The unfamiliar sound of hooves clopping and horses whinnying outside made Zeek stir in his sleep. 

Groaning, he sat up in bed to find Tera and Angela, both in their night clothes, cuddled together in a wholesome embrace. 

A smile tugged at his lips at the view, and as he looked around the room, he noticed that Lydia was missing.

 ‘Well, she is my maid,' he thought to himself. 'Maybe she went to take care of something.'

 The palace was abuzz the morning after the match, as a representative from the kingdom of Jordan had arrived with the victory's spoils. The royal courtyard was filled with a large caravan of horse-drawn carriages, the jingling of harnesses and stamping of hooves mingling with the excited chatter of the palace staff.

 The faint knock at the door reverberated through the room, followed by a muffled voice from beyond. Tera and Angela stirred in their sleep but didn't wake.

 Zeek carefully pulled the blanket up to their chins and used his powers to slowly float out of bed, trying not to disturb the two beauties.

 He glided across the enormous 20-foot bed and to the other side of the room, which was lavishly decorated with golden trimmings and expensive furniture.

 As he reached for the knob, he wondered who was waiting on the other side.

 Zeek cracked open the door, and to his surprise, Lydia wasn't standing there. Instead, two twin brunette beauties stood at the door.

 He squinted, his mind racing as he desperately tried to recall where he had seen them before. Then, like a lightning bolt of recognition, it clicked - They were the twin princesses, Arial and Lora. Zeek hadn't seen them since the dinner the king held almost a month ago.

 ‘ Where have they been?’

“Good morning, Ariel, Lora.”

"Good morning, Sir Zeek," Arial said with a polite curtsie. "We're here to get Eldest sister Angela. The representative from the Kingdom of Jordan has arrived, and we will be receiving the Agricultural Experts they brought with them."

 Lora chimed in," By the way, thank you again for helping the farmers. We've been extremely busy helping them with their progress."

 Zeek yawned and opened the door the rest of the way. "Oh, I almost forgot about that. By the way, have you seen-" He stopped mid-sentence as he noticed Lydia standing behind Lora, a long bag slung over her arm. "Good morning," he said with a smile. "I was wondering where you were."

 Lydia replied with a beaming smile, her eyes twinkling with warmth. "Good morning, Master. I woke up a little early to pick up the suit I ordered for you." She handed the bag over to him, and as their fingers touched, an electric spark seemed to ignite between them, reminding them of the passionate kiss they had shared after the match. Zeek found himself drawn to her, wanting to relive that moment again.

 However, Lydia shook herself out of her trance and continued, her voice soft and velvety, "The King asked for you to go outside the walls and speak to one of the Farmers. As Princess Ariel and Lors said, they have made quite a lot of progress."

'Is it really that much?'

 Zeek shuffled to the window, gazing out at the farm he'd visited almost a month ago. The once barren wasteland had been transformed into a lush, verdant pasture. His eyebrows rose in surprise; it should have taken months for them to make such progress. 

"How come I didn’t notice earlier?" he murmured, marveling at the sight.

The sun glinted off of the freshly sprouted blades of grass, the vibrant green a stark contrast to the dull, lifeless dirt from before. The subtle breeze carried the sweet scent of wildflowers blooming in the newly plowed soil. Zeek shook his head in awe. He had never seen such a transformation in such a short amount of time.

 He surveyed the twins, his brows furrowed in confusion. "What did you two do for the land to grow back so quickly?"

 They exchanged a knowing look, and then Lora spoke up, her voice hesitant. "We have an affinity for nature magic, and we used our power to jump-start the growth."

 Zeek's eyes widened. "Couldn't you have done that before I stepped in?"

 Arial shook her head. "No, unfortunately not. Nature magic works directly off the life of the land, and everything was barren before you created the irrigation system."

“ Ah, right of course,” he said, though truthfully, he had no idea how their magic worked.

....

 As Zeek and Lydia walked through the busy cobblestone streets, the news of Estaria's victory clearly spread quickly, for the city outside the walls was much more alive than Zeek had expected. 

Everywhere he looked, carriages with luggage strapped to their roofs filled the streets, and merchants were busy unpacking their goods at stalls along the roads.

 Zeek surveyed the dilapidated buildings while adjusting the tailored black suit Lydia had made for him.

His voice was quiet, but the words rang clear. "Maybe I should have taken those architects. It's kind of embarrassing having a crowd when the city is in such a poor state."

 Lydia chuckled. "It certainly is a dump, isn't it? This is actually the nice part of the city if you can believe it. Your victory must have brought back some of the people who left the kingdom."

 "What do you mean?" Zeek asked.

 Lydia's expression fell. "Estaria lost a lot the last two tournaments, and much of the population abandoned their homes and left to neighboring kingdoms."

 "Oh, that makes sense," Zeek nodded. "Well, hopefully, we can bring them all back and start restoring the city."

 Lydia nodded in agreement, and they continued on their way. The cries of the vendors and the smell of freshly cooked food filled the air, and Zeek couldn't help but be entranced by the hustle and bustle of the city. He was determined to make Estaria a place where people could live and thrive again.

 ….

As Zeek and Lydia walked further away from the palace walls, the buildings seemed to be in worse and worse condition.

 Peeking into some of the alleys, Zeek saw a grim sight: malnourished men and women sprawled along the walls, looking like they were on their last leg of life.

"How pitiful," Zeek said under his breath, but Lydia's face remained unchanged. She was all too familiar with this type of scene.

 "Let's turn this way," she said, taking a left turn into a dark alley. At the end of it, a small house stood, its ceiling riddled with holes and its walls covered in cobwebs. It was clear that it had been untouched for years.

