The Lady Who Stay

I. The Town

In a land not so far away, there lived a place that lived in the past.

The people there simply called it the Town because its founders never came up with a proper name. They were too much consumed with haste to build it and set the rules in motion. In every convention, in every meeting, they simply referred to it as The Town and it stuck up to this day.

Their rules were their law. And the people of The Town took their law quite seriously. If one would inspect them, they weren't even complicated at all. They were basic laws against crime one could easily find in any other towns.

But what sets The Town aside from the rest?

They refuse the use of anything more advanced than electricity in any way whatsoever and the children of the Town grew up knowing what other towns would call ancient or basic.

Oh, yes, they know about the other towns. They had heard stories. They believed the other towns owned carriages that didn't require a horse at all. They could talk and see one another even when the other person was not in the same vicinity as them. They could do things with the 'tip of their fingers' as what the teachers in the schools of the Town would say. The children thought it was magic.

The adults, on the other hand, saw it as threat. The leaders battled against each other whether or not to form alliances with the other towns, but they would always go back to what the founders believed: the Town was indestructible. In a sense, it was true.

The Town was not really a town. The other towns outside considered it a country, and a very strong one at that. And it spanned almost half of the entire continent in the west. The very few people who knew of the Town's existence would not dare distract the Town. No one dared think of invading it either. Its very presence was a threat to almost all other towns outside because they stood on it.

The Town was their very foundation, built deep underground with its own cities and streets and buildings. They destroy the Town, they fall with it. And everyone left them alone untouched, peaceful as ever, forever living the history that had long been forgotten by the other towns, unknown to the commoners aboveground and alien to the very few powerful who had knowledge of their existence.

The streets of the Town were made of stones, fitted perfectly for carriages to drive by and people to walk on. The houses, though with enough electricity to give light, were always on the side of dim. Businesses thrived. Livestock were kept on the other side of town as well as the farms with their own holes to provide sun to their crops. As a matter of fact, everything from irrigation to waste disposals had been thoroughly planned from the start by the founders themselves. The Town could stand on its own without help from the outside.

The people of the Town were generally content and happy with their lives. It was, after all, the only life they had known. But if there was one thing they would have liked to experience more, it was the sun. Yes, they knew of the sun. They could experience it from time to time and bask in its goodness in the many parks their founders had built. Such parks were built with perfect holes hundreds of feet above the ground, giving them natural light and ventilation. These holes were the only access to the other towns and they were surrounded by tall walls shaped like a funnel so no one from the outside could climb on them and see the Town below. And if ever one could manage to climb to the top, sliding down would be easy though the fall might lead to a sudden death. Climbing out, on the other hand, was impossible. Or everyone believed that to be so.

There were hundreds of such walls and only once had it been trespassed. That was almost a century ago and it never happened again. What became of the trespasser was never disclosed to the public though ideas that ranged from possible to insane circulated that the story soon became a myth and the trespasser was named Mr. Jones. Some stories said that Mr. Jones survived and married a woman from a higher class. Others said he was taken prisoner until he died. There was one that said Mr. Jones was amongst the first founders of the Town.

The story of Mr. Jones had never been taught in any subjects in the different schools in the Town, but it didn't stop the children, even those in adulthood, to speak of him as if he was part of history. The very same topic was being discussed by Lady Cressida and her companion.

"How do you think he survived the fall?" she wondered aloud, looking up at the hole above.

"If he did survive the fall, someone must have caught him. Or he fell on a softer ground-or someone looking up at the hole like you are doing now," Meredith, her chaperone and lady companion absently answered.

Cressida rolled her eyes. "You're not even taking this matter seriously."

"I'm not."

"Why ever not?"

"Because you're trying to waste our time talking about a myth."

"No, I'm not," Cressida answered, closing her eyes and reveling at the heat of the sun above them. If there was anything she hated, it was the gloomy feel of the Town behind her.

"We will be late. Your father will be looking for us."

"Let them wait a little while longer," she murmured.

"Your mother will have a faint if you do something strange today," Meredith said beside her.

Cressida finally opened her eyes and turned to her companion, her heavy dress rustling as she shifted on the bench. "I am not planning to do something strange."

