When she arrives, it's like he's been given the chance to atone for his sins.

He knows it's not the same, not really. There isn't anything in the kidnapped girl that particularly brings the other one to mind. Different faces, different voices, not even particularly similar personalities. She's quiet and keeps to herself, whereas his princess was a whirlwind of life and energy.

They're different girls, but the only reason she's here now, in a strange land away from her family, is because he failed to keep his own princess safe. The least he can do is watch over her. He owes it to her.

And he does.

Over the years, he watches as she blossoms into a beautiful young woman. He watches her laugh with the other princes and princesses, hears her sing in the halls, keeps her company in the garden from time to time. She's easily accepted into the Hoshidan royal family and she seems genuinely happy.

But because he watches, he notices. There are times when a strange, deep melancholy overtakes her and she disappears from the castle. Even his best efforts aren't enough to find her when she vanishes, but she always reappears alone and pensive a few hours later.

Kaze worries about her then. In truth, he always worries.

He wonders when it was that he began thinking of Azura as his princess, instead of the girl he lost to the Nohrians all those years ago.

Corrin bit into her bread thoughtfully as she examined a tactical diagram.

"Princess, eat first, work later," a harsh voice scolded. Jakob set down a pot of tea at the table, glaring at her rolls of parchment as though they had personally insulted him.

"Mmm," she said through a mouthful of food. "Jusht gib me a shek."

The butler made an indignant noise as he set to cleaning the area around her seat. One of the soldiers sitting further down the table stifled a laugh.

"I don't know why you insist on eating in the mess hall, milady," Jakob hissed, pointedly ignoring the soldier's sniggers. "You should follow your sister's example: Lady Camilla would be caught dead before she was found dining in such a crude establishment."

Corrin swallowed and threw back a glass of wine, her eyes still focused on the crude diagrams in front of her.

"Camilla is Camilla. I'm the commander of this army, and I should spend time among my troops," she said, reaching for a quill.

"If I may be so bold, milady, you're not spending time with anyone but these damned sheaves of parchment. When will we be invited to the wedding?" he asked flatly.

"This is important, Jakob. If you must badger someone, go badger Leo. He forgot to get me that book I asked him for."

"Not a chance, princess. I am your retainer, and if you don't start eating properly I'll have to drown myself in the kitchen wine barrels."

Corrin sighed and half-heartedly pushed the parchment away. She wouldn't put it past Jakob to do exactly as he threatened.

"Pass me that plate of potatoes, then," she said tiredly. Satisfied, Jakob did as she asked and refilled her glass for good measure.

"Corrin, there you are." She paused and looked up to see Azura standing on the other side of the long table.

"Oh, Azura! Er, did you want to join me?" Corrin asked, suddenly feeling self-conscious. She realized there were crumbs all over her clothes and hurriedly moved to brush them off.

"If you don't mind. I wanted to talk about something," Azura said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

Such pretty hands... and such soft looking hair... Corrin thought briefly as she put down her fork and made some space on the table between them.

"Will you be wanting some tea or wine, Lady Azura?" Jakob asked, holding up a tea cup and a glass for her.

"Tea will be fine, thank you." She waited until he finished pouring before she began to speak. "Corrin, there's... something I want your help on."

"Oh... what is it?"

Azura looked a bit uncomfortable. Corrin couldn't help noticing the bright red mark on her lip from where she was biting on it, or the way her hands were clasped nervously together in her lap. Looking closely, her golden brown eyes looked a bit swollen, like she'd been crying or hadn't slept well. Corrin felt a wave of concern tug at her heartstrings.

"I... I want to speak with Kaze," she said quietly.

For some reason, Corrin's stomach squirmed unpleasantly.

"That's not a good idea, Azura," she said as kindly as she could. "He's a ninja; we checked him for hidden weapons to the best of our ability, but for all we know, he's still got something up his sleeve."

