We reached the rear of the huge lodge and found ourselves on the outskirts of the manicured forest. The trees were spaced evenly apart so a truck could roll through any part of the area, and the managed woods stretched for a half mile until the steepness of the ground dwindled the tree population. At that point, the lefthand mountains had curved into the valley and nearly touched their counterparts on the right. There was a gap between them wide enough only for the flow of the river, creating yet another impenetrable wall for the bear city. The jagged peaks of those mountains stared down at us as we moved toward an open area in the trees only a dozen yards from the rear of the lodge.

  A huge bear of a man stood in the clearing with a few other burly fellows at his side. They were surrounded by four-foot round boulders. A cluster of other huge stones stood at the opposite end of the grassy meadow. The leader was a head and a half taller than me and would have even outdone Dadan in his height. He was broad of shoulder and wore a heavy fur coat of a tan deer with matching leggings.

  The man strode over to one of the boulders and stood with his legs far apart. He cracked the knuckles on his hands one by one and a crooked smile appeared on his lips. The man knelt and dipped his arms beneath the boulder.

  I jerked to a stop and my mouth fell open as I watched him heft the heavy stone off the ground and above his head. He stood for a moment in triumphant before he tossed the rock across the meadow to the other pile. His stone crashed against a dozen others, sending them all scattering in different directions.

  The man turned to his compatriots and sauntered over to them. “Shall we play again?”

  One of the men laughed. “And get beaten by you for the twelfth time, King Pangberan?”

  “You won’t know you won’t win unless you try,” he countered.

  One of the king’s companions noticed our coming and his eyes widened. “Your Highness! Look!”

  King Pangberan turned to where his friend pointed and he stiffened. A mess of emotions flitted through his eyes but they were quickly suppressed in favor of a stoic look. He lifted his chin and stuck out his chest a little.

  His voice was stern but there was a barely detectable quiver in the words. “You did not inform me you were returning. What has happened?”

  Arian’s eyes welled up with tears and a shaky smile touched her lips. She rushed forward past her brother and me and enveloped the man in a big hug. Her arms could barely get around his waist but her enthusiasm was enough that he waved a bit at the blow.

  Arian buried her face in his coat but a few muffled and sniffling words managed to filter through the fur. “I am so glad to see you, Father.”

  Wait a second. King Pangberan. Father?

  My jaw creaked open like a rusty trap as my mind suddenly comprehended the mystery surrounding my friend. She really was a princess and we had arrived at her realm. I mechanically turned my head to Dian. “She. . .you. . .king. . .your dad is-?” I couldn’t get the words out.

  Dian folded his arms over his chest and grinned. “Didn’t Arian tell you? Our father’s the leader of the bear clan.”

  I snapped my gaping mouth shut and shook my head. “N-no, she didn’t mention that.”

  He threw back his head and laughed. “That’s just like her! She never likes to tell anyone she’s from royalty because she thinks people will treat her differently because of it.”

  King Pangberan drew his daughter to arm’s length and looked her over. “Is anything the matter?”

  She smiled and shook her head. “Nothing at all, Father. I merely desired to return home with my mistress and show her our wonderful lands.”

  The king looked past her and at me. I tried not to shrink beneath his piercing gaze. The last time I’d first met a royal things had been pretty bumpy for me. “A friend of Arian is a friend to all our people. Pray, what is your name that you would be my daughter’s mistress?”

  I stood straight and cleared my throat. “My name is Lady Anna Roberts, Your Majesty, and I, um, thank you for letting me visit.”

  He nodded. “The pleasure is all mine. Now then-” He returned his attention to his daughter and a ghost of a smile touched his lips, “-have you eaten yet?”

  “Not since breakfast,” she replied.

  A crooked grin slipped onto his lips not unlike that of his son. “Then you’re just in time for a feast. Lord Lujun found the most magnificent stag in the mountains this morning and it should be cooked by now.” He turned to the men and raised his arms in the air. “We shall have a feast day today to celebrate the return of Arian!”

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  “A splendid idea!”

  “Here here!”

  “Let us to it then!” Pangberan called to them as he draped an arm over his daughter’s shoulders. He guided her toward the stone path and caught my eye. “And the feast shall be in your honor as well, Lady Roberts.”

  I stifled a very bemused smile at my belated addition to the festivities. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

  “Anna,” Arian whispered as she thrust her bag into my hands. “Please care for this.”

  I hugged the bag close against my chest and nodded. “With my life.” Otherwise, Prince Yushir might take it because his precious gift was wrapped in Arian’s thickest clothes.