Meredith merely looked at her as if she knew better. "I've known you all my life, Cressy. You don't have to say anything for me to realize you are planning something." When she didn't say a word, Meredith added, "Marrying the Lord of Easton is-"

"-the worst idea of the lifetime, I know," Cressida cut in.

Meredith shook her head with a faint smile. "If the Lord of Easton is an old man and ten times your size, yes it is. But he is not. He's merely a few years older than you and you've known each other-"

"-and never liked each other all our lives. I know, this marriage will be horrifying."

Her companion sighed and slowly stood up. "It's time to go, Cressy."

But Cressida did not move. She turned away from Meredith and looked up at the giant hole above her. She thought she saw something fly by, maybe a bird of some sort. Then her brows slowly moved to form a small frown above her eyes as an idea started to build inside her.

"Meredith, have you ever been to the parks near the woods?" she asked.

"No. Cressy, we have to go. It's about time."

"You don't even have a watch. How do you know it's time?" she asked with irritation but stood up all the same.

Meredith waited until she started walking and followed her toward the waiting carriage. As she took the careful steps away from the park, Cressida formulated the most stunning plan ever thought of anyone in the Town.

No wedding was going to happen in a month's time because Lady Cressida was going to disappear.

She'd fly her way out of the Town or die trying.

II. A Mismatch and a Pact

Calan, Lord of Easton, was among the most eligible gentlemen in The Town. His father, the Lord of Haverston, owned almost half of the eastern part of the entire country. Their bloodline had been among the luckiest until Calan and his brothers were born, in Cressida's honest opinion. The brothers never did anything but spend their wealth going around the country, engaging in trysts that The Town Herald was only happy to make front page news.

But they were gentlemen and they had titles in their names. Those were enough to make all mamas push their willing daughters to any balls or gatherings the Haverston brothers may decide to grace with their presence. And most often than not, they would pass up the chance. It was very rare to find the three brothers in the middle of a ballroom, which made the mamas even more desperate.

And when word got out that the eldest brother, Lord of Easton, was finally getting married, Cressida's life turned upside down. Not only was she subjected to most of the ladies' ire and envy, she was also the favorite example of the mamas as they wagged their tongues on the subject of seducing one of The Town's most elusive bachelors like the Haverston brothers.

That last bit was the most infuriating thing for Cressida. There was no seduction. There was not even a dance shared between her and the Lord of Easton, an opportunity most ladies as her standing would grab for a chance to brush their gloved fingers over a nobleman as their great attempt for seduction. And to hear rumors such as having been caught on a tryst with Easton was outrageous! No such thing happened.

There was merely a secret negotiation between the parents who thought it best that their eldest should marry each other. Her father, the Lord of Belverst doubled her dowry, in case the Lord of Haverston changed his mind, and her mother, Lady Eloise, promised Cressida could sire the Haverstons as many heirs as they needed despite the fact that she herself bore an only child and she was nowhere near to being called a 'son'.

Be that as it may but Cressida knew that to throw a tantrum was not only unladylike, but it would also only strengthen her parents' resolve to marry her off to Easton. They had tried to take her to numerous balls, dressed her in the best dresses the town could offer, taught her everything about how to be a wife, and yet she had not received a single proposal for marriage. Not that Lady Cressida was unpleasant to the eyes-in fact, she could make a few gentlemen turn to give her a second look-but she surrounded herself with an air of confidence that most men would not want for a wife. She spoke her mind on too many occasions than warranted, much to her mother's mortification. And when the poor woman would leave her for a few minutes in the presence of a satisfactory marital candidate, her daughter would always be alone when she gets back, having scared the man away with her honest remarks on politics and history. And most often than not, she could not stand to be in the midst of other ladies without giving an honest opinion about why their dresses were almost choking them or if they could breathe through their corsets at all. They would never hide their shock and distaste over her vulgar remarks as well, making matters worse for Cressida's marred reputation of being unladylike.

Many would say she was a scandal about to happen, but in Cressida's mind, she had already been judged as such. From the first time she tripped on her dress and smashed a rather humongous ice masterpiece into pieces, she had always been Cressida, the scandalous girl. Or maybe it was that time she had joked about kissing Lord Preston's oily face to have a delectable gloss on her lips. Or maybe when she accidentally drank a glass of brandy and made a fool of herself in front of a Lord, asking him to please marry her so she didn't have to suffer another season of husband hunting.