"I know that, but he won't hurt me," Azura insisted. "He's an honest man, he was one of our bodyguards in the palace. You know he's not the type to lie; he owes you a life debt after all," she pleaded.

"Yes, and you know I want to let him go free more than anyone; I was the one who accepted his offer of surrender," Corrin said wearily. "But until we know we can trust him for sure, Xander is right. We should keep him under surveillance in the prison, and we shouldn't approach him too much."

"But that's so unfair! He laid down his weapons and asked to fight for us, and then we imprisoned him!" Azura cried.

"A condition he agreed to," Corrin said, avoiding Azura's eye. In truth, she felt much the way Azura did about Kaze's sincerity. Corrin had been against jailing him from the start, but when her brother suggested it, Kaze had immediately agreed. He thought it might set the Nohrians at ease and help prove that he really intended to change sides. It had been two weeks since then, but the army still seemed to feel uneasy about letting a former Hoshidan ninja into the ranks.

"But not indefinitely!" Azura argued, slamming her hand on the table. The area around them suddenly fell silent as the other soldiers turned away from their meals and conversations to see what was going on between the commander and her sister.

"Look, it's not like I want him to stay in prison forever!" Corrin raised her voice angrily. She felt like Azura was blaming her, and there was something else irritating her as well, though she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"Then release him!"

"I can't do that yet! The army has to trust each other, we can't go into battle thinking that our own allies might stab us in the back!"

"Having him rot away in prison won't do a thing to help ease tensions at this point!" Azura shouted. Both princesses were standing now, glaring daggers at one another.

"That isn't my intention, Azura!"

"You're making a poor showing of it! Just admit it, you don't trust me to see him because we're both Hoshidan!"

"That's ridiculous!" Corrin cried indignantly. "I would never suspect you!"

"Then why the different treatment?!" Azura demanded. "Why accept me but not him?!"

"You're my sister!"

"As if family ever mattered to you!"

A cold silence fell between them. Azura seemed to realize she had gone too far, but it was too late. The damage was done.

"Fine! Do as you please! See if I care if he does end up betraying you!" Corrin spat. She gathered her papers and stormed away, her temper seething for some reasons she did understand and others she didn't fully comprehend.

Azura felt guilty about shouting at Corrin. She knew she had overstepped some boundaries and she deeply regretted saying that Corrin didn't care about her family. It was cruel, and she didn't deserve it; she didn't deserve any of Azura's anger.

Though she was the commander and had the final say about decisions in the army, having Kaze imprisoned after the battle in the Sevenfold Sanctuary hadn't been Corrin's idea. In fact, Azura knew that when she had free time, Corrin often went to speak to him in the dungeons. Xander had prohibited everyone from doing this for their own safety, but Corrin had good rapport with the guards and was easily granted access, even if her authority technically wasn't enough to override the Crown Prince's. Azura, on the other hand, had been firmly denied entry every time she'd attempted it; she had suspicions that even though she was openly welcomed by the army, there were still deep-seated suspicions among the troops that she had Hoshidan sympathies.

Despite that, or perhaps because of it, Azura needed to see Kaze. Four months had passed since the army began marching toward the border lands, but she still felt out of place among her supposed countrymen. They were so different from the people she'd lived most of her life with, and it was difficult for her to fit in with them when she felt so alone in her heart.

It wasn't that she was unhappy, exactly. Most of the people in the army were friendly enough and struck up polite conversation whenever they ran into her. Her new brothers were kind and treated her with respect; Xander always checked up on her and Leo liked to ask her about Hoshidan customs. Camilla, ever the nurturing motherly type, doted on her and Elise was constantly looking for her attention.

As for Corrin, Azura still struggled to see her as a sister; they were alike in strange ways, and Azura had complicated feelings about it. She couldn't help feeling like she and Corrin were opposite sides of one woman, a complex she had always carried since she discovered she had been kidnapped in retribution for Corrin's loss to Nohr. She constantly felt like an intruder in Corrin's life, like a replacement, even when she was at her happiest. Since meeting her, that feeling only grew worse.

