NOT WORTHY TO BE KING: FEARLESS WARRIOR

45| YOU COULDN'T HAVE PREDICTED THIS

As Logan sat in the dimly lit room, lost in his thoughts and the haunting absence of his wife, he thought he was finally alone. The discussions from earlier had died down, and his cousins had departed, leaving him to wrestle with his emotions in solitude. Or so he thought.

Just as he was about to lose himself in the labyrinth of his thoughts, the door creaked open, and Clayton slipped inside. The concern etched across Clayton's face was unmistakable, and Logan couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt for worrying his brother.

Clayton approached with cautious steps, his voice soft and filled with empathy. "Logan, I know you're hurting. We all are. Tiara means the world to you, just like Arianna means the world to me so I can imagine what you're going through."

Logan met his brother's gaze, his own eyes heavy with sorrow. "I can't believe she's gone, Clayton. I can't bear the thought of her out there alone. Again."

Clayton placed a reassuring hand on Logan's shoulder. "We'll find her, Logan. You know that. And she's not alone, Arianna is with her. I would like to believe that they are supporting each other wherever they are."

Logan nodded, taking a shaky breath. "I know, Clayton, but it's just so hard to accept. I miss her so much, and I hate feeling this helpless."

Clayton squeezed his brother's shoulder tighter. "I miss Arianna too, Logan. We're all hurting, but we can't let despair consume us. We need to stay strong for them and for each other."

Logan looked down at his hands, clenching and unclenching his fists. "I wish there was something more we could do. I can't bear the thought of Arianna giving birth without us by her side."

Clayton's expression turned sombre as he lowered his gaze for a moment. "I've been thinking about that, Logan. She's been through a lot and I don't think she's gonna be able to hold on for much longer.

"Our baby has affected her health more than she wants to admit. I've seen how she was the past few weeks and I don't like it. We never planned this pregnancy and even though I know I'm gonna love our baby once he is born, I can't help but feel guilty about the whole situation.

"If it wasn't for the pregnancy, she would be fine and because she is a strong woman, I would have been hundred percent sure that she would survive the kidnapping but right now..."

Logan didn't need Clayton to finish that sentence to know what he was thinking. Logan also thought of what the doctor had said before they came here. 'As long as she doesn't stress, she and the baby will be fine.'

With the kidnapping catching them by surprise, Logan didn't want to think of the possible outcomes.

His heart sank as he considered Clayton's words as well. The weight of responsibility for Tiara and their unborn child pressed down on him too, and he couldn't shake the feeling of guilt that had been gnawing at him since the moment they learned of the kidnapping.

He knew that Tiara was resilient, but this ordeal had taken a toll on her, physically and emotionally.

"I feel the same way, Clayton," Logan admitted, his voice laden with guilt. "I hate myself for not being there when she needed me the most. I should have protected her better but what did I do? I was deep asleep when they took her."

Clayton shook his head, his eyes filled with understanding. "You couldn't have predicted this, Logan. None of us could have. We're facing a formidable enemy, and they took advantage of our vulnerability. But we'll make things right. We'll rescue them and bring them home where they belong. You shouldn't blame yourself."

That was easier said than done. Logan could try to convince himself that he couldn't have but no matter what Clayton said, he couldn't shake the feeling that he should have done something. Usually, he was very aware of his surroundings, it was one of the things that kept him alive while he was in camps during his fighting life as a warrior in Mercy.

Growing up in a place that wasn't ideal for a young boy like him made him vigilant and he knew that his life depended on that. He realised that he was enjoying his life as a prince a little too much which changed him.

The Logan who knew he was only a prince by name wouldn't make the mistake this Logan was making.

"Stop that," Clayton said as he looked at him.

"Stop what?" Logan asked him.

"You know what I'm talking about." He didn't have to elaborate because he was right.

"I understand what you're saying, Clayton," Logan replied, his voice tinged with frustration. "But I can't help but feel like I failed her, like I should have been more vigilant. Tiara is my wife, and I should have protected her, no matter the circumstances."

Clayton sighed. "I get it, Logan. I really do. But beating yourself up over this won't bring Tiara back any faster. Right now, we need to focus on finding her and bringing her home safely. Blame won't help us in this situation.

"I told you that you should stop blaming yourself or wish you could've done something because we both know you couldn't have done something.

"I know that you've always been smart but you also have to think about it. How did the person who kidnapped Tiara do it in your presence? Tiara must've screamed when it happened and I know that you could've heard her. What you should ask yourself is, why didn't you hear her scream? My case is different because Arianna wasn't in our room and the garden is very far from our chambers."

Logan's eyes widened as he considered Clayton's theory. "You might be onto something, Clayton. What if Tiara was taken by someone with knowledge of the palace's layout and security? Someone who knew how to move in and out without being detected?