After three years of having come out of society as a lady eligible for marriage, Cressida was a total failure as her mother would regret to say.

And it was only about time that she be betrothed to someone of their choosing and that someone was no other than Lord Calan of Easton, the elusive bachelor. Well, no longer elusive because he had just been caught. And he unwillingly at that. With that knowledge in mind, Cressida was almost certain the man would love to hear about her marvelous plan. But first, she had to face her parents and request a private meeting with Lord Calan.

Lady Eloise's eyes widened when she saw Cressida and Meredith enter the large hall of their estate. "However did you manage to walk around the streets without a corset?!" she hissed at her daughter. Before Cressida could answer her mother turned to glare at Meredith, "You are supposed to make sure she changes into something proper."

Cressida rolled her light blue eyes and kept on walking to the large staircase to go to her room. "If you have not noticed, mother, we are located hundreds of feet below the earth and breathing without a corset is already a struggle as it is." Her mother was behind her, having dismissed Meredith to prepare a bath for Cressida. "And if we are going to discuss my choice of wardrobe, I'd like to point out that I am tired and want to-"

"You've been gone almost the whole day and it is not proper for a lady, especially one who is about to marry, to wander around the streets."

"I have it in honest opinion that the whole population of The Town, specifically Willowfair, has no qualms about me walking alone with a chaperone." She reached the door to her room and added under her breath, "They would only be happy to witness me in the midst of a scandal," which her mother's keen ears heard clearly.

"From this day on, you are not permitted to go out of the estate until you are married."

She fixed a faint smile on her lips that did not reach her eyes and said, "And I will then be my husband's problem, won't I?"

"What do you mean by that?"

That you consider me your problem, she wanted to say but settled with, "Nothing, mother." She opened her door. "I am really tired. And if my recollection is right, the Haverstons will be calling in a few hours."

"Yes, you are right. I better hurry and make sure that everything is in order before dinner." With that, the lady turned and gracefully made her way back downstairs.

Cressida sighed and entered her room.

*****

Cressida had to constantly remind herself to take a breath as the evening went on, else she would faint in the middle of the meal's courses. She was doing just that when a low, manly voice asked, "Are you feeling fine?"

She snapped her head to meet the Lord of Easton's dark gaze from across the table then slightly turned to see if her parents and his father took notice of his question. It seemed that both fathers were intently listening to her mother's grand plans for the wedding.

"I'm quite alright, My Lord," she answered under her breath. Meredith must have put a lot of effort in securing her stays earlier after having heard an earful from her mother for letting Cressida out of the house without a corset. Calan raised one thick brow at her, telling her he didn't believe her. Cressida gritted her teeth but remained silent and smiled at him instead.

The Lord of Easton was handsome indeed. Else, why would women fall on their feet in his presence? But what they didn't know, and what Cressida fortunately had the privilege to learn, was that he was a cold, all-knowing, arrogant bastard. He never hid that part of him the first time they met years ago when his father held a party for his birthday when they were barely out of the schoolroom. She had the opportunity to meet him after her mother almost literally pushed her in his direction, telling Cressida that Calan could very well be her future husband. At that time, Cressida, still full of fairytale stories, believed her mother. She had thought, in her little mind, that she would find a friend in him but Calan had always been serious and adamant to be left alone even as a boy. She had followed him around the house and to the pond where he finally had enough of her and pushed her into the pond when she refused to leave at his insistence.

His dark hair and blue eyes could fool all women of all ages all over The Town, but not Cressida. She didn't have to attempt to know him more after that unfortunate afternoon in the pond where she was brought home crying and her dress drenched, swearing that Calan Haverston was no prince charming.

When the present and older Calan sitting across the table moved his head to see if their parents were still engaged in a conversation, Cressida was drawn back to the present and their impeding marriage.

"My Lord, I know this is not the best of time to say this," she started, her eyes anxiously looking over her parents, "but I would like to have a private conversation with you after dinner."

Calan's brows arched in surprise but the rest of his features did not even twitch, making Cressida even more uncomfortable. It was hard to read the man. And if she was to spend the rest of her life with him, she'd rather spend it with a book with blank pages.

