The only saving grace to my stay in Oamer were the tarew flowers Raehle gave me. They provided enough strength to endure a full day of mermaid games and chatter. Though I never joined their play, conversation alone wore me out—definitely not my definition of relaxing.

The next morning, I floated beside Catilli at the table, enjoying the sweet flowers while Catilli devoured her raw fish.

"Are you sure you don't want some?" Catilli asked me for the third time. "I have plenty of extra shrimp."

"I'm good, thanks," I said. I suppressed the annoyance rising inside me. She was just trying to be polite, and it wasn't right to fault her for it.

A sudden surge of water shoved me forward. I braced myself against the table so I didn't fly into the wall.

"Hey, Kiara."

By now, I recognized that voice. I turned around to see Lira. She wore a pink band of fabric tied around her torso, sparkling stones sewn along the bottom hem. Pearls interlaced with tiny braids that lined her short hair.

"Ooh, Lira, you look so nice!" Catilli squealed. I glanced back at the girl, taking in her tight yellow top streaked with blue. It was more on the simple side, though the bright colors complimented her personality.

"Thanks. One of the imperial tailors just made this top for me." Lira spun around in the water. "They plan to make it a new fashion trend in Oamer."

"They plan to?" Catilli snorted. "You're the one who sets the trends."

"I know, right? I don't know why they're always saying that. They're not the ones going around displaying the latest fashion. And I get the final say on what becomes a trend or not. Like, remember when they were going to make seaweed dresses a thing?"

"Oh my currents, that was such a terrible idea. Seaweed is for eating, not dressing in."

"Yeah, and I stopped it by not wearing it." Lira rolled her eyes. "Whatever, everyone in Oamer knows that I'm trend setter, not some dumb tailors."

I refrained from reminding her that the tailors made all her clothes based on what they thought looked nice, so technically, they were setting the clothing trends. I had no desire to lose the Princess' favor. Besides, it didn't even matter.

"So, what are we doing today?" Lira asked. She stole one of Catilli's shrimp from her shell and popped it in her mouth.

Catilli laughed. "Hey! That was mine!"

"It's my stomach's now." Lira's gaze turned to me. "What are you in the mood for? The grand tour of Oamer? Messing with the maids in the palace?"

"Ooh, that's fun!" Catilli exclaimed.

"We can also hang out with the other mermaids again," Lira continued. "Though I'm sure you want to see as much of Oamer as possible before you go."

"How about the marketplace?" Catilli suggested. "There's lots to see there."

"That's a great idea," Lira said. "The vendors come from all over Oamer, so you can get a taste of our entire city-state."

Out of the options she listed, it seemed to be the least energy consuming.

"That sounds like fun," I said.

"Yay! Let's go!" Catilli squealed. As she seemed to have a habit of doing, her hand squeezed my wrist, and I was dragged into the open sea.

***

Yellow and orange coral glowed in front of us, reaching upward in the dark ocean and curving into a bony arch. Beyond, hundreds of lights bustled around rocks and coral, talking and haggling while vendors shouted into the din. Fish drenched the air, so pungent I could taste it.

"Here we are," Lira said as we passed under the coral arbor. "The Oamaren Marketplace."

Mer-people packed the area, preventing me from seeing into the heart of the Market. I could only stare at vendors on the ends of rows through the shuffling spaces in the crowd.

Catilli tugged me through the crowd and into one of the many rows of booths. At last, her grip released, though a ring of pink tainted my wrist. She really needed to stop doing that.

My legs kicked in the water, still sore from the previous days of swimming. I gritted my teeth and tried to focus on the market, not the pain. Colors caught in my peripheral as I powered after Catilli: orange and pink meat, blue and white gems, and red and green seaweed. I wished Catilli wouldn't go so fast; I wanted to enjoy my time here.

Lani would love this place.

This marketplace reminded me of the one we went to in Hawaii during her Senior trip. Not only did she love window shopping and souvenirs, but she enjoyed the cultural aspects of the experience, too.

