[Complete] [2K] [Short Historical Fiction] Once Upon a Time in Serendib
Hello, I'd love to find a few beta readers for my short story, set in 17th-century Sri Lanka. I'm looking for helpful and honest critique
Blurb - Sitti Fatima is a Sri Lankan Moor girl hailing from a coastal town. When she was a baby, her family was forced out by the invading Parangis. They found refuge in the Senkadagala Kingdom, where the last free stronghold of Serendib still remained. Sitti longs for the coast, while embracing the hills of Senkadagala. Will she ever return home to the coasts?
Excerpt -
Sitti Fatima gathered her long black hair and fashioned it into a bun just above the nape of her neck. She wore a vibrant blue saree with elaborate red patterns. She draped her dupatta over her head, covering her ears, from which her alukuttu—stacked gold earrings—dangled.
Her brother’s impish whistling had rubbed off on her, and she was whistling rather impetuously for a young woman. Her mother’s voice rang through, “Am I bringing up a young man? Stop that rowdy whistling, Sitti.”
Sitti stifled a laugh and asked slyly, “Was it as good as a boy’s, Umma?”
“None of that cheek, young lady. It’s already late. You should hurry to milk the cows,” Umma called out sternly.