So, on my AU, the Crystal Empire (
Crystallia/Belurshahr) is populated by Latin-speaking ponies, descended from prisoners of war that managed to settle in the other side of the world, on the borders of Yak territory, avoid being assimilated, and create a nation there, replicating many of their homeland’s social structures. However, it never managed to become totally independent from Equestria. officially, it is a satrapy, but it’s the only one that has the power to choose its own satraps.
On Sombra (
Caeso Latrius Sambrialus)’s reign, much of the senatorial class fled to Equestria, leading to Celestia and Luna’s failed intervention there; over a thousand years later, Belurshahr returs from the limbo it had been in, and after the events of “The Crystal Empire”, Cadance (
Marcia Anicia Cadentia), descendant from one of the refugee senatorial families, is appointed Satrap of Belurshahr, although within the satrapy/nation, copying from their western cousins, she uses the title of
Princeps civitatis, to avoid having to use the politically tainted “
regina” or “
dictatrix”, or use a Equestrian title.
So, Cadentia and her sister-in-law and Shah, Twilight (
Twalnaxt Azamig), outside a basilica in the capital,
Serenagris.
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Last part of the Shahanshahs set.
So, i originally intended to have these two in two separate drawings, but
nooby gave me the idea of putting them together, and i liked the idea of showcasing the contrast between outfits.
I wanted to give a toga to Cadance, but i had no reference for how these would look on that angle, so i settled for a
chlamys.
I think it took me six days to complete this. special thanks to
St@SyaN for helping me with the floor and
Badumsquish for giving me a reference for Cadance ’s hands