Corrin could be distant and mysterious at times, often lost in thoughts that she didn't want to share with anyone. She hated killing, yet her body was a natural weapon made of fangs and scales and claws, a power that, much like Azura's song, tormented and empowered her in equal measure. She carried a huge burden of responsibility as a leader, especially since Azura knew that she disagreed with King Garon's ideals and methods. Azura understood all of this; she also held important secrets close to her heart and she knew, more than anyone, what it was like to live with a curse that could threaten to destroy you at any time.

But that is where the similarities ended, and where the differences fueled her lingering resentment. Corrin had a difficult lot in life, but in return she was blessed with charisma and luck that helped her win trust and victory wherever she went. Though her dragon form would normally consume her mind, she was able to keep control with the use of a dragonstone, enabling her to use her powers without worry. She was a natural born leader, and a kind soul who was determined to end the war on her own terms even if it meant her life. While she kept her family and her ideals, Azura had no such luck. She was too soft-spoken and withdrawn to lead, and her own powers came with a price that couldn't be mitigated with the use of a stone. She had to rely on Corrin to see the war to its end, and she would have to fight the only family she ever knew because of the choice Corrin made.

It was difficult not to feel somewhat bitter when the woman who should have shared her fate had so many blessings that Azura was denied.

She wanted a little bit of reassurance, something to help soothe her loneliness and her guilty thoughts toward Corrin. If she could have that, if she could somehow stop the pain in her heart, then perhaps she could finally come to accept her new life in Nohr.

When Kaze was brought into the army, Azura felt like she had finally, finally, been given a chance to do that. If she could have Kaze back, then she could carry a little bit of Hoshido with her and ease her homesickness. He was familiar, a friend from another life, and perhaps he could provide a much needed outlet for her feelings about the past so she could feel more at home, even if she never got a chance to go back.

Kaze had been imprisoned a fair number of times in his life. It was an occupational hazard, a risk all ninja ran on their missions of stealth and assassination. Still, he had never been in a prison quite as pleasant, or as mystifying, as this one.

When he surrendered himself to fight for the Nohrians, it had been an impulsive choice. Part of it had been guilt; he had failed Corrin once, and he had no wish to repeat the experience, but for the most part, it was the presence of Lady Azura that swayed him. Having been in service to the royal family of Hoshido for so many years, he held a deep loyalty to her. He would follow her to the death as easily as he would for any of the members of the royal family, though for reasons of a completely different nature.

He had expected to be jailed; no commander worth his salt would blindly accept a former enemy as an ally immediately and he respected the Nohrian prince's decision to keep him under lock for a time. What he didn't expect was the hidden world the Nohrian army brought him to.

He had been floored, completely shocked when the entire army simply materialized in front of the fortress' gates and casually made their way into the grounds. There were workers everywhere, hurrying back and forth among the half-built houses and shops and carrying beams of wood, buckets of mortar, even the occasional tarp to protect the woodwork from the elements. Kaze watched as several members of the army immediately joined the fray, exchanging their weapons for hammers and shovels. One particularly enthusiastic girl, still bloodied from the battle, merely washed her face in a water trough meant for the horses and eagerly donned a sunhat that was offered to her. Grabbing a hoe, she rushed off behind the construction area, and Kaze, curious, caught a glance of huge fields in the distance as he was escorted by. He saw the girl approach a group of fieldworkers and shout something that sounded like a reprimand.

"Impressed? That's Mozu, she's in charge of our fields. She's also pretty capable with a lance."

Kaze turned to see Princess Corrin smiling at him, clearly amused at his expression of astonishment.

"Wh-what is this place?!" he asked as a blacksmith passed by, carrying a barrel full of weapons.

"This is home," Corrin said, waving at some of the workers cheerfully. "The Nohrian army's base of operations. We don't have a name yet; as you can see, the town is still under construction."