A pang of sadness pierced my chest. If only Lani could be right here by my side, everything would be alright. I could truly relax and enjoy myself. We could roam from booth to booth, trying on hats and tasting the food, giggling as we shared these precious moments. We could pick out matching souvenirs to remind us of the truly remarkable experience of being at an underwater marketplace.

But...she wasn't here. I was alone, except for two superficial mermaids.

I stopped in the water, any ray of excitement lost. All I wanted to do was go home and be with my sister, who was probably worried sick and had the entire country searching for me. Gosh, why couldn't I just be strong enough to go home?

As I stared ahead at the clusters of faces, I realized that I had also lost both Catilli and Lira. I sighed. Of course this would happen.

I whirled around in the water, searching for familiar faces. Panic rose in my veins as I took in the sheer amount of mer-people that seemed to close in on all sides. If I couldn't find Catilli and Lira, I'd be stranded here, alone in a foreign world, with no chance of returning to shore. My legs fluttered as fast as they could to push me through the crowd, though my muscles burned and threatened to turn to jello.

Two lights—one golden, one pink—weaved between the mermaids and mermen. Catilli and Lira swam in front of me, and a breath of relief escaped my lungs.

"There you are!" Catilli exclaimed.

"We were afraid you got lost," Lira said. "It's pretty easy for that to happen around here."

"Thank goodness you found me," I gushed. "I don't know what I would have done."

Catilli's hand found my wrist and pulled me forward. "Come this way, I want to show you my favorite shop."

I supposed that this time, her death-grip was necessary.

Catilli released me once we reached a booth with green, woven hats weighted down on the table with rocks. A gray-haired mermaid floated behind the counter, her withered hands braiding strands of seagrass. She looked up from her work, a twinkle in her eye.

"Good tides, Catilli. How are you?"

"Amazing, thank you." Catilli shoved me in front of the table. "Uelle, this is my new friend, Kiara. She's from the human realm."

Uelle arched a playful eyebrow. "Really? That's a long way from here."

I flinched internally at the thought of Lani so far away from me.

"Yes, well, it's a whole long story, but she basically has to stay here a few days because she was knocked over by a wave and she might have suffered injuries so she needs to stay until she has fully recovered..."

"I see," the older mermaid said, cutting off her rambling. "Well, Kiara, I hope you enjoy your stay here. Would you like a hat?"

I scanned the various styles: tyrolean, tophat, wide-brimmed, pillbox, and even a beret. Woven gems, flowers, and scales glittered from the tops and sides. They were rather stylish, especially given underwater constraints, though I had to wonder how practical they really were.

"Won't they float away when I put it on?" I asked.

Uelle laughed. "No, dear. I attach a sash of fabric to each one so you can fasten it around your neck."

I suddenly noticed strips of silken fabric peeking out from beneath the hats.

"You can make textiles underwater?"

"We get them from the surface," Lira said. "But anyway, let's pick out a hat for you. Which one do you want?"

I wished to ask more about what they got from the surface, and how often they went there. But I decided not to push the subject. I focused my attention on the wide range of selection in front of me. I definitely wouldn't purchase one with scales, no matter how pretty it was. The thought of wearing a dead animal made me feel sick. My eyes gravitated to a sun hat, the rim lined with crimson flowers.

"I think I'll pick that one," I said, pointing to it.

"Excellent choice," Lira said. "It'll bring out your red hair."

Uelle plucked two rocks from the wide-brimmed sides. The sun hat floated right into my hands. I placed it on my head and tied a cream-colored bow underneath.

"How fetching!" Catilli exclaimed. "How much is it?"

"Seven rainbow stones," Uelle said.

Catilli reached into a cloth pouch fastened to the brown belt around her waist and handed Uelle the payment. "It's been good seeing you. I'll be sure to come back and visit soon."

