. “So... Any questions?”
“Two,” Dusk said after a short, thoughtful pause.
“Okay, shoot.”
“How’s succession going to work? I’m heir to the Crystal City. I know I’m probably not going to outlive mom, but couldn’t that still cause problems?” he asked quietly.
“That is entirely between you and your parents, I’m not getting involved. Whatever you want to do it is fine by me,” Twilight said with a shake of her head. “If I were you, I’d just make sure to have at least two foals so you could pass your inheritances to the two oldest. But again, not my decision.”
“Why so hooves-off all of a sudden?” Dusk asked with a raised eyebrow
“The nobles get really mad when I get involved in succession. We’ve got enough problems right now without having to worry about them,” Twilight replied quickly. “Next question?”
“Where am I going to live if he comes quietly?” Dusk asked with a mischievous smirk.
Twilight tried to stuffle her laughter, but only ended up snorting and laughing harder as a result. “If that... If that happens, we’ll build you a new castle.”
“Really?” Dusk asked after his own chortles died down.
“Yes, really. You are a Prince, after all. What kind of Prince doesn’t have his own castle?” she snickered, nudging him with an elbow.
“Blueblood. All he has is a gaudy mansion.”
Twilight burst out in giggles once again. “Alright, I’ll give you that one. Just do me one favor before you go.”
“Another one?”
“Go visit your grandmother before you leave. She’s already going to be furious with me for sending you away, it’ll be worse if she doesn’t get to see you before you go,” Twilight snickered.
“Sure,” Dusk nodded. “Anything else?”
“Just one more thing,” Twilight said softly. “Can I have a hug? Just in case I don’t see you again before you leave tomorrow?”
He smirked and wrapped his hooves around her neck, leaning into her embrace. She let out a content sigh. “I love you, Dusk.”
“I love you too, Aunt Twilight,” he murmured.
Twilight gave him one last squeeze and pulled away. “I shouldn’t keep you any longer, you have a lot to do and not much time. Go make me proud.”
He gave her a sheepish grin and nodded enthusiastically before galloping off towards the castle. She watched him go with a smile, only gazing back into the pond when he was completely out of sight. She dipped the tip of her hoof in the water again when a wonderful idea struck her. She shot to her hooves, slipped her shoe back on, and trotted away. She made her way through the winding garden paths until she came to the castle’s gate.
She walked out onto the city street, nodding politely at the citizens she passed. She received few bows along her way; she had wandered the city often enough where the ponies of Canterlot were used to seeing her out and about and instead greeted her with warm smiles and waves. It wasn’t long before she reached her destination: a dingy building tucked against the side of the mountain, belching a stack of black smoke from its chimney.
She pushed the door open and was met with the pungent odors of smoke, sulfur, and sweat. She trotted into the dark room, lit only by the dim red glow of the smithy’s forges. A gasp from the other side of the room drew her attention and she glanced over to see a young pegasus mare gaping at her from her position at the bellows.
“Hello there,” Twilight grinned.
At the sound of Twilight’s voice, the mare seemed to snap out of her trance and bolted to a nearby door, stammering to someone in the next room. “B-boss! Boss, she- The- We have-”
“What are you babbling about girl?” a grizzled earth pony shouted as he barged through the door. “Use your words- Oh, sweet Celestia...” He grimaced at the sight of Twilight and glanced around the disorganized, soot-stained workshop nervously. “Princess Twilight! If I had known you were coming, I’d have cleaned up.”
“It’s quite alright. I did drop by unannounced after all,” Twilight said with a shrug.
“So, uhhh, what can I do for you? I never thought I’d see a pony of your standing around this dump,” the forgemaster said, scratching his head sheepishly.
“I have it on good authority that your resident goldsmith is one of the most skilled in the business. Is that true?” Twilight asked.
“Well, yeah, but he doesn’t like attention so we try to keep that quiet,” he muttered. “How’d you find out, Your Highness?”
“I have my ways,” Twilight replied with a smirk and a wink. “May I speak with him?”
“‘Course,” he said with a bow. He trotted back to the door and stuck his head through. “Hey, boy! You have a visitor. Probably the most important one you’ll ever have.” He turned back to Twilight and gestured through the door. “First room on the right. Watch your step, it’s probably a mess.”
