AUTHOR'S NOTE: This week will be slightly different in terms of update schedules. To accelerate the end of the prologue, there will be three chapters this week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday, most likely). That way I can get chapters 4 and 5 done and then show in #6 what's happening with our heroes Corrin and Kamui. Similar to the earlier chapters, we do get to catch glimpses of some of our upcoming heroes, both in Nohr (for Arozza) and in Hoshido (for Roku and Zenzi). I figure by now it's clear that Roku is Lon'qu, Zenzi is Olivia, and Arozza is Robin, so the aliases will become more prominent and commonly used from here on out.
Happy Reading!

CHAPTER 4: An Elder Sister's Mercy

Sing with me a song of Saviors and Crowns...

Arozza remained silent as Severa spoke up. It had to be her; she just knew it.

"Lady Camilla!" Camilla had lifted her axe and was about to raise it, but then stopped.

"Selena, dear, you're ruining the moment…"

"I… I know her—I think." Selena argued. Arozza hoped that this was the real Severa and not just another lookalike the way Beruka was. The shorter woman remained silent, her arms crossed as she watched the banter between the three other women.

"Arozza's my name," Robin introduced herself, exchanging glances with Selena, who nodded understandingly. Her face lit up.

"Is she from the same place you are then, Selena?" Camilla raised her eyebrow (for her other was concealed behind her sweeping bangs). "I do enjoy a sense of mystery…"

"I think," Selena answered, "she's a capable warrior and I'm pretty sure she's also good at tactics. She reminds me of my own mom a lot, being almost perfect and everything."

"Then why is she wearing the colors of our enemy?" Beruka was the one to speak up.

"We got separated, of course!" Selena lied, "I mean, if I know this woman then clearly we were in the same place at some point, but then something happened, and we just barely reunited."
"Well…" Camilla cooed, "if she's willing to put all that behind her and join our little family here, I think I can convince father to spare her…"

"I'd change my clothes right now and get the Hoshidan insignias off of them, but I don't exactly think it's proper to parade in my smallclothes in front of a Princess of Nohr." Arozza explained.

"I think a few small aesthetic changes to your attire would suffice," Camilla's lips curled upwards into a sweet smile, "legs as nice as yours don't deserve to be covered."

"Uhh… thanks?" Arozza's face turned red.

"Now, Selena… be a dear and show her to her new quarters. I'm taking her on as my retainer."
"What?!" Selena gawked, although Arozza looked equally surprised, "just like that!?"
"I did try murdering her before she hired me on the spot" Beruka reminded them, "Lady Camilla has very sound judgment."
Either that or she was monumentally stupid… Arozza thought to herself. Camilla barely knew her name and she hired her on just like that? Granted, she had no intentions of harming Camilla except maybe in self-defense if it ever came to that, but if she was going to hire her and pay her for her service, Arozza did not imagine that any harm of that calibur would fall on her head.

"Just like that, darling." Camilla smiled at Selena, "She's not replacing either of you. I can have more than two retainers, you know. My dear sister Kamui has 4."

Kamui… so at least one of the twins was here after all. If she could get to Camilla, she could get to Kamui, and from there her quest could continue.

"Alright, alright…" Selena growled, "I'll show her her new quarters…"

Selena actually wanted to talk to Arozza in private, and knew this would be the place to do it. She had hardly closed the door behind them after wandering a couple winding hallways before she practically slammed Arozza's body against the wall.

"Robin, what the hell!?" she gritted her teeth, more flabbergasted and dumbfounded than angry, "how in the gods' name did you get here? Who's all with you?"

"I was brought here by a god named Anankos," Arozza shrugged, "I came with Olivia and Lon'qu. I'm Arozza now; Lon'qu is Roku, and Olivia is Zenzi. I assume you were given the alias Selena for the same reason?"
"Hold it… my dad's here? And Ini—Laslow's mom?"

"We were en route to Hoshido before we were ambushed." Arozza explained, "and… I do not think we are from the same timeline. None of us are married."

"Oh…" Selena glanced aside. "Still… what are the odds. Odin's aunt, my father, and Laslow's mother. Yeah, Owain and Inigo are here too, and it's me, Severa, as you probably figured out by now. What timeline are you from anyways?"
"It's quite the mess isn't it?" Arozza laughed, "clearly one where I never married Chrom, Olivia never married Gaius, and Lon'qu never married Cordelia."
"Well." Selena looked somewhat insulted, "that sounds like a really horrible future if I never exist, you know! Tell him to get on with it!"
"We're some of the only ones left," Arozza shook her head, "but don't worry about how we still know each other. Really, the fact that you came back from yet ANOTHER timeline means that we should really stop worrying about that nonsense. I do have a question for you though"
"Hey! I should be the one asking questions to make sure you're really Robin!" Selena snapped.

"How else do I know about all that timeline nonsense?" Arozza laughed,

"Still…" Selena knew her white-haired friend had a point. "And what kind of stupid name is Arozza, anyways?"
"Anankos gave it to me," Arozza shrugged, "I don't mind it; just make sure you don't slip it up."
"I'm not stupid, R—Arozza, gosh!" Selena caught herself, "so what's your stupid question anyways? Make it fast; I don't have all night, y'know."

