Princess Summit [Closed; Princesses Only]

[Hippo]

Princess Luna gave a quick nod towards Celestia, responding to the daily reminder that she can be transparent with her about anything. Luna was sure it wasn't just the past thousand years that would cause such a statement, but she knew she meant for the best anyway. And as transparent as Luna already was, Celestia opened a new book in the conversation that would reveal her lack of closeness with modern day Equestrians. Luna had felt this way before. Of course the context may have been several million miles away in difference, but the reality of the action and the way it made her feel was likely hit within somewhere in the same realm.

With Cadance's inclusion into the relative conversation, Luna felt a bit more distant from the actual issue, however. Luna had perhaps never felt as close as the other princesses do now with the citizen ponies. So if their concern was that they felt too far away, the issue may have been something so much apart of Luna's lifestyle that she never identified it as a problem.

She did however, have a quick suggestion she wanted to share right away. "Well, how about this. All of the four princesses, us, we could have pictures of ourselves placed in every building and in every street corner. This way, all the ponies will have a chance to look at our face in order to more recognize their leaders." Luna was oblivious that her suggestion might be taken the wrong way.

​

[SteelEagle]

There were a few things Twilight had never really taken into account when it came to being a Princess when she first became one. The public roles they played was without question of vital importance to the continuing good function of Equestria. Knowing that the Princesses were there to help and guide made Equestrians, or at least a good portion of them, more comfortable. While everypony loved and respected all four of them there was a certain distance between them and the citizenry. It was most prominent an issue for the oldest among them. Celestia was universally beloved and admired to a level of near deification. While most had fallen in line and followed Luna's progress heartily, she was as much myth as legend. Cadance had it a lot easier since she had been in the public's embrace since she was young and was always approachable. Twilight was eminently forgettable and liked it that way for the most part. She at least wasn't going to complain about it.

But Celestia had a problem for a mare of her exact station. Cadance offered a reasonable solution and Luna a...uniquely dystopian one, if unintentional. Twilight wasn't a social butterfly herself. More like a social trap door spider. She would lay in wait in a dark place for what seemed like forever and then burst out of her hidey hole to get her social sustenance before dragging it back down in with her. And then nothing for months and months. Pinkie Pie parties didn't really count because she caused so many vibrations that it became an earthquake for the little Twilight trapdoor social life, a state of being rather than an event to b excited about. In any case, that didn't mean Twilight was completely devoid of helpful ideas. She had a book on the subject- several actually- and would have no problem sharing her bounty with Celestia. One good turn deserved another, Task Force Suntrot for social help!

“Well, that could be a problem I could help with! When I was first living on my own in Ponyville I had trouble making good social connections. Luckily, the library had a series of self-help books on how to make friends and be a social pony! How to Win Friends and Influence Ponies, “Making and Keeping Friends, Social Miscues in the Modern Era Revisted and my favorite of them all, The Social Crisis: Awaken the Giant Within!. I could always lend them to you. We should all be helping one another, just as I learned from Cadance and she from me. Luna's idea has some merit, but if we do that we need to make sure the colors stand out from the normal heavy pastel, so I am thinking red and black on a heavy contrast. These books helped me though, they could help you too!” Twilight offered cheerily, gleefully unaware of the sad nature of her proposal.

[starswirlthebearded]

Each of the three princesses gave their own personal ideas, each showing their own tendencies. However none of them seemed to understand Celestia's conundrum. Cadence, had the most practical advice of the three and, indeed, Celestia often tried to do that as often as she could. Luna... well... Luna was still very much stuck in the old ways, Celestia wasn't even sure if she realized the implications of her suggestion. As for Twilight... Celestia couldn't help but giggle at that. There was a time when Celestia would have gone down that path herself. Twilight reminded her at times of her younger self.

