I've been thinking some more about the "Paladin saving own child rather than 2 others" issue, specifically how it relates to a series of Kabuki plays that come to a head in the play called The Village School. Plot synopsis follows.
Background: Matsumoru is a powerful samurai, who has sworn to follow Lord Sugawara. Later, Sugawara kills Kan Shojo, the rightful lord of the province, and usurps his rank. He then seeks out all Shojo's relatives so that he can supplant the dynasty with his own. Kan Shojo's only son, Kan Shusai, is a young boy currently in hiding (posing as a child of much lesser nobility) at a small provincial school run by Genzo and his wife Tonami.
Events: The Lady Chiyo brings her son, Kotaro, to study at Genzo's school. Genzo comes home from town--he has just learned that Sugawara's spies have located Kan Shusai in spite of the disguise, and Sugawara has sent Matsumoru, who knows Kan Shusai by sight, to come and collect the boy....or rather, the boy's head. Genzo is in despair: He must show loyalty to the slain Kan Shojo, and would try to fob Matsumoru off with the head of another boy if he could, but all his other pupils are stupid peasant boys, not one of them would ever be mistaken for the child of a noble. His wife Tonami states that the new pupil, Kotaro, would be an excellent substitute for Kan Shusai. Genzo meets the boy, and agrees that the resemblance is very striking. Genzo and Tonami commune for a moment, and reflect that they must be monsters to even consider doing such a thing.
Matsumoru (and a party of Sugawara's soldiers) arrives, and Tonami herds all the boys into an inner room while Genzo tries to bargain for time. Matsumoru gives Genzo a box, and tells him to do the beheading himself, and bring him the head in the box. Genzo takes the box inside, and a thwack is heard. Genzo returns with the box and hands it to Matsumoru, who opens it to reveal Kotaro's head. Matsumoru is satisfied, and agrees that it is the head of Kan Shusai. Matsumoru and soldiers leave with the head.
Lady Chiyo returns, to collect her son Kotaro. Genzo realizes that if she blabs around town how he killed her son, then the deception will be revealed and Kotaro's death will have been for naught--therefore she must die too. He attacks, but she is able to defend herself. In the middle of the fight, Matsumoru returns, alone. He reveals that Chiyo is his wife. Kotaro was their son. They sent him to the school for the specific purpose of having him serve as a substiture for Kan Shusai. Kan Shusai comes out of hiding, just as his exiled mother arrives, and the hunted pair flee into the hills.
Thoughts: Can a Paladin uphold his oath to serve a lord who has turned Evil? What about Neutral? Is it all right to Lawfully serve an Evil master as long as you personally are not ordered to perform Evil actions?
In this play, it is presented as a very hororable thing to sacrifice your own child in place of the child of the lawful lord (who also happened to be your former master). But does it then follow that to refuse to sacrifice your child would then be dishonorable?