102. The Nation's Heir 2.

[Luke]
"You need to calm down, Luke, I promise we're doing everything possible to find her." Liam tried to calm me down as I yet again destroyed every that I could lay my hands on.
"Don't fucking tell me to calm down, Liam, it's been 48 hours, it's been fucking 48 hours, who knows what they've done to her, what they're doing to her, or if she's even alive?"
"Calm down Luke, of course she's alive, we've established that they need her alive besides Crystal wants money, she's smart enough to leave Claire alive if she wants to get anything from us."
"And the child?" I asked with tears in my eyes, Sir George wanted to kill my child. "Speak!" I yelled at him.
"What about the child, can you assure me that he'll be fine, huh?"
"Please, Luke, I understand how you're feeling but please you have to keep it together." I pulled me into his arms and hugged me tightly.
I kept struggling trying to get away from him until his tears began to soak my shirt and that was when I realized that all of this was very triggering for him, he'd just lost his child so he clearly understood my fears.
"I'm sorry Liam, I'm so sorry." I hugged him tightly too and cried on his shoulders.
We stayed like that for a while before we seperated and the temperature of the room dropped as our eyes glinted with murder intent.
"They won't get away with this." Liam said and I nodded.
I trusted him and I also trusted myself.
Liam and I walked out of the room like we weren't just crying on each other's shoulders a while ago, we wore a very fierce and serious expression on our faces even though on the inside I was dying I tried to maintain that expression.
***
"Any leads?" I asked Eric for the umpteenth time.
"I'm working on it, your highness." He bowed politely and his fingers continued flying across the keyboard of the computer before him.
"You've never taken this long to locate someone before, how is it taking this long now?" I wanted to ask but I swallowed the question. I didn't want to pressure him, I just wanted him to find her faster because being away from her for so long was killing me.
"What about the press?" I walked away from Erik's corner back to the remaining team.
"We're taking care of them, your highness, nothing will be published." The leader of the team answered.
"Very good." I nodded, I couldn't deal with the press right now and I didn't want to snap at anyone.
"Claire's parents?" I asked.
"Nothing, we've taken control of Claire's account and she has been responding to their messages as usual and even calls." He said again.
"Alright, carry on with your work." I said and walked out to take some air because I suddenly felt choked up.
I kept walking and then I drove for a short while. I got out of the car in front of the cathedral, the inside of which I hadn't seen since I got back to Denmark.
I never could go in without my mother holding my hand, I couldn't return back for her burial because I couldn't handle it and I had never visited her burial site before.
When I got to the cathedral, there were many tourists going in and out of the place. I'd taken my bodyguard with me and we were both on black clothing, nothing that would make us stand out so we were able to blend in with the crowd.
When we got inside The Royal Sarcophagus, however, we were spotted by one of the old priests who tended to the place and he rushed to me, bowing as was curtsey.
"Your royal highness, this is a nice surprise, you haven't been here at all." He exclaimed.
I looked at my bodyguard and then back at the man, I didn't have the energy to talk and I was in a terrible mood.
"The highness would like to visit his mother in private, please clear the people out of here." He told the priest and the man nodded immediately.
"Of course, of course, absolutely, immediately." The priest bowed and then hurriedly left, he made an announcement to move the people out of The Royal Sarcophagus.
I waited till everyone had gone before I advanced towards my mother's grave, my bodyguard moved to the far end where the door was to keep guard and give me a bit of privacy.
I advanced towards the Sarcophagus slowly, then I stretched my hand towards it, it was well decorated and it showed my father's love for my mother. There were lots of flowers arranged around it and I felt bad for coming empty handed.
"Mother, I'm here, to s—" My voice broke and I could speak no further as I fell to my knees, tears gushing out of my eyes.
"Mother, mother." I cried bitterly holding on to her tomb. "I miss you so much, mom, I know if you were here I wouldn't be so miserable."
"Ma, I was happy, I finally found someone that I'm in love with and ma, she loves me too, she's a foreigner but I'm sure that you don't mind, she's a great person ma and she's expecting my child, yes your grandchild but she's been kidnapped ma, she's been taken away from me, ma."
"I want her back, ma, please help me find her so that I can bring her back home, please ma, I promise to bring her to meet you once I get her back and also the baby, ma please protect him, don't let any harm come to him, please keep him safe."
I slumped on the floor, resting my back against the tomb as I cried bitterly. I didn't hold back my emotions at all and I just let them flow.
I talked with my mother for a while and then I got up after promising to come and see her later. I left there.
My bodyguard opened the car door for me and as I entered the car my phone rang.
"Hello, what is it?" I asked.
"Your highness, we've found her." Erik responded and I couldn't contain my joy.
"Great, let's not waste any more time." I replied and ended the call.
I looked back at the cathedral as we drove out and I smiled, I mouthed three words to my mother as the car drove off.
"I love you."
I knew that I could count on her, she'd always helped me no matter what when she was alive and she'd also done that again for me now even though she was no more.
I rested my back and sighed as we drove out, I spied the press van speeding into the cathedral and I was grateful that they hadn't met me there. They took so many pictures of the car as we drove off but since the car had tinted glasses they could see the inside.
My phone rang again just before we reached the palace and I picked up the phone immediately without looking at the name.
"Hello?"
"It's me, Crystal, I'm sure you want to know where your little woman is right?"
.
.
[Claire]
I didn't know how long I had been kept hostage since I was always going in and out of consciousness. I was terrified because I didn't know what the injections were doing to my child but I couldn't do anything about it.
I barely ate anything because the injections made me sick and I threw up a lot.
I'd woken up for the third time since I'd gotten her but I pretended to be unconscious because I didn't want to be injected again, I was already fearfully for my child, I could still feel him but I didn't know for how long that would be if I still kept getting the injections.
I'd tried to free my hands multiple times but they were tied really securely and I barely had any energy left.
I heard the heels clicking on the ground, walking towards me and then the woman was grabbing my hair and peering into my face.
"Are you awake?" She asked and when I didn't respond, she slapped me hard, even though it hurt, I still pretended to be unconscious.
"Someone, pour some water on her, I need her awake and ready to talk to Luke." She said and my heart began to beat faster.
Of course, I had hope, Luke was probably already looking for me, he would find me, I had to hang on in the meantime for the sake of our child.
Before I thought of how I was going to react, a bucket of water was doused over my head, I sneezed multiple times as the water entered my nose and I opened my eyes immediately.
"Ah, my dear, you're awake." Crystal held my face and sneered at me. "Very good, I hope you can talk." She glared at me and dropped my face roughly.
"Luke is coming for me, he'll find me and you'll regret ever doing this to me." I threatened her.