Ishawari let out a soft chuckle at her peach comment. In that moment, he thanked The Diamond-Eyed Dragon for her companionship. He couldn’t imagine doing this alone, so to hear Jin confirm her commitment to the cause was invigorating. 

Emperor Mifune nodded to the bodyguards, then used whatever strength he still had to carry Prince Hotaru off of his lap, and stand him upright. The child’s cheeks were still wet with tears, but his eyes were now fiery and determined. Prince Hotaru walked toward the center of the room, then stopped in front of the wide brimmed wheat basket with corded straps. He looked back at his father one last time, who nodded to him sternly, then bowed to Jin and Ishawari.

“Thank you very much for your loyalty! I will try my best to make you proud!” Prince Hotaru said before crawling inside and securing the lid overhead.  

“I ask a great deal from you both, this I know...” The Emperor said in between coughs. “...But for the sake of Majima, this must be done. We cannot allow the Court to end the Yomiyawa bloodline.” Emperor Mifune’s weary eyes glanced between Jin and Ishawari.

It hurt Ishawari to see him like this, a noble man in his 40s, looking as pale as an old phantom. His long black hair was rugged and soaked in sweat, with loose strands dangling in front of his angular face like docile serpents. It was hard to believe that this was the very same man that lead Majima into prosperity for many years. The only father figure Ishawari has ever known, and he was going to abandon him. He glanced at Jin, then back at the Emperor. 

“My lord, you can still come with us!” 

“I will only slow you down. Plus, I must keep the Court busy for as long as I can until you get the Prince to safety. This sickness will be my executioner, not [i]their[/i] hidden blades. Now, go! Their assassins will be here soon. I sense it.” Emperor Mifune let out a ghastly cough.  

Ishawari took in a deep breath, then stared his dark brown eyes into Jin’s. 

“I’ll carry the Prince on my back. With my spear I can keep attackers at a distance.” Ishawari said, glancing at her short swords as he approached the wheat basket. “The question now is: Which way should we go?”

Emperor Mifune presented two options:

[hider=Decision]
1. Behind the Emperor is a window that leads out to the roof tops of the palace. Scaling over to the far side and climbing down along the palace’s mountainside. Quicker escape, but higher chance of getting spotted/encountering guards & assassins. 
2. In the center of the room, underneath the wheat basket is a secret door on the floor that leads to an underground passage. Less chance of getting spotted, but there are more traps that could make it equally dangerous.[/hider]