Princess Cromwell and Her Six Brothers
He knew that the words of the heavens were a compromise, an appointment, and, even more, a heavy trust and warning.
The heavens had let go of countless ages of cold stubbornness, willing to try a new order, willing to listen to the voices of all beings. This, in itself, meant he had won.
As for the strict constraints and life-and-death warnings that followed, they were merely the heavens stating: "I can yield, I can change, but you must bear this responsibility and do what you must. I do not wish to hear any more complaints about the heavens; you are both the executor and the sole bearer of all this."