AUTHOR'S NOTES: And here we arrive at the last 'prologue' chapter, which is also why we're getting three chapters this week instead of just the usual two. I do give a small infodump near the end as I wrap things up, but anyone who has played even the earliest parts of the games understand who works as the retainers for Xander, Camilla, Leo, and Elise. In-story, I just had to make sure that Robin/Arozza learned this by herself instead of just magically somehow knowing it, because that just doesn't make sense. The next chapter will kick off Act 1, and the Revelation story will begin.
Till then... Happy Reading!
CHAPTER 5: A Timely Reunion
Sing with me a song of Timelines and Bonds…
It was not long before Hinoka had gotten Roku and Zenzi to safety and with the help her her somewhat eccentric retainers, had nursed them back to health.
Despite them feeling better, it was clear something was on their minds, particularly Zenzi's.
"We had a friend…" she reminded Hinoka, "did anyone see her? She had white hair, wore a similar uniform to me, and…"
"You're the first ones we've seen this far out in weeks," Hinoka shook her head, "and I'd be swift to receive any reports of trespassers or wanderers in this area. Either your friend is still in the Bottomless Canyon, or she got pulled across the Nohrian Border… it wouldn't be the first time…" She gave a heavy sigh. Zenzi mentally noted to ask about it later.
"She is gone, Zenzi." Roku muttered, "we will continue without her, and find Corrin ourselves."
"Hold it!" Hinoka immediately got right in their faces, "What do you want with my brother!?"
Well, that explained a lot. Roku and Zenzi both felt awkward because neither of them were the leading types. Roku all but wilted being this close to a foreign woman, and Zenzi, who was already terrified of eye contact, wilted as well.
"W-we don't want to hurt him!" She gasped, "we just want to meet him!"
"For what purpose?" Hinoka was easily suspicious now.
"Because we believe we know how to stop your war." Roku nodded, "He and his sister are crucial components for this feat."
"His sister is in Nohr," Hinoka grumbled, "gods know what's happened to her by now. Maybe your friend got dragged across the border and maybe they'll cross paths. But… if you wish to meet Corrin, I can take you there. We'll be heavily monitoring you until a level of trust is established, but as long as that's okay with you, we can probably arrange something more permanent if you don't mind it…"
"You may supervise us as you wish, Princess Hinoka." Roku nodded curtly, "We mean your brother, as well as you and your family, no harm whatsoever. Although, I would like to make a request."
"Ehh? Go on…" Hinoka wasn't used to being asked of things from someone not her superior or close friend, but she listened.
"Neither of us are… very collected in front of people; particularly not around… women." Roku was not one to normally blush, but he was a fierce shade of red to rival Hinoka's hair.
"O...kay?" the princess tilted her head.
"J-just be patient, is what we're saying." Zenzi pleaded, "we'll explain everything in due time; we promise."
"I've made my terms clear," Hinoka reminded them with a friendly smile. "The probationary period's just to make sure you're not some covert enemy. I trust you; but a princess can't be too careful, you know?" Normally she wasn't even one to take risks like this, but if she was going to take them back to see her sister and brothers, she knew that at least Ryoma and maybe Corrin would be reserved about it at first."
"Very well." Roku nodded. "Lead the way…"
The Heart of Nohr, near the Capital...
The journey back to Castle Krakenburg was longer than Arozza had expected, but she refused to complain, and instead accompanied Beruka and Selena as they followed Camilla back towards her real home. The city that housed the castle was practically built out of a hole in the ground, almost as if it was designed to be a giant arena.
"Welcome to Windmire." Selena snarked, "you'll be hard-pressed to find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. The castle ain't that bad though."
"Mind yourself around King Garon though," Beruka warned, "he won't take kindly to anything he thinks is insubordination."
A testament to Robin's humility was not only her using an alias, but also that she, a royal by rights, was here now as a servant alongside common mercenaries. It was the kind of work she liked, but the irony had not been lost on her brilliant mind.
On the other hand, their greeting at the gate was something that surprised the entire party: Beruka and Camilla because they did not recognize the two horse riders standing on either side of the gates… and Selena and Arozza because they *did* recognize them.
"My, my… I don't believe I've seen the two of you around!" Camilla feigned shock, although was really just trying to socialize.
"Ah, I do believe we have not met either, Dear Lady Camilla," the one on the left began. Arozza recognized that sultry voice and the flowing blue hair anywhere. The fact that he was armed with a bow simply solidified it.
"I am called Varrick; and my strong and dashingly gorgeous comrade across from me is Zul."
"Lady Camilla," the short-haired woman gave a respectful gesture as Arozza cocked her head towards her. The short red hair, the brutish horse, the low, casual tone this woman held… "Varrick" and "Zul" were her friends Virion and Sully.
Just how many of my friends did Anankos find?! She thought to herself. There hadn't been many that had survived in her timeline, but of the few that had, these were most of them.
Arozza briefly let her eyes meet Zul's, where despite her different hairstyle Zul still recognized her. Wordlessly, they hinted that they would meet again.
"So…" Camilla turned to the white-haired swordswoman after Varrick and Zul opened the gate for them, "I'm going to inform my father among other people of your new position with me, darling… then we'll get you an actual room with the retainers, instead of in that lonely old fortress. My retainers can show that to you when the time comes."
"And what of you, Lady Camilla?"