  The father-daughter pair hurried past, but the void was quickly filled by the son. Dian stepped up to me and offered me his arm and a smile. “We’d better hurry or there won’t be anything left for us.”

  I looped my arm around his and let him lead me behind the king and his daughter. The other men followed us and we soon returned to the front of the impressive lodge. A delightful scent floated from the creature on the spit and the cook in charge of basting the meat turned to his lord.

  “You have good timing, Your Majesty. It’s just about done. Pick up a pint and I’ll get you a plate.”

  “My daughter shall have a plate before me,” the king commanded him before he swept his eyes over the crowd. “And let us feast to our content for the remainder of the day, for Arian has come home to stay. Let everyone in the city know that I will let the street flow with beer until the chimes strike the midnight hour this night!”

  A great cheer rose from those that surrounded us and a few of the sprier men darted out through the gates and down the hill to alert the city. Arian was all blushes and stammering. “You do not have to do this for me, Father.”

  “Nonsense,” he insisted as he swept an arm over his domain. “The city will be glad to hear of your return and even more so that you have brought an honored guest from among the heaven gods.”

  Oh boy. I, too, shrank from the attention that was brought upon my silver head.

  “To drink and to eat, my friends!” Pangberan shouted as he accepted a mug from one of his compatriots. He raised the glass and the others joined in. “To a bright and prosperous future for yours and mine.”

  “Hear hear!” came the shouted reply, and the company downed their drinks in several huge gulps.

  “Don’t mind him.” I jumped at the voice and whipped my head about to find Lujun standing at my side. He had an amused smile on his face as he watched his king drag his daughter around the spit. “He hasn’t seen his only daughter in so long that it’s a wonder he hasn’t chained her to the ceremonial stake so she can never leave him again.”

  “Ceremonial stake?” I repeated.

  A cloud darkened some of his brow as he stared ahead with a hard look. “One of our darker histories, but you needn’t worry about that. Enjoy the evening and I hope you have a good rest.”

  He slipped away, leaving me both relieved and puzzled. I didn’t have long to my thoughts when Dian sidled up to me with a heavy plate of sliced meat.

  He held the plate out to me. “Care for some?”

  My stomach grumbled loud enough to be heard over the din of merriment. I sheepishly smiled under his twinkling eyes and took a slice. “Thanks.”

  “My pleasure,” he replied as he turned to face the fire and chewed on a piece himself.

  I couldn’t help but notice his eyes flitted over me. “Is something wrong?” I asked him.

  Now it was his turn to blush. “I-I was just wondering if all the heaven goddesses were as beautiful as you.” I choked on my meat and his eyes shot open with alarm. He shoved his plate into the chest of a nearby party-goer and grasped my arms. “Are you alright? Did you need some water?”

  I waved away his concern and managed a smile. “I’m fine, you just surprised me, that’s all.” I cleared my throat and regained some of my dignity. “There are a lot of goddesses who are prettier than me.” Like Shian, that snake I thought to myself.

  He cocked his head to one side. “Then the heaven realm is filled with such beauties?”

  The gist of his question made my eyes twinkle with mischief. “You sound like you want to visit there.”

  He released me and shrugged. “I thought perhaps I might one day go there. As an envoy for my father, of course.”

  “Of course,” I agreed as I returned my attention to the gathering. Arian was now surrounded by other fair maidens of the kingdom, all asking questions about her time on the floating islands. A heavy sigh escaped me as those memories came flooding back.

  “You sound as though you’ve lost something very important to you.”

  Dian’s voice shook me from my reverie and I sheepishly smiled at him. “Oh, it’s nothing. I was just thinking about the long road that took us here, that’s all.”

  “Would you like to rest?” he suggested as he swept an arm at the majestic lodge. “Our father has many spare bedrooms. I will put you in one beside Arian’s old room.”

  “That sounds like a good idea,” I agreed though I cast a furtive glance at my friend.

  Arian looked between the heads of her curious friends and noticed my attentive stare. I pointed at myself and then the lodge. Dian took the initiative and leaned into her line of sight where he grinned and pointed at himself, as well. I playfully shoved him out of the way and saw Arian sigh before she nodded.

  “That settles it,” Dian piped up as he took one of my hands. “Arian has assigned me as your guide for this evening and I will do my utmost to help you in whatever way I can.”

  “Within reason,” I teased.

  His eyes flashed with a bright yellow light. “Perhaps.”