When she finally spoke, her voice was quiet, carried away by the cold breeze. "I want peace."
Cassian remained completely silent, listening attentively.
"I have spent so much of my life running," she continued, her fingers tracing the edge of her warm teacup. "Fighting to survive every single day. Worrying about who might try to take me, or losing the people I care about."
She lowered her eyes, a look of deep exhaustion washing over her features. "I am so tired, Cassian. I just want a place where my children can grow up and laugh without ever hearing the sound of war horns."
Cassian did not interrupt her. He watched the quiet sincerity in her face, feeling the weight of every word she spoke.
"I do not care if that place is a grand palace, a small village, or even a simple stone cave,"
Lin Wan added softly, looking back up at him. "As long as my children are safe and happy... that is all I will ever need."
