First Impressions

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/56448814.

Rating: General Audiences

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Fandom: Akatsuki no Yona | Yona of the Dawn
Characters: Son Hak, Yona (Akatsuki no Yona), Son Mundok, Kan Soo-Jin, An
Joon-Gi, Lee Geun-Tae
Additional Tags: First Meetings, Hak does not want to be here, Neither does Yona tbh,
Tagging is a lot harder than I realised
Language: English
Stats: Published: 2024-06-06 Words: 914 Chapters: 1/1
 First Impressions
by AnonAndOnAndOn

Summary

What if Hak and Yona didn't grow up together and had never met until after the King's
murder?
What if Yona never discovered who had murdered her father and now she has been thrust into
a position of power she's incredibly unprepared for?
(We're going to forget that Soo-Won exists just for a bit)

Notes

Here I am, trying to convince myself that writing fanfic will help me with my writing for my
masters.
Using this as an opportunity to push myself out of my comfort zone as well.
Here we go. Deep breaths.
Thanks! AnonAndOn
He hated coming to the capital.
'There's always too many people rushing', Hak thought giving a large yawn and shuffling out
of the way of yet another person. Typically it was the other way around, with everybody else
shuffling out of his way. His large stature and commanding presence imposing enough for
people to part naturally around him. Not in the capital. With so many people and apparently
all too focused on their own problems to mind their surroundings, a collision was almost
inevitable. Or, a collision specifically to fleece you of all your valuables.

He was here to meet the no-doubt spoilt princess of the happy-go-lucky king. Or perhaps not
lucky, considering the king was dead. Walking alongside Mundok, he stifled another yawn
while coming to the castle gates.
Mundok had been nearly completely silent since the news of the king's death, only speaking
when absolutely necessary. Hak was only joining him on the trip to the capital upon
Mundok's request, otherwise there would be no way he would willingly suffer through this.
Mundok had been quite close to the king, and had thought he was a successful ruler of the
kingdom. Hak very much didn't agree with this sentiment. It was a familiar argument
between the two, due to Mundok pushing Hak to become the next leader of the Wind tribe
when he steps down, but Hak refused to bow his head to such a weak willed king.
'Maybe that's why Mundok never pushed me too hard to join him during other important
meetings with the King. He knew I wouldn't hold my tongue, king or not.' Hak pondered.
While Mundok hadn't mentioned anything, Hak suspected he would have to step up as leader
of the wind tribe sooner rather than later. Mundok wasn't getting any younger and the king's
death had shaken him deeply.
'Too bad the princess is going to be worse than the king', Hak thought gravely. He was
already considering the best way to fortify the wind tribe borders and how best to protect his
people without help from the crown.

Guards dressed in white bowed as Hak and Mundok passed the doors to the meeting room
where the other tribe leaders had gathered. Mundok and Hak appeared to be the last to arrive.
While Mundok took his seat, Hak surveyed the others in the room. The air was oppressive,
heavy silence ringing around them.
Kan Soo-Jin, leader of the Fire tribe, had his eyebrows set in a disapproving scowl, staring at
the table as if it had personally offended his family line. Though the well ingrained frown
lines between his eyebrows told Hak that this was a fairly standard look for the man.
The Water Tribe leader, An Joon-Gi, looked impassively into space. Seemingly unaffected by
the news of the King's passing.
Lee Geun-Tae, the Earth tribe leader, looked incredibly bored and thoroughly unimpressed
with everything and everyone in the room. Hak could sympathise.

Mundok took a seat at the table while Hak stood at post behind him.
Still no-one said a thing.

Abruptly, the large doors at the other side of the room opened and everyone stood.
The first thing that Hak noticed was red. Red like an apple. Red like a lantern. Red like the
dawn.
The next thing he noticed was how young and small the person looked. Flanked by three
large and angry looking men, the girl in the middle looked incredibly fragile and lost.
Her eyes were cast to the ground and she was lead by the men flanking her to a large ornate
chair at the head of the table.
Everyone kept their eyes on her as she was placed in front of the chair. A hand placed on her
shoulder was all it took to make her take a seat. Hak vaguely thought it resembled the strings
of a puppet being cut.
The leaders followed suit and took their seats as well.

"Princess Yona, I'm incredibly sorry for your loss. The news of King Il's passing has shaken
us all." Mundok stated with a rough voice.
Yona's head snapped to attention upon hearing her name, surprise painted on her face. Hak
felt his jaw clench.

"Oh. Yes." she replied vacantly. Clearly unsure how to proceed.

"Um..." She paused a moment looking around the room at the faces staring back at her.

It seemed to Hak that only in just this very moment did the princess seem to consciously
realise where she was and who she was with.
She opened her mouth in preparation but choked on the first word.
The silence of the room somehow seemed more oppressive then when they first walked in.
Hak could feel himself tightening his hands into fists, clenched jaw morphing into a scowl.
Scanning the faces again but clearly receiving no answers from the faces staring back at her,
Yona turned to the man on her left with the scarred face and whispered;
"What am I meant to say again?"

While the question was no doubt meant to be private, within the cavernous room the question
seemed to echo and bounce off each wall.
Hak felt all the tension in his body loosen in shock. His scowl completely wiped, hands loose
at his side, jaw hanging. The disbelief completely wiping his brain of any thoughts and all he
could do was stare at this young, stupid and naïve girl sitting where a competent ruler was
meant to be.

'We're doomed.' Was Hak's only thought.

Please drop by the Archive and comment to let the creator know if you enjoyed their work!