When he did not answer, Cressida raised her brows higher and leaned over her plate. "Well?" she whispered.

He was silent for a moment before he finally gave a curt nod.

Cressida smiled inwardly. It was settled then. She'd ask him to help with her plan and if things went accordingly, they'd not have to suffer an unwanted marriage.

*****

Calan noticed that Cressida was getting restless. The dinner went smoothly and they were now in the sitting room having tea. He would have given anything to not be where he was right now and since that was not happening he thought it would be best to escape any conversation that spoke about the wedding.

Finally, he stood up just as when Lady Eloise was about to speak to him and announced, "If it is not improper, I'd like to get some air out in the garden." He turned to Cressida who was almost at the edge of her seat and added, "Would you like to accompany me, Lady Cressida?"

Lady Eloise clapped her hands together and with glee said, "Oh, how marvelous. The air outside is much better."

Cressida didn't have to be prodded to the task and stood up when Calan stood before her and hooked her hand in his arm.

Their fathers were busy talking about business with their cigars to notice them walk out the doors that led to the gardens. And the moment they were out of eyesight, Cressida retrieved her hand and walked faster, far away from earshot. Calan calmly followed. He had to admit that he was quite intrigued about Cressida's sudden request to talk to him in private.

When she finally stopped, surrounded by fake greenery, she turned to him and said, "I don't want to marry you. At all."

Her eyes were almost dark and wide as she uttered the words and Calan fought the urge to laugh. "I'm afraid the matter is already settled, My Lady."

She shook her head in annoyance. "You very well know we don't like each other. You don't want to marry. I don't want to marry you."

Calan cocked his head to the right and looked at her. Cressida wasn't ugly. In fact, any man would agree that she had enough physical attributes that would do. If she could only behave like other ladies in their circle, she would be married by now. And he didn't have to find himself betrothed at all. "I suppose you already have a plan?"

The smile that broke her face almost shocked him. It lightened her features and he almost wanted to step closer and inspect her face with his hands. But then, what good would that do? Even if they were about to be married, Calan already had plans on how to get away with it. None was good as of the moment and he was very willing to hear hers as she said, "I do. It will sound impossible, but I think it is not entirely so. However, I will need your help."

"My help."

"If you don't want this wedding to happen, you will have to help me."

"In my thirty years, I have never been asked by a woman to help her escape a marriage with me," he uttered with amusement.

Cressida scoffed, an act a lady wouldn't do in front of a gentleman, or anyone, at all, which only proved to Calan why she was still unmarried at twenty-four. "Don't be too arrogant about it, My Lord, because not all women would die trying to be your wife. Include me in the list if it does exist."

"Your plan, Cressida?" It was the first time he called her by her name and he saw that she was not at all pleased to be addressed so informally while some women have already dreamed of it.

She squared her shoulders and said, "I want to get out of The Town."

Her statement rendered him speechless for a long while and when he realized she was very serious about it, his brows knitted in a line. "You mean you want to go up there."

She nodded her head. "Yes. And I don't intend to go back."

"You know it is impossible."

"It has never been tried," she corrected. "Not that I know of, at least."

"And this is where my help comes in?" he asked.

"Yes. You will help me escape."

It was then that Calan let a rumble of laughter escape his throat. "You know you can run to the other side of The Town, escape and hide somewhere far, but not really get out, Cressida. It is impossible."

"I will find a way," she strongly said, her head held high, that he almost believed she could do it. But not with my help, he thought. He mentally shook the idea out of his head. He had vowed to keep his secrets and he wouldn't jeopardize them by saying a word even if it meant getting out of this marriage.

"Is marrying me that horrible that you would want to risk getting out of The Town?" he asked, his voice without a trace of hurt. He was merely curious.

"Yes. Because I intend to marry for love. And I believe I will find it up there." So she had lost hope, Calan thought. Marry for love? He almost laughed at the idea.

"If you manage to get out of this place, how could you be sure that my father would not find a way to marry me off to the next girl in town?" he asked. "I know that you are desperate to get out of this marriage, but I am not a fool to help you and get myself trapped in the same mess again. I'd rather marry you now than have another chit who might be worse than you." He saw anger flare in her eyes and he found he was getting amused by them.

