”Exile is a very serious punishment, more serious than his crime deserved. We were harsh. However…” Her expression regains a bit of her usual calm. “…I believe firmly that ponies can be redeemed, and I modify my punishments accordingly. Sometimes this makes them less severe. Other times, like this one, it makes them moreso, but only conditionally. Should he learn the two lessons I set for him, and should he serve Cadance and Shining as well as he served us, his life in the Crystal Empire will be comfortable. Should he refuse those lessons, and refuse to serve, he will feel the full weight of his sentence, and it will crush him. Those two are aware of the circumstances of his crime; we discussed all this beforehand. They’ll ensure he’s handled properly. However, the core of his sentence remains the fact he is never welcome back into the country he loves, forever distant from the sovereigns he served his whole life.”