Eunwoo has a plan. 

She isn't sure if it's a good one—but she perhaps isn't in the realm of escape plan expertise, so as she hurriedly scribbles notes into her journal, she can feel a pit of anxiety forming in the depths of her stomach. 

She know's she can't trust Yein to help her—not that she doesn't love Yein, but Yein is far too loyal to her mother, and Eunwoo can trust only the best. 

There's a knock at the door, the sound of a delicate hand on wood, and Eunwoo hurriedly shuts her journal.

"Come in." 

"Eunwoo, dear, I have some gowns I'd like you to try on before the ball."

Its her mother.

"Mother, I can try those on myself."

"I want to see how they fit on you." 

"Fine." She sits on her bed and begins ing her day clothes with a sigh. "I have a question."

The queen begins hanging up dresses against the wall—they're all huge and intimidating, and Eunwoo feels claustrophobic already.

"Yes?" her mother says.

"Do you think... For the ball... I could have Yewon back as my maid?"

"What's your problem with Yein?"

"Nothing! Nothing, it's just, I figure, Yewon knows me better than anyone, and she could help me prepare to you know, meet my suitors best." 

"Eunwoo," her mother turns to face her, "You know why I changed out your maids. You and Yewon were getting too close for your own good, you were giving her special privileges, treating her like a friend. We are trying to maintain a professional servant to noble role in this castle. You are the next heir to this whole kingdom. You cannot become attached to trivial things."

"Please Mother! I promise, just for the ball. She's the only one who knows me well enough to help me get ready. She knows my corset size, and how to fix my dresses, and she's trained in social etiquette. She can prepare me." 

The queen lets out an exasperated breath. 

"I'll consider it."

Jieqiong keeps feeling herself drawn to the castle. She's not sure why—there's no reason for her to come back. Due to an executive decision on Nayoung's part, they had decided to veer away from any sort of castle invasion, as it was way too risky. 

But Jieqiong was born with a inevitable curiosity, and she found herself wanting to watch the castle windows again. Now, she was sitting on a bench, gazing at a window of a certain tower, where another girl was gazing out. Her face—regal, elegant—somehow attracted Jieqiong and she couldn't keep herself from staring. Was that the princess herself? Her brain wanders into dreamy, gold and rose tinted fantasies. 

"An escape plan?" Yewon whispers. 

"I'm going to get the out of here. And I need your help."

"Miss-"

"How many times have I told you not to call me that." 

"Eunwoo... Do you understand how dangerous that is?" 

"Of course I do!" Eunwoo nervously looks over her shoulder. "I've considered the repercussions. If I don't get out now I'll be ing stuck here for my entire life. I'm doing it with or without you, but I think it'd be really good for us if we got out of here together." 

"You want me to come with you?" 

"My mother has you bound here by a contract. You deserve freedom too, you know." 

Yewon looks at her—Eunwoo doesn't know if it's with concern or hope—and sighs.

"You know I'll always drop everything for you. Since my mother passed, there's not a lot tethering me here anyway."

"Does that mean-"

"I'll help you."

"You guys ready?" Siyeon asks. They're standing on the deck—Siyeon, Kyla, Minkyung and Jieqiong. 

"Of course." Minkyung pushes back her bandana so that her bangs are away from her eyes.

"So. We go in as stealthily as possible—we want to avoid minimum harm onto the guards because we don't want to call any attention to ourselves. I'll be getting the gold, Kyla and Minkyung, you guys look for some lightweight but expensive wares. Jieqiong, you keep watch." 

The dusk is just setting over the island, casting everything in an orangey glow. 

Everyone nods. 

"Let's eat before we start." 

Eunwoo jams another dress into her suitcase, and then her journal. The sun is about to set, and her nerves have begun to tingle with anxiety. She stares at the sword—it leans against her wall, untouched as it is only used for lessons. Her mother had insisted she learned how to sword fight, as dueling was often a fun pastime between nobles. 

Now, she supposes, she can begin to see the benefits. 

