Luster Dawn sat somewhat uncomfortably in her wooden desk chair. All the while completely engrossed in a dauntingly large legal studies textbook from the Canterlot Royal Library. Legal Studies was a far cry from her favorite subject, but a necessity for her courses under the direct tutelage of Princess Twilight Sparkle. Feeling a bit distracted, she wondered what a younger, unicorn version of the great ruler of Equestria once looked like. Reading these same old texts and scrolls, and perhaps even sitting at the very same desk that Luster now sat in.
She refocused once more and forced herself to read the sentence on the page:
A constitutionally limited monarch is bound by the same rules and laws that her (or his) subjects must adhere to.
She audibly groaned at the words. "Then what's the point?" Luster complained aloud.
"What's the point of what?" A regal and majestic voice called back to Luster Dawn. Realizing she wasn't alone, she spun in her seat to see the Princess herself standing in her study corner in the castle library. There were many private study rooms available in the great royal library, so she hadn't expected Princess Twilight to stumble in on her. Her eyes went wide in surprise.
Twilight Sparkle's appearance matched the grand nature of her voice. She was tall and had a natural air of confidence about her. A vision of dignity and grace in her stance. Her shoulders were locked back and chest held high. Her expression was calm, yet also amused and curious. Her crown and long flowing hair only added to her prestige and regal appearance.
"What's the point of being a Princess if you have to follow the rules just like every other pony? As Princess, don't you get to make the rules? Can't a Princess just do whatever she pleases?" Luster pouted with her lips scrunched to the side of her mouth.
Twilight smiled as she shook her head lightly, "No, my little pony. A Princess has the responsibility of keeping her subjects happy and safe. That leaves very little time to simply 'do whatever she pleases.'"
Luster dropped her jaw and gave her teacher a look of bewilderment.
"Then why bother being a Princess at all? It sounds kinda annoying actually." Luster waived her hoof dismissively.
"You know, I don't disagree with you." Twilight chuckled which only confused Luster further.
"Well, count me out of the Princess’ business. Sounds to me like it's for suckers." Luster scoffed.
Twilight stood stoic only raising a single eyebrow in response.
"No offense." Luster offered a half-hearted apology.
Twilight calmly walked over to the book shelf. With her back turned to Luster, she gathered an old and dusty looking history text from the shelf with her magic. Even a mundane spell like this had a certain weight and elegance to it that was lacking in most unicorn magic.
"Luster, have I ever told you the story of Ollivander Trotwell?" Twilight studied the text cover carefully.
"No, but it sounds like some sort of boring required reading from primary school." Luster rested her hoof on her cheek. She had the feeling a lecture was just around the corner.
"Far from it. In fact, most schools prefer not to cover this at all. A pity because I think the story is very important to pony history." Twilight turned around to face her student again. The book was opened to the first page, held up by the princess’s royal magic.
"Ollivander Trotwell," Twilight continued with an ominous tone in her voice, "and the rebellion of 481." She looked directly into Luster Dawn's eyes, waiting for her reaction.
"Wait a minute," Luster looked a bit confused, "481 as in the year C.E. 481? Celestia’s Equestria 481? You're telling me there was a rebellion against Princess Celestia smack dab in the middle of her millennium long rule?" Luster's eyes flew wide open as she realized the full implications of that title.
"Yes," Twilight slowly and grimly nodded her bejeweled crowned head. "It was an internal conflict that nearly ended her reign once and for all. And was a pivotal turning point that forever changed how rules and laws were carried out in Equestria. Would you like to hear it?" Twilight tilted her head slightly to her right with a sly grin on her face.
"Would I?" Luster shouted indignantly. "I have to hear it! How could this have happened? Why have I never heard anypony talk about this?" Luster was practically pleading with Twilight to tell her. The Princess simply nodded her head in agreement.
"That's exactly how I reacted when Celestia read this story to me." Twilight was about to begin reading when Luster abruptly cut her off with an onslaught of excited questions.
"So how big was the rebel faction? How many battles were there? How massive was the royal army's response force? Did they execute the rebel leaders? How many ponies died?" Luster's expression lit up as she finally paused and awaited a response.
Twilight was slightly concerned by how enthusiastic those awful questions came out of her student's mouth. But she decided to let it go for now.
"Zero." Twilight stated flatly.
“Zero?!” Luster echoed, completely bewildered.
Twilight lowered the book slightly, enough to peer over the edge. Despite the outburst, she calmly continued her explanation.
"This was a bloodless conflict with no armies and no fighting and no deaths." She shot Luster a somewhat judgemental look with the word 'deaths.' "And yet, it nearly tore asunder the peaceful Equestria that Princess Celestia worked so hard to help build."
"How is that possible?" Luster's brow wrinkled at the confusing thought of a bloodless yet devastating war.
"Well," the Princess sighed as she paused for a moment to collect her thoughts. "I could try to explain it myself. But I think the first few lines of the book do it more justice."
Luster scooted to the edge of her wooden chair as Twilight cleared her throat, raised the book, and began to read.
'A stroke of the pen, a word from the judge, and a crack of the gavel are more powerful and dangerous than any army Equestria, nor the world at large could possibly muster. For what is a ruler but a mere pony, and what mere pony could be fit to rule? These are the accounts of the trial of the millenia. This is the story of the Trial of Princess Celestia.'
