//------------------------------//
// Royal Conclave 
// Story: The Prelude, Illuminate the Shadows Book 1 
// by SaphireTsuki 
//------------------------------//

The changeling's class society is enforced by genetics, with the Queens, leaders and masters of the Hive, able to make whatever changes they wish to their children. However, in terms of government, each Hive is entirely different. One Hive may be run like a monarchy, and another like a democracy, but all serve under the Queen of each Hive, their decisions are final.

The Royal Conclave, then, is a meeting of the various Queens. It may play out similar to a summit in Equestria, or it may act more like a research presentation, depending on who is organizing it. The parties organizing a Conclave are An Bale, or individual Queens of a sufficiently large Hive. During the year they host the Conclave, they are to prepare the Conclave Hive, an empty palace, with food, amenities, and a list of guests. They decide which non-changeling governments may have representatives, if any.

It is only within this Royal Conclave that the decisions made affect multiple Hives. Under the Royal Conclave heirs are claimed, trials are announced, and new Hives are accepted into the fold. Alliances between a Hive and another species can be done individually, but are not considered valid by other Hives until they are brought forth for consideration by the Conclave. If one were to name the Conclave as a type of religion for the changeling species, it would be a Federation. Just as the decisions made by a Queen are absolute in her hive, so too are the decisions by the Conclave to all Hives.

This is the stage onto which the Princesses Moonlight, Twilight, and Luna must step.