Twilight nodded to him and stepped through, trotting to the doorway he indicated to find a scrawny unicorn huddled over a cluttered desk. He glanced up as she entered and his jaw dropped. “Princess Twilight? What are you doing here?”
“I would like to commission a piece, if that is alright,” Twilight replied.
“F-from me? Are you sure? I know some very good jewelers who could probably create something more suitable,” he stammered.
“I am quite sure; the object I want must be durable. I appreciate jewelers and their crafts as much as the next mare, but a precise, delicate hoof isn’t what I need right now. I need a smith. A goldsmith,” Twilight said with a smirk. “So, can you help me?”
He shoved everything off of his desk and retrieved a blank sheet of paper and a quill from a nearby drawer. “Yes, of course! What can I make you?”
“I would like a circlet. A simple one, just a band of gold,” she said, stepping up to the desk. “I’m intending for it to be for everyday wear rather than ceremonial, so it should be comfortable and strong.”
“Depending on the purity that’s easier said than done, but I can definitely do that,” he muttered, jotting down her order. “Let’s see... For specifics, I have the equipment to make its purity up to twenty-two carats, but it would be soft. For what you’re asking, I wouldn’t recommend going any higher than eighteen. Would you prefer a specific shade? I could probably get it to be the same color as your crown.”
“Eighteen it is than, and I’d much prefer it match my crown. If you can do it,” Twilight nodded.
“And what size do you want it?”
Twilight leaned closer, examining the unnerved stallion closely. “Well, your head is about the same size as the pony it’s for, so if it fits you comfortably, it should be fine. I can’t measure him because I want it to be a surprise, so we can just have it readjusted if need be.”
“Okay...” he whispered, writing it down. “What about designs? Have anything in mind?”
“I’ll leave that to your discretion. It’s for somepony very special to me, so make something you’re proud of. Just leave the inside edge clear so I can engrave their name into it,” Twilight said.
“Yes ma’am, simple but elegant. One last question: gems?”
“No thank y- actually, yes! One sapphire, in the very front,” she said giddily.
“Easy enough? Any particular hue? Sapphires come in many different shades and colors,” he asked, with a smile.
“I think I’d like... Hmmm, you know what? I know exactly which one I want. There’s a star sapphire in the castle vault, a nice navy blue one. If I were to send it here, could you use that?”
“Yes, of course!” he replied eagerly.
“I think that’s it. Can I get a quote?” she asked.
“Sure thing,” he murmured. He scratched down a few numbers on the paper and added them all up. “Let’s see material costs, fuel costs... I’ll take off the cost of labor-”
“You most certainly will not! You are doing a service for me and I will compensate you accordingly,” Twilight retorted.
“As you wish...” He finished his calculations and slid the paper towards Twilight. “All together, it will cost a little over two thousand bits. I can’t get an exact figure until I’ve actually drawn up the design though.”
“Twenty-five hundred it is,” Twilight replied with a mischievous smirk.
“T-thank you, Your Highness!”
She lifted her wing and levitated a small bag from under it, pouring out a hoofful of gems onto the desk. “There should be about three hundred bits there. I’ll send along a personal check for another seven hundred tomorrow morning. You’ll get the rest in your choice of gems, a check, coin, or any combination of the three once the final product is delivered,” Twilight said in a business-like tone. “Is that acceptable?”
“Yes, one thousand is more than a sufficient deposit. It should take me...” he paused and glanced down to what he had written. “You wanted something simple, so not long. Two weeks. Three max.”
“Perfect! I’ll be along in a few days to check on your progress,” she replied with a nod. He gave her a bow as she trotted out.
Five weeks later...
Twilight and Luna stepped out into their packed Throne Room, ponies of every shape and size filling it from wall to wall, and were met with a collective bow. As they nodded their heads in unison, the crowd rose for their bows, focusing their attentions on the Princesses.
As they took their places in front of the throne, Sunshower nodded to the assembly. “Thank you. Please be seated.”
Twilight took a deep breath as she shared a glance with Luna before standing tall to address the crowd. “Welcome, everypony, and thank you for coming. As many of you well know, our fair realm has been troubled as of late. One of our landed nobles began exploiting his subjects for his own benefit, abusing his power in ways that make me nauseated. Only recently has the full extent of his depravity been revealed to the wider world, and what we have found is horrifying.”