Luster Dawn gasped so loudly she clutched her mouth shut with her hoofs in embarrassment.
"Princess Celestia was on trial? How can that even happen?" Luster shook her head at the thought.
"You know it's funny you should ask that." Twilight remarked, but continued reading instead of answering the question.
'The Princess entered the grand hall of the Canterlot Royal Courthouse. Despite the impressive size of the venue, and the attendance of over 1000 pony witnesses, including the highest nobility and military rank in Canterlot, the room was nearly silent. The only sound that could be heard was the scraping of chains across the ornate marble floor. Iron chains bound to iron shackles that gripped the hooves of the once proud and powerful monarch of Equestria. The year was four hundred and eighty one of Celestia's Equestria. But soon everything about her reign would come into question; including the nomenclature of the very date itself.
There was no crown upon her head. Her chains were the only jewelry she had left on her body. She had been stripped of all other possessions and imprisoned against her will awaiting her trial. The all-powerful monarch could have used her magic to easily break the chains. She could have overpowered her captors and used her wings to fly high into the air and away from the courthouse. Away from the accusations and her so-called punishment. But she knew the hearts and minds of the very subjects she claimed to rule were what was really at stake here. Such a blatant show of force would forever tarnish her name and only serve to prove her accusers justified in their case. Her accusers, of course, knew this and were counting on it.
Celestia marched forward in silence with her head held high. Her mane flowing like an effervescent wind in the stale air of the courthouse. She was confident and unafraid. Or at least she appeared to be. Any show of weakness would be used against her now. She was escorted by six officers of the court. Large bulky stallions with years of fearless service flanked the princess on all sides. Their stern expressions failed to hide the anxiousness on their collective faces. The thought of trying to apprehend a resisting alicorn princess was enough to make any warrior shake in his hooves. If it weren’t for the shackles around Celestia’s ankles, one would have thought they were the prisoners and she the jailer. She elegantly stepped into the defendant stand and noisily sat on the firm oak bench. Her ironclad chains finally came to a rest on the floor as a deafening silence continued to fill the room.
Olivander Trotwell approached the judge’s bench. It was a high rise wooden platform that towered over the witness stand which sat directly in front, just across the courtroom. From that position he would literally be talking down to the Princess and his attitude would bear the same. Trotwell was a modestly dressed earth pony. He wore his military jacket, indicating his prior service as an officer in the royal army, instead of the usual judge’s robe. He was hoping to establish himself as a colt of the ponies instead of a court official. Everything about today’s trial was focused on optics and public opinion. His wavy blond mane flowed freely, uninhibited by a ceremonial wig or restrictive headdress. Despite the fact that he was born of noble blood, he looked like a commoner pony who had risen to prominence through public service. Which was exactly the impression he was hoping to give off.
“Good morning.”
His stern voice rang throughout the courtroom, breaking the silence. The whole room seemed to breathe a sigh of relief having been permitted to move again. Slight murmurs and well wishes could be heard exchanged, but still quiet enough to respect the courtroom. The judge’s bench was several meters wide with two additional seats on either side of Ollivander. To his left was a sheepish looking blue pegasus pony. She was dressed in a judge's robe and wore her official white powdered wig. On Ollivander’s right was a middle aged looking unicorn. His fur was a faded amber and also wore the robe and wig. His expression was one of concern. Concern as to what was difficult to discern but he seemed to sense that something was indeed off.
Behind the judges and to either side of the main hearing area, sat the members of the Lower House of Parliament in their tiered stadium seating of polished benches that encircled the room. Two hundred and fifty representatives from every corner of Equestria and it’s protectorate regions. Above them was a second level balcony that was filled with seats, but void of bodies. Here the Upper House of Lords would normally sit, but the entire level was conspicuously empty. Behind the witness stand where Celestia sat, was the public seating section. Every row and pew was filled to the brim. Hundreds of ponies, many of them the Canterlot elite, had come to witness the greatest trial in the history of Equestria. Many of these elite audience members were the very members of the Upper House who’s regular seats were currently vacated. The Bailiffs, also assigned as Celestia’s personal guard detail stood outside the hearing area, separated by a simple wooden bar, but still close enough to respond if need be. Military guards were posted at the exit and a full regiment stood at attention outside the halls in case they needed to be called upon.
“If everypony is present and accounted for. I’ll have Judge Rivenbolt read the charges for the accused.” Trotwell stared daggers down at Princess Celestia. His voice was calm, but his face betrayed the disdain in his eyes. Madam Rivenbolt stood from her judge seat and gingerly opened a scroll with her hooves. She shook so terribly that she nearly dropped it, but just barely managed to hold her grip.
“Our benevolent Prin…” She began to say, but stopped herself and glanced nervously at Trotwell for just a brief moment. “The Princess: Celestia, is hereby charged…”
“Former Princess.” Trotwell interrupted, causing Rivenbolt to flinch. She reluctantly continued.
“Our former Princess, Princess Celestia, is hereby charged with treason…” She swallowed nervously before reading the next item on the list.
“…murder, war mongering, and conduct unbecoming of a member of the Canterlot Royal Court.” Rivenbolt finished the charges with a quivering frown on her face. The audience began chatting rather loudly amongst themselves, having now heard the full list of charges together for the first time.