"B-but, you're on the march," Kaze said incredulously. "How can you build a stationary town- no, how can you have a base when you're moving across the country?!"

Corrin shrugged, and a little blue dragon landed on her head. "I'm not familiar with the principle, exactly. But this is the astral plane, a pocket of space that exists outside our world, and Lilith brings us back and forth." The dragon eyed Kaze curiously.

"A new recruit, milady?" it asked in a feminine voice. Kaze's mouth fell open.

"It talks?!"

"She," Corrin corrected, looking slightly offended. "Lilith is an astral dragon, so she can transport beings from one plane to another. Lilith, this is Kaze. He'll be staying in our prison for a while," she said as the creature flew over to him.

"There's so many people in this army, it's hard to keep track of them all," Lilith mused. "But I think I'll remember this one."

"Good," Corrin said, satisfied. "When he's released, he might be needed to run solo missions."

"Princess, I hope you're not giving him too much information." Prince Xander scolded, riding up next to them on his magnificent horse.

"He was just asking about the astral plane, brother."

They continued to talk, but Kaze was distracted by a glimpse of blue hair and a white veil. Princess Azura was walking just behind the crown prince, her hand on the flank of a black horse. A young man with blond hair held the reins as he walked at her side.

That must be Prince Leo, he thought. Like most of the Nohrian army, he was clad in black armor and a cape, but he had a small coronet that denoted his rank. There was an air of arrogance around him, but he looked to be absorbed in conversation with the princess. Azura smiled as she talked, but Kaze thought there was something wistful about it. Still, I'm glad that she looks well. They don't seem to be treating her badly.

She must have felt his stare because she suddenly turned to look at him, and Kaze's heart stopped for a second when those lovely eyes caught his. They hadn't gotten to talk yet since he had been immediately led away by the Crown Prince and Princess Corrin so they could keep an eye on him.

"I'm not sure how long we should keep him there," he heard Corrin say, but he was hardly paying attention.

"At least a week or two; just until we're sure it's safe for us, and for him. Not everyone in this army will be happy to see a Hoshidan join ranks with us."

"Fine." He felt someone pull at his shoulder and he looked away from Azura to see a huge man with cruel eyes glaring at him.

What the?!

"This the one?" the man asked gruffly. He was in full body armor and he looked more like a bear than a man. Kaze thought privately that he could probably snap someone's neck without much of a fuss.

"Yes, Benny. We'll have to make sure he's not carrying any hidden weapons, so don't untie his hands until you've frisked him," Prince Xander was saying.

"Sure. Charlotte'll do it," the bear-man said.

"You sure you're up for guard duty, Benny?" Corrin asked. She didn't look intimidated in the least.

"No problem. We used to guard all the time. Leave it to me 'n Charlotte."

"In that case, he's all yours. This is Benny, Kaze. He and his partner Charlotte will be looking after you for a while in the dungeons," Corrin explained.

Great, just what I always wanted; to die in a dungeon at the hands of a sadistic killer.

Thankfully, Benny was nothing of the sort. He led Kaze away a bit brusquely, perhaps, and he didn't talk much, but he did make sure that Kaze was suitably comfortable in his cell.

It wasn't a cell like Kaze was used to, either. It was warm and not at all drafty despite being beneath the castle. There was a nice, clean bed with good sheets and a sturdy chair and table for his meals. There was even a bit of carpet, and he was given candles for lighting. That made Kaze wonder if the room had been charmed to be fireproof by a mage, and a small "accident" later where he dropped a match confirmed his suspicion.

Benny and his rather loud partner kept watch outside his cell all day, taking turns during the night. There wasn't much to do, but occasionally Princess Corrin would come to visit. She always brought him something to keep him entertained, a book usually, and she sometimes taught him how to play Nohrian chess. She was very trusting, and Kaze was surprised that she dropped her guard so much whenever she visited. She hardly ever came with a weapon, and he was unnerved that she was taking his imprisonment so lightly.

