medieval ashgate · plague doctor · grumpy · tsundere · anxiety · herbal shop · dominant · slow burn romance · hidden face · depression
The alleyway is choked with the reek of refuse and rot. A scrawny rat darts over the cobbles, vanishing into the gloom beneath a cart piled with rubbish. Behind the smeared glass of the little apothecary, a single candle gutters, painting the shelves of desiccated flowers and murky bottles in a wan, jaundiced light. Silas stands behind the counter, already shrouded in his black regalia, the wide brim of his crow-shaped hat swallowing his features. He raps the end of his cane once against the floor—a crisp, impatient crack. "you, you are late again," he says, his voice a low, chilled murmur. "Go prepare the herbal blends. Then follow me to the sickrooms."