“Order.” Trotwell shouted as he hammered his gavel on the bench. The echo of the heavy wood striking the stand sent a hush over the crowd.
“Murder?!” Luster Dawn looked dumbstruck.
“I know, I know it’s… complicated.” Twilight tried to explain, but her student wouldn’t have it.
“Lies! Insults! Slander! How dare they say that about the Princess.” Luster looked like she was ready to fight somepony. Twilight understood how she felt and simply nodded.
“Many ponies then and now would agree with you. But if you listen to the whole story, you may change your perspective.” Twilight’s voice was calm and tender like a mother or a patient kindergarten teacher.
“You mean she’s guilty?” Luster blurted out. Twilight gasped, but quickly regained composure.
“No, no I assure you Princess Celestia did not commit murder…” Twilight paused for a moment and chuckled, “Wow that’s a sentence I never thought I’d have to say.”
“Oh… yes of course not.” Luster looked down at the floor, a little embarrassed at her outburst. The thought of Equestria’s most famous and beloved Princess being accused of murder was just unbelievable.
“Anyway… where were we?” Twilight continued her reading.
“How does the defendant plead?” Trotwell demanded with callous conviction. Celestia held his gaze. With years of perfected practice, she matched the sternness of his expression, but lacked his malice in her calm voice.
“On what authority am I accused?”
The crowd murmured to each other but Trotwell was undeterred. He knew this question was coming, he just wasn’t expecting it to come this soon.
“You will answer the accusations.” He stated flatly.
“If I am to answer accusations, I will first understand who exactly is accusing me.” Celestia glared back defiantly.
“Submit your plea and I will answer your query.” Trotwell said slightly less confidently.
“If an authority cannot be named, then the accusations are invalid and I will answer nothing.” She answered smartly.
Trotwell leaned forward in his seat towards Celestia. His patience wearing thin.
“If you refuse to answer you will be held in contempt of court.” He fired back, letting his blooming anger curl his upper lip into a snarl.
Celestia kept her face neutral, but her next words held their own kind of power. “If there is no proper authority, then this is not a court.” Celestia responded loudly, but still not shouting. Her Canterlot Royal voice echoing across the chambers, the audience members in attendance could feel her conviction in their bones.
Ollivander considered his options. If he removed Celestia from the courtroom it would look like he was afraid of the question. However, answering her would allow her to take control of the court as she directed the hearing conversation. He had to wrestle it back from her quickly.
“You are charged by the authority of the Canterlot Royal Court Assembly.” Trotwell reluctantly answered.
“And who, praytell, does the Canterlot Royal Court Assembly derive their authority from?” Celestia failed to hide the grin that slowly crept onto her face. The question was a trap. The obvious answer was Princess Celestia herself. Although admitting that fact created a difficult legal paradox.
“The court derives its authority from the current ruling monarchy of Equestria.” Trotwell said softer than any other sentence he had said thus far.
“I am the current ruling monarch of Equestria.” Celestia began to let a bit of irritation slip into her tone from having to defend her honor and title in such a way as this.
“You are a traitor to ponykind!” Trotwell shouted back. His sudden screaming and emotional outburst took Celestia and the whole courtroom aback. Celestia remained undeterred.
“And as the ruling monarch of Equestria, who am I supposed to have committed treason against? Myself?” Celestia bluntly laid out the legal paradox. Since the founding of Equestria, a Princess had never before been put on trial.
“Your treason is against the ponies of Equestria.” Trotwell said calmly and smugly. Regaining his composure quickly.
“And what legal precedent is there for such an ambiguous authority?” Celestia asked. She shifted in her seat causing her chains to noisily rattle.
Trotwell knew the precedent didn’t exist. He and his supporters were treading on uncharted legal ground. The legal basis was as thin as an early spring frost on a lake.
“How do you plead?” He repeated.
“On what authority am I charged?” Celestia repeated as well.
“We will discuss this during evidentiary arguments. I will have you plead now?” Trotwell waited for Celestia’s response but, again, it didn’t come. She just sat there stoically holding his gaze until he finally looked away for a second.
“If you are unwilling to submit your plea, then I will hold you in contempt of court.” He waited a few more seconds for her to respond. She gave him nothing but a pregnant pause.
“Bailiffs!” He shouted, and the guards who escorted Celestia in began making their way towards her.
“We should recess.” The older judge on Trotwell’s right spoke up for the first time.
“I will not have the accused disrespect the court. Even if she is…” Trotwell began to argue but was cut off by his fellow judge.
“Ollivander…” was all he said and Trotwell decided to relent.
“We will adjourn until tomorrow. And at that time…” He looked intently at Celestia. “I will have your plea.”
The gavel cracked and the guards stood waiting for the Princess. She slowly got back to her feet and followed them out the back of the courtroom. As she walked past the pews filled with onlookers, she heard cries and shouts in her direction. Some were in support of her, but many were not. Celestia listened as she was chided and mocked by her own subjects. Each insult was like a sword piercing her heart. She wanted nothing but peace and happiness for her subjects. And even if the charges against her were false and handed down from an illegitimate court, she still felt that she had failed them.