"Princess, if you don't mind me asking, why do you insist on coming to see me so often?" he asked one day, a week or so after he arrived.

"Well, I thought you'd be bored and lonely," she said, setting up a chessboard. "Benny isn't much of a conversationalist, and Charlotte... well I don't imagine she's all that fun to talk with once she's gone over every compliment she has," she added in an undertone. Charlotte had indeed thrown herself into flattering Kaze every time they spoke, and he found her personality a bit overwhelming. Especially after he heard her shouting at Benny and using some rather colorful expletives.

"While that's true, you're taking a huge risk, princess," he said, frowning. "I could be a spy, planning to kill you or use you as a hostage to escape. You shouldn't trust people so easily."

"If you were trying to escape, you would have done it ages ago," she said mildly, placing the white pieces on the board. "Besides, I'm not easy to take hostage anymore."

Kaze glanced at her neck. A thin chain snaked beneath her breastplate, marking the necklace that carried her dragonstone.

Well, she has a point, he thought grimly, thinking back to the times he'd seen her transform. He didn't bother to ask her to be more careful after that.

Corrin could feel her blood boiling in her veins, quite literally. As she stormed through the town square, her skin burned hot and her hands twitched with anger. Her dragon instincts were kicking in, and she wanted nothing more than to tear something apart with her claws. If she could breathe fire, she would have, but that was outside her abilities.

Hold it in, not yet, she told herself fiercely. Several workers turned to wave as she passed but she hardly noticed them.

How dare she?! How can she say I don't care about my family?!

A fresh wave of anger engulfed her, and her nails clutched at her papers so tightly that they tore holes in them. Corrin didn't care.

Everything I've done is for my family... for OUR family! Why is she being like this?! It's not like we're never going to let Kaze go! I know it's unfair to him, and I want him out of there as quickly as possible too, so why does she have to blame me?! I DIDN'T WANT THIS!

Hot tears slid down her cheeks.

I thought she understood, I thought she knew that I wish I never had to make that choice...! She was the only one I thought could understand... so why...?

A sad, guttural sound escaped her lips as she crossed into the castle courtyard, startling the birds from the trees. She watched them fly away, and suddenly she knew what she needed.

I need a breath of fresh air.

A moment later she spread her wings wide, reaching deep inside herself as she released a roar that shook the whole town. Up and up she soared, away from the diagrams she'd dropped, away from the castle, away from Azura and those reproachful, golden eyes.

Laslow was helping some of the craftsmen with construction in the town. He had been working all morning placing roof beams across what would soon become the town medicine shop. He was just thinking about going to get lunch when a loud, horrible sound echoed from the direction of the castle.

"What in the world?!" shouted a carpenter as a large, dark shape rose into the sky, obscuring the sun for a moment.

"Is that- a dragon?!" another man shouted, obviously terrified.

"It's not like you've never seen a dragon, idiot," one of his friends said, trying to lighten the mood. "How do you think we got here?"

"Sure, but that thing's enormous! The hell is it doing here?!"

Laslow merely whistled. "That there, gentlemen, is our commander," he said calmly as he watched Corrin's tail whip through the air.

"The- commander?! You mean that girl with the black hair? The princess?!"

"That's her," he said. "Beautiful, isn't she?"

"Sure, when she's not ten feet tall and can rip you to shreds!"

"Oh no, you're mistaken," Laslow said, cheerfully laying down another beam. "That's when she's the most beautiful of all."

"You've got a screw loose, mate."

"Not at all, I merely know beauty when I see it," he shrugged. "And Princess Corrin, well, there's no one quite like her."

She felt better, the cold air whistling through the spaces between her scales. She flexed her claws, enjoying the sensation of the wind pressing them back.

It's so quiet up here, she thought. Far below, she could see the tiny square that made up the entirety of the fortress they were building. She couldn't hear any of the workers, or the sound of hammering, or even the always present neighing of horses.