“After learning the full truth, Princess Twilight and I decided that we had had enough of his... malevolence, and ordered him arrested,” Luna continued. “Anticipating resistance, we sent Count Balanced Scales to lead a military force against his hold. As luck would have it, the Duke surrendered rather than attempt to fight us and face certain defeat, sparing the ponies of Northhold from further suffering. He has since been put on trial, convicted of heinous crimes, and stripped of his title and his wealth.”
“He will spend the rest of his life in prison where he won’t be able to hurt anypony ever again,” Twilight proclaimed. “His seized fortune has been spent restoring Northhold and its citizens to their original glory; even so there was and still is much to do to heal the suffering he inflicted. To that end, a full-scale recovery operation was started in order to help Northhold back to its hooves.”
Luna bowed her head slowly. “The efforts thus far have been nothing short of miraculous. Donations poured in from all over Equestria and hundreds of ponies volunteered to travel to Northhold to aid the beleaguered. Seldom have I been prouder than I am now to call Equestria my Kingdom. Thank you, all, for your generosity,” she said before pausing and glancing down at the front of the crowd. “But today, we are here to recognize one pony in particular. One who has personally led our efforts to relieve Northhold’s suffering and has spent nearly every waking hour of the past month working towards a brighter future. Prince Dusk Shine, please step forward.”
Dusk approached them slowly with a sheepish grin, stopping at the bottom of the stairs and bowing to them deeply before continuing up and standing before them.
“Prince Dusk Shine, you have been acting as the regent of Northhold since the ex-Duke’s arrest, and under your leadership the duchy’s condition has made remarkable improvements,” Twilight stated pointedly. “You have been an effective ruler thus far and many of the ponies of Northhold have stated that they are pleased with your leadership. For this, Princess Luna and I have elected to pass the province to you and name you Duke of Northhold. Do you accept this responsibility?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Then kneel.”
Luna stared down at him emotionlessly. “Speak the Oath of Fealty.”
Dusk glanced up at her and swallowed the lump in his throat before bowing his head again and began to speak. “I, Dusk Shine, do swear to serve and pay homage to the shared Crown of Equestria. I accept thee as my liege and promise to serve thee faithfully. I accept the burdens of governance placed on me and will protect and serve the lands and ponies entrusted to me. To this I pledge my sacred honor.”
Luna nodded regally and returned his charge. “We thus accept your homage and promise to extend our protection to you and the lands and the citizens which you will govern in our stead. In good faith, we shall treat thee fairly and with the same trust you have granted us. To this we pledge our sacred honor.”
“Rise, Dusk Shine,” Twilight said. As he rose to his full height, she glanced back towards the crowd. “Count Balanced Scales, Baroness Tranquil Harmony, come forward.” The two nobles stepped out of the crowd and stopped at the bottom of the stairs. “As the legal vassals of the Duke of Northhold, do you accept Dusk Shine as your liege?”
“We do,” they said in unison.
“Please, pay homage to your new lord and speak the oath.”
One at a time, they approached Dusk, knelt before him and recited the same words he spoke to the Princesses, and he returned with the same words the Princesses had spoken to him. When they were finished, Dusk’s new vassals returned to their places in the crowd and he turned back to Luna and Twilight.
Twilight smiled at him for a second then turned to address someone nearby. “Spike, if you would?”
The dragon stepped forward holding aloft a small wooden box. Dusk glanced up at the drake with a bewildered frown as Spike stopped next to Twilight and held it out for her. She gave the young stallion a quick wink as she reached into the box and pulled out the circlet; a thick band of gold with stars and constellations skillfully carved into its face and around its gem.
He stared at it open-mouthed and wide-eyed as Twilight turned back to him and held the piece up for all to see, then gently placed it on his head. “As Princess of Equestria, it is an honor and a privilege to dub you Prince Dusk Shine, Duke of Northhold. Congratulations. Please, present yourself to our court.”
Trembling he turned towards the crowd to be met with thunderous applause and bowed his head humbly. After a few seconds, he turned around again and threw himself at Twilight, unable to hold himself back from hugging her any longer. She returned the hug before releasing him so he could gallop over to Cadance and Shining Armor.
“You made the right choice,” Luna murmured aside to Twilight as they watched the Prince embrace his parents.
“Was there any doubt?”
“No. No, I suppose there wasn’t.”