"Beruka… is she someone you know?"

"She's a Nohrian," Selena shrugged, before getting a little defensive, "N-not that I confused her for Kjelle or anything! I'm not an idiot!"
"Selena, I know that," Arozza reasoned, running her hand up the red-haired girl's jawbone and then through one of her long ponytails, "This isn't a contest. I'm just trying to get accustomed to Nohr, and hoping that Roku and Zenzi are okay."

"Well, get comfortable then," Selena put on her act of indifference again, "we're heading back to Castle Krakenburg in a couple days."
Arozza assumed that that was where Kamui would be, if she was with the Nohrian royal siblings. In the meantime, she found something comfortable to change into as she pondered her fate. She had been spared by a miracle in the form of Severa, who had an alias just as she did.

The next morning, Arozza found that her old uniform was still there waiting for her, except some of the lighter reds and blues were replaced with purples and blacks more suitable for Nohr. Any of the emblems that she had assumed were Hoshidan were replaced with the Nohrian crest, but otherwise it was there, and so were a pair of swords. They were not the same ones that had been confiscated upon her crossing into Nohr, but rather than the Hoshidan katana, they were Nohrian blades. Either one worked for Arozza, and so she didn't complain.

"Nice legs, Arozza," Selena taunted as she met back up with her comrade to start the day. Arozza's face reddened, but she didn't respond, knowing that it was just one of the ways Selena tried to act abrasive to cover her sensitive side.

The briefing for the day was fairly simple, and Selena gave her the walkthrough. Arozza figured she could ask more questions pertaining to Kamui once she got to Castle Krakenburg. In the meantime, it'd be just a less than 48 hour wait…

Bottomless Canyon, near the Hoshidan Border…

"Do you think she got lost? Do you think she got killed?" Zenzi was as jittery as ever as she grew anxious about the fate of Arozza. She clung to Roku, whose own fear of women made him uncomfortable with Zenzi being so close.

"Please… get off me." Roku grunted, trying to find the happy medium between outright throwing Zenzi back and gently easing her aside enough to keep her from clinging. It wasn't that he didn't like her, but she was a woman and women made him nervous. If they both were jittery wrecks, they'd basically paint targets on their backs.

"S-sorry…" Zenzi whimpered, "It's just… it's been hours, and I'm scared. What if she didn't make it? She's so strong; she should have caught up by now?"
"Perhaps she went the other way, for whatever reason," Roku muttered, "but remember what she said—we are to continue without her. If we encounter hostiles, we will attempt negotiation. If that fails, we do it the Feroxi way."

"A-alright…" Zenzi stuttered, composing herself. "L-let's keep m-moving then?"

"Aye." Roku gave a curt nod and the two of them trekked eastward.

Leaving the Bottomless Canyon was like a literal breath of fresh air. They stepped out into a sunny landscape that was a stark contrast not only to the Bottomless Canyon but also to the lands of Nohr where Arozza had ended up. Rather than running into guards, a lone Pegasus rider came swooping in to identify the two wanderers. Her flaming red hair reminded them at first of Cordelia from home, but its short length then reminded them of their friend Sully.

Incidentally, the rider, who landed nearby and dismounted, was neither of the above; she looked fairly young in fact; much moreso than Zenzi or Roku.

The athletic warrior paused as she glanced at the two of them.

"The two of you look like you just got in a fight with the Faceless and lost." her voice had a slight rasp to it, but she looked healthy enough. "What are you doing all the way out here?"
"Would it suffice to say we were lost?" Roku's curt tone had not gone anywhere.

"W-we're travellers!" Zenzi jumped in, not wanting to make a bad first impression, "we came from the north… and then… got lost before coming here."

"I don't get it…" the Pegasus warrior scratched her head, "if you're not from here, how did you get those?" she motioned at their uniforms.

"I… I swear, you'd never believe us if we told you…" Zenzi whimpered, "but I promise we're not here to hurt anyone! We lost a friend back there and so… th-that's why we're so shaken." This was also true, although it was a convenient cover-up for Zenzi's stage fright and Roku's fear of women.

"So what brings you here then?" the Hoshidan appeared to accept the story, although clutched her lance firmly, "who are you, anyways?"
"I… am Roku." Roku introduced them, "my clingy friend here is Zenzi."

"Oh, sorry!" Zenzi stepped back, not realizing she had been clutching Roku's arm until he had said something.

"The name's Hinoka, 2nd princess of the Hoshidan Royal Family." the woman introduced herself, "I was out here scouting for someone I lost years ago… kind of a wistful hope more than anything, or maybe the Diviners were right. Still… pleased to meet you."
Zenzi and Roku offered respectful bows before Roku spoke up again.

"You would trust us… so easily?"
"I'm a fighter as well as you; but I don't see hostility in your eyes." Hinoka smiled, "or yours, Zenzi. Come with me; I can get you two fixed up and then we can decide what to do from there. How's that sound?"
Both of them looked worse for wear, and so couldn't really argue. With nods practically in unison, they both followed Hinoka. Neither of them were entirely sure what they were getting into, but if Hinoka trusted them when she had all rights not to, then they could trust her in return. They had made it to Hoshido in safety, though they both still hoped Arozza was okay...