can you tell us more about Celestia and Luna's parents? why wasn't Polaris's wife not the second in command of his army?
the images in this post are some Exceedingly old concepts for Polaris and Eclipsier, they were originally part of another AU but i co-opted them into this one because i feel like they're better suited to this setting. i plan on redesigning them a little later on, but right now these designs are sufficient.
Polaris was a flamboyant and domineering leader, and oversaw his budding kingdom's border with an iron grip. He was not to be trifled with, and was extremely quick to anger when he felt that he was slighted. He knew how to command a room, and he made sure that he was always the center of attention. He was the type to desire conquest, and Equestria's largest period of growth was under his rule. Equestria's border has only changed very slightly since his death, and that was mostly to give the land he'd taken back to who it originally belonged to.
As a father, Polaris was both overbearing and neglectful. He cared not for Luna, believing her to look too similar to the wife he despised, and instead poured his energy into raising the progeny that he believed to be more worth his time. He held Celestia up to impossible standards, and instilled in her that she must always be placid and beautiful, smiling benevolently over all. He wanted Celestia to be the perfect leader, and in a way she achieved that, though Polaris didn't make her that way.
Polaris died by Celestia's hoof, but the details of that event have been lost to history.
Eclipsier was constantly plagued by despair and mental illness. She was immensely emotionally unstable, to the point where she was incapable of completing any of her duties as Queen. She was an alcoholic, constantly coping with drink even during public-facing events. While Polaris showed obvious favor towards Celestia, Eclipsier treated her daughters equally. That is, she felt equally guilty for them both. She felt guilty that she was such a bad parent, yet didn't make any strides to try and fix herself.
Eclipsier was the final aristocrat of the Night Kingdom, a country about the same size as Equestria was back then, which Equestria was at war against. In a bid to end the war and restore peace among ponykind, young Eclipsier and Polaris were married. Eventually, though, Polaris captured the Night Kingdom, and it was absorbed into Equestria, much to Eclipsier's existential dismay.
Eclipsier died by "accidental" suicide shortly after the Founding War ended. By that point, she had been completely hidden away from the public, Polaris fearing that her unstable state would be a detriment to Equestrian patriotism. The celestial sisters have made a concerted effort to hide their mothers legacy away, fearful of how the public would react if they knew the full extent of Eclipsier's misery under Polaris's rule. Neither of them believe this is the right thing to do, but what other options are there?