Cressida took a deep breath. "But if I disappear, they will look for me. You wouldn't have to marry another if your current bride is missing. That will buy you more time to find a suitable and tolerable girl to marry other than me."

Calan saw her point and understood it. But the problem was, he didn't want to marry.

Maybe it was because he didn't reply as fast as she wanted him to, or because she thought he was not taking this matter seriously, Cressida squared her shoulders and said, "Fine. If you cannot help me, I will do it on my own. And I am telling you, My Lord, that if I fail, I will make sure that you will suffer for the rest of your life because I will not be a willing wife."

She lifted her skirts and started to stride away from him and back into the house. Something about the way she moved and spoke those words told Calan that Cressida was utterly serious and would most probably get into trouble if he didn't step in. As her plans played inside his mind, he couldn't find a reason why he couldn't help her. Her disappearance would mean two things: One, people would give him years as he attempted to find his bride until his father died and he wouldn't be forced to sire an heir, a task he would gladly give over to his brothers; Two, people would talk and think he was the reason she disappeared and his reputation would be ruined. No mama would want to marry their daughters off to a man who might have very well murdered his bride.

Would it be worth it? Would helping Cressida escape The Town help him at all? Because, by God, Calan knew a way to get out.

But before he could call himself stupid for doing it, Calan called out to her and said, "Wait. I'll help you." Cressida turned, her face full of hope and smiling. "I'll help you," he repeated dryly.

III. The League of Founders

"You will not back off your word, will you?"

It was not her question that intrigued Calan so, but the way she said it. It sounded as though she was that desperate and determined to have her way that for a moment he doubted his decision. Now that he had given his word to help her, he couldn't very well take it back. But looking at Lady Cressida Belverst standing there in her blue satin gown, a strand of her hair dangling beside her face, her light blue eyes almost dark in the darkness, Calan couldn't help but wonder how she would survive the world outside The Town.

She may be unconventional here, with her outspoken mind and uncaring attitude toward her reckless actions, but she could very well be a danger to herself if she set out to a completely different world. What was the assurance that she would not be found unconventional out there as well? Though he didn't want to get married to anyone, he was still a man of honor and it was in his nature to make sure that if he helped her get out of The Town that she would do well out there alone.

Alone. My God. How would she fare alone out there with no maids to do her bidding, no guards for protection?

Make up your mind, you idiot.

"Calan." Hearing his name from her lips snapped him back to his senses. "How do you plan to help me escape?"

Escape. Was that how she would call it? Was The Town a prison for her?

"Do you know of a way? I am sure there is a way somehow. How else would the founders gotten here in the first place? How else would they have built those walls outside the holes? There must be a way out. Given time, we can do our research and I will be out of here before the wedding."

He wasn't quite hearing her then because he was too transfixed on her moist lips as they moved. Why hadn't he noticed those before?

She had now walked back to stand before him, her eyes curious and excited. "Calan. Easton," she called out again, her voice tinged with impatience now.

Finally, Calan tore his eyes from her lips and blinked to gaze directly into her eyes. That must be been a mistake as well because he almost-almost-made a grab for her shoulders and it was not very difficult to imagine pulling her toward him and kiss her senseless until she was writhing...

He shook his head once, removing the vision from his mind. He could have other women that would be willing to take only what he could offer. He didn't have to ruin this one and get himself shackled in a marriage he didn't want. But her very presence, standing too close before him, opened him to surprising realizations. He'd seen her in her best ball gowns, seen her in rare occasions with better lighting, and yet it was the first he acknowledged she was a woman, one who had the potential to make his blood boil with desire if that was not happening now.

She was a danger to him, he realized. Lady Cressida was no longer the girl he pushed into a pond-he could not deny that fact any more than he wanted to maintain the image of a spoiled, careless girl in his mind. And so he had to help her with her plans, both to save himself and his duty to his country.

Maybe The Town would be better not to have Lady Cressida Belverst in it after all. The Town Herald could very well do with more pages of something more interesting than her recent scandals.

She was narrowing her eyes at him now, her face full of doubt. "You are not considering marrying me, are you, My Lord? You know of my reputation, and though it is a wonder why your father would even approve of me, you know I will taint your good name-your title. I will not be a very good wife for you. I am a walking scandal and you know that. I've been on the Herald too many times. I've been caught in the most undesirable situations before and it would continue to be so if I stay here and be your wife."

