"Waif for sale!" the hawker shouted. "Waif for sale! Just found today!"
"Waif?" Andra asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes, ma'am," the vender said with a toothy grin, three of which glinted with gold. "I've got all kinds of waif! Need driftwood? I'm your man! Need some hot merchandise that happened to be found by enterprising individuals in an escape gone wrong? We have it! Or, if you're interested, we have plenty of lost children."
"What?!"
"Oh, don't worry, salvage laws let us sell anything that washes up on the beach," the merchant said, nodding happily. "The prince is right good to us that way."
"That wasn't what I was upset about!" Andra replied.
"Oh, the stolen goods?" he asked. "Well, if you're the one stolen from, then if you can prove it, by law I must return it. So long as I didn't give money to the thief, then I can sell it on. 'Course, I have to inform you, so it becomes your business if the owner comes calling. Still, quite a sale price, and I must admit, I'm not too good at records for sales, so you likely won't have the owner find you!"
"That's... that's pretty reprehensible, too, to be honest," Andra mumbled. "But no, what I meant was, the child! You sell children!"
"Oh, my, yes," he said, nodding happily. "Perfectly legal, so long as the parents or owners don't come round and demand them back, and then you just have to return the youngin'. Our prince is quite... well, I suppose he's good to us, even if he's not very good in general, if you get my meaning, ma'am."
"That's just... you know what, I think I'll be happier if I just leave and don't ask any further questions."
"Ah, yes, happens more often than you'd think," he agreed with a sage nod. "If you ever need any kind of waif, just remember to come on down to the Waif Emporium! I'm actually having a bit of fire sale, seeing as one of the lads knocked over a candle last week in their kennel, so if you want a deal on a slightly singed orphan, remember my stand!"
"Kennel!?!"