Ollivander and his inner circle crowded the judge's chamber in the small room adjacent to the courtroom itself. 12 ponies, including himself and the other two judges, comprised his legal team and closest co-conspirators. The office was large and luxurious, but 12 ponies was pushing the limit of what would be considered comfortable. They all gathered around a table with just barely enough space to accommodate all parties. They weren’t quite sitting shoulder to shoulder, but it was close enough to feel the waves of emotions pouring off of each other. The mood in the room was tumultuous if not somewhat sour.
“She doesn’t respect the court!” Trotwell smacked his hoof on the table. There was a collective sigh but otherwise hardly a reaction to his sudden show of force.
“She’s toying with you. She knows she has the upper hoof.” Rosencolt stated plainly with his hooves crossed in front of him. His brow furrowed as he glared down at the empty table in front of him. As if he were pondering his army’s tactics for an upcoming battle.
“A prisoner toying with a judge? It’s unheard of, unacceptable.” Trotwell ranted.
“She is no ordinary prisoner. And it’s high time you started acting like it.” Rosencolt grunted to accentuate his point. The other ponies at the table cautiously nodded, afraid to challenge Trotwell on their own.
“Oh so should I be bowing to her majesty and asking permission to conduct her trial?” Trotwell rubbed his wavy hair in frustration.
“No, but treating her like a common criminal is a mistake. She still has many supporters. If the court appears to be unfair, she will gain more followers to her cause.” The General glanced in Trotwell’s direction out of the corner of his eye.
“If she doesn’t submit a plea tomorrow, I will hold her in contempt of court and we will conduct the trial in absentia. Her refusal to answer is a clear act of…” Trotwell was cut off by Rosencolt.
“You’re a fool Ollivander.”
The other members gasped at the outburst.
“You’re a brilliant commander and a charismatic leader, but your zealotry has always gotten the best of you.”
Trotwell sat down to collect himself.
“As my old commanding officer, I suppose you would know that better than anypony else.” Trotwell conceded.
“She wants you to hold her in contempt. She’s tricking you and you’re playing right into her hooves. The public will never accept the result of a trial in absentia. If the Princess is not able to defend herself, it will come across as false and cowardly.” Rosencolt’s voice softened a bit as he looked directly at the slouching Ollivander. “Your pony republic will be doomed before it even begins.”
“So we have to play her game?” Trotwell said annoyed. Rosencolt simply nodded.
“Alright,” Trotwell sat back up sharply. “How do we convince her to plead?”
“We need a better answer to her legitimacy argument.” Rivenbolt spoke up for the first time. She had been frowning ever since she read aloud the charges in the courtroom. “We have to establish precedent. Then she will look foolish for not answering.” Her eyes darted nervously to Ollivander. Something was clearly bothering her, but he chose not to press her on it for the time being.
“We can’t establish precedent where there is none. A Princess has never been tried before. There is no law permitting it.” Trotwell said as he shook his head.
“There is no law forbidding it either.” Rosencolt countered as Rivenbolt nodded in agreement.
“If we can make a reasonable argument for how a Princess can commit treason, we can establish the court’s authority and get the other charges applied as well.” Rivenbolt’s hooves were shaking a little bit.
“Explain.” Trotwell said curtly.
“I… I… uhm…” Rivenbolt’s trembling spread to the rest of her body. She looked fearfully at Trotwell.
Trotwell sighed and softened his expression.
“It’s alright. I know you don’t care for public speaking. But your expertise is invaluable to our cause. So please," Ollivander’s voice was tender and calm, "How do we establish legitimacy for the court in the absence of a monarch?"
Rivenbolt's shoulders relaxed as she released the built up tension in her neck.
"At the founding of Equestria it was declared that a Princess of Equestria and the ponies of Equestria are one in the same. This was mostly meant as a ceremonial declaration of unity and friendship, however this founding declaration is recognized by every court in Equestria. If we interpret this document literally, then a Princess can, in fact, commit treason against herself if her illegal actions have harmed ponykind." Rivenbolt blurted out as if she had rehearsed the statement.
"Brilliant!" Trotwell declared as he smacked the table and triumphantly raised his hoof. Everypony seemed pleased with the excitement except for Rivenbolt who flinched at the table being struck a second time.
"Here we all have been scrounging and scraping through statutes and scrolls of legal text for weeks trying to establish our legitimacy, yet all we needed was the oldest writing in Equestrian History that every school foal can recite from memory. Ha!" He gave Rivenbolt a delighted affirmative nod. "Nothing gets past you, my dear Rivenbolt."
"So she can commit treason. That's all well and good but how does that give us the authority to be the arbiters of a trial against the monarchy. Need I remind you that we, illegally, expelled the House of Lords to hold the vote that gave us the very power of judicial review we claim to have?" Rosencolt soberly rebutted. However, Trotwell didn't miss a beat.
"The Luna rulings from 6 CE. After the co-founding Princess Luna was banished to the moon by Celestia herself. The High Court ruled that Luna committed treason by attacking her sister monarch and Equestria. Her banishment was therefore legally upheld by parliament." Trotwell looked around the room at his fellow co-conspirators. Their looks of confusion showed that they didn't seem to grasp where he was going.
"I see." Trotwell leaned back in his seat.
"I don't." Rosencolt raised his eyebrow at his former subordinate.
