The Princess's Revenge Chapter 100

Valencia’s POV

"I received word from Rhodes this morning." Dr. Vance said, his weathered face growing serious.

"Rhodes sent a response?" Logan asked, his gray eyes sharpening with interest.

"Yes." Dr. Vance pulled out a sealed letter, the parchment slightly worn from travel. "He's been researching in the library for some time now, going through ancient texts and historical records."

Elias leaned forward. "Did he find anything useful?"

Dr. Vance held up the letter. "He's still there, continuing his research. But what he's discovered so far is..." He paused, looking directly at me. "It's quite significant."

I felt my pulse quicken. Whatever Rhodes had found, it was about me.

Logan sat up straighter despite his injuries. "What did he learn?"

Dr. Vance looked at the letter in his hands, then surprisingly turned to me. "Luna, would you like to read it? This concerns you more than anyone."

I stared at him in shock. "Me?"

"Logan should read it," I said quickly.

But Logan shook his head. "Dr. Vance is right. You should read it first."

I looked between the three men, my heart hammering. Logan's expression was encouraging, while Elias and Dr. Vance watched me with expectant faces. There was no way to refuse without seeming suspicious.

"Alright," I said quietly, accepting the letter with trembling hands.

I carefully broke the wax seal and unfolded the parchment. Rhodes' neat handwriting filled the page, and I began reading aloud.

"Dear Dr. Vance," I started, my voice steady despite my racing heart. "I have examined dozens of ancient texts, and I've finally found something remarkable. I discovered an old legend about someone named Raven Ogden."

The name hit me like a physical blow. Raven Ogden. Something about that name felt familiar, like an echo in my mind.

I continued reading, my voice growing stronger. "According to the legend, Raven Ogden traveled to a distant continent where he encountered and defeated a dragon. The dragon, facing death, made a desperate bargain with Raven. It agreed to enter his body and grant him the power to shift into dragon form in exchange for its life."

"A dragon living inside someone?" Elias interrupted, his green eyes wide. "Is that possible?"

"Let her finish," Logan said firmly.

I looked down at the letter again. "But the dragon was cunning and malicious. Once inside Raven's body, it began destroying his mind from within. Raven could not control the dragon's power. He suffered constant, unbearable headaches and mental torment. The dragon's presence was slowly driving him insane."

My hands were shaking now. Headaches. I had been having headaches since my dragon awakening. Was this connected?

"The legend says that Raven, unable to bear the agony any longer, was about to throw himself from a cliff to end his suffering. But at that moment, a mysterious old man with white hair and a white beard appeared. The old man gave Raven a red ruby ring."

I paused, my breath catching.

"The old man told Raven that the ring would guide him to a sacred temple. Following the ring's guidance, Raven traveled until he reached the temple on a night when the moon was full. There, he spoke with the Dragon God and received a Dragon Heart Stone. With this stone, Raven finally gained control over the dragon within him and could shift at will."

The room was completely silent. I could hear my own heartbeat as I read the final part of the letter.

"Regarding the red ruby ring's current location, I found a connection to King's Fang. I spoke with an information broker here known as Whisper, and he provided me with some leads. I am currently investigating these clues and will send word when I learn more. Rhodes."

I slowly lowered the letter, my mind reeling. The name Raven Ogden felt like it was burning in my thoughts. And the dragon inside me - I could feel it responding, as if the name had awakened something.

"Raven Ogden," Logan said thoughtfully. "Have any of you heard that name before?"

Dr. Vance shook his head. "It's not in any of the historical records I'm familiar with. But if this legend is true..."

"Luna?" Elias was looking at me with concern. "You look pale. Are you alright?"

I realized I was gripping the letter so tightly my knuckles had turned white. "I'm fine," I said quickly. "It's just... that name. Raven Ogden. It feels familiar somehow."

The truth was, hearing the name had triggered something deep inside me. The dragon presence I'd been learning to sense seemed to pulse with recognition. But how could that be possible?

"Familiar how?" Logan asked, his gray eyes studying my face intently.

"I don't know," I admitted. "Maybe I heard it somewhere before? When I was younger?"

Dr. Vance leaned forward. "The important question is whether this legend is real. If it is, then the red ruby ring could be the key to helping you control your dragon form completely."

"When was the last full moon?" Logan asked.

I thought back, counting the days in my head. "Twenty-seven days ago. Which means..."

"The next full moon is in two days," Elias finished, his voice tense. "The same night as your challenge with Amara."

The coincidence sent chills down my spine. Of all the times for a full moon to occur, it had to be on the night I was supposed to prove my worthiness as Luna.

