La Principessa

But, because a peasant can become a Princess in two other ways, that aren’t through luck or virtue, I think I should talk about them, even though one of them will be explored more deeply in the chapter about democracies(1). These two ways are either when somepony gains Princessdom by crimes and cruel means or when a single pony gets appointed as leader by the population. The first case I will illustrate by use of an example, one from the past and one more contemporary. Because I think that is enough for someone in this position to follow these examples.

The Sicilian pony Agothocles became Princess of Syracuse after not just being a normal peasant but being an earth pony of very low status. She was daughter to a potter and has commited crimes in every part of her life. When she became a soldier she quickly rose in rank and became captain of the army of Syracuse. And when she had that position she decided to seize the highest power. She summoned the senate to talk about state matters and on her sign the soldiers killed all the politicians and influential civilians at the meeting. After their death she declared herself Princess of the city, with full alicorn benefits, and she stayed in power ever since without any resistance from the population. And even though the Carthaginians attacked her city twice she was able to defend it and even went as far as to leave only halve her soldiers at the city and attack Africa.

None of the exploits of Agothocles could be classified as favors of Fortuna. Because she did not gain her power by anyones gift, but when somepony kills allied ponies and betrays friends and knows of no respect or loyalty there can be no speak of virtue. Those ponies can gain power, but no fame. The power Agathocles showed at the overcoming of so many dangers and the conquering of so many hardships make her no less than any well known Princess. But her vicious cruelty and mercilessness don’t permit her name to be outed among those of great Princesess.

From our own time there is Rarity of Ponyville. At young age she was put under the service of prince Shim Pants(2) by the her masters of the apple-clan to gain experience in the art of war. After his death she served under his brother prince Sham and quickly rose to be his right hoof pony. But she deemd it beneath her to be in service of another pony so she plotted with citizens of Ponyville who would prefer their city to be in slavery to it being free and with the military support of Sham to take over the city of Fermo. She wrote to Applejack of the Apple-clan that, after having been away from her home for many years, she wanted to revisit Ponyville and talk about her part of the heritage. And because, as she wrote, she had worked so hard to attain glory and prestige she wanted to show the ponyvillians she hadn’t wasted her time and come to Ponyville like a Princess with a hundred soldiers.

Applejack spared no expenses for her niece and had the many ponies under her command be welcomed by the citizens of ponyville and let her stay at her own house. Rarity had, some days later after having planned out her future crimes, a great feast in those same halls inviting the apple-clan and many of the influential ponies of ponyville. During the meal Rarity began talking gabout important problems, she mentioned the power of Faust and her son Blueblood and their exploits. When Applejack answered her she suddenly jumped up and said that these where things that should be discussed in private. She, and all the important ponies of Ponyville went into a private room in wich soldiers were stationed that killed Applejack and the others.

After this carnage Rarity marched demonstrative through the streets with her troops and claimed Princesshood over the city. After she had killed all ponies that posed a threat because of their dissatisfaction she was very stable in her position and it would be hard to make her lose it, if she hadn’t let herself be tricked by Blueblood when he captured the Pants family in Senegallia as has been described. Because she also, along with her mentor in cruelt Sham was killed there.

Maybe now ponies will wonder how Agathocles and the like, after so many cases of disloyalty and cruelty, could live in their city safely and defend it against enemies for so long without repercussions of the peasantry. Because many Princesses have not been able to stay in power during peace time because of their cruelty not to speak of war time when everything is unstable. This is mainly a question of how the cruelty is applied. Cruelty used in a good way ( if you can call cruelty good) would be when used suddenly, out of necessity and when you don’t continue it but turn it into as much as possible benefit for the people. Badly used cruelty is cruelty that increases with time rather than decreasing even if the start is small. Those that apply their cruelty the right way can maintain their power, like agathocles.

It can be said that when somepony plans to seize power, she has to carefully plan out the measures she has to take and take them all at the same time. This way she doesn’t have to sustain in her cruelty and can start winning the favor of the people. She who always acts out of fear or anger always carries a knife. And the peasants will have a fresh memory of her injustice and can’t trust her. All injustices must be commited at the same time to reduce their bite. While charities should be, to get the most milage out of them, given one by one, ideally.

(1) Sparkle could be talking about chapter 9 but she probably means discorsi

(2) The brothers Shim and Sham Pants where two princes of Canterlottian mercenary troops in the war with Pisa. Shim died in the ‘signoria’ of Canterlot and Sham died three years later in the massacre of Senigallia.