What if marriage was required to keep the peace?

[ManaMinori 4,149]

What if DHX gave us an episode that was more or less like "Mulan 2", that is- requiring Twilight to be put in a position as a Princess and "Guardian of Harmony" to have an arranged marriage and be wed to a Prince of another country (and species) to keep the peace with Equestria and form an alliance, when the EoH couldn't be used? Would the remane 5 try to sabotage the wedding out of Twilight's best interest of personal happiness, or allow her to go through with it on the basis of peace for the nation?

Edited December 28, 2018 by Nightmare Muffin

[cuteycindyhoney 13,336]

I don't see this as happening. If anything, it would involve Celestia. Twilight is the royal equivalent of the governor of a state. Celestia is the ultimate leader.

[Cash In 23,097]

6 minutes ago, cuteycindyhoney said:

I don't see this as happening. If anything, it would involve Celestia. Twilight is the royal equivalent of the governor of a state. Celestia is the ultimate leader.

Yeah, ditto. I don't think Twilight would be the one who would immediately be involved. Even if she was, I don't think Celestia would give in to it, as she would be aware of Twilight's discomfort towards the event. 

[ManaMinori 4,149]

17 minutes ago, cuteycindyhoney said:

I don't see this as happening. If anything, it would involve Celestia. Twilight is the royal equivalent of the governor of a state. Celestia is the ultimate leader.

Celestia isn't the bearer of the elements of harmony anymore, so it wouldn't fall upon her. Heck, she can't even properly defend her own kingdom.

[RDDash 19,244]

Yeah no, that probably won't happen. Not the way you think about that, I mean suppose a pony princess would be traded away to someone else, I can imagine them being extremely annoyed at situation that they were been put in.

[SharpWit 2,859]

Ignoring elements, I disagree with what others have said about Twilight. For alliances it's best to marry off second sons and daughters. Your eldest will eventually inherit your role as ruler of the nation, the rest are technically expendable and thus better suited to being married off. this allows them the chance at least to obtain authority of their own at some point. From a leadership standpoint, Twilight is expendable. Celestia and Luna are co-rulers. Should one fall the other shall rise up. Cadence grew up in Equestria, and as a princess would also be expendable except she already rules over the Crystal Empire which is essentially a protectorate of Equestria. She's too much responsibility to be married off if we also ignore her pre-existing marriage, and better suited to fill in for the royal sisters. Twilight is practically prime real estate for being married off.

As far as too other species, I'm personally against this, which is why a fictitious nation of batponies I came up with avoids this sort of thing by having adoptive families to marry off. Think of it like how Theon Greyjoy in Game of Thrones was technically held captive by the Starks. He was welcomed to the family but was still heir to the Iron Islands. He's not truly a stark but raised like one and with such close connections, had the potential to be a fantastic ally despite being of a different house.

I think the "remane 5" would object if it was obvious how miserable an arranged marriage was making Twilight.

[ManaMinori 4,149]

5 hours ago, SharpWit said:

Ignoring elements, I disagree with what others have said about Twilight. For alliances it's best to marry off second sons and daughters. Your eldest will eventually inherit your role as ruler of the nation, the rest are technically expendable and thus better suited to being married off. this allows them the chance at least to obtain authority of their own at some point. From a leadership standpoint, Twilight is expendable. Celestia and Luna are co-rulers. Should one fall the other shall rise up. Cadence grew up in Equestria, and as a princess would also be expendable except she already rules over the Crystal Empire which is essentially a protectorate of Equestria. She's too much responsibility to be married off if we also ignore her pre-existing marriage, and better suited to fill in for the royal sisters. Twilight is practically prime real estate for being married off.

As far as too other species, I'm personally against this, which is why a fictitious nation of batponies I came up with avoids this sort of thing by having adoptive families to marry off. Think of it like how Theon Greyjoy in Game of Thrones was technically held captive by the Starks. He was welcomed to the family but was still heir to the Iron Islands. He's not truly a stark but raised like one and with such close connections, had the potential to be a fantastic ally despite being of a different house.

I think the "remane 5" would object if it was obvious how miserable an arranged marriage was making Twilight.

the only reason I brought up the marriage more likely being to another species is due in part to ponies as a race not really being a naturally violent race that would require such a peace treaty / marriage alignment to set them straight.

and thanks for agreeing with my post. Twilight is definitely the most expendable.

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 42,202]

This is a plot concept that I haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaate. It doesn't do anything for anyone. It only makes characters *look* bad, probably stupid and the "It is a misunderstanding!" point is always so predictable and uninteresting. Mulan 2 was an awful movie and this was one of the reasons. It just made every character look incredibly stupid.

[Goat-kun 2,531]

... But then our fair and sparkly pony princess would fall in love with a mysterious scoundrel who'd crash the engagement party with his rebel force. Of course, it would turn out that he's the true heir to the throne, but they'd marry each other out of true love so it would be K.

[cuteycindyhoney 13,336]

From what we've seen of their civilization, I think that the ponies would see an arranged marriage to be repellent and barbaric.

Spoiler

As do I 

 

[Misty Shadow 8,200]

A Canterlot Wedding II?  Not a fan of that plot idea. It's pretty stock and would have to have some sort of series-altering event in order to not be completely predictable. I don't believe in any idea being unworkable, just ones that are harder to make work than others depending on the situation. For a show like MLP, I don't think anything great would come from playing a plot like that for laughs, it would have to provide some serious new ground for the series.

[Here No Longer 5,286]

If I saw this as a concept for an episode, I'd IMMEDIATELY skip it. This type of plot literally NEVER works. I think Mulan II on its own is enough evidence of that.

Edited December 28, 2018 by Santa Barik

[ManaMinori 4,149]

On 12/28/2018 at 1:27 PM, Santa Barik said:

If I saw this as a concept for an episode, I'd IMMEDIATELY skip it. This type of plot literally NEVER works. I think Mulan II on its own is enough evidence of that.

even with a series like FiM that has been known to flip the status quo and character tropes on its head?

[Denim&Venöm 20,434]

Just because ponies are inherently non-violent doesn't mean they're push overs. They'd be confident to find another way and wouldn't bow down to sacrificing one of their own to keep the peace. Even in the most dire of situations, even on the brink of defeat, Equestria has never surrendered. 

So I'd see Twi working her darnedest to find another way, for a forced marriage kinda goes against the ideas of how friendship, peace and diplomacy work. You work with others to achieve those things, not sweep it under the rug with a hollow symbolic tradition that completely ignores the real beings involved.

"For the good of *x*" is never good enough justification.