"Tomorrow you will. For I will not only establish our legitimacy, I will also force Celestia to plead." Ollivander grinned smugly. The corners of his mouth wrapped so far up his cheeks it looked almost unnatural.
"You are confident she will plead? That alone would be an acknowledgement of our legitimacy." Rosencolt was thus far unmoved by Trotwell’s bravado.
"She will plead or she will flee in disgrace. That, my dear friends, I am certain."
With that, the meeting ended and all parties went home to retire for the evening.
****
The second day of the trial began much noisier than the first day. The overwhelming silence was replaced by whispers and chatter throughout the chamber. Ponies were debating with each other, questioning the legitimacy of the court itself. Many wondered if the trial would last to midday before it was exposed as a farce. Celestia seemed even more confident and elegant in her entrance. Her guards looked more bored than afraid this time. As if they were just going through the motions of an unwanted ceremony.
Trotwell, Rosencolt, and Rivenbolt took their places at the judge's table. Rivenbolt appeared nervous as usual. Rosencolt looked as neutral and unreadable as ever. It was Trotwell’s infamously boisterous demeanor that would betray how well the prosecution saw their chances of victory. He sat down briskly with his head held high. His eyes declared that he was here with a bold purpose that would not be denied. If anypony thought that Trotwell would look sheepish and humbled by the previous day's antics, they were sorely mistaken. He looked like a Stallion who had already won. And wore his inevitable victory like a smug mask.
"Good Morning." His voice was strong but also pleasant. The courtroom quieted down a bit but not enough to his liking.
"Order, order I say." He banged his gavel several times and the crowd fell into a subdued silence.
Once he gathered control over the room, Trotwell began his opening remarks.
"A Princess is one with her fellow Equestrians. And the ponies of Equestria are one with their Princess. May peace, prosperity, and friendship follow us forever and ever."
Everypony in the room recognized the declaration Trotwell was quoting from. Most ponies could remember standing before their primary school class, saluting the Equestrian flag, and reciting the whole declaration from memory.
"This declaration clearly states that the Princess and her subjects are the same legal entity. Therefore a Princess monarch can, in fact, commit treason against her subjects. They being an extension of the crown themselves."
A powerful and thought provoking opening statement. All over the courtroom, in the audience, and among parliament, one could hear whispers of a single phrase being uttered. A single, controversial phrase that had been debated for centuries in high pony society, but never put into law before:
Popular Sovereignty.
"Popular Sovereignty." Luster echoed to Princess Twilight. "Now that's a term I do know."
"Oh you do?" Twilight’s face lit up with glee for her student. "In that case, before we go on, what does Popular Sovereignty mean?"
"Is this a pop quiz?" Luster's eyebrow rose in suspicion. “No pun intended.”
"Hmmmmmm…" Twilight looked to the ceiling as she pondered her answer. "Yes. Yes it is." She nodded her head decisively. The Princess was never a mare to turn down a good test.
"And what happens if I fail the pop quiz?" Luster sighed as she asked.
"You'll have to write a full oral presentation on Popular Sovereignty and present it to me." Twilight spoke with no sign of joking or sarcasm on her face.
"Yikes." Was all Luster could think to say in response. She scrambled to collect her thoughts and bring forth the best answer she could.
"Ok so Popular Sovereignty is the idea that ponies govern themselves." Luster looked anxiously at Twilight.
"And...?" Twilight offered, clearly expecting more to the answer.
"And… they get to do so by… voting… through popular… opinion… sovereignly?" Luster grimaced hoping it would be enough.
"You're so close." Twilight remarked, shaking her head.
"Close enough?" Luster asked.
"I'll let you know after the story." Twilight drew her attention back to the words on the next page of the old book.
"That's Princess speak for 'no’.” Luster slouched down in her chair disappointed as Twilight continued reading.
Ollivander Trotwell had done the impossible. Without stating it outright, he had tied the idea of Popular Sovereignty to the oldest and most well beloved doctrine in Equestria's history. To argue against Popular Sovereignty now would be like arguing against Equestria itself. Like the flick of a switch it seemed as if the idea had been around since the very founding of Equestria.
"Princess Celestia." Trotwell loudly called her name over the mumbling of the courtroom. "You stand accused of treason, murder, war mongering, and conduct unbecoming of a member of the Royal Canterlot Court. How do you plead?" His smug smile radiated from his face.
Celestia paused only for a moment before responding.
"On what authority do you bring these charges?" She parroted her words from the previous day.
Not wanting to be caught in an argument loop like before, Trotwell chose to change his tactics.
"What authority indeed?" Trotwell feigned bewilderment as he glanced about the courtroom. He wanted to gauge the temperament of the room before going off on a wild tangent. Everypony seemed to be deeply invested in what Olivander would present next. A court that stood on a knife's edge of being declared false and prejudiced, suddenly had the undivided attention of all who bore witness. Much like a masterfully conducted play in a large theatre.
“Princess Celestia.” Trotwell began. Celestia took notice that he wasn't qualifying her as a 'former' anymore. A note that was quickly answered by his next question:
“Why are you not a Queen?”
Celestia paused for a moment. She was certain he was trying to set some sort of trap. Somehow the answer to this question would be used against her. But she could scarcely think how.
“An appointed Monarch may be titled as a Queen or a Princess. There is no distinction in prestige or power…” Celestia began defensively, but Trotwell cut her off.