Celestia smiled at the princesses with a slight giggle "Thank you all for the advice." Celestia decided to address each of the princesses individually. The first would naturally be Cadence. "I do try to do as you say Cadence, however in recent years, it has become harder for me to do such things. My schedule and responsibilities as we continue to expand and reach out to neighboring lands has led to less time to spend with the ponies I've come to care so much about. I do suppose that I can make more of an effort to lose my scheduler every so often..." Celestia said mischievously. The next in line was Luna and her...rather interesting... suggestion. "I do not think that is the wisest idea sister. It might seem slightly imposing." Celestia let down the idea easily, despite Twilight's vote of confidence. It was rather authoritarian... Celestia looked at her former student smiling and giggling slightly. "Twilight you are indeed my former student. I believe I would have done the same when I was younger. However, those books are more for interpersonal relationships, not the one between a ruler and her subjects. I have been spending so much time outside of Equestria and in meetings that I have been finding it hard to find time to interact as Cadence has suggested." Celestia glanced around the room... "I feel like there must be a better way to get closer to ponies without shirking my own duties. However my schedule seems to keep getting tighter. Perhaps I can leave some of the smaller things to my council..." Celestia trailed off, still seeming troubled.

[Bellosh]

 

As Celestia elaborated more about her dilemma, Princess Cadence started to gain a better idea on how to craft a solution. Of course, it should have been obvious to the pink alicorn that if her old mentor didn’t think the opportunity cost would be too high, she’d be mingling more with her subjects by now. In a way, it was very admirable that Celestia did so much for the ponies living in Equestria, especially by representing the realm itself in foreign lands. Then again though, Celestia’s counterparts such as Aquellia’a prime minister or Saddle Arabia’s sultan usually employed trusted dignitaries to perform such duties in their stead. Could not then Celestia do the same?

 

Maybe Princess Celestia doesn’t know anypony up to the task, however. But that would not stop Cadence from making the suggestion. “Well Celestia...” the Crystal Princess began with a slight hesitation; “If you want devote more personal attention at home to your subjects, do you know anypony you think would be good ambassadors for overseas duties? And by that, I mean someone who isn’t like that old grouch Morianna Razorclaw?” Cadence felt ashamed of grimacing as she uttered that one name; the alicorn ought to show more professionalism during a princess summit. Nonetheless, not even a tolerant love-spreading soul like Cadence’s could endure that one griffon matriarch’s appalling lack of tact and kindness for long.

[Hippo]

Luna was please to see that her picture idea resonated with the newest generation princess. Perhaps it was a good insight from the mover of the moon. However, shortly after, Celestia scrapped the idea in her further concern with connecting better with the ponies she rules. And Cadance, seemingly annoyed, mentioned an instant candidate to be removed from consideration, before candidacy was even in play. But Luna thought it out. Having Twilight Sparkle join the summit was an achievement of her own, but it was at the sacrifice of Celestia's greater connection with Ponyville. "Well, Twilight here, is a perfect example of our princesshood being represented on a face to face basic in Ponyville. Even before she joined us here, she connected the ponies in that town closer to us, by way of association. It's assumed she will continue that relationship with the town, correct? Much like my sister, I have my own apprentices. Ponies I discovered had above average magical talent and the ability to humbly lead ponies with their integrity and decision-making. If we have these ponies in our lives, shouldn't they be a direct reflection of us and serve as a princess role in their towns and lifestyles?"

​

[SteelEagle]

Twilight sometimes had difficulty piercing the veil of her colleague's thoughts. Not that their thoughts were by themselves beyond her reasoning, but that at times they surprised her with their personalities. Celestia herself, for all of the close tidings and memories mentor and pupil had shared throughout a life well lived, sometimes could prove herself the scion of timeless ages as opposed to the warmest mother of Equestria. Part of that was her boundless energy devoted to the actions of state, which she was synonymous with in most regards. Seeing her admit a bit of weakness in any regard was a bit discombobulating and hard to admit. More importantly, trying to think of an idea on how to either get her more acquainted with the common pony or how to get her some free time puzzled Twilight for a minute. Was there nothing that could be done? No. Twilight's mind deconstructed problems with a mind towards the limitless expanse of magic and possibility.

As Twilight's mind started to unravel one mystery, the solution to another was being presented by Cadance. It was too true that Celestia may be overburdened with foreign meetings and engagements. Equestria's ambassadors played a simpler and more consular role abroad than other ambassadors did. This always seemed to present a two-fold problem to Twilight. Not only did it distract Celestia with potentially frivolous engagements, but it also lowered the seriousness of any diplomatic visit by her to a foreign land. When the leadership of Maretonia or the Sultan of Saddle Arabia showed up, it was acknowledged to be some greater gathering to discuss a serious issue. It was a sign that something needed to be done and it required the touch of leadership.