She waved to the old mermaid before ushering us to the next booth. A merman hovered behind the rocky table, his tail a rich shade of royal blue, while two younger mermen were in front. They nudged a herd of drifting shells back to the station.

"Good tides, mermaids," the merchant said. His eyes glanced at my feet, though he didn't amend his greeting. "Might I interest you in a prime set of dining shells?" He flicked his head toward one merman with a dim green tail. He swam forward, a glossy white shell in hand.

"My, that is nice," Catilli gushed.

"It takes much time and patience to retrieve a matching set of shells, especially of this fine quality. I assure you, there is no comparable set in durability or aesthetic in all of Oamer."

Catilli ran her fingers over the dish. "How long do they last? Do they ever chip?"

"They will certainly last your lifetime and never chip."

"Wow, how much are they?"

"Two glowfish."

Catilli stopped touching the shell. "Oh, my. Well, they aren't a necessity, so I think I'll pass on them today."

"These aren't your typical, everyday eating shells. They are of outstanding quality. Even if you don't want a set, they would make a marvelous gift," the merman continued.

"I'm not interested today," Catilli asserted. "Once again, thank you for your time."

She pressed forward before he could protest forward. Once he was out of earshot, Catilli said, "Can you believe he charged two entire glowfish for a set of dishes? Unbelievable!"

"Is that a lot of money?" I asked.

"Um, yeah," Catilli said. "I would pay no more than two sand dollars for that sort of thing."

"Not even I would pay two glowfish," Lira chimed in. "It's probably not even good quality. You have to be careful of merchants in Oamer. They often try to jip people."

Catilli nodded emphatically. "It's better to pay less money for something you know is low quality than pay more for something that might, or might not, be good."

The two mermaids glanced over their shoulders. I did the same, his blue tail still visible in the distance.

"But no wonder he has such a vibrant tail," Lira said. "He probably has plenty of glowfish to feast on each meal."

"But his price is inflated," I said. "Wouldn't people shy away from purchasing that sort of thing?"

"Oamarens might. But tourists from neighboring city-states are richer, and more gullible."

"And the merchants are very pushy," Catilli added. "You just have to be firm and tell them you're not interested. Oh! Let's stop by this booth."

I jolted to a halt beside her. A merman on my left grinned.

"Good tides, ladies. May I interest you in one of these necklaces?" He motioned to his arm lined with strings of pearls. "I specially designed each one myself. They are excellent accessories to any outfit, especially when you go to a party, such as the one in a few tides."

"Aren't they gorgeous?" Catilli squealed. "I bought one a few years ago, and it is the perfect addition to all of my fancy outfits. You have to get one!"

Guilt welled up inside me. I didn't want them spending any more money on me.

"It's okay, I don't need one," I said.

"What color would look good on her?" Catilli asked the salesperson.

"I think the white pearls would work best with her coloring," he said. He tenderly lifted a string of pale pink pearls and fastened it around my neck.

"Oh, my!" Catilli exclaimed. "They look so good on you! How much are they?"

"Two sand dollars and six rainbow stones."

"Done."

I opened my mouth to protest, but Catilli quickly handed the payment over. Lira fastened the pearls around my neck.

"Don't you look fancy," the Princess said. "You could fit right in with high society."

"Simply divine," Catilli agreed. "Now come on, let's go to the next booth!"

I held back. These purchases couldn't continue. The mermaids didn't seem to understand the art of window shopping. And no one could replace my sister as my shopping buddy.

I forced a yawn. "I'm actually feeling kind of tired. I think I could use a nap."

"But we haven't bought you anything for the ball," Catilli protested.

Lira looked me up and down. "No offense, but you can't go in that."

I glanced down at my blue swimsuit, the color faded from days at sea. "Maybe I can borrow something from one of you."

At that, Lira's eyes brightened. "Well, Kiara, if you're certain. Catilli, take her home so she can rest.

"But she needs—"

"Don't worry," Lira interrupted. "I think I have a few tricks up my sleeve."