“Yes, yes, it makes no difference. The court is well aware that the title is irrelevant to the power of an active monarch. This is not an attack on the authority of your title. I am simply asking…” Trotwell stroked his chin and eyed Celestia with a genuine look of curiosity. “Why not Queen Celestia? Surely a simple matter of title nomenclature can be cleared up by Your Majesty.”
Celestia was more suspicious than ever now that Trotwell was referring to her as 'your majesty.' He had been at odds with her rule for more than a year at this point.
“So please, Your Majesty, enlighten the court. Why are you not a Queen?”
Celestia could think of no reason this line of questioning was relevant to anything having to do with Trotwell’s planned coup of her crown. But neither could she think of a reason not to answer.
“According to tradition, a Queen must be married. I have never been married.” Celestia admitted. Once the words left her mouth, she felt a little embarrassed by them. A small hint of blushing could be seen on her beige complexion.
“A pity.” Trotwell replied, "Is that by choice? Or perhaps most stallions find you too intimidating?" He snidely remarked.
Despite the borderline inappropriate nature of this line of questioning, Celestia was no stranger to answering personal questions as a well known public figure.
"I was once intended to marry a Stallion. At the founding of Equestria, we were to be wed and crowned King and Queen of the new pony nation." Celestia said while looking down at the floor. Her voice was much softer and less boisterous than just a moment before.
"And why didn’t that happen?" Trotwell lowered his voice as well. The acoustics of the room still carried their voices, but the conversation suddenly felt less formal and more intimate.
"He was killed by wendigos when they attacked the pony tribes." Celestia sighed. She often thought of the pony she once was meant to call husband. But she rarely spoke of him.
"And how exactly did our 'would-be-king' die?" Trotwell blurted out casually, as if he already knew or the answer she was about to give was already boring him.
"His name was Dawnbreaker!" Celestia's royal Canterlot voice abruptly boomed across the chamber catching everypony off guard.
"And he was a great stallion who would have made a fine King for centuries to come." Celestia defiantly glared at Ollivander. Her defense of her lost lover was much stronger and more impassioned than any defense she had offered for herself thus far.
"Go on." Trotwell said neither acknowledging nor debating Celestia’s claim on the dead Prince's character.
"Everypony knows the story of Hearth's Warming Eve." Celestia reluctantly continued. "But it wasn't as simple as the leaders of the pony tribes coming together in friendship. For weeks we worked together to spread harmony and friendship across the three pony tribes.” She paused in her tale, remembering what they went through, and feeling the weight of their choices. “But the Wendigos didn't take kindly to their source of food turning away from them. They attacked us at every opportunity, trying to feast on every last fleeting drop of hatred and discord."
Celestia’s gaze turned outward to the crowded courtroom. "We were trying to evacuate pony refugees who's homes along the mountainside had been devastated by Windigo destruction just days before. But before we could escape down the mountain, they attacked us in numbers we had never seen before. It was their last hurrah, the final showdown to torment ponykind before we fully embraced harmony and cut them off forever. Dawn and I…"
Celestia smiled softly as she called him 'Dawn.' It had been centuries since she had uttered his name as such.
"We faced the Wendigos alone in order to buy everypony time to escape down into the valley. But Dawn insisted that I see to it that the refugees made it safely through the mountain pass. My sister Luna was still a child. She was too young to lead or fight. He told me to go look after her. He said he could handle the Windogos alone.”
She paused, drawing in a sad breath and letting it out through clenched teeth.
“He lied. They were too much for anypony, no matter how powerful, to stand alone against. I watched him fight as we fled down the mountain. He fought fiercely and with such raw power. Such speed and ferocity. He held them at bay long enough for us to escape. But then, he was struck down. I saw him fall to the earth. Motionless. Helpless. Alone. I shielded my sister's eyes from it, forbidding her to watch him die in such a terrible way. I will never forget the sight of it. I flew to his body, praying it wasn't too late. But he was already gone.
That day I learned that harmony unites ponies not only in joy and friendship, but also in tragedy and death. As I wailed over his body, sobbing uncontrollably, the Windigos couldn't approach me. A great and bright power erupted from me as I held his limp head in my hooves. This strange power drove the Wendigos back from the mountain. We never saw the likes of them in Equestria again. Harmony had forever united the pony clans. Dawnbreaker's sacrifice was the final casualty to the founding of Equestria."
Celestia closed her eyes as she recalled a simpler time when harmony brought everypony together. Now she wondered if her failures would tear everypony apart. This trial was politically motivated, of that there was no doubt. But there were seeds of doubt on her ability to rule. Many of her subjects had lost confidence in her wisdom and leadership. This trial was merely the manifestation of those doubts.
"Dawnbreaker wasn't quite the last casualty was he?" Trotwell remarked, breaking Celestia from her brief meditative state.
"What do you mean?" Celestia looked genuinely confused.
"At the founding of Equestria, it was intended for there to be two monarchs. Is that correct?" Trotwell asked.
"Yes." Celestia responded plainly.
"So you admit that by its very nature, your status as the sole monarch of Equestria is less than ideal?" Trotwell added accusingly.
"We believed that the dual leadership of a loving union of monarchs would be more harmonious than a single ruler, yes." Celestia admitted.