With great effort, Calan took a step back, hoping the action did not make her think her nearness caused it. "There is no need to make a list of your scandalous traits. You are by far the last woman I would think for a wife, Cressida." He was proud of the coldness in his tone. And it was good that she didn't take offense at all by the contented smile on her lips.

"And that is why you are going to help me," she said with a secret, knowing smile. "So you can keep as many women as you want without having to bother with a wife."

It was his turn to smile. "I can have as many women as I like even with a wife."

He got a response from that last sentence. She arched her brow and eyed him with distaste. "Spoken like a Haverston."

He frowned. "Would you like to elaborate that statement?"

She brushed it off with a wave of her hand. "Oh, you know what your reputation is around The Town, My Lord. I don't find the need to elaborate."

"You mean my brothers' reputation."

She gave him a mocking look of surprise. "Don't tell me you are not the rake Lord of Easton everyone is talking about. I'm sorry, I must have been betrothed to someone else with the same title."

"I may like women in a more private setting, Lady Cressida, but I am not a rake."

She lifted one shoulder in a shrug. "Well, that may be true." She tilted her head to the side, eyeing him with curiosity. "Now that I think of it, your reputation only precedes you because of your brother's."

"Exactly," he answered, thinking about his rake of a brother, Adrien. Not that he hated being called a rake, the name actually benefited him in a lot of ways in the past, but he had to admit it bothered him from time to time.

"But that doesn't really dismiss the fact that you keep mistresses. And still plan to even when you are married."

He looked at Cressida for a long time. His eyes went to trail down the slender curve of her neck and the soft-looking skin her dress allowed to spare, down to the curve of her bosoms that gave a lot of promise. He was almost sure he would not desire for a mistress if she was his wife. But he couldn't want a wife. Not in this lifetime. "I don't intend to have a wife when I can have my way with women who are willing to be content with my generosity."

He thought he saw disappointment flash in her face but she quickly wiped it away with a sardonic smile. "And that is why we are in agreement that I should leave The Town."

"Or you can find someone else to marry...one who is more agreeable."

Anger flashed in her eyes. "You said you are going to help me get out of here. And I am getting out, Calan."

He couldn't help but tease her some more. "Because you want to find true love."

Though it was dark, he could see the color flush her face. "You're mocking me."

"No, I'm not. I am merely curious why you can't find it here."

"The answer is actually simple if you are not as stupid as I am thinking you are now," she snapped at him, tearing her eyes from his to look around the quiet garden.

"No, I believe I don't know the answer to that."

When her eyes returned to match his gaze, Calan saw...pain. But that couldn't be. And before he could make another assessment, it was gone and she was saying, "Because I am already thoroughly judged here."

*****

Cressida hated that she had to admit that and much more so to the man standing before her. He was looking at her as if he couldn't understand. Of course, he wouldn't. He had never been judged by anyone, at least not so blatantly.

"Don't look at me like that," she snapped, taking a step back.

"Like what?"

"Like you are looking at a child having problems with how to tie a ribbon on her hair."

"I'm sorry, Cressida, but that is exactly how I see your problem." Of course, as a know-it-all, he would think her problems were too miniscule compared to any political or national issues. Her problem was not even worth his time to ponder upon because there were other real problems out there.

"You don't know anything about my problem except the one in which you are involved in and that is marrying you."

He continued to look at her and it was making her uncomfortable. His eyes felt like they were stripping her of her fa莽ade. The Lord of Easton didn't have to suffer the same scrutiny she had to go through from the moment she came out into society. He didn't have to hear the harsh judgment of the people of The Town, the people who thought they knew her better than she knew herself, the people who expected her to make a scandal of herself everywhere she went. And she had proven herself to be just that no matter how she tried to change their minds, no matter how she followed the rules and etiquette to be a lady. Because she could never tame the passion at moments she felt them and every time she would open her mouth or do something spontaneous, she'd be judged. The women shook their heads whenever she'd go out without a corset, whenever she'd use her hands when food would prove to be difficult with a knife and fork. The men would find her intriguing at first, then they would start to step back whenever she offered her opinion. Her parents...her parents were willing to give her away without asking if she wanted it.

