Concept For Fantasy Romance
I’m looking for feedback on this idea for a story. Fantasy romance, centered around a queer couple.
The Traitor’s Grimoire
The Brass Garden Teahouse was often busy before dawn, when the first rays of light stained the deep indigo sky with patches of lavender and gold. Many villagers paid a visit to the teahouse before beginning their work for the day. It was a good opportunity to gossip with their neighbors, or to have the establishment’s owner tell the fortunes of their day, either interpreting their dreams or reading the leaves in their cups. The owner was doing just that when the bells rang by the front door, announcing another customer.
“Be with you in a moment!” he called out without taking his eyes off the cup. He studied the leaves with a frown, his brow creased under the brim of his wide hat. With one boney finger, he pointed to two symbols formed by the leaves.
“The X of warning and caution, and the wavy lines are for travels interrupted,” he said, “Be especially careful on your walk today, Miss Greta.”
“How did we ever get by before your help, dearie?” the old woman thanked him, gathering her shawl a bit closer around her arms as she paid and left. The owner waved her off with a polite smile, then turned to address the newest guest.
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It was an unfamiliar face, not that that was a rare occurrence when they were so close to the border. A human man, he couldn’t have been more than twenty summers old. His face had the roundness of youth, though his features were set in a glare of determination and disdain as he studied the room around him. His thick leather boots struck the wooden floor like a war drum, marching towards the counter as if ready to challenge an army on his own.
“Blessed morning, stranger,” the owner greeted him, “May I recommend something energizing to start your day? Bit of black tea with orange peels and honey, perhaps?”
“Recommend whatever you like,” the man said, crossing his arms. “I recommend you leave this village quietly and turn yourself in without a fight.”
The gossip and chatter around them faded to a tense silence, some of the regular customers glancing nervously between the owner and this new stranger. The owner’s smile didn’t fade as he slowly lifted his pipe to his lips and took a long drag from the smoke.
“Quite the serious offer, friend,” he said. “Tell me, just what crime is it that I’m meant to turn myself in for?”
“You know damned well what I’m talking about!” the stranger snapped. “You’re a lot younger than I thought you’d be, but you can’t fool me! You only opened this shop two years ago, and before coming to this village no one here knows who you were or where you came from. Isn’t that right, Wulfram?”
“So you know my name, and you’ve been asking the locals about me,” Wulfram said, leaning against the counter. “Come to think of it, you’ve visited my shop a few times in the last week, haven’t you? I’ve seen you sitting in the back corner, staring at me. And here I thought you might’ve just been sweet on me, what a shame it seems I was mistaken.”
A visible heat rose to the stranger’s cheeks as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “Of course it’s nothing like that! I simply saw through the facade you’ve shown these innocent people for the last two years. I know what you truly are, necromancer.”