I don't want to be a neighsayer, buuuuuut... isn't this, like, totally nepotism?
Is Equestria Cognatic-Agnatic Primogeniture? Gavelkind? Or some other form of succession?
And are the laws of succession same for every level of feudal hierarchy?
And doesn't Twilight (or Luna) as the highest crown authority,
have the ability to simply revoke any title one level below her rule?
Are the Duchies titular or are they always landed?
What does Ponyville belong to de jure?
And what about Canterlot? Is it de facto the seat of power for Equestria?
Or is there a de jure title for the City?
And finally, is Equestria a monarchy? (Diarchy?)
Or does the fact that the rulers are gods make it a... theocracy?
wow time has past. well soon Twilight will be worrying abt her close friends.
5789605
It is totally nepotism. As in Dusk Shine is totally her actual nephew. She then casually drops a thousand bits on jewelery. Not to cover the whole thing, just the deposit.
There is also something ironic about her complaining about his "quasi-dicatorship" while excercising actual dictatorial power.
I also would've liked to see this court case; a good, smart villain can reverse a military imbalance with a brilliant play to the crowds. "Oh, you really think this is about my indiscretions? Where do you think all those taxes I collect go? To her! My hooves were completely tied and now I'm being scapegoated so that she can rob my children of their inheritance to gather ever more power for her family." He then produces a picture of Dusk's new crown. "My case is not even resolved and already she has given away my title. Has she no decency? None at all?" Court cases are political gold and this is a political fic. Why was this skipped over?
5789691 Not sure I would call it nepotism. Twilight doesn't pick Dusk Shine because he's her nephew, she did so because she felt he could be trusted to do a good job and not mistreat his subjects, as opposed to Duke Stonebreaker.
IMO, them being related is secondary or entirely irrelevant to her decision. If Dusk Shine had been unsuitable I don't think she would have offered him the position even if he had been her own son instead of Cadence's.
Also, the money she drops on his circlet? She specifically says "personal check", implying that she's paying for it with her own money and not with gold from the royal treasury.
Of course, this is my opinion and not fact so you're free to agree or disagree, it's no skin off my nose.
Well... That implies that the trial was open to the public and/or the press, also implies he even knew about the crown and finally it implies he had access to the press after the trial. He probably didn't.
Luna and Twilight are hardly stupid or inexperienced. I doubt they gave him the chance to turn the trial into a political circus.
Remind me, is Dusk a unicorn? Alicorn? Can't remember at the moment.
And I'm so happy to see Twilight keeping the peace and kicking ass. Although, as I keep seeing the dates increase, I get the sinking feeling that we're rapidly approaching the point where we'll start to see ponies dying.
I'm a little disappointed in the story lately, especially this chapter. This chapter feels like it could have been it's own story if everything was fleshed out or it could have just been an amazing chapter if time would stop skipping over the conflict. There was a solid beginning and end but the middle, the climax that was alluded to several times was utterly absent. Instead there was like a sentence stating the duke surrendered.
Am I the only one who notices that Twilight dropped more gold on that circlet than it actually weighed? xD
Also, the money for the circlet may have come out of Twilight's account, but she star sapphire inserted into the piece came out of the castle's own vault. Twilight admits to this while commissioning it from the goldsmith.
Although, one counter-argument to the whole nepotism thing: The circlet could have been a reminder of Twilight's hand/hoof in all this, marking him as someone groomed and prepared for the role, etc. However, she commissioned it as an everyday piece. It wasn't meant to be a crown or anything, even though she presented it to him when she gave him the rulership. He'll likely still wear the Crown of Northhold wherever he goes around Eastdale.
5789605 you play too much CK2
Why are people complaining that Twilight is playing favorites? Even if she is, does it really matter? She raises the fucking sun, she deserves to have some say in the law!
5790157 Takes one to know one?
wow that was really a well done chapter.
5789605 a kings power is only because the nobles give it too him. equestria is built much like the royalty of later britan or otehr european nations not like persian or greek. twilight needs to play the long game and consider every action carefully or else she could have to deal with a revolt. nepotism is however much easier to gloss over.
You have every reason to be. This was an excellent chapter.
Yes, I did see an error or two, but overall, OUTSTANDING!
should that be a comma instead of a colon?
Should that be "me"?
Looks like Twilight is doing a great job as ruler of Canterlot. She's kicking ass royalty style.