Eunwoo snaps the suitcase closed, and inhales deeply. It's almost time.

Night has set, and Jieqiong sits on a crate along the docks, fiddling with her fingers. She's bored—mostly because she wishes she was with the others raiding the ship, or perhaps back in the ship's kitchen with Yebin, cooking something with her. She gazes out at the castle once again, and something catches her eye. 

From the window she had been watching earlier in the day—a thin line—some sort of weak rope, maybe made of bedsheets or something, drifts from the window and flops to the ground. She raises an eyebrow. There's a girl at the foot of the tower, and a girl at the window. Dear God, is Jieqiong witnessing an escape being conducted?

She supposes she should stay at duty and watch the guards outside the ship, but part of her feels like Siyeon just gave her the job to make her feel better. She stands up and slowly walks in the direction of the forest. The island is set up in a way that mostly forest encircles it—the castle standing as a centerpiece, with the bustling trade port below. Most of the people live on the surrounding, larger islands, and the forest stands untamed. Jieqiong knows that if she was going to escape from the castle, she'd head into the forest. Quietly, she disappears into the trees.

Yewon hands Eunwoo her sword and suitcase. 

"I'm very surprised you didn't fall."

Eunwoo pulls the cloak over her head.

"Me too." she replies with a lighthearted chuckle. "Are you ready?"

"Of course." Yewon drops a candle into her lantern, and watches as the flame flourishes to life. She removes a key from her apron pocket, and leads the princess to the back gate of the castle. 

Eunwoo gazes up at the nighttime sky of Black Widow Island—the clear and twinkling stars, and the rolling dark clouds—and realizes it could be the last time she'll see this place. She doesn't really mind. She's barely spent any time outside except for in the courtyard during sword fighting lessons. The island has almost no emotional attachment for her. 

Quietly, Yewon sticks the key into the gate, attempting to not make much noise, and pushes it open as gently as possible. The operation seems to be going perfect—almost too perfect, the glimmer of doubt in the back of Eunwoo's head seems to say—but nothing will stop her now. As the gate closes, she follows the light of Yewon's lantern into the thickening trees. 

It's quiet, so still that all Eunwoo seems to hear is the drift of her breath and the crunch of leaves under her feet. She can't believe her eyes—she's actually outside the castle grounds for once. 

"Hey."

The voice comes from the darkness, and at first Eunwoo thinks it's Yewon, but her maid appears to be looking around, just as confused as she is.

"Are you the princess?" the voice asks, and a figure steps into the pool of Yewon's lantern light. 

It's a girl. Her hair is partially pushed back with a bandana, and she has a pistol and a messenger bag at her side. She doesn't appear threatening, but Eunwoo finds her hand is reaching for her sword just the same.

"Woah! Woah. I'm not looking for a fight." the mystery girl exclaims, throwing her hands up in the air. 

"Who are you?" Eunwoo says, with a tentative eyebrow raise. 

"Zhou Jieqiong. Thief extraordinaire, part-time weapons expert." She makes awkward finger guns in Eunwoo's direction.

"Wait." Eunwoo feels confused. "Are you a... you know... pirate?"

"I'm technically not supposed to disclose that information. But also, yes."

"What the are you doing in my forest?" 

"I was curious. Not every day you get to watch an escape plan in action. Also, don't forests like, belong to the animals or something? I feel like I read that in a book once."

Eunwoo can't tell if this girl is an idiot, or perhaps, her lucky break. 

"Listen," she says, tentatively, "If you really are a pirate, I need your help. I need to get the off this island."

The girl—Jieqiong is her name, right?—grins eagerly. 

"Are you serious?" she says, excitement cracking in her voice. "You want my help with your escape plan?"

"I guess so." 

"Listen, at the very least, I can sneak you onto the ship, and get you and your friend to somewhere a little further from here." She puts her arm onto Eunwoo's shoulder, as if they're already friends. "This is so rad!" she exclaims.

Eunwoo doesn't know it yet, and neither does Jieqiong, but both of them have no idea what they're getting into.