In the backstory of The Belgariad, Polgara forced the warring duchies of Arendia into peace by becoming a flagrantly-abusive tyrant who utterly destroyed any noble who declined to follow her directions, so that the nobles all decided that they'd rather put aside their grudges and work together than have to deal with her. It worked for a long time, but everything collapsed again after she left.
This isn't an accurate depiction of what happens in the book Polgara. Pol is a Duchess, but never rules -she serves as an advisor to the king of Vo Wacun, and manipulates people and events to bring about a balanced peace. (Such as when Tolnedra merchants tried to kick up trouble in Arend to sell weapons, she flew down, conspired with the Tolnedrian emperor, then got the borders to Arend closed for a time, cutting off the market. Cue bankrupt troublestirrers.)
The few times she crushes someone, she doesn't kill them -she scares the hell out of them with her magic in some form, so they're willing to go along with her. She's good at digging in a person's mind, finding their deepest fear, and then showing them an illusion only they can see. With the help of her father and occasionally Beldin, they twist events while rarely having to get violent.
(Edit: I own the book, and the rest of the series.)
Edited by CandiComing back to where you started is not the same as never leaving. -Terry Pratchett
This isn't an accurate depiction of what happens in the book Polgara. Pol is a Duchess, but never rules -she serves as an advisor to the king of Vo Wacun, and manipulates people and events to bring about a balanced peace. (Such as when Tolnedra merchants tried to kick up trouble in Arend to sell weapons, she flew down, conspired with the Tolnedrian emperor, then got the borders to Arend closed for a time, cutting off the market. Cue bankrupt troublestirrers.)
The few times she crushes someone, she doesn't kill them -she scares the hell out of them with her magic in some form, so they're willing to go along with her. She's good at digging in a person's mind, finding their deepest fear, and then showing them an illusion only they can see. With the help of her father and occasionally Beldin, they twist events while rarely having to get violent.
(Edit: I own the book, and the rest of the series.)
Edited by Candi Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving. -Terry Pratchett