I do wonder, with how far things are progressing, who's going to be the first of her friends to die? How will she handle it?
5789879
If it's a secret trial, than the message is less "Don't be a Tyrant" and more "Don't offend your rulers". The guy the ruler doesn't like just...disappears without a trace. Imagine, if you will, that the president just removed and imprisoned a governor in some secret facility somewhere (who knows?) and replaced him with a family member without regard for preexisting succession. While I'll grant that it's possible that this is an entirely justifiable move, the optics of it are terrible.
Political circuses may be...well...political circuses, but they give the public an opportunity to see that justice is done rather than having to rely on their leaders' word that it was. A monarch who depends for their legitimacy on the support of the people needs to stroke the peoples' egos once in a while by inviting them to clamber all over the legal furniture.
And more importantly, it makes for gripping reading. Twilight's taking a risk here and it'd be great to go through the ups and downs of the political and legal intrigue. How does she detach or defeat the duke's political allies? What about his inheritors? What about other nobles who - while they may not like the duke - likewise fear being evicted? How do they convince people that this is all on the up and up? Even when the trial is officially done and finished, the legitimacy of the move is going to rest on the perceived effectiveness of Dusk Shine. If he's seen to be an incompetent (whether he is or not) then the charges of nepotism come roaring back. And what happens when this is replicated at a lower level; what happens when another duke looks at Twilight's actions and boots a local baron to make way for his son, citing her as an example? There's a lot of potentially juicy narrative meat on the bone here.
5790547 Closed trials are not secret trials, but you make a fair point nevertheless.
5789605
it is 100% nepotism. of course it is. That's how nobility works.
5790654
Yes, but here's the thing; nepotism is often more benign than ponies think. Dusk Shine has been taught the ins and outs of running a kingdom since he was a colt. Plus, it seems as if he's just as much of a scholar as Twilight is. If he hadn't proven his skills in the first five weeks, they wouldn't have given him the duchy. He's proven himself, so I'm glad.
And finally, an update!! Dear author, when is Twilight gonna get past the cuddle stage with Luna?! I wants me some twiluna NOW!!
5790784
I never said nepotism was inherently bad, I just said that any system of nobility is obviously composed primarily of nepotism. The fact that the best educated are usually also nobles, and therefore the best suited, is secondary, relation is usually primary.
5790855
Well, yeah. My comment was in reply to the thought that nepotism, because it usually favors family connections, is inherently flawed. Not in regards to your statement. I've seen times where somepony got a promotion, wholly undeserved, due to a family connection or because they were friends with the boss or some such horseapples. That's where the flaw comes in; not in the act of nepotism itself, but when somepony (or someone) gets it wrong with their choice. That's why early education for noble children was and is so important, as for those that are going to inherit companies or large estates. Part of that training should be the understanding, as Ben Parker said to Peter, "With great power comes great responsibility." Words to live by, and one of my favorite quotes.
That was fun, may I have another? Looking forward to more.
Keep up the good work. Deus tecum.
5789691
Does anyone really care as long as she's acting in the best interests of the country and everything turns out sunshine and rainbows? I wouldn't, if the best person for the job is her own kid then I want that kid taking up the job. Not going to some OTHER corrupt noble who'll turn into another Stonebreaker, perhaps even learning from the previous duke's mistakes so he's not as easily captured as his predecessor.
Denying someone the position they're best suited for because of who they're related to is absolute insanity. They can't help that. Nepotism is really only a problem when you're just dragging in people you know to get them jobs or fill out seats with yes-men over people who are better suited for the position. Until then there's nothing to complain about.
5790072
She likely replaced the gem with an amount of gold coins equal to its value from her own coffers.
5789605
It's nepotism in the sense that Twilight took an interest because of his relationship to her and his place in his family. However he was trained by Twilight herself and that was a large reason why she knew he was right for the job. Nepotism is normally only applicable when a person received a position only because of relations and life circumstances. However if there is a credible argument for the person to have the job from the beginning it's not applicable. It's a minor technicality in real life function as opposed to how people actually use the word.
