Vanessa's childhood and her years in Vesuvia before the plague

Chapter eleven

Not too far from the palace walls was the bustling Vesuvian marketplace; a place full of exotic luxuries in which a plethora of traders hassled deals to the eager buyers. Aromatic scents of spices and the sweet fumes of pastries pervaded the lively air. Hidden within the crowd of Vesuvian locals were Asra and Vanessa who were making their way towards the place. Admiring the animated scenery within Vesuvia as she overheard the friendly interactions between the residents, Vanessa couldn't help but feel invited to a place she thought was so alien to a true mermaid like herself.
Rubbing shoulders with passers by, Vanessa laughed to Asra 'There sure is a load of people here in Vesuvia who like their goods!'
'Of course!' Asra chimed happily as he waved to some of the customers he knew as previous clients, 'Vesuvia is known for being the place of culture and trade. So obviously, good markets are available due to that. It's the best place to take advantage of when it comes to exploring luxuries offered here!'
While taking in the atmosphere of laughter and chatter, Vanessa muttered, 'It also seems like everyone knows each other here as well,'
'Well the city is pretty tight knit despite it being full of people from overseas. The residents here are very welcoming and they sure know how to socialise with others! Once you know it, a supposed short chat with a Vesuvian can easily turn into an hour or two of talking! You can never get away with being unknown to the public- someone's bound to know your name!" Asra informed with pride over the place he lived.
Beaming with elation, Vanessa replied, 'That's so interesting, it sounds so different to how I grew up. I wasn't really exposed to the community of Atlantis. It's nice that I can finally be exposed to it,'. Slightly curious to know more about Vanessa's past, Asra pushed the impatience aside as he knew it wasn't the right time just yet.
'I'm glad, it won't take long for you to feel a sense of belonging here as well!' Asra exclaimed.

After a few minutes of taking in the surroundings, Vanessa couldn't ignore the pleasant fragrance of sweetness in the air.
'What's that smell?' Vanessa asked intently as she sniffed deeply in the air, 'It smells like heaven!'
Realisation hitting Asra, he grinned 'Ah it's the pastries! Come with me!' before grabbing Vanessa's wrist and pulling her further into the bustle. Finally, the two reached a vibrantly decorated stall which consisted of freshly baked bread and irresistible flaky pastries. Behind the stall was the baker, smiling with an aura of geniality and friendliness.
"Selasi!" Asra declared with glee,"it's nice to meet you again,"
Chuckling over Asra's persona, Selasi replied "My favourite customer and magician has arrived at my stall! What a pleasure! I see you have come with a guest as well,"
Feeling apprehensive and introverted, Vanessa attempted to hide behind Asra's back however he immediately nudged her forward to the intrigued baker's view.
"I'm glad you asked!" Asra chirped while giving an encouraging look to the mermaid, "I would like you to meet my dear friend Vanessa. She's just arrived in Vesuvia and she is very new to the place so I guess you're the best first person to introduce her to!"
"Well I'm honoured!" Selasi rifled and then gleamed towards Vanessa as he offered out his hand with gratitude, " Hello Vanessa, I'm Selasi. It's nice to meet you,"
Staring awkwardly at the bakers hand, she was unsure what the gesture meant as merpeople don't shake hands. To avoid the uneasiness, Asra quickly grabbed Vanessa's hand so it would clutch Selasi's in which the baker gently shook it with pleasure.
"She sure is timid!" Selasi jokes, "No worries, you'll feel confident enough once you get used to this place. Now what would you like Vanessa?". Feeling slightly overwhelmed by the trays of bakery delicacies, Vanessa could still distinguish the unignorable scent that led her here in the first place. The infamous danish pastries. With a trembling finger, she pointed at the stacks of crumbly danish pastries in front of her.
Almost immediately, Selasi began to prepare the warm slices as he handed one each to Asra and Vanessa.
"A customer favourite, I hope you enjoy them!" Selasi exclaimed as Asra exchanged a few coins.

As they left the stall, Vanessa began to munch on the pastry. Unexpectedly, the hectic sounds around her eased away as she transformed into a world of outer space; numerous planets and constellations surrounding her as if she was in a dream.
'Vanessa...Vanessa...Vanessa!' Asra shrieked as his calls finally snapped Vanessa out of her euphoric state, 'Are you okay? Do you not like the pastries- I can get you something else...'
'No!' Vanessa alarmed with widened eyes as she lifted the pastry in hand victoriously, 'This is...paradise!'. Both of them giggling, they continued to finish off the dessert while roaming through the rest of the marketplace. Abruptly, Asra caught a familiar face nearby. It was Portia.
Approaching the maid who was busily occupied in fabrics, Asra remarked "Portia! I didn't expect to see you here."
Glancing up, Portia smiled and then halted after realising Vanessa beside him, "Oh hey Asra! Nice to see you, who's the girl next to you?"
"Oh did Nadia not tell you? Well this is Vanessa, she was introduced to the place not too long ago as a mermaid for Lucio. I'm just showing her around the place!"
Beaming at Vanessa who was perplexed by the unknown women talking to Asra, Portia expressed, "It's nice to meet you! I wish I could talk to you longer but I better get this done! I'll make sure to talk to you in the palace when I can,". Relieved to avoid another social interaction for the time being, Vanessa nodded while Asra waved goodbye to Portia who hurriedly began making her way back to the palace. Watching her disappear into the distance, the two then continued to walk through the open market. Abruptly, a deafening crack echoed in the distance; a cart stall toppling over as all its contents dispersed onto the floor. Despite the overpowering bicker of the market buyers, this minor snapping noise boomed in Vanessa's mind.