Summer Garden

Janus

Janus glanced over at the shadow, "What is it?"

"Complications." The man replied, "The mage was attacked by Lady Summer."

Janus sighed, "So the mortal is dead. Wonderful. We'll try another tactic."

"No, sir." The assassin replied, "The mage is not dead. She instead seems to have formed an alliance of sorts with the Queen."

Janus felt his eye bulge and he glared, "What did you do, idiot?"

"Not I, sir." The assassin replied flatly, "It appears that the dead one is a mortal of not inconsiderable importance, despite appearances to the contrary. Both the Queen and the mage have imprinted upon him."

Janus frowned, "So, this mortal is dangerous, then."

"I have also confirmed that Lady Luna, and the Queen's handmaiden, Astrian, have also imprinted on this dead creature."

Janus felt astonishment hit him like a brick wall, "What? How could any mortal be the fate of so many? Even beyond his own death?"

The shadow shrugged silently.

Janus smiled slowly, "They're all female, aren't they? We should ensure the wedding goes ahead smoothly, and publicly. It'll throw all the realms into chaos. I can control that, and save us."

"It is possible that the fates are actively preventing the destruction of this mortal creature." The assassin cautioned, but Janus was no longer listening. The weapon he wanted to use to gut the Queen was at her right hand. All he had to do was wait, and the situation would resolve itself without his intervention.

Possibly. He never invested himself totally in a single course of events, to do so would allow the fates to idly direct the course of your life towards their own ends. Purposes that were unclear. He wasn't entirely certain what motivated the fates to do what they did. Perhaps a primal instinct for carnage and drama, or just a love of chaos itself. His every action they opposed openly, whilst he knew they could not interfere if the queen was to attempt anything.

That the queen had a treaty with them, whilst he was treated as nothing more than a toy was an aggravation that he would never forget. He would force the fates to come to the table, and to deal with him personally.

The coming wedding was one such weapon he had. He knew the fates were already twisting outcomes, trying to do something. To prevent the wedding from taking place. Maybe this stupid undead creature was a plaything of theirs. That would explain how so many could imprint on him, and why a mortal had done so. Perhaps. He could use the wedding as a lever, to force the fates to act.

They would either support him, or guarantee non-interference. Those were the only terms that Janus would accept, in the end.