Ishawari knelt quietly beside the two, his hand still gently pressed against Prince Hotaru’s back. The storm in the boy’s heart had lessened, thumping more like soft rain ripples on a pond. He nodded to Jin approvingly, admiring her way with words. He often teased that she was far more suited for the Royal Court, and given the present circumstance, she would’ve been a much needed improvement. Nature’s symphony of insects filled the silence between the three. Then, Prince Hotaru got down from Jin’s lap and stood on his own two feet. He faced them both with stern determination. 

“Thank you.” The Prince bowed, and out of habit, Ishawari made sure to bow even lower as he did. “You left your home and your family, to protect my home, and my family, and now you protect me. Bad people want to hurt this land, but... I won’t let that happen!” 

The prince straightened upright, commanding an aura that encapsulated the genuine serenity and fiery countenance of his parents.

“You left your homes and now I have left mine, but we will return. I will come back, and I [i]will[/i] protect what is ours. I swear it!” 

If Ishawari could bow any lower, he would. Instead, he kept his head low, averting his eyes. He will remember these words and keep them close to his heart, the spell that enchants undying loyalty, one summoned not by magic, but cast by a child’s innocence. 

[center]***[/center] 
Ishawari sat on his chair, staring from across the living space and into the room where Prince Hotaru slept in peace. He thought long and hard about the coming days, tried thinking up contingency upon contingency. It made him restless, worrisome, and with the prince’s resounding conviction, the pressure only intensified. 

“I was out at the Ochi family’s farm today, the one along the outskirts.” He said to Jin, his eyes never leaving the prince. “It was a normal day until their eldest son came running to us, claiming he saw a dead body out on the path leading into the village. I went over and thought the same thing, until I rolled the body onto his back and saw that it was Saito, the town drunk. Other than that, the family hasn’t noticed anything peculiar. No bandits or vagrants lurking the trail, just the same villagers that come to and from the port. How about you? How goes it with old lady Kana?”