But only the terseness of a message or the tone of her speech could impart upon others the gravity of Celestia's visit, making the line between minor international snafu and serious incident worthy of a geopolitical group hug blurry at best. So the idea of getting a new ambassador and, more importantly, ones who could handle most minor engagements and high-level negotiations aside from ones that rose to her level, was attractive. “I agree with Cadance. The Ambassadorial Corp could use a makeover, to borrow a friend's phrase. There are plenty of good candidates within and without nobility and our high universities and government structures. Without the time sap of frivolous travel and foreign engagements, we can save you a considerable amount of time and effort while also making the impact of any one of your visits to a foreign land more...impactful. That way we won't have a repeat of that one time with the High King,” Twilight chuckled, referencing a recent visit to the Whitescar. Maybe if a visit from Celestia was deemed of greater importance, such events would not take place.

And then Luna's solution to a like problem was announced. It was certainly an interesting concept. Twilight had considered the advantages and disadvantages of what amounted to an oligarchy or fiefdom before as opposed to or in addition to the duarchy or triarchy. There main issues revolved around the process of becoming a ruler as well as defining a role if one tried to keep the old standard. You couldn't just keep adding Princesses and expect the royal sisters to maintain their position, either. Eventually you'd pick wrong and invite open rebellion. Or you'd have to change the Princesses of Canterlot to the Queens of Equestria, a title which would not go over well. The only Queen known to Equestrians was a Changeling and the title had become equally vilified as a result. The simple fact that becoming a Princess was currently meritocratic to the extreme forced those who had been given the honor of becoming Princesses to earn it through sweat, blood, and tears. It required more than magic talent as well- something Cadance would well know. Twilight also had doubts that it would help connect the land any better.

But while she had doubts, Twilight was not going to dismiss Luna out of hoof without knowing more. Luna was often considered the 'lesser' of the two, something which vexed Twilight terribly. They were both equally important and Luna's way of thought was hardened by errors made and paid for. That mindset was important to have when you considered matters of state. She better than most knew what it meant to lose the love and trust of the common ponies, to grow distant and share in equal parts hatred and fear. Therefore, while her ways of thought were unusual, they were insightful and possibly even more informative than Twilight's. So she'd prod for more information with questions. “Interesting idea, Luna. I don't really think that adding more Princesses will necessarily help matters, but I'd like to hear more. Would they be alicorns? What about earth ponies and pegasi? Would they be eligible to become Princesses as well?” Twilight asked in a leading fashion. Cadence had been born an earth pony. It was important to have the leadership diverse in the manner of birth and how they were raised, after all.

All the while, Twilight's mind was turning like a series of tumblers on a universal lock. It didn't take long for an answer more up her alley to form, which lent a smile to her face as she turned back to Celestia. “For an eternity you've been a Princess, away from the common crowd. Even if we were to lessen your schedule's demands you would still lack the common experiences needed to give you the time and ability to truly feel what it means to be an Equestrian. So what if instead of seeking a way to connect with the common crowd, you simply joined it?” Her horn lit up briefly and an image of a rather normal looking mare shot forth in the middle of all three, Twilight's eyes straining ever so slightly, “a magical disguise, as real as the moon and sun and the earth we stand on. I found it while studying Lorialian magic found in the Everfree. Had a few mishaps including switching bodies with Spike during magical research, but I conquered the whole book in a week!

“Anyway, the idea is simple. You become a common pony and go to a city and blend in. Live the life. See what it is to be Equestrian. By casting the spell correctly, you would be able to keep it up for as long as you willed it through a simple allowance of the form to draw from your innate connection to the aether. It will look real and feel real, but at any time you can consciously decide to end it and you would still have the ability to control the sun. In the meantime, rather than hoofing anything over to the council- no offense but they're a bit lazy- you can instead elect somepony to handle the day court with the understanding that I am not far away, Cadence can get here quickly, and Luna can rise to meet any challenge. With the ambassadors handling most other matters in regards to foreign affairs, your absence will be free from harm. What do you think?”

