Shinigami was a small assassination group which resided under the forest of Wansai, hiding away from everyone's reach. At that time, it was a small assassination group and they lived like normal villagers in the forest. Even if people find out their whereabouts, they would never doubt they were all assassins.
War, disputes among clans, civil fights, extortions, unfair justice, classification evrything made this group. 
The people who weren't part of the superior part of the society, they still had some part in lower class society but those who had nowhere else to go, were all welcomed by Shinigami. The people in this group were driven by hatred and anger so it was easier to direct them to any kind of shady businesses...even if it wasn't related to them.
14 years ago, the group had only a few contacts throughout Wansai but for 14 years, they spread their roots to everywhere. From brothels to shops, merchants to royals, they had all sorts of links and did the hardest and impossible assassinations if given a good amount. It could be said they were like the Toushi clan but Toushi clan had their morals, but Shinigami didn't.
While Toushi clan didn't entangled themselves in any kinds of political things, Shinigami had always entangled themselves. Not directly but indirectly.
And Yukina was a part of this group at that time. Because of the unfair society, her mother and she had no choice but to take shelter under Shinigami's doors. When King Masashi had refused to give anything for the pregnant prostitute, she had no choice but to live as an unwanted prostitute in the streets. 
No one would help her, no one was there to give her food or shelter. A prostitute lose their values once they bore a child. It takes a tole on their bodies and customers don't find it pleasant. King Masashi had lied to her about giving her a good life.
Yukina had to live in the streets until she was seven. Her mother died of malnutrition and she was about to die as well when one of Shinigami's members found her. She was also a prostitute living as a prostitute and as brothels were the place where nobles gathered, it was easy to assassinate them when they were in weakened state.
Lady Inari. She took in Yukina and took her to the small village where Yukina's training started.
They had their own ethics that was to help their own members and never betray. Betrayal meant death. 
Yukina was still young and she wasn't an excellent assassin yet but her master, Shinigami's head, Asahito Ina had given her this mission. 
Because Yukina had the perfect opportunity to kill Arashi's father and Arashi since King Masashi of Nishiki had proposed an alliance. And fortunately, Yukina was indeed his illegitimate child.
However, she wasn't allowed to touch her weapons since it could make others suspicious of her. So, the direct link she had with Futama Sameda, who was also one of Shinigami's members. His task was to watch over her and give her needed supplies when she needed it.
As the carriage reached, Yukina wasn't even mesmerized by the palace. She felt suffocated. All she had in her mind was how to kill her targets.
"Welcome, Yukina!" Yukina's eyes followed the voice as she came out of the carriage. And for the first time, she got mesmerized by the woman who called her name with a gentle smile.
She was gawking at her at first because Princess Mizuki looked like a goddess who had come down on Earth from heaven. "I hope the journey wasn't bad..." She smiled and all Yukina could do was to give her a nod.
She had never seen such beautiful lady in her life. Her smile was filled with warmth and her eyes were gentle. She almost felt like she was her mother... 
Only a mother could look at their child like that.
And from beside her, there was a man who said, "Mizuki! You are overwhelming her! Let her come inside. The journey must be tiring."
Yukina's eyes followed him and saw a man with long black hair, and equally handsome. He had an irritated look on his face but there was care in his eyes. "And you need to go back to Shinkyo! You need a lot of rest!"
Princess Mizuki pouted, "Why I must go when my future daughter in law just appeared today! I want to spend time with her and want to teach her everything!"
"You will have plenty of time for that, now go!" 
"Eh... You don't love me anymore!" Princess Mizuki feigned like she was crying in which Prince Kurasaki gave her a blank look.
However, his face was bright red as he growled, "Shut up!" 
While the couple argued, Yukina felt something in her heart. She felt envious of them because she could see how much they loved each other. She had never seen her mother having the same treatments from other men. They would only complain or insult her. 
They smiled at her but Yukina was still feeling cold inside. They might be feigning...like her father did. They might don't care.
But she needed to do her mission... 
Her eyes fell on the Crown Prince, Prince Kurasaki, Arashi's father. He was the prime target whom she needed to eliminate. 
And to kill Prince Rian, she needed to get close to him. But it seemed he wasn't here to greet her yet.
The organisation had given Yukina enough time to settle first. Because she couldn't just kill him and flew away. She needed to make it seem like it was an unfortunate incident or some other enemies had done that. 
Thus, Yukina didn't find it hard to settle there...
Unless it was the cousins of Prince Rian. They often harrassed her. Well, they tried to harrass her but Yukina was far more smarter than them to fall in to their traps. 
And one day, for the first time, she met Prince Rian in a muddy water, drenched and was being laughed at by his own cousins. They were throwing stones and saying, "Hah! Weak little prince! I bet you are not the crown prince's son! He is so strong!"
Yukina didn't go to help him as she was just strolling around the palace and now she hid herself to watch how the palace people were. She was right. They were no different than the adults she had came across. Everyone was the same.
Her eyes went to Prince Rian who was only thirteen and had a weak body. Yukina didn't understand why she needed to kill him too? He looked like he could be dead by any minute if they continued to throw stones at him.
However, the prince got up and then Yukina finally saw the bird in his hands, which he had been protecting from his cousins. The bird was injured and his cousins were throwing stones at it. Yukina got stunned. 
He was weak yet he threw himself to protect something else who was weaker than him.
After his cousins who bullied him and laughed at him went away, Yukina came out from the shadows of the trees. 
The prince had a sad face as he looked at the bird. The worms it had collected were all gone and now it had no strength to find more worms.
Yukina asked, "Why protecting it when it is going to be dead anyway?"
Prince Rian didn't look at her as he said, "If I don't protect her, she won't be able to feed her children. Who's going to teach her children to fly and survive?" He turned around and for the first time their eyes met. 
He asked, "You don't surely expect me to teach them to fly, do you?"
Yukina's mouth hung open at first and then she started to laugh, making Arashi a little shy and annoyed.
For the first time, Yukina laughed without pretending and she said, "You sure are funny, Arashi."
Arashi got stunned as he asked, "How do you know my name? And who are you?" He looked at her from up and down and said, "I'm sure, I haven't seen you before..."
Yukina knew he didn't know her. He was always inside of his father's wings and only came out to train with his attendee. She winked at him and said with a grin, "Maybe your god fairy!"
Arashi gave her a blank look and turned around to put the bird on its nest. 
Yukina asked, "You sure you want to go up there? You might fall and hurt yourself."
Arashi said, "She can't fly and I need to find worms too."
As Arashi started to find some worms, Yukina helped him and they both claimed up on the tree to leave the bird. They saw the little ones chirping for their mother in hunger as Arashi and Yukina both placed the worms in the nest. The mother started to feed it to them and ate some herself.
It was the first step in the stairs of friendship between Yukina and Arashi where two innocent souls stumbled across each other for the first time and they had yet to learn the tragedy that was fastening in their way.
For Yukina, he was the first friend who had no want toward her and for Arashi, she was the first friend who shared her time without comparing him with his father but deep inside Yukina knew, she needed to kill him and somehow, it made her itch from inside.