"So your sister was crowned as your co-ruler instead of your late husband-to-be." Trotwell said. He clearly knew the answer to every question he was asking.
Celestia fearfully stared at Ollivander as he towered over her from his judge’s seat. She finally understood the meaning behind his line of questioning.
"My sister, Luna, was young. But we knew in time she would grow to be a wise and intelligent leader." Celestia fought back tears as fiercely as Dawnbreaker had fought back the Windigos. She turned to look at Rivenbolt, her former assistant. A mare who knew so much about Celestia’s personal life and history from years of service and friendship. Rivenbolt averted Celestia’s gaze in silent shame. She couldn't bear to confront the pain and betrayal in her former boss's eyes.
"Then please inform the court, where is Princess Luna now? Why is she not co-ruler alongside you to this day? Is that not what the founders of Equestria intended? To have the harmony of co-rulers and not a sole tyrant such as yourself?" Trotwell’s voice grew harsher with every word.
Celestia chose to ignore his deliberate insult.
"Luna grew jealous and greedy. She betrayed Equestria and rebelled, attacking Canterlot and myself directly. I had no choice but to take action against her." Celestia explained.
"And thus you used the elements of harmony to imprison her on the moon for a thousand years. These elements, I believe, are the source of the very magic you used to defeat the Windigos, is that correct?" Trotwell demanded. He squeezed his gavel with an iron grip.
"Yes. I didn’t know it at the time but later determined that must be the case." Celestia admitted.
"So you discovered a great power that you alone could wield, as far as anypony knows, and suddenly the only two ponies who could potentially challenge your power and authority conveniently ended up dead or imprisoned on the moon. If such a thing could even happen in the first place. Traveling to the moon is beyond any known unicorn magic. And non-alicorn ponies do not live a thousand years to prove your story wrong. Who is to say that Princess Luna's body isn't buried somewhere deep beneath the castle next to Prince Dawnbreaker?" Trotwell pointed his gavel directly at Celestia. His accusations stunning the courthouse including his supporters and colleagues.
It had been many moons since Princess Celestia had permitted hate to enter her heart. She believed that she loved and cared for everypony under her charge. Yet here she sat, shackled in chains before a courthouse accused of treason and murder. She glared at Ollivander Trotwell with scarcely a single coherent thought able to cross her mind. All should could feel was one single overwhelming sensation throughout her mind, body, and soul:
Hatred.
And nothing is more dangerous than a monarch who is overcome with hatred.
Trotwell could see the change of emotion on her regal face. The former Princess wore her anger like a jewel in her crown. Impressed that he got this kind of reaction out of her, he leaned forward, circling back to the very beginning and spoke his question once more.
"Princess Celestia, you stand accused of treason, murder, war mongering, and conduct unbecoming of a member of the Canterlot Royal Court. How do you plead?" Trotwell demanded once more.
"On what baseless authority do you bring these ridiculous charges?" Celestia blurted out. Her temper finally flaring nearly out of control in her voice.
"Baseless?" Trotwell protested. "The Equestrian parliament elected this court and its council to conduct these proceedings."
"Lies!" Celestia shouted back. "Not a third of you decided that. You expelled the House of Lord's and held a vote in their absence with no quorum or legitimate authority to do so." Her voice pierced the rafters.
Trotwell slammed his gavel three times in an effort to preemptively silence the room which he was sure was about to erupt into disorder.
"You will not make a mockery of this court!" Trotwell shouted as he continued to pound the gavel. However, it had little to no effect on the crowd. Ponies in attendance yelled protests and admonishments. Order was seemingly impossible to restore. Celestia seized the opportunity.
"This court doesn't need me to make a mockery of it. You did so when you abandoned justice for personal gain and glory." Celestia's royal canterlot voice cut above the roaring crowd, egging them on.
"I demand these charges be dismissed. That this insult of a trial be brought to an end at once."
The crowd erupted in cheers. Cries of "Here here" and "All hail Celestia" could be heard in concert throughout the massive hall.
"We must recess." Rosencolt had to shout into Trotwell’s ear just to be heard. "We will reconvene with parliament and remind them why they support our cause. We cannot hope to control this mob while the Princess has them rallied." He reasoned with Trotwell, but the ambitious judge was unable to pay him any heed because his attention was suddenly being pulled elsewhere.
"Rivenbolt!" Ollivander shouted out, Although his words were completely drowned out in the chanting mob. Rivenbolt had left the judge’s bench to walk straight into the middle of the hearing chamber. Right into the heart of the lion's den. She stood before the Princess and stared straight into her eyes.
Celestia ceased her rallying cries to her audience and met Rivenbolt’s gaze. There was so much Celestia wanted to say to her former assistant. So many questions she wanted answers to, not the least of which was why did she go down this path of betrayal? A pony she once called a friend and trusted more than any noble, or advisor, or politician. But Celestia could recognize when it wasn't her turn to speak. She raised her royal hoof high into the air and within moments the crowd fell silent again. The sudden switch from chaos to silence was jarring to say the least. All eyes fell on the tiny blue pegasus pony that stood in the center of the hearing chamber.