[starswirlthebearded]

(Sorry this will be a short and probably not formatted reply)

Celestia listened intently to the various suggestions now that the other princesses knew more about her administrative woes. Cadence, among them all probably had the most practical of suggestions. Revamping the ambassadorial staff would probably alleviate the most stress, even if she would still have many duties to perform within Equestria not having to leave it so regularly would be a great asset, and with negotiations going so well this was probably the best time to do it. "Thank you Cadence, that is a great suggestion and it shall be taken to heart." Celestia began, "However even that may take time, either screening new ambassadors or retraining the old may prove to be a daunting task, but I know my fellow princesses will help me do so. However with international treaties being signed regularly now and conditions improving I think it would be a perfect time to do so. And that would alleviate much of the pressure..." Celestia said reassuringly of the love princess's suggestion. It really was probably the best suggestion and course of action she had. Really between that and perhaps leaving some of the smaller things to the council it may even afford the sun princess time to enjoy some time in parts of Equestria that she couldn't visit much.

Luna was next and much like before her suggestion was... interesting... While it was true that she groomed Twilight from fillyhood and it worked well, inducting ponies into princesshood was not something done lightly. Twilight naturally chimed in, posing questions. "I am not sure of my sister's meaning, however I do not believe handing out princesshood is the best course. Twilight, naturally was my protegee for some time, and through many trials and tribulations she finally became ready for the task. It is not something undertaken easily or lightly. Also I do not believe that adding more princesses will exactly lend to the solution of any problems. We already take into consideration all suggestions equally, I even hold open forum in Canterlot regularly to help ponies out or to listen to any issues or suggestions ponies may have. Giving new princesses autonomy in various towns and cities may not even have the desired effect, at least no more than the mayors already have. In fact having a voted it official serves to better connect with the average pony than having an appointed princess. Twilight in Ponyville is a unique case." Celestia finished adding her thoughts into Luna's suggestion and if Luna's suggestion was interesting, then Twilight's was even more so....

Apparently Twilight had stumbled onto some rather arcane magic. Celestia was well aware of this magic and knew of it's capabilities but never considered using it in that way before. The biggest issue with that would be time away... Naturally she would still raise and lower the sun, so many ponies would never notice her absence, but the council and the Canterlot elite whom see her every day would pose an issue. At least with those in the Castle they could be notified as would the council, but if word spread that she was missing for an extended period of time, it may cause panic. "That... is a rather... interesting suggestion Twilight..." Celestia said still unsure of it. "I do think it is an interesting proposition, as I have not really been treated or been considered a "regular pony" since my fillyhood, specifically since our parents treated us like any other fillies." Celestia pondered further... "Though I do think it possible, I would only worry about panic and unrest if it was discovered I was "away" for any extended period of time. After all, I've been the constant for 1000 years. Even being gone for a day usually causes some unrest to those whom take notice. Though I suppose if done right... it may work. I shall certainly take the suggestion under advisement and perhaps implement it. But it will take a great deal of planning and care to do properly."

With plenty of good suggestions and her selfishness out of the way, Celestia decided to open up the floor once again for other business "I do apologize for that bit of selfishness, it was weighing on me greatly. With that out of the way, who else has business to discuss?"

[Bellosh]

 

Princess Cadence was glad to know that Celestia appreciated her suggestion, even when Luna and Twilight proposed bolder plans. Those other two ideas would require more hashing out before they could be implemented, but perhaps now wasn’t the best time to do so. The four alicorns had been at it since morning; long enough for Cadence’s stomach to start growling. Time for a lunch break!

 

“I think we’ve managed to cover the most important issues we needed to cover. There’s still the upcoming summit between myself and the High King of Whitescar after the Equestria Games, and the Crystal Faire following that, but I can take care of those things myself. So, if nopony minds, shall we adjourn to my private chambers for lunch? There’ll be sandwiches and tea for the four of us!” Cadence smiled wide, hoping her fellow princesses were also ready to eat and wind down.

[Hippo]

Luna was used to being misunderstood. And yet again, the other Princesses seemed to take Luna's suggestion as a way for more princesses to emerge. While new princesses were always a possibility, Luna's suggestion was really only to the extent to delegation. "Well, the ponies I speak of wouldn't be actual princesses per se, they would just be acting leaders. I suppose the image of a princess would somehow need to remain in order for that security to be felt, but many of the government decisions aren't even our own. Many of the smaller dealings are made by ponies we trust. My suggestion is that we should simply expand on that, and award newer more prestigious titles to the ponies who have served a long time and can rule for a short time while a Princess deals with social duties, or rest."