I'd say they likely have the authority but they still need it to go smoothy and some might object to abuses of power. For instance, the President can fire any federal employee (in the DC district as it's run by the federal government), but if he goes to renew his drivers license and has a bad time it would be frowned upon for him to simply have someone fired. It would, however, be acceptable for him to ask congress to investigate the DMV's that are under it's jurisdiction. If that happens to get the person fired then fine, and if he does in interview with the investigation that results in the firing then they are responding to the complain of a customer.
I see Equestria in this story as being similar to American structure. Except instead of the 3 branches of the US there are the princesses, the nobility, and representatives.
5789680
5789691 The crowds already hate him. And it's that he was abusing his power that was the issue they had, not that he had that power in the first place.
5789887 Unicorn. Also, hey Jake.
5790784 I know right.
5791664
Let's unpack this a bit. There are two parts to ruling well: actually ruling well and being seen to rule well. How does anyone who isn't Twilight (and us who can see into her head) know that she picked him for a good reason? Whatever the actual state of affairs, he's apparently been chosen for no other reason than that he's Twilight's son.
(On a side note, nepotism used to be considered a positive thing. Twilight can count on her own flesh-and-blood to be loyal in a way she couldn't with a non-relative. Dusk Shine certainly isn't going to be embarking on any radical adventures without asking mom first. All his new vassals must be delighted that they've got a guy who can talk to the monarch on a first name basis in their midst. Pushing an agenda is so much easier when the ear you're bending has royal blood flowing through it. Depending on the culture, the ponies of the duchy in question may be turning cartwells in the street in joy that the scion of the House of Sparkle is their new overlord and not give a fig for his administrative skills.)
But back to the main point, Twilight's decision to make her son duke is entirely opaque. She isn't waving around a publicly compiled report which objectively shows that her son's psychological profile is the closest match for that necessary for ruling at a duke level. Everyone just has to take her word for it. Nobody can see that she's making a good decision. Not yet, anyway. Only time can tell if young Dusk can live up to everyone's expectations. The charge of nepotism only sticks if he fails.
5792277
That's a good point. Maybe I want my courtroom drama just a little too much.
5792287
He's her nephew. Son of the Equestria-born rulers of an allied nation. From a diplomatic standpoint, granting him a duchy can even be seen as further cementing ties by making a foreign prince part of the Equestrian nobility (as opposed to the only real connections between the two being between the Solar and Crystal Crowns, thus leaving the nobility out of diplomatic ties altogether). Thus making him less untouchable than he was, for one, as he's now bound by the strictures of that noble class, and will have to deal with the other nobles, as well. Said nobility would likely see this as a good thing for them. If any of them didn't like him, now that he's got a high-profile position where he actually has to do work and be held accountable, they can use this to try and find dirt or reason to politically attack him, so there's even fewer possible voices of dissent available from the delegated ruling class.
Top that off, while there might be an initial issue with Dusk taking over, keep in mind that there's a fairly large timeskip involved here. He's been handling the duchy as a stand-in this whole time and there's apparently been nothing but praise for his good work. Rather than just naming an untested prince as the Duke, which would make people very wary especially after the last one fucked up so badly, they had a chance to see him work on his own and strive to help them all. They effectively chose him, even though only the Crown has the power to make it official in the end. Everyone has seen that Dusk is capable and hard-working, which lends to me pointing to him as the best man for the job.
Anyone opposing this as the virulent form of nepotism is going to have to try and convince all of Equestria, with proof, that he was merely appointed and somehow an abusive layabout to get any sort of leverage against his new position in the peerage. Considering there's a mountain of evidence to the contrary, I can't see it happening.
5792405
Oh, yeah. I'm not saying this is a terrible decision. It's totally nepotism, but nepotism has it's place in a world run on family connections. From the standpoint of medieval politics, it's a reasonable decision to make.
Also, upon re-reading, I do see that he was running the province a while before being declared duke, so that would clear up most of my objections. He can do the job, everyone sees he does it, he gets the title, and everyone's happy. Good.
5792287
I'm nitpicking, but Dusk Shine is Twilight's nephew; also, I'm not sure, but I think in this universe at least, Twilight's family are yeoman stock. You're right, however; we really don't know Twilight's motivations for choosing to give the duchy to Dusk Shine. I'd have to say, in this case, it's because she knows him so well, and because, like her, he's a scholar. Also, he's family, and often, family is the first place ponies go when looking for somepony to get a job done right.
Drat, I thought the gold band was a wedding band for Luna. Oh well, maybe next time I'll guess right.
