His calm, cold answer left her completely speechless for a moment. She turned her head slowly, looking back out toward the distant silver army resting in the snow. "So... neither of you actually wants this terrible war to happen."
Cassian remained entirely silent for a long moment, watching the white wind drift through the open valley. Finally, he spoke softly. "No. Neither of us desires useless bloodshed. But sometimes, Lin Wan... the path we walk is chosen for us long before we ever arrive at the crossroads."
Lin Wan lowered her head, feeling a profound sense of sadness for both powerful men. "There has to be another way out of this... There has to be a peaceful path that doesn't end in dead bodies on the snow."
Cassian quietly looked down at her pale face and asked a gentle, unexpected question. "If you manage to find such a path... will you tell me what it is?"
She quickly looked up, her dark eyes locking with his brilliant golden gaze.
