The Princess's Revenge Chapter 117

Valencia’s POV

Every person in the corridor froze. Logan's hand on my shoulder tightened. The guards stared at me with expressions of complete shock.

My heart pounded so hard I thought it might burst. Princess Ophelia? Who was that? How did he know to ask for her?

"I..." My voice came out strangled. I cleared my throat and tried again. "I'm not a princess. I don't know anyone named Ophelia."

Logan stepped forward, his voice hard. "Who are you?"

The old man's attention shifted to Logan. "You're the bastard prince. Winston's son." It wasn't a question.

"Answer my question," Logan growled. "Who. Are. You?"

The old man's lips curved into a sad smile. "My name is Aldric Ogden. I was the Royal Keeper of Records in King Caspian's court. I survived the massacre—I was away on royal business when Ashwood attacked."

He looked back at me. "But you... you smell so much like her. Princess Ophelia. Caspian's youngest daughter. The resemblance is extraordinary."

I felt like the ground was shifting beneath my feet. "I don't know any Princess Ophelia," I repeated, but my voice shook. "I was adopted by Alpha Kevin and Luna Sienna of Moonfall Ridge Pack."

Aldric leaned forward as much as his chains allowed. "What pack were you born into?"

"I... I don't know."

"And your birth parents? Their names?"

"I don't know," I said again, frustration bleeding into my voice. "No one ever told me. They said it didn't matter, that my new family was all that mattered."

Aldric's expression grew more intense, his sightless eyes fixed in my direction as if he could see straight into my soul. "Give me your hand, child. Please. I can tell for certain if you carry Ogden blood."

I looked at Logan uncertainly. Through our bond, I felt his wariness, his protective instincts screaming at him to pull me away.

"It could be a trap," Logan said out loud, his voice low.

"Look at him," I replied quietly. "He's chained with silver. He can't shift. What harm could he possibly do?"

"Valencia—"

"We came here for answers, didn't we?" I looked up at him, my hand finding his. "We need to know the truth."

Logan's jaw clenched. I felt his internal struggle. Finally, he exhaled sharply.

"Fine. But I'm going in with you." He turned to the guard. "Open the cell."

The guard looked uncertain. "Alpha, regulations state—"

"I don't give a fuck about your regulations," Logan snarled. "Open the door now, or I'll break it down myself."

The guard hastily pulled out his keys. The cell door swung open with a rusty creak.

Logan turned to the guard, his voice cold. "Get out of here. Now."

The guard's eyes widened, but he didn't hesitate. He bowed quickly and retreated down the corridor.

But before Logan could step through, Aldric spoke again, his voice carrying surprising strength.

"Only the girl. She must come alone."

"Absolutely not," Logan snapped. "If you think I'm letting her walk into that cell by herself—"

"The test requires it," Aldric interrupted. "The bloodline recognition only works if she comes to me freely, without interference. If you're there, it could corrupt the reading."

"I don't care about your—"

"Logan." I squeezed his hand. "It's okay. I'll be fine."

"Valencia, this is insane. We don't know anything about this man or what he can do."

"He's chained," I pointed out. "Look at him. He's old, he's weak, and he hasn't shifted in who knows how long. What's he going to do?"

Logan's expression was thunderous. I felt his fear through our bond. He'd lost so many people—his mother, countless warriors, nearly me during multiple battles. The thought of me walking into danger, even minimal danger, was tearing him apart.

I reached up and touched his face, my palm against his cheek. "I need to know," I whispered. "Don't you understand? All my life, I've wondered who I really am. Where I came from. If there's even the smallest chance that this man can give me answers..."

Logan closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them again, I saw resignation mixed with terror.

"If anything happens," he said quietly, "if I sense even a hint of danger through our bond, I'm coming in. Guards or no guards, chains or no chains, I'll kill him where he sits."

"I know." I stepped through the cell door.

Up close, I could see he was quite old—his face was deeply lined, his silver hair streaked with white. But the way he held himself, even chained and sitting on the floor, spoke of nobility.

"Come closer, child," he said softly. "Give me your hand."

I knelt in front of him, my silk dress pooling around me on the stone floor. Slowly, I extended my hand.

His fingers were cold when they wrapped around mine. For a moment, nothing happened. Then I felt it—a warmth spreading from where our skin touched, traveling up my arm and into my chest. It wasn't painful, but it was intense, like sunlight flooding through a window after weeks of darkness.

I gasped, my eyes widening. What was this?

Aldric's brow furrowed in concentration. The warmth intensified, and I felt something else—like he was reading me.

"Val!" I heard Logan's voice through the bars, tight with worry. "What's happening?"

"I'm fine," I managed to say. "It's just... warm. Nothing's wrong."

The sensation continued for what felt like an eternity but was probably only a minute. Then, gradually, the warmth faded. Aldric's grip loosened, and he released my hand.

I stared at him, breathing hard. "What was that?"

His expression was troubled, almost disappointed. "Bloodline recognition," he said slowly. "Every member of the Ogden royal family carries a unique magical signature. It's like a fingerprint."

"And?" I pressed. "What did you find?"

Aldric was quiet for a long moment. When he finally spoke, his voice was heavy with sadness. "You have Princess Ophelia's scent. It clings to you like perfume. But you're not her. You're not an Ogden."

The words hit me like a physical blow. I felt the breath leave my lungs, felt the ground shift beneath me.

I wasn't an Ogden.

I had so carefully guarded the tiny hope I'd held deep in my heart—the fantasy that I might be someone special, someone important. That maybe, just maybe, I was a lost princess instead of just a discarded slave. That my suffering had meaning, that my existence mattered in some grand cosmic plan.

But no. I was just Valencia. The disappointment was crushing.

"I see," I said quietly, proud that my voice didn't shake. "Thank you for checking."

But Aldric wasn't finished. His eyes studied me intently, searching my face. "But the dragon," he said softly. "You carry dragon blood inside you. I felt it clearly. How is this possible?"

I froze. "How did you know about that?"

"The bloodline recognition reveals everything," Aldric explained. "Your magical signature shows dormant dragon essence. Powerful, barely contained." He continued. "Tell me, child. Can you shift into dragon form?"

The question hung in the air. I hadn't expected him to ask such a sensitive question. My mind raced, unsure how to respond. The words caught in my throat.

Aldric seemed to sense my hesitation. "You must tell me the truth, child," he said firmly, his blind eyes somehow piercing. "I need to know."

I lowered my voice to barely more than a whisper. "Yes. I can shift into a red dragon. But the dragon sleeps inside me. I cannot control it."

Aldric sucked in a sharp breath. His hands trembled, and for a moment I saw his expression shift—a complex mix of profound sorrow and intense joy flickering across his weathered face.

"Then it's certain," he said, his voice thick with emotion and absolute conviction. "You're not an Ogden. You can't be."

"I don't understand," I said, confusion replacing my disappointment. "If I have dragon blood but I'm not an Ogden, then what does that mean?"

Aldric leaned back against the wall, his chains clinking softly. "Let me tell you about the Ogden family," he said. "About how we rose to power, and how we fell."

I settled more comfortably on the floor, tucking my dress around my legs.

"Over eight hundred years ago," Aldric began, "a warrior named Raven Ogden came to this continent from across the western seas. He was fleeing his homeland, seeking a new beginning. But he brought with him a terrible power—the ability to shift into a dragon."

I held my breath, hanging on every word.