"We've been checking all the possible clues and suspects but we forgot about that part. Now the question is, who has access to every part of the palace? Someone who could move in and out without being questioned."

Logan and Clayton both looked at each other as if they were both thinking the same thing. All this while, Logan has been suspecting his uncle but he couldn't just go to him and ask him directly without proof and now it all made sense.

The palace guards moved around the palace all day and all night but they didn't have access to every part of the palace, especially the royal family's rooms and even if they did, they didn't have a reason to kidnap the princesses.

The only person who has both access and the guts to kidnap Tiara and Arianna is his uncle. Logan knew the old man wasn't going to hand over the throne to him without a fight but he didn't think he would stoop so low.

But then Logan should've expected this from him seeing as he didn't have a problem with killing his own brother. If he could kill his own blood, what could possibly stop him from kidnapping someone who wasn't related to him?

Tiara might be Logan's wife but Logan wasn't dumb to think that his uncle considered him family and if Logan wasn't family, the same goes for Tiara, Clayton and Arianna.

Logan's thoughts were interrupted by Clayton's voice. "Logan, we need to be careful with our next steps. If we confront our uncle without concrete evidence, it could backfire on us. We have to gather more information, discreetly, and find out if he truly had a hand in this.

"You do remember how Adrian reacted when I said I was suspecting his father? I don't want the same thing to happen again. I know I was very rash with that and now I know my mistake. We can't do that if we want to find them."

Logan listened to what Clayton was saying and if he was being honest with himself, he wanted to confront their uncle as soon as possible but then he knew better than that.

Ian promised that he would help and Logan knew that if he could tell him what he was thinking, his little cousin would want to be part of their plan.

Logan appreciated that but then he was also not going to be responsible for Ian's regrets when everything was over. A lot could go wrong with what they were doing and even though he didn't like to admit it, Logan knew it could lead to deaths.

He could live with that because he's killed a lot of people in his life, whether it was in a battle with their enemies or people from The Enclave who were after his life. He's had to do a lot of killing to protect himself and all those he considered friends and family when he was there.

He wasn't sure Ian could though and he wasn't going to risk anything.

"I've also been talking with the palace staff discreetly and asking them anything we could've missed or maybe something they were afraid to say in front of everyone and even though I haven't found something, I believe I will find something eventually. I've also asked them to report to me if they see something weird or someone acting weird.

"It's been difficult though because even though they somehow accepted us when we got here, we still have no power and I think it's difficult for them to rely on us for their protection."

Logan had thought about that too because there was no way no one knew what happened during the kidnapping.

Logan leaned forward, his voice low and determined. "Keep up your discreet investigations, Clayton. We may find a lead or uncover something significant that can help us in our search.

"Please be cautious when gathering that information. I want you to be safe and we can't afford to act hastily and risk making a move that could jeopardize Tiara and Arianna's safety. The last thing we want is to put them in even more danger."

"I know. Don't worry about me, big brother. I will be safe." He stood up and bid him goodnight. "I will see you tomorrow morning. Please try to get some sleep, tomorrow we're going to investigate those fractions that Axel spoke about and you know we don't know what to expect."

Clayton didn't wait for Logan to say anything as he made his way out and shut the door, leaving Logan all by himself again.

Before getting married to Tiara, he enjoyed spending time alone but now he wasn't keen about it. Or maybe it was the fact that he didn't know where she was. Maybe if he knew his wife was sleeping or spending time with their family or even back in Spain, he wouldn't have a problem with being alone for the night.

Logan sat alone in his dimly lit chamber, his thoughts swirling in a turbulent sea of worry and doubt. He couldn't shake the feeling of unease that had settled over him since Tiara's disappearance.

As he looked out of the window at the moonlit courtyard below, Logan's mind replayed the events of the night leading up to Tiara and Arianna's kidnapping. He remembered their laughter during dinner, the way Tiara's eyes sparkled when she smiled, and the warmth of her hand in his. It felt like a lifetime ago, and the ache in his chest grew with each passing moment.

Logan knew he had to trust Clayton's judgment. They needed concrete evidence before confronting his uncle. The stakes were too high, and any misstep could lead to disastrous consequences.

Turning away from the window, Logan decided to take Clayton's advice and get some rest. He knew he needed a clear mind to face the challenges of the coming day. But as he lay in his bed, the image of Tiara's face haunted him. He couldn't escape the feeling that she was in danger, that time was slipping away with every passing minute.

The night dragged on, and Logan's restlessness persisted. He couldn't help but think of all the possible scenarios that Tiara and Arianna might be facing. Were they safe? Were they frightened? Did they know that he was tirelessly searching for them?