He pushed two chess pieces into the center of the table: a King and a Knight.
"Not necessarily," Julian replied. "Peace exists in the spaces between fear. Sometimes it’s a , where no one strikes because no one is sure they can win. Other times, it’s a shared belief—a 'Diplomatic Shadow'—where nations realize that the cost of burning the ballroom is higher than the cost of sharing the floor." Peace and War: A Theory of International Relations
"Every nation is like a player in this room. Their first instinct isn't to be cruel, but to survive. Because there is no one to protect them, they must protect themselves. This is the . When the King buys a shield, the Knight sees it and buys a sword. Neither wants a fight, yet both are now armed and terrified." "So war is inevitable?" Elara asked. He pushed two chess pieces into the center