It may be nepotism, but this is still a society that is a ruling monarchy with an apparently powerful nobility. Whoever ended up in charge of Northhold was going to be a noble anyway, so it might as well be someone that Twilight personally knows to be a stand up, hard working pony. That bit about Dusk pledging his "sacred honor" was not just empty words, and given who his parents and family are and how he would have been raised I suspect he'll live up to them.
I'm really curious about the ancestry of Sunshower, anyone we know? My apologies if it was covered in a previous chapter and I have forgotten.
I'm pleasantly surprised how this story has kept my attention and still is such a good read. I say this because this story jumps forward in time every chapter and it's usually just slice-of-life and politics. The fact that you've managed to keep the story flowing properly and keep it entertaining is a commend ment to your skills. I personally feel like each chapter is a seperate short story that progress' the overall plot, if that makes sense. Anyways keep up the good work!
5793015 Her mother's a florist. Lowborn.
5793015
She was introduced at the end of chapter 8.
Those time skips... by now, Twilight's friends and family must have started visibly aging before her eyes.
So will we see Twilight dealing with the aging of her friend's anytime soon? I also hope to see what's going on with Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie.
This chapter was AMAZINGLY written!!
Unfortunately... I fear something.
As this has been a full 21 years since her coronation, I(as well as a few others, it would seem) somewhat dread seeing what state her friends are in.
That said, I do look forward to the next chapter!
This chapter reminds me there is an actual Equestria mod for CK2. Haven't tried it out, though.
Not a pleasant prospect for Cadence.
Must...not...play.....ck2
These chapters lately are getting a bit lackluster. You keep skipping over real conflict and just give exposition. I like the story and enjoy these tales and enjoy some of the intrigue, but it seems like you are glossing over everything that would give it any real depth. Well the whole summit thing that went on is the exception (except when the whole zebra/earth pony thing was resolves by saying "Hey we fixed the problem off screen without ever saying what it really was, so we're cool"), well okay a few other chapters were well fleshed out..... losing my focus here. Not meaning to really pile it on, but I needed to say it. Take what I am saying like this, I like your work enough that I bothered with the TLDR post here and I hope you don't take this too harshly as it isn't really meant to be harsh.
I really like this story. The increasingly larger time skips are a bit concerning; I hope they don't get any larger than a decade, preferably less. Putting that to the side though, this story is great. I love the interactions between Twilight and the populace in Equestria. It makes me wonder how they view Twilight now after two decades. Looking forward to future updates!
5790547 Well, instead of ignoring the rules of succession, it would be a better analogy to say that there was strong evidence the lieutenant governor was aware of the governor's crimes, although he didn't participate in them. In some cases, when such a person is closely associated with the one doing the main offense, this can be a crime itself—and certainly if that person benefited from the proceeds of the crime they knew was taking place.
Two nitpicks noticed:
As this is a smithy, I think you mean "bellows".
then
5805378
That's true enough. But most successions are more than a single layer deep. The President has something like thirty designated successors. The Governor of Oregon has four people in line. Feudal systems tend to have a whole host of next-in-lines for every available position. So if the evil duke isn't up to snuff and his son isn't either, then the royal genealogists work their back up the family tree to the next next-in-line. Did he have any nephews or cousins? Did his father? Did his grandfather? If they aren't around, did they have any children?
On the other hand, this looks like more of an imperial system (like the Ottomans) where all authority derives from the Princesses. In which case, they allow inherited succession provided the titleholder is properly deferential and doesn't make a hash of things. This guy's son can be blamed for not ratting out his dad to the authorities. If he had, they probably wouldn't have had any problem with his ascension to Duke. But he kept his mouth shut and collected ill-gotten bits so, as far as society is concerned, two bad 'uns in a row is enough reason to can that family and given another one a try.
This chapter reminded me of something I wanted to say during the beach chapter...
The crown of a kingdom (in the metaphysical sense) is symbolic of the government and the people under it, not the reagents themselves. It is the reason why many paths of fealty to a king would swear to both the crown of the kingdom and the ruler/leigelord of the kingdom. One symbolizes serving the country, the other the king/queen/princess. Not a well known fact so take it as you will.
Though I will say you have a convincingly poignant oath of fealty in this chapter, very similar to historically accurate ones. It would not be out of place in the medieval ages. Good job.