Luna perked at Celestia's response to being a regular pony by way of magic. Before the point was concluded, Luna made sure to point out her personal experiences. "There have been times when I have disguised myself as a regular pony in ponies' dreams. It allows me to gauge a much more honest response from ponies who are dealing with things that may be hindered uopn meeting a Princess. Although, I'll be honest. The mask isn't always a great way to an honest noble answer. There have been times when seeing how ponies act outside the presence of a princess can be quite disturbing."

Luna nodded in agreement with Cadance. It was definitely time for some lunch. Having Luna's sleep schedule moved around for the summit angered her stomach slightly.

​
 

[SteelEagle]

 

Twilight took solace in the fact that the basic structure of Celestia magically being a normal pony for a little while was sound and workable. The flaws apparent in the design of the plan were more of a personal concern rather than a design issue. It stood to reason that Celestia would be overly cautious and resistant to radical reformations even if they were logically sound, a thousand plus years of rule alone fostering a sort of dependence in her mind that would be hard to break and had little solidity with the populace. Celestia was a worry wart if she believed her absence, properly vetted, would cause concerns. Maybe after they finished revamping the ambassadorial corp there would be a better chance of getting Celestia that experience and relaxation she needed. For now she'd have to fine tune the specifics of the spell in question so she could make it last longer and be easier to control. There was a way to perfect every spell and Twilight would discover how to perfect this one. “Okay. We can drop it for now, but promise after we've revamped the ambassadorial corp we can discuss this again. If you're worried about the day court, I can take a week off from Ponyville. There are more solutions than there are problems!”

 

For now, she was hungry and was in complete agreement with wanting to go get something to eat in Cadance's private chambers. There was no doubt that an alicorn's diet was much larger and extensive than any other pony's, owing to a near quadrupling of caloric intake. They had all manner of specially grown produce to satisfy their diets, tastes, and need to feel full without crashing a whole farmer's market to satisfy their decadent cravings. Twilight got up and levitated the thousands of papers that surrounded her back into their piles and started to shrink them until they fit into a single specially made folder, the folder itself sliding into her desk with an aetheral lock. Her mind wandered- what deliciousness awaited them? She had a certain love affair with hay fries now. She had never really been a friend to it but now it was a close companion, a fact she didn't regret as she trotted with the others. “I'm starving too. Retiring now would be good, I concur.”

Of course, Twilight was Twilight. You could remove the mare from her work but you couldn't remove the work from the mare. Her mind worked on Luna's expansion of thoughts regarding her idea. Again, the more she explained it, the more sound it was. While it lacked something that could really drive it, it was something that would help alleviate issues they were having. The actual expansion of power would be smaller- mostly titles. Of course there were issues since if ponies started to believe in the illusion of power somepony may eventually become corrupt and cause a great deal of harm, but there were such flaws in every system. Luna herself had shown one such flaw rather acutely ego, and that was in a position of much greater power. It was very apropos. So as they walked Twilight did some small talking with Luna, more than intrigued by her idea, “so, what sort of titles would you consider? And what sort of model- merit based or otherwise?”

 

[starswirlthebearded]

Princess Celestia looked upon her sister bemused. Wouldn't that nullify the system already in place? Why would we, as princesses, need to place a leader when ponies already elected leaders of their own. Celestia pondered to herself, and unable to find an answer she rebuttled her sister's suggestion. "While I understand that these will not be princesses, we already have a system like that in place that is chosen by the ponies that inhabit the towns and cities. Our appointing leaders that could override their elected leaders would likely not be well received. While I do believe your heart is in the right place, I do not think that it is the best idea. The elected mayors and governors already do a fantastic job at leadership."

 

The princess's attention then turned to Princess Twilight. She seemed to misunderstand Celestia's words. The spell in question was already very stable, Celestia was unsure of how much more Twilight could do, but still she decided it would be better to allow her former student to continue with this. "The ambassadorial corps is the priority, yes. And if you can indeed cover the day court, then there may be more merit to this idea, because even when on vacation in the past, I was still contactable. We shall revisit this idea at a later time, when we've had ample time to prepare." Celestia nodded at her pupil.

"That all said, I concur, lunch is long overdue." Celestia arose from her place and started to follow Princess Cadence to her chambers.

[We can either choose to continue light discussions in over lunch (nothing political) or we can leave this to rest and resume it when S5 hits and we have more to discuss... or we can start some other princess thread...]