My Inspiration For “The Royal Rebel”

Hi, everyone! I’m going to try to start posting at least one of these little updates per week. I wanted to give you, my readers, a little insight into why I chose to take The Royal Rebel in the direction in which it is currently going. If you have not read this story so far, I would highly recommend stopping here and catching up so you’ll understand the rest of this post.

I just wanna dive into my own little character study of Cassie, why she is the way she is, and what makes her so rebellious, since to the average person she seems like a pretty normal young mare. I want to remind everyone that context is super important here. I’m going to talk about this as if nobody here is aware of why Luna is so old-fashioned. Please don’t perceive this to be an insult to anyone’s intelligence; this is simply a breakdown of my thought processes as I wrote Cassie’s character.

So, Cassie is Luna’s youngest daughter. Think of her as the “spare.” Most younger royals with less responsibility tend to act out a bit (Prince Harry, anyone?). Luna’s Nightmare Moon phase was an example of this. She and Cassie have both felt overshadowed by an older sister. They are both still working through their insecurities, but Luna feels like she can’t really be open with Cassie about her own personal issues because in Luna’s mind, she is supposed to be strong for her daughters in addition to Equestria as a whole (think “keep calm and carry on,” maintain that “stiff upper lip”). Luna adheres to this tried and true mindset that was exemplified by Queen Elizabeth II.

Anyway, if you’ve read DOTN, you will understand why Cassie feels like an outcast. Cassie’s older sister, Neoma, rules the northern lights. Neoma is married, she has a young daughter, and she is Luna’s firstborn. Neoma has always been a dutiful princess; royal protocol gives her a sense of security. Though Cassie has always idolized her sister, she is a naturally free spirit, often feeling restricted by the demands of being a princess. Cassie and Luna are constantly at odds because Cassie loves to test every boundary and has a rebellious streak, which she undoubtedly inherited from Luna, though Luna will never admit this. Cassie is as reckless as the ocean over which she rules, and Luna loves that about her, but in Luna’s mind, Cassie’s spirit needs to be contained and kept in check. To Luna, Cassie exemplifies the nature of the ocean that she loves so deeply: Wild, free, beautiful, powerful, unpredictable. Luna admires this, but she also knows that if a wall is not built around certain structures close to the ocean, then the ocean can swallow those structures up or become polluted with toxins that can damage the life within it. Bearing this in mind, Luna tries to protect Cassie as best she can, but Cassie is, of course, resistant to anything that she believes is holding her back.

Cassie’s connection with the ocean’s creatures, especially orcas, is a central theme of this story. I have always loved dolphins, and orcas are especially breathtaking. Their beauty and intelligence are fascinating and endearing to me, so it’s been fun to write about them and develop their personalities and little individual quirks. I wanted Cassie and Luna to bond over their shared love and respect for these magnificent animals, and I wanted to use them to up the cuteness🥰. Orcas FTW. I hope y’all enjoy this story as I continue to write; it has been such a fun experience so far. Thank you for taking the time to read this.

With love,

Drunk Luna