NOT WORTHY TO BE KING: FEARLESS WARRIOR

34. DO YOU THINK WE'LL EVER CATCH A BREAK?

Logan and Clayton packed the dishes in the kitchen in silence. It wasn't until Logan noticed the worry lines on Clayton's face that he spoke up.

"Is something bothering you, little man?" Logan asked, placing his hand on Clayton's shoulder.

Clayton let out a deep sigh. "It's Arianna. She hasn't been herself lately," he said, his voice filled with concern.

"We all know that. Should we be worried?" He didn't want to tell him that Tiara suspected it was more than what Arianna wanted them to believe.

Clayton looked up, his eyes filled with concern. "I don't know, Logan. She's been acting strange lately. She's been distant and she seems to be hiding something from me," Clayton said, his brows furrowing. "I'm just worried about her, you know?"

Logan nodded in understanding. "Have you tried talking to her about it?"

Clayton shook his head. "I don't want to push her, you know? But it's like she's carrying this weight on her shoulders, and I don't know how to help her."

Logan placed a hand on Clayton's back, offering him some comfort. "Maybe she just needs some time to work through it, but you should let her know that you're there for her, no matter what," Logan said, hoping his words would offer some solace.

"But she doesn't have that time. Logan, she's almost due for delivery and the doctor has been reminding me that she shouldn't be stressed at this time. I'm worried that by the time she works through whatever is going on with her, it will be too late."

Logan understood him very well. He could see the fear and uncertainty in Clayton's eyes and he knew that he had to do something to help his little brother. "Why don't we go and talk to her together? Maybe she'll be more willing to open up if we're both there for her."

"Haven't we tried that already? You saw how she was this morning. When I brought it up, I thought maybe she'd be willing to share what's happening with you guys. I hate being helpless."

Logan also understood that very well, he'd been there himself when Tiara got kidnapped.

Logan took a deep breath and looked at Clayton, his expression serious. "Look, I know this is tough, but we can't just sit around and do nothing. We have to do something. We can't let Arianna go through this alone," he said, his voice filled with determination.

He took a deep breath, trying to come up with a solution. "Maybe we need to approach this from a different angle. What if we try to get her to open up without making it seem like we're prying?"

Clayton looked at him, his eyes brightening with hope. "How do we do that?"

Logan smiled, feeling a sense of relief that he could help his brother. "We can plan a fun day out, just the four of us. Maybe that will help her relax and open up to us. We can go to the park, have a picnic, and play some games. And when the time is right, we can ask her how she's feeling, and if she wants to talk about anything."

Clayton nodded, a small smile forming on his face. "That's a great idea, Logan. Thank you."

Logan clapped him on the back. "No problem, little man. We're family, we got each other's backs. And we'll figure this out together."

"Let's go talk to her then. I want to know what she thinks about this before I talk to Tiara." They made their way to Clayton and Arianna's room. The door was locked so they knocked and waited, but there was no response. They tried again, but still nothing. Finally, Logan used his strength and turned the handle, and pushed the door open, revealing a scene that made his heart sink.

Arianna was lying on the bed, her eyes closed and her breathing shallow. Clayton rushed to her side. "Arianna? Arianna, wake up," he said, his voice filled with concern and Logan could hear from his voice that he was a few seconds from crying.

Logan's mind raced as he took in the scene. They needed to get her to a hospital, and fast. "Clayton, we need to call an ambulance," he said, already reaching for his phone.

Clayton nodded, not taking his eyes off Arianna. "Yes, you're right. We have to get her help," he said, his voice filled with worry.

Logan dialed the emergency number and explained the situation to the operator. Within minutes, an ambulance was on its way. The brothers stayed by Arianna's side, holding her hand and praying that she would be okay.

When the ambulance arrived, they carefully lifted Arianna onto a stretcher and loaded her into the back. Logan and Clayton climbed in as well, not willing to leave her side for a moment.

"Please don't do this to me, my love," Clayton said as he held her hands.

Logan put a hand on Clayton's shoulder, offering him some comfort. "We'll get her the help she needs, little man. She's going to be okay," he said, his voice filled with reassurance.

The ambulance rushed through the city streets, the sirens blaring and the lights flashing. Logan and Clayton sat in silence, Clayton holding Arianna's hand and praying for her safety.

When they arrived at the hospital, the doctors quickly took Arianna into the emergency room. Logan and Clayton waited outside, pacing back and forth, their minds filled with worry.

After what felt like an eternity, the doctor finally emerged from the room. Logan and Clayton rushed over to him. "How is she? Is she okay?" Clayton asked, his voice filled with desperation.

The doctor gave them a small smile. "She's stable now. It looks like she had a panic attack, but we were able to calm her down. She and the baby are both fine," he said, his voice filled with reassurance.

Logan and Clayton let out a sigh of relief, tears of joy streaming down their faces. "Thank you, doctor," Logan said, his voice filled with gratitude.

The doctor nodded. "You're welcome. She's going to need some rest, but she should be able to go home tomorrow."