"Two days isn't enough time to find a ruby ring that's been lost for who knows how long," Dr. Vance said grimly.

Elias nodded. "Should we send more people to King's Fang to help Rhodes search?"

"No," Logan said firmly. "We can't draw too much attention to this investigation. If word gets out about what we're looking for, it could raise dangerous questions."

I looked at each of their faces. "Then we wait for the next full moon," I said quietly. "A month from now."

"A month," Dr. Vance repeated. "That would give Rhodes more time to investigate, and us more time to prepare."

But even as we discussed waiting, I could see the concern in everyone's eyes. Because we all knew what wasn't being said aloud.

"There's something else we need to discuss," Logan said, his voice growing serious. "Soren."

The temperature in the room seemed to drop. Elias shifted uncomfortably.

"He's been asking questions about the dragon that appeared during the battle," Logan continued. "And today, when he spoke with you in the great hall, he was clearly testing you."

My stomach clenched. "You think he suspects something?"

"I'm certain of it," Logan said flatly. "Soren is intelligent and observant. The timing of the dragon's appearance, your purple eyes, maybe the rumors - he's putting the pieces together."

Dr. Vance frowned deeply. "If Soren discovers Valencia's true nature..."

"He could use it against us," Logan finished. "Soren isn't our enemy, but he's not completely our ally either. He has his own ambitions."

"And if he tells Elton..." I couldn't finish the sentence. If Elton learned that I could shift into a dragon, he would stop at nothing to either control me or destroy me.

Logan's jaw tightened. "That's why we need to be extremely careful. All of us." He looked around the room. "No one else can know about this. Not until we understand more about Valencia's abilities and how to control them."

"What if Soren directly asks me about it?" I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Deny everything," Logan said immediately. "No matter what he says or what evidence he thinks he has, you know nothing about dragons or shifting. You're just a wolf-less girl who got lucky."

I nodded, but my chest felt tight with anxiety. Lying to Soren would be difficult, especially if he already suspected the truth.

A soft knock interrupted our conversation. "Come in," Logan called.

Echo entered, carrying a wooden tray with food for Logan. "I brought your lunch, Alpha," she said with a warm smile. "You need proper nutrition to heal."

The interruption broke some of the tension that had been building in the room. Echo's cheerful presence was a welcome relief from our heavy discussion.

"Thank you, Echo," Logan said, managing a small smile despite his exhaustion.

As Echo set the tray on the bedside table, she glanced at me with concern. "If you need anything, just call for me."

"We will," Logan assured her. "Thank you for taking such good care of us."

After Echo left, the room fell quiet again. Logan began eating slowly, while the rest of us sat in contemplative silence.

"I should return to my research. There might be other texts that reference this Raven Ogden." Dr. vance said.

"And I need to oversee the supply distribution," Elias added, rising as well.

As they prepared to leave, Logan reached for my hand. "Stay with me for a while?" he asked quietly.

I squeezed his fingers. "Of course."

After Dr. Vance and Elias left, Logan pulled me closer to the bed. "Are you really alright?" he asked, studying my face. "You seemed shaken when you read that name."

I hesitated. Should I tell him about the strange recognition I'd felt? About how the dragon inside me had responded to hearing about Raven Ogden?

"It's probably nothing," I said finally. "But when I read his name, something inside me... stirred. Like the dragon part of me recognized it somehow."

Logan's expression grew very serious. "That could be significant. Ancient dragon bloodlines might have genetic memories or inherited knowledge."

"You think I could be related to this Raven Ogden somehow?"

"It's possible," Logan said carefully. "If the legend is true, and if he really did learn to control a dragon's power, then his descendants might carry that same potential."

The thought was both thrilling and terrifying. To think that I might be connected to someone who had faced the same struggles I was facing now.

"We'll figure this out," Logan said, lifting my hand to his lips and pressing a gentle kiss to my knuckles. "I promise you, Val. We'll find answers."

I leaned down and kissed him softly, trying to pour all my gratitude and love into the gesture. When we broke apart, Logan smiled.

"Now," he said, "tell me honestly. How are you feeling about facing Soren's questions? Because I could see how uncomfortable you were in the great hall."

I sighed. "Terrified. He has a way of making me feel like he can see right through any lie I tell."

"That's because he's had years of practice reading people," Logan said. "But you're stronger than you think, Valencia. You've survived things that would have broken most people. You can handle Soren."

I hoped he was right. Because something told me that the next would test every ounce of strength and cunning I possessed.