"You look lovely, Your Grace." Jewel's tone was light, teasing as she finished stringing my curls through glowing pearl beads. 

"Only because you did such a good job." Much like Lena, Jewel was a master of beauty, of style. She had that same innate affinity for pairing clothes to jewelry, hairstyles, and makeup. I couldn't help but marvel at myself in the tall mirror with the bronze oval frame with pearls inlaid.

My dress was off-the-shoulder, made of shimmery pale blue material that faded and melded into deep azure and cobalt around where the layers of the skirt gave way to streamers, all floating and framing my tail. There were pearls tinged pink to tie in my tail-colors everywhere—in my hair, over my shoulders and collarbone like straps, around my wrists and the tip of my tail, in the layers of the skirt and the details of the bodice. 

They even dripped off of the delicate branching silver tiara with the pale blue fans like fins perched on the sides of my head, complimenting the large orange stone in the center and the tiny cobalt gems. 

Somehow, she'd made all of the colors work, leaving me to look absolutely ethereal—perfect for my first mermaid symphony. 

Jewel had invited me to her house to get ready. What I didn't know was that her "house" was a shipwreck of a giant pirate ship, refurbished for mermaids to live in, I guess. Jewel had a little window that also functioned as a door made of stained glass with those little diamond patterns. Not that you could see out of it at the moment—Jewel had drawn her blue-green silk-like curtains over it once we'd started changing.

"I fixed that mirror, you know." Jewel's voice was both dreamy and matter-of-fact as she peered at my reflection, hands clasped over my exposed shoulders.

"Really?" 

Jewel smiled. "I've been refurbishing human treasures from the wreckages my mother claims since I was a little girl. My older brothers and sisters didn't care much for the work of the place—but I had an eye for what could be salvaged, projects that others wrote off. This mirror was just one of them."

I wondered if she thought of me as similar—another human "project" to beautify.

"It's too bad I never see Talu at these things," Jewel continued as she adjusted her earrings—she was wearing a striking combination of jade and black that complimented her dark hair and russet skin. "He'd lose his mind looking at you!"

"He really doesn't like me, not like that." I thought back to a week prior.

In the time that passed between, I hadn't seen Talu again, and he made no summons for me as Prince Tiberius. In fact, I started to wonder if he and the Undersea Queen and the whole mermaid world had maybe gotten bored of me. I saw Jewel from time to time. But Lumi was busy with Madame Dominique, Evie with the upcoming symphony, and Talu was just always mysteriously busy. 

According to the envelope now sitting on Jewel's dresser top, I was supposed to be Prince Tiberius's personal guest to the symphony. I was to use my pearl to arrive at the palace and make my grand entrance alongside him. The idea now churned my stomach—it was so embarrassing to have to be with your crush when your crush definitely hated the idea of the two of you being together. 

But I also wouldn't let the awkwardness be an excuse to skip out. I'd gotten a taste of mermaid music magic when Evie had practiced in front of Jewel and me. Now I had to see the real thing, the Full Moon Royal Symphony. 

"Are you ready?" Jewel asked as she looked me over one last time.

"As I'll ever be."

"Good answer." Jewel patted my upper arm. "And who knows—not many of us have seen our mysterious prince. Maybe Talu will be jealous."

"Maybe," I said, straining to keep my face straight. "But I think he only has eyes for Lumi."

"He will once he sees you." Jewel pointed to my pearl. "Just touch it with the intention, and you'll end up where you're supposed to be."

I nodded. Part of me wanted to stay here, in Jewel's fabulous bedroom. Draped in seafoam green gauze curtains and filled with various knick-knacks similar to the mirror, it was a glimmering place, a place of mystery. Her home was no different, being a sunken galleon converted into her family's underwater mansion. Easily a place I could explore forever, if she let me—and if there weren't people waiting to meet me.

I sighed and my hand hovered over the pearl. "See you in a little while."

Jewel winked. "Enjoy it!"

My hand touched the pearl as I imagined the palace. I blinked—Jewel's room was gone, and I was in Talu's little sitting room area of his chambers again. Painless and less disorienting than I'd expected.

"Mika?" The second syllable of my name went up in a little strangled squeak. I turned to see Talu—only to find myself taken aback.

He was done up in the princely look again, with a long black tunic with teal and white trims, flowing white sleeves, an elegant horned headdress of gold with a thin white veil framing his face. His impossibly blue eyes were wide, and there might have even been a little pink beyond the glowing turquoise blue markings on his cheeks. 

"You look nice," I said evenly.

This was the wrong move—the pink turned red and he averted his eyes. 

"You too," he mumbled.

I pressed my lips together. I was already making a mess of all of this. I wasn't going to say anything—so I might as well address it. "Jewel was just joking earlier, when she made that comment about you asking me to the symphony. She just thought it would be funny, she didn't mean anything by it."

"What?" His eyes flicked back to me.

I thought I was going to die of embarrassment right there. "She knows that you wouldn't want to go anywhere with me, that you have feelings for Lumi. Just a funny joke—to suggest that the human and a mermaid—merboy—would go to the symphony together."

He frowned and I could feel myself digging deeper. "Don't worry, it happens to me all the time—"

"What are you talking about?" He interrupted, folding his arms over his chest. 

I froze like a deer in headlights. "Never mind."

He tilted his head, then shook it. He then offered his arm to me. "Let's go to the symphony."