There was no place for her here. She wanted to do more and though she could do so here, she'd only ruin herself further. And she wanted to experience much more than The Town could offer. Out there-up there-was a promise of endless sun not confined in a small, circular park, a promise of real plants, of wind so fresh, of real bright light, of oceans and mountains...of magic. And of love not bound by societal standards, of people who would accept her passion for the simplest things. Out there...out there was her place.

Looking back at Calan, her determination was made certain. She could never marry him. He was arrogant, a know-it-all and he would never love her the way she wanted to be loved. He had no other passion other than his title and his own desire to please himself the way he saw fit. She'd never have a place in his life and it was not a life she'd want to live to her dying day.

"Let us not talk about my problems. Let us talk about our problem," she said, breaking the silence. "I know you are eager to get yourself out of this mess our parents have agreed upon. Let's get to work as soon as possible, Easton."

She saw him take a deep breath and said, "What do you have in mind?"

"I was hoping, actually, that you could suggest something. Surely, you have encountered stories during your travels that could help us with our cause?" When he did not open his mouth to answer, she continued, "Fine. I'll have to do a bit of research on my own then. I'll just have to call for you if I need you and let us hope that by that time I would have found a passage out of here."

He surprised when he started pacing before her, his head bent in consideration. Finally, he looked up and asked, his eyes looking over her shoulder, "Have you heard of The League of Founders?"

"Of course. Who hadn't? They are The Town's secret-not so secret anymore-organization tasked to ensure everyone's-" she stopped short when realization hit her and her eyes widened at him. "You're a...but that's impossible!"

His eyes returned to her, a hint of a smile on his lips. "I'm not saying anything. But don't speak of this again or I'd be forced to consider making sure you are gone for good."

She took an involuntary step back, her hand to her lips in shock. "You're a Leaguer. But...you...how is that even possible?"

"I suggest, Cressida, that you keep your voice down," he snapped at her. "And I have not affirmed that fact so you better think twice before repeating such information to anyone else." The warning and threat in his voice made Cressida gulp. And then her eyes lit up with more hope than ever.

"So you know of a way out. You must, right, Easton? You are a Leagu-" The glint of warning in his eyes stopped her short and when she spoke again, it was lower than a whisper. "You know of a way out."

She had always known that the League of Founders kept valuable secrets. And she had always wondered if one of them was a way out of The Town. Though no one would willingly talk about them, she heard from whispers and gossips that they were more powerful than the Leaders themselves. They held The Town's secrets. They had been protecting the country for centuries since it had been founded. But the identity of their members had always been kept. One could only guess and no one would admit it. And now she had to find out that the Lord of Easton was among the League of Founders. Suddenly her mind was full of questions. She wanted to find out more about the mysteries of The Town. She wanted to know if Mr. Jones was real.

"Calan, you know of a way out. Tell me. Please, you must know. But is it really possible? Is there really a way out?"

Calan gave a small scoff. "Where do you think the waters in the ponds come from? The stories of the outside come from?"

Right. Of course. They must have come from outside. Did that mean that someone in The Town could easily come out and back in without notice? How many people knew of it? Did the Leaders know? Was she the last person to know of this or was she the only one outside the League of Founders to stumble upon such fact? Had no one been that curious to find out the truth? Or was it just because no one really cared? And if they did, if they did become curious and acted upon it, did that mean they became members of the League?

So many questions, yet she couldn't voice them. She could barely wrap her mind around the fact that all of those things were possible. A way out of The Town.

Calan broke the silence. "If I show you a way out, Cressida, you must know that there is no turning back. You cannot return." The finality in his voice was clear that she almost had second thoughts. Never return? To The Town? When she couldn't utter a reply, Calan continued, "Do you hear me? You cannot go back."

She met his dark blue eyes. "Why?" she asked.

He did not answer her question. Instead, he held her eyes and said, "Think about it for a day or two but never repeat any word of what we have discussed here to anyone. And once you've made your decision, you call for me." He let his words sink in and added, "It is here or up there, My Lady."

And with that, the Lord of Easton left her standing alone in the middle of the garden, giving her a chance to make up her mind.

It was here or up there.