(Third person's POV- omniscient)

(14 years ago)
Arashi's age: 13

[At Nishiki, a small kingdom ruled by Wansai but often neglected]

"Pardon me for asking this, your highness... But do you think, they will approve of this?"

"But they don't need to know about her past... Since I don't have an heir, she will be getting this perfect opportunity..."

"But King Masashi, she is an illegitimate child and not only that, she had been living in a small village. If words get out, Nishiki will be in trouble! She maybe is 16 but she has no good education as a princess."

While King Masashi of Nishiki and his advisor were discussing, in a bridal kimono, a young girl was waiting just behind the matted doors. Weren't they aware she was here? She could hear them clearly...

She was the illegitimate daughter of King Masashi. His only heir had died in an incurable disease just a few months back. And since then people of Nishiki were in trouble because without an heir, the kingdom could be attacked by other neighbouring kingdoms or Wansai's clans...

The Nishiki clan didn't have extended family thus, King Masashi had no eligible heir to throne them. He had no choice but to take in Yukina, his illegitimate daughter.

King Masashi had an affair with a lowly prostitute and she had been abandoned the time she was pregnant with Yukina. Of course, as a royal born, King Masashi wasn't going to give her the courtesy of being his concubine, let alone his wife.

Yukina was very beautiful, with long straight hair that reached her back and hung like black silk strands, and a face of a goddess. She could catch any man's attention. But she wasn't a man whom the king could give his throne and the kingdom was declining in powers. The friendly alliances the kingdom had with other surrounded lands were slowly coming to an end. People were aware of their weakness and any one of them could attack Nishiki at any moment. So, the king needed a strong alliance to save his kingdom thus, he had proposed the crown prince of Wansai to form a marriage alliance with them.

Of course, the crown prince was already married and he was too old for Yukina. So, his son, Prince Rian, who was 13 at that time would be a perfect prospect for Yukina.

He wasn't at the age of marriage yet but the crown prince had sent his words that, once he became 16, he could marry Yukina.

That was the letter the crown prince of Wansai, Prince Kurasaki, Arashi's father had sent. Prince Kurasaki had different views and his beautiful wife, Princess Mizuki was the same. They had always oppressed the twisted views of royals and King Masashi knew he could use it against them.

Yukina's eyes were cold as she was looking straight and her palms were clenched against her dress. She wasn't scared or nervous, it was the opposite. She was angry and disappointed.

She didn't want to do anything with King Masashi or this marriage. Even when he was her father, there was no fatherly love. He had abandoned her and her mother a while ago. And now he suddenly wanted her. She knew very well that alll he wanted was to get benefitted from this alliance.

In Yukina's mind, all the nobles were the same. They loved to oppress the people who didn't have a status and extort them for their own benefits. She hated them...

And she knew this Wansai Prince and her would be husband was the same. They all were scams!

The doors opened as the advisor said in a cold voice, "You are summoned in your highness's chamber... Be sure to show your respect."

The way the advisor looked at her, it took her one glance to know he didn't like her. Especially because she was raised in a small village. In his eyes, the others were dirt but not for once, Yukina looked down. Her eyes were dead and cold like a fish as she looked straight into the advisor's eyes without blinking.

The advisor's brow twitched in displeasure as he muttered, "Just a low scam! Doesn't even know how the etiquettes!"

Yukina scoffed and said, "Mister advisor, be sure to watch your tongue. In regards of status, I am far superior than you so, don't get yourself be the scam."

And she entered the chamber as the advisor got stunned. Apparently, not only she was a boisterous girl without etiquettes of a noble, she had a mouth too. And she bites. Hard.

The king smiled as soon as his eyes fell on Yukina. "My dear daughter, how happy I am after finding you a good suitor."

He was sitting down on his bed, still in his night clothes. He was so lazy that he didn't even cared to prepare himself before seeing off his daughter. Yukina despised him.

No wonder the kingdom was in its ruins. If they had a lazy king like him, the kingdom ought to suffer the consequences.

But every nobles were lazy. They made others do their works...

She didn't even bowed or called him 'father' nor did she greeted him with pleasantries. She only looked at him coldly as he began, "You will be going to the Wansai capital since we have asked their Prince's hand in marriage for you. I guess you had it hard for these all years but now, you don't have to worry."

His fake smile grew wide. "As your father, I am making sure you live a good life... Yukina."

Yukina had to stop herself from giving this man a scoff. Father? He just wanted to get benefitted by this marriage since he had no heir remaining. Was this a joke? Living a good life! Hah!

She wanted to laugh...

No amount of wealth could buy her struggling past and turn them into pleasant memories. No amount of luxurious life could replace the sorrows of her mother who died in abundance.

She didn't answer as her eyes remained on him. When King Masashi found she wasn't going to answer nor she would bow, he changed the subject.

"Well, I have already prepared your carriage and some dowry... I hope you would be good to them." He said as without taking a glance, she turned around and left his chamber.

As she was leaving she heard the advisor complaining, "Your Highness! Did you see the audacity of hers! She didn't even paid respect to you! How will she be good to them? I'm afraid, they will find it out and we will be in trouble because of this boisterous girl!"

"But I have no choice... I could only hope she didn't do something because she would want to live a good life from now on. Considering how she had lived in poor environment..." The king said as Yukina scoffed.

True, at first, it was a bad condition but once she found her master, she never had to live in a bad condition...

"Err... Princess Yukina, do you want me to take to the carriage?" A knight asked as she was crossing the long corridor.

She shook her head and said, "You don't need to. And don't ever call me a princess."

The look on her eyes was enough to make the knight shudder in fear as he stepped back and Yukina went ahead.

She knew where to find that carriage...

The king and the advisor might worry what she would do once she reach there but she wasn't going to do anything that would hinder the alliance...

What the king didn't know was Yukina wasn't here to marry, she was here to kill.

Because her main task was to kill the crown prince and his son.

That was what her master's orders were...

And the King had no idea that his beloved illegitimate daughter wasn't a normal girl but an assassin who was raised by a small assassination group called, Shinigami.
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8th April, 23
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