A day after the royal banquet, Princess Wheein and Princess Hyejin sneaked out of the palace in the afternoon to practice archery and swordsmanship, respectively. Princess Hyejin would always bring her book for swordsmanship and try to copy them in actual, while Princess Wheein would target practice with circular targets painted on the woods she set up. Sometimes, she tries her skills with actual wild boars who come their way.

There are little to no reports of bandit incidents in the woods of Solaris, which could either mean that their forests are safe or the bandits residing there are sneaky enough to leave no survivors to report them, or pieces of evidence to be reported.

Unfortunately for the princesses, they're about to encounter a group of them.

Princess Wheein tensed up when she realized that they were not alone, hearing a twig break from a near distance. She looked around to see if there is anyone lurking in the trees but she didn't see anyone. She realized then that whoever was hiding isn't just mere passersby or a wild animal. She quickly walked towards her younger sister, grabbing her by the wrist, as she places a finger against her own lips, silently gesturing for Princess Hyejin not to make a sound.

The Solaris Woods is mostly composed of coast redwood trees, so the two princesses could easily hide behind their large trunks, which is exactly what Princess Wheein and Princess Hyejin did.

"I can't believe this is happening." Princess Hyejin whispered to herself.

"Aren't you glad we'll finally be able to put our fighting skills to the test?" Wheein asks her sister with a brave smile on her face, but her nervous eyes betrayed her.

The blue-haired princess took a deep breath and then took a peek from the tree trunk to see any figures, but she still couldn't see the people she is sensing. But she's almost positive that they are definitely not alone. "I can't see them."

She grips her bow in her left hand, nocking an arrow on her bow, preparing to shoot the moment she sensed anyone approaching them. 

Princess Hyejin could feel her heart beating loudly in her chest as she grips her sword tightly with both her hands. She closes her eyes to try if she could sense any presence. "There's about twenty of them." she declared, sensing the men's hostile presence. She thanks their head priestess once again for training her to sense people's auras.

"Twenty?!" Wheein half whispers and half shouts. She's overwhelmed with the number of people her sister discerned. She wonders how they could beat twenty people if worse comes to worst.

"Something like that." Hyejin replied. "If Yongsun-unnie finds out about this, she'll kill us."

Wheein takes a deep breath. Their sister killing them is the least of their problem right now. She's not even sure if they could survive this, for that to matter at all. "I'll distract them. Run back to the castle as fast as you can and ask for help." the princess urged.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Hyejin asks, her voice rising in worry.

"No, I'm trying not to get us both killed." Princess Wheein insisted.

"I guess it's our lucky day, boss." the princesses hear a man say faintly, a little startled that the men are in earshot.

"Yeah, boss, the girl with the blue hair is definitely royalty. The other one is probably her maid."

Princess Hyejin huffed hearing another man speak. Her pride was a little hurt for being mistaken as her sister's maid, but a little proud that her disguise worked. Realizing that this isn't the time to think about such petty things she refocused herself on the danger they are in.

"The two of you, shut up and find me those potential gold. Quick!" a deep voice says, probably their boss.

"Let's both make a run for it." Hyejin suggested just above a whisper, when they hear running footsteps.

"We can't do that." Wheein opposed, holding her bow tightly and adding another arrow to her bow, preparing to reveal herself.

"I won't let you fight alone, unnie. We're outnumbered; fighting them would be suicide." Hyejin insisted. "Maybe if we surrender they would just hold us for ransom."

Wheein bites her lips, she could physically feel the pressure on her head as she tried to make a quick decision. Would she really be willing to accept their fate just like that? 

Before she could even make a decision they saw the group of hooded men circle around them, with their faces covered with black masks. Bandits.

Both Princess Wheein and Princess Hyejin could feel their palms sweat against their weapons as they raise them instinctively.

"There you are." The man says, who sounded like the voice they presumed to be the boss. He was a tall muscular man, just the sight of him was very intimidating.

Princess Wheein instinctively stepped forward hiding her sister behind her in a protective stance.

"Lower your weapons." The big man ordered the two ladies.

"What do you want?" Wheein asks, her arrow pointed toward the boss among them, not complying with his order.

"You, initially." The muscular man answered before looking at Hyejin with a smirk on his face. "But it looks like we miscalculated."

"Don't you dare..." Wheein warned with gritted teeth, she feels guilty for encouraging Hyejin to sneak out to the woods, and feels guiltier that she can't even protect her sister.

"You might want to lower that down." another guy stated, all their weapons directed at the two of them.

"We might as well just cooperate, unnie." Princess Hyejin whispered.

"What are princesses like you doing here in the forest without your royal guards?" The man asked, guessing that both of the women are royalties. The first princess is known for her blue hair, so she can't be mistaken, while her protectiveness over the other girl made it obvious that it was the second princess.

"Who said they're alone?" they heard a voice say.

It was much more intimidating than the boss' voice. The bandits all turned their attention to the direction where the voice is coming from.

Princess Wheein s