Clayton nodded. "Can we see her now?"

The doctor nodded. "Of course. She's in room 203, down the hall to the left."

Logan and Clayton rushed down the hallway, eager to see Arianna. When they arrived at her room, they found her sitting up in bed, a small smile on her face.

"Arianna, thank God you're okay," Clayton said, rushing over to her side.

Arianna smiled at him. "I'm okay now. I'm so sorry I scared you," she said, her voice barely a whisper.

Logan sat down on the other side of the bed. "We were so worried about you. You don't have to apologize."

Arianna looked down at her hands, her expression somber. "I'm sorry I've been distant lately. I've just been feeling really overwhelmed with everything that's been going on."

Clayton reached over and took her hand. "You don't have to go through this alone, baby. I'm here for you, don't ever forget that okay?" he said, bringing his lips to her for a small kiss. He gently played with strands of her hair as he looked at her.

Arianna looked up at him, tears streaming down her face. "Thank you so much, my love. Thank you, Logan. I don't know what I'd do without you guys."

Logan smiled. "You'll never have to find out. We'll always be here for you," he said.

She smiled and snuggled closer to Clayton. "I'm glad you're here." She slowly closed her eyes and sleep took over.

Logan looked at Clayton. "She's going to be alright."

"I know, but I just wish it could happen sooner."

Logan nodded. "I know, but we have to give her time. It's not going to be easy for her, but we'll be here every step of the way."

Clayton leaned back to the wall, a look of exhaustion crossing his face. "I just can't believe all of this is happening. It's like one thing after another.

"Firstly it was finding out that the man we thought was our father wasn't. Then it was the fact that we are actually not Mercians, then Tiara got kidnapped by Kaden, finding out the queen was involved in my mother's death, finding out about Mia and looking for her, and now this.

"Do you think we'll ever catch a break?"

Logan sighed. "I don't know, man. It seems like life just keeps throwing us curveballs. But we've made it this far, haven't we? And we'll make it through this too."

Clayton nodded, a determined look in his eyes. "Yeah, you're right. We'll get through it, no matter what." He then looked at his sleeping fiancee.

They sat in silence for a few moments, watching Arianna sleep. Finally, Logan spoke up. "Hey, do you remember what Mom used to say when we were kids?"

Clayton looked at him, a small smile on his face. "Which one? She said a lot of things."

Logan chuckled. "The one about how life is like a roller coaster. You can either scream every time there's a bump, or you can throw your hands up and enjoy the ride."

Clayton grinned. "Yeah, I remember that. She has always had a way with words."

Logan nodded. "And she was right. We can either spend our whole lives worrying about what's around the corner, or we can just enjoy the ride and face whatever comes our way."

Clayton squeezed Arianna's hand, a sense of peace settling over him. "You know what? I choose to enjoy the ride."

Logan smiled. "That's the spirit. And no matter what happens, like I've been saying, we'll always have each other."

Clayton nodded, a feeling of gratitude swelling in his chest. "Yeah, we will. And that's all that really matters."

As the hours passed, Arianna's condition steadily improved. She woke up a few times but mostly slept peacefully. Clayton and Logan took turns keeping watch over her, not wanting to leave her side even for a moment.

Finally, as the sun began to set, the doctor came in to check on Arianna. After a few minutes, he turned to Clayton and Logan. "She's going to be just fine. We'll keep her here for observation for a few more hours, but then she can go home."

Clayton and Logan breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, doctor," Clayton said.

The doctor smiled as he looked at Arianna. "You're welcome. She's a strong young woman. She'll recover quickly."

After the doctor left, Clayton and Logan sat back down next to Arianna. She woke up a few minutes later and looked at them, watching them with a small smile on her face.

"I feel better," she said softly.

Clayton leaned over and kissed her forehead. "We're so glad, baby."

Logan nodded. "Yeah, we were really worried about you."

Clayton turned back to Arianna. "Hey, you know what? I was thinking. Once you're feeling better, we should take a trip. Just the four of us. Somewhere fun." Logan remembered that they had planned to take her out on a picnic in hopes that she opens up.

Arianna's eyes lit up. "That sounds amazing. Where should we go?"

Clayton grinned. "I don't know, we'll figure it out. But somewhere with no drama, and no stress. Just us, having fun."

Arianna leaned over and kissed him. "I would love that."

They sat there for a few more minutes, just enjoying each other's company. Finally, Logan stood up. "I'm going to go get some food. You guys want anything?"

Clayton shook his head. "No, I'm good. Thanks, though."

Arianna nodded. "I'm okay too. But thank you."

Logan smiled. "Okay, I'll be back in a bit."

He left them and looked for the doctor. He needed to make sure that Arianna was really okay. He couldn’t help but worry, especially after what Tiara told him.

Arianna is family and she is Clayton’s world.

When he found the doctor, he told him that he didn’t have to worry. As long as Arianna is not exposed to stress, there was nothing that was going to happen to her.