"I need to discuss with him and with my brother the results of my mission." Camilla chortled, "I wasn't out there on a pleasure trip, you know. Maybe if there was a hotspring, but gods know I haven't been to one of those in too long…"
"Right," Arozza nodded, "if there is anything I can do, please let me know!"
"Most of your services will involve fighting alongside me…" Camilla chuckled, "we have servants for the menial labor. I brought you along because I do enjoy good strong women fighting at my side and slaughtering our enemies."
Arozza nodded, but did not want to think about the idea of slaughtering Hoshidans, especially since she assumed that that was where Roku and Zenzi had gone by now, if they were even still alive. She would definitely need to tell Varrick and Zul, and would need to alert Odin and Laslow as well. She was glad she had Severa on her side; she wouldn't have known Owain and Inigo's aliases without her-and probably would not have survived Camilla's decision either. She knew from those remarks, however, that King Garon was a dangerous man.
Seeing him in person verified Arozza's premonitions. A powerful, daunting man with a wicked-looking axe that made Camilla's look like a toy, his stern but regal visage coupled with his almost sinister frown had Arozza envisioning a bitter old man who had zero tolerance for insubordination. She would make sure to stay on his good side.
"Father," Camilla unsurprisingly did the talking, "I've returned from Sieben-Zwei Fortress with news you will probably be pleased to hear about."
"I am more curious as to why you invited these women into my presence without permission." Garon warned, his voice being about as deep and stern as Arozza had expected.
"This is Arozza, a friend of Selena's." Camilla began, "a master of the blade and proported to be a master tactician as well."
"I am here to serve, and to pledge loyalty to the Nohrian Crown," Arozza promised, taking a respectful bow.
"You may keep her as your retainer then," Garon muttered, "In the meantime, dismiss her. I have much I wish to speak to you about."
Similar to at the fortress, Arozza was given a wing at the castle which appeared to be where the retainers dwelt when not in service or abroad. To Arozza's surprise, not only were Laslow and Odin there, but so were two other mercenaries that she recognized: her friend Gregor, as well as her friend Vaike's daughter, Noire.
"Oy!" the former of the two was the first to notice and recognize Arozza. "Garrett thinks you are being the familiar here…" He stepped up and analyzed Arozza's white strands.
"Garrett?" Arozza tilted her head, "Are you familiar with a man named Gregor?" She had heard that Gregor had had a brother that he had assumed was dead; was this him? No, it couldn't be. Gregor had said that he had taken his brother's name after said brother had died.
"Garrett know a Gregor. He is fine mercenary; travels many places because sellsword needs money too, yes? Now Garrett ask you: Do you know Robin?"
"I do," Arozza nodded, "I'm Arozza. Robin's very familiar to me." She winked, and saw the gears turning in Garrett's head. This was in fact Gregor.
"Oy! Garrett remember Arozza now! It is nice to be seeing you again!"
The next several minutes consisted of Arozza telling them her story. She met Odin and Laslow, and learned that the mercenary "Nikita" was in fact Noire. That meant there were 10 of them here in all: 8 here in Nohr, and Roku and Zenzi in Hoshido. She wanted to ask about Kamui, but had a lot of orientation to go through, and had to answer a lot of questions, particularly when Odin realized Arozza was his aunt, albeit in another timeline. Owain, Inigo, and Severa clarified that they were unfamiliar with the timeline that Robin, Lon'qu, Olivia, Virion, Sully, Gregor, and even Noire had come from, which caused the white-haired tactician to curse the whole timeline mess all over again ("I swear the gods use that as an excuse just to keep us from knowing each other!"). She told them of Roku and Zenzi in Hoshido, which put the balance of the looming war into jeopardy, since obviously none of them wanted to fight people they knew: especially since Laslow knew Zenzi and Selena knew Roku.
It took a lot of introductions, but by the end of the day, Arozza had learned (from Laslow) that Varrick and Zul were two of Prince Xander's retainers, with Laslow and a woman named Peri as two others. She herself was the 3rd of Princess Camilla's retainers alongside Beruka and Selena; Garrett joined Odin and a shady, one-eyed man named Niles as retainers for Prince Leo, and the youngest Nohrian sibling, Princess Elise, had Nikita, as well as two large, beefy warriors named Arthur and Effie. Her question now was where the remaining sibling was.
"So does Princess Kamui not have retainers or something?" she asked. "speaking of… where is she?"
"Princess Kamui takes residence in a fortress far from these hospitable halls!" Odin explained, as theatric as ever, "Far away on a desolate mount, choked by blizzards of snow and frigid winds, she perches herself in the highest tower like a silent bird of prey, biding her time as she awaits the glorious moment she can finally—"
Selena practically slammed her palm into Odin's mouth to shut him up. "Kamui's far north of here, in the aptly named Northern Fortress. She's stuck there until she can best Prince Xander and Princess Camilla in single combat."
"If there's two of them, it's not single combat, is it?" Arozza tilted her head.
"Technicalities!" Selena waved dismissively. "You know what I mean!"
"Any chance one of us can go with them next time they travel that way?" Arozza frowned.
"Unlikely," Laslow frowned, "usually the only ones allowed there apart from Lord Xander and Lady Camilla would be Lord Leo and Lady Elise."
"Great." Arozza sighed. "Hopefully the gods give her strength then…"