"Princess Celestia, you will hear the court's justification for quorum. And you will hear the evidence behind the accusations that have been justly brought." Her voice was incredibly soft. The acoustics of the room were just barely enough to allow her to be heard at all. "If you will not even do so much as face your accusers, then you have no right to call for an end to the proceedings."
A small, barely noticeable tear dripped down Rivenbolt’s cheeks. Only a pony as close to her as Celestia would have been able to visibly notice it.
"If you will not hear us, then you have no right to call anything a mockery of justice." Rivenbolt's wig fit a little too big for her head and her robe was loose around her shoulders and slumped slightly. A year ago she was nobody. She never held an office or a title in high pony society. But she knew the Princess.
Celestia looked up to Trotwell then back to Rivenbolt. Neither pony made a move or said a word. Rivenbolt held her ground and kept her gaze squarely on the Princess. Everypony in the room awaited her Royal reply.
"Very well." She said in a soft tone that matched Rivenbolt's. "I will listen to what my accusers have to say." She glared once again at Trotwell. He was the source of all this torment so he deserved her glare.
"Ollivander Trotwell." Her royal Canterlot voice returned, "Explain yourself." She reclined slightly in her wooden seat. The shackles on her hooves rustled at the motion.
Trotwell sat up straight in his seat and rolled his shoulders back. He patiently waited for Rivenbolt to slowly return to her seat before continuing.
"The Luna rulings of 6 C.E. upheld Princess Celestia's banishment of the rogue sister Princess. However, this post facto ruling set an unwelcome precedent." Trotwell was done with games. No more posturing. He was ready to simply make his case. If the mob still demanded he step down after saying his peace, he would live with it.
"The monarchy was designed by the founders as a dual leadership. And the Princess, despite having good cause, and despite acting in the best interest of Equestria…" Trotwell paused. The way he worded this would have to be delicate. Sympathy for the Princess was at an all time high at this point in the proceedings.
"She still acted as judge, jury, and sentencer of a fellow Princess without consulting Parliament or the judiciary. Even for an absolute monarch, Parliament, at the time, found such a use of power to be too… well… absolute. So a provision was made." Trotwell cleared his throat before continuing.
"If a Princess were ever again to betray Equestria, Parliament was allowed to declare a state of emergency to discuss an appropriate course of action up to and including expelling the monarch from power. After the events of the past several months involving our northern borders, which we will dive deeply into during the trial, both houses of Parliament agreed to declare a state of emergency and convene."
Rosencolt's eyes shot wide as Trotwell plotted on. Ollivander was way off script of any strategy their entourage had discussed. He feared his comrade was giving away too much information.
"However, once the idea of a trial was brought up, the upper house refused to even entertain the thought. So they filly-bustered and blocked the vote. As speaker of the lower house, I declared that the upper house had failed to act on the emergency. Thus, as per the provision of the Luna rulings, I legally expelled the upper house and held the vote to go to trial and…" He looked once again down at Celestia. A confident smile returned to his face.
"Here we are."
"The expulsion of the upper house and the vote to arrest me were illegal. You should be facing treason charges, Ollivander." Celestia shot back. The court audience members could be heard arguing with each other loudly over the matter.
"You're right." Ollivander admitted simply.
The room quieted down again, at least somewhat. Most ponies, especially Celestia, were struck with confusion over Trotwell seemingly admitting defeat.
"The state of emergency, the expulsion of the upper house, the vote, the arrest, the trial, all of it is illegal. Unless!..." He shouted so loud, everypony held their breath waiting for him to continue.
"...You, Princess, are guilty of treason. If the charges against you are true then the state of emergency and all subsequent actions are justified. And you will forever be stripped of your crown." Trotwell laid the gambit out as plain as could be.
Celestia and the entire court could now understand the brilliant yet desperate strategy of Ollivander Trotwell. Everything hinged on the trial itself. Either Celestia was guilty and bound for banishment, or prison, or whatever the court deemed necessary, or she was innocent and her accusers would be the ponies facing justice.
She could hear the whispers all around her. The doubts about her rule and leadership. The doubts that she would even accept the legitimacy of the trial at all. She could still wiggle her way out, but then what? Another vote? Another coup? Another trial? The last several months had been the most challenging for her as a ruler. A cascading series of failures and setbacks that hurt her subjects and marred her credibility. It was only a matter of time before this situation would come to a head again. But the next time may be on a battlefield instead of in a courtroom. The thought of a pony civil war was more than she could bear.
"Princess Celestia." Trotwell looked down at the prisoner. Though this time, perhaps, they were finally on equal terms. He had her trapped.
So, one final time, he asked:
"You stand accused of treason, murder, war mongering, and conduct unbecoming of a member of the Canterlot Royal Court. How do you plead?"
Celestia knew she had to face her failures now. The longer she waited, the more devastating the results would be. However, Trotwell held all the cards. He and his cohorts were judge, jury, and potentially executioner as well. Everything was stacked against her from the shackles on her hooves to the gavel in Trotwell’s grip. Her thoughts turned to her sister Luna. Stranded on the moon because Celestia was too naive. She thought of Dawnbreaker. Sacrificed to the Windigos because she was too weak. How many more ponies would need to suffer under her charge? Even though it meant her reign would come to an end, she refused to let any other pony be hurt because of her.
She’d stand trial, and see her title restored.
"Not guilty." Celestia hung her head in shame as the gavel cracked.