 Lydia slowly walked over to the tree that stood at the side of the shack house. Kneeling in front of a small stone that stuck out of the dirt, She rubbed the rock with a solemn smile on her face and softly murmured," Hello, Mother. I wanted to introduce you to my friend." 

She felt a tear slide down her face as memories of her mother's advice to get a job as a maid in the palace flooded her mind. She gestured to Zeek, who had been standing beside her, and said," This is the man I'm serving, Zeek Mora. Zeek, meet my mother, Cassandra."

 Zeek smiled in admiration at the wholesome sight before him as he bowed in front of the rock," It's an honor to be in your daughter's care, Cassandra." 

He looked over to Lydia, who silently stared at the rock, her face awash with sorrow, and his heart felt heavy.

 Memories of what his mother said about compassion and falling in love came to his mind. With a determined voice, he said," I promise to make sure your daughter lives her life happy and content. Please rest easy knowing that she is in good hands."

 Lydia turned to Zeek, hearing his comment, her face flushed and eyes filled with a newfound love that she had never felt before. Tears of joy streamed down her cheeks, and she embraced Zeek as she whispered, "Thank you. It feels like a weight has lifted off my heart."

 She tilted her head upward and met Zeek's gaze, feeling an overwhelming surge of love and admiration cascade over her. Their lips collided in a tender yet passionate embrace, their hands exploring each others' bodies as if seeking out the intensity of their newfound bond. 

Lydia felt her heart soar with bliss and admiration, her body shivering with pleasure and exhilaration. She knew this was true love and that the connection between them was something special and unforgettable.

 The passionate moment came to an end when Lydia pulled away, her lips curving into a smile as she asked," Do you think you're capable of having feelings for both Angela and me? My heart had already resigned to being happy with just being at your side..." She paused, her voice trembling with emotion," But Now I don't think I can be satisfied with just that."

 " I believe I can," Zeek replied honestly, his gaze never leaving hers," While I do feel a deeper connection to you. I've also grown quite fond of Angela; she has her own unique charm that I can't help but be drawn to."

 He exhaled, his mind turning to something his mother had said during an ethics class, "I know opinions on having multiple partners vary from species to species. So If you don't want me to be with her, I can ask King Jora to change my reward. "

 Lydia shook her head, her eyes twinkling with amusement," I don't want that. I actually like Angela, too. After my mother died, she was the person who vouched for me when I applied for the maid position. She also fired the head maid after I told her about what happened that day you had the duel."

 With a warm smile, her voice growing softer, she added," We've grown quite close, Especially after you told us not to bother you before the tournament. We spent every day together talking about you. So, If there were anyone I wouldn't mind sharing you with, it would be her."

 "I see." Zeek smiled and tenderly caressed Lydia's cheek," Why don't we head over to the farm now? I'd like to get back to the palace as soon as possible." 

....

 The sweet fragrance of grass filled the air as Zeek and Lydia strolled down the dusty path that weaved through the pasture. Cows and sheep trailed behind them, and the distant whinnying of horses pulling plows through the soil could be heard.

 Zeek was astounded. Such flourishing growth was unheard of, even on Viltrum. In the distance, the dilapidated farmhouse he'd visited a couple of weeks ago came into view. 

 On the porch, the same farmer was sitting in his rocking chair, and as he spotted Zeek, he stood up. 

As the farmer rushed over to them, Zeek noticed that he looked much healthier than he had before.

 The farmer bowed, "Welcome back, Master Zeek! And congratulations on your victory."

 Zeek waved off the formality and said, " It seems like things are going well for you. I was pleasantly surprised that it only took a couple of weeks for the vegetation to grow this much."

 The farmer chuckled, "The progress is thanks mostly to Princess Arial and Princess Lora. They come out here every other day with guards to check on the progress of the fields."

 "Oh, and By the way, my name is Michael. I just now realized that I hadn't told you my name when you first came here." 

 Zeek nodded, acknowledging his late introduction, "Oh, I wasn't aware they came out here so often," Zeek replied.

 Michael's expression turned solemn. "They do what they can to help us all. Actually, all three of the princesses are held in high regard with the people of the city and those of us out here in the fields."

 "Well, it's good to see things are taking a turn in the right direction," Zeek said. He paused, then remembered, "Oh, that reminds me. We will have Agricultural experts coming by here either later in the evening or tomorrow morning. Is it alright if I send them to you, Michael?"

 Michael nodded his head, his face determined. "Of course! I'll gather the other farmers right away and let them know to prepare for visitors." 

"Actually, why don't you form your own Farming group? I'll vouch for you to be the head. That way, you can come to the palace to have discussions instead of us coming out to you," Zeek suggested.

 Michael got on his knee, his voice full of reverence as he said, "It would be my honor, Hero. I will do just that."

 Zeek gently patted the farmer on the shoulder, a gesture of appreciation. "Good Man. I'll head back right now and let them know to come to you."

 He turned to Lydia and scooped her up in his arms, lifting her as if she were a delicate princess.

 She yelped in surprise, not expecting his sudden embrace.

 "Let's take the fast way home," Zeek said with a smirk.

 "I-It's Okay. I don't mind walking," Lydia stammered.

 "Nah, that would take too long. It's faster if I carry you there," he replied and lifted off the ground, hovering just above.

 "N-no it's really okay, really, put me down please!" Lydia begged.

 But Zeek ignored her plea and said, "Hold on tight." She tightened her arms around his neck and closed her eyes as he flew them up and over towards the palace.

 Suddenly, he changed course and flew up a whopping six miles above the palace. The cold winds of the upper atmosphere chilled Lydia's body, and she clung to Zeek even tighter.

 "Open your eyes," he said.

 Lydia opened her eyes and stopped shivering. The majestic view of the world below made her forget about the cold. She gasped in amazement, "So beautiful!"