She angled herself to the west, allowing the sun to warm her wings. She rarely transformed for anything other than battle, so it was a nice change, transforming for herself. Her anger was ebbing away, replaced by a fierce primal joy.

If I could only stay up here forever, I'd never have to fight anyone again. I could be free.

It was an idle thought, but she still chided herself for it.

Go back to your family, Corrin. Go back and make things right.

She began her descent, feeling the weight of the world return to her heart.

"Good afternoon, princess."

He saw her flinch at the sound of his voice. She had only just alighted in the courtyard and shrunk back to her human form when Laslow walked in on her. He raised an eyebrow, amused at her reaction.

"My, is my lady unhappy to see me?" he teased, holding up the rolls of parchment she had dropped earlier.

"No," she muttered, taking them.

A bad liar, he thought.

"If you say so. Seems to me you're having a bad day," he said, shrugging casually. He walked over to the fountain in the center of the courtyard and sat down. She merely stared at him.

"What gives you that idea?"

"The roaring might have tipped me off," he said dryly. "Anything I can do to help?"

"I'm fine, and even if I weren't, it's none of your business," she said stiffly.

"Ah." He stood up and dusted himself off. "Well, I can tell when I'm not wanted," he said loudly. "But you know, princess, talking things out always helps. Just in case," he winked, walking away.

He pretended not to notice Princess Azura hiding behind a pillar as he passed her on his way out.

He arrives in this country with nothing but his sword, the clothes on his back, and two companions. They have a mission, one they can't share with anyone, and they're willing to do anything to fulfill it.

They find positions in the Nohrian army, and within the year they're each picked to serve a different member of the royal family. This suits them; they can keep an eye on the child they're here to protect.

They were told it was a child, at least, but the girl they've found isn't as helpless as they've thought. She's been here for several years now, and is approaching adulthood. She's perhaps 7 or 6 years younger than Laslow, not much of a difference, he thinks. He was about her age when he took up arms to defend his country and went to war. Selena and Odin too.

There's not much they can do; she's in no immediate danger, and until she's an adult she's kept in a fortress, secluded. So Laslow and his companions merely watch and wait.

They have almost no direct contact with her, but over the years Laslow grows fond of her. The few times Prince Xander brings him along to the fortress, he watches her run around, full of energy and spirit. She's always dying for attention and is the happiest girl in the world when her brothers and sisters visit. Selena and Odin have told him that she's the same when Camilla and Leo visit as well. Laslow thinks it's cute. She's impossible not to like.

She grows quickly and before he knows it, she's a young woman, no longer childishly pretty and bouncing with excitement. Instead, she steals his breath away whenever he catches a glimpse of her. She's become an unearthly beauty, but not in a way Laslow has ever seen. It isn't just her ability to turn into a dragon, he knows it. Not even the manaketes and taguel he's met have come close to the kind of raw, noble presence she carries herself with. Odin thinks he's imagining it, but Laslow swears it's true; there's something different about her, something wild and powerful. Something irresistible.

After she joins the army, Laslow knows he shouldn't get too close; it's not professional. His job is to watch over her and help her reach her goals, so he tries to treat her as he would any woman. She doesn't appreciate it, he knows that, but for some reason, he enjoys teasing her.

He's come to realize she's not just any woman, not to him.

He wonders when it was that he began to want to help her for her own sake, and not for the sake of his mission.

Notes:

In case it's not clear, the bolded portions of the story are told in a different tense because they're the inner thoughts of the four main characters. They also cover wide portions of time and describe feelings in the past and the present, so present tense feels more natural for them. I also wanted to make it clear that I'm very loosely following canon for the Conquest route; for the purposes of fiction, I'm stretching out the length of travel and events, and also reinterpreting things like the astral plane to suit the story. I like to use my imagination to focus on things that aren't really talked about in the games, so I apologize if that's confusing.