Zeek's telepathic connection to his father vibrated through the silence of the stars, "Dad, why don't you talk to Uncle Richard anymore?" 

He watched his father pick up a nearby moon rock and launch it off into the atmosphere.

 A glimmer of the nearby star's aura illuminated the beautiful blue planet of Viltrum, highlighting the ring around the planet.  Dotting its surface were the bright lights of the bustling cities. 

Zoro's soft smile was a stark contrast to the darkness of space. "We just see things differently, Zeek. You know your uncle and how he feels about Viltrum." 

"He does get a little upset when I talk to him about what I learn in Mom's Ethics class," Zeek replied. 

"Your uncle is just upset about Thadeus betraying us," Zoro sighed. "He wasn't like that before Lord Argall was killed."

 "But shouldn't family keep in touch?" Zeek asked, hopeful. 

Zoro shook his head. "We're men of Viltrum, Zeek. We live for thousands of years. Plenty of time to make up with each other. Besides, I feel like we still communicate through you - you're his favorite nephew, after all." 

Zeek smiled, "I'm his only nephew, Dad." 

Zoro chuckled and ruffled his son's hair. "Yeah, and?" 

"Did you just bring me out here to throw rocks and hit me?" Zeek joked, rubbing the back of his head. "I was supposed to train with Uncle Richard. Anissa and Conquest were coming to observe today, too."

Zoro ruffled Zeek's hair with a cheesy smile as he revealed, "I did actually have a reason for bringing you out here. Your mother is pregnant!" 

Zeek's face lit up as he grabbed his father's shoulders in excitement. "I'm going to be an older brother!? Do you know if it's a boy or a girl yet?" he eagerly asked. 

"It's a girl," Zoro replied with a grin, "Her name is going to be Nora." 

Zeek quickly sprang away from his father, ready to head back home. "Let's go! I want to congratulate Mom," he suggested.

 "Zeek!" Zoro called out, but the excitement of the news had already taken over.

 "What are you waiting for? Let's go!" Zeek replied, ready to dive into the adventure ahead.

Lydia's voice pierced the calm of the room, "Zeek!" 

He spun around to find her standing there with a tray of food in her hands.

 Her face was etched with worry. "I brought you lunch," She said softly, "I was calling you for a whole minute. Are you feeling okay?" 

He moved to the tea table and sat, running his fingers through his hair. "Yeah, I'm good. Just daydreaming, sorry." 

Lydia placed the food on the table and walked around to him, her arms wrapping around him from behind as if she could sense his thoughts had been of his family. He looked down at the table with a solemn smile and tilted his head up to kiss her cheek.

Zeek muttered his thanks and shook the moment away, asking with a warm voice," So, what do you have planned for today?"

 Lydia smiled, her lips curling up into a bright and cheerful expression, " Nothing much, just watching over you and making sure you don't disobey our request." 

Zeek's face twisted into a frown, his brows knitting together in frustration," I can't even walk around the palace or go out into the city?" 

"Nope," Lydia replied simply. 

"Tsk. What am I supposed to do all day? Stare at the ceiling?"

 "Yes." 

Zeek's expression grew darker as he got out of his chair, the frustration evident in his movements as he began to dress. With a smug face, he closed his eyes and said," I love you, Lydia, but you aren't going to stop me."

 The air in the bedroom grew cold as Lydia's heels clicked against the marble floor, and she sauntered over to Zeek, wrapping her hands around his wrist. Her voice was soft yet firm as she said," Please sit back down."

 Zeek opened his eyes and turned to her, his face showing a mix of emotions. He nervously continued," Lydia, relax. You don't need to worry. I'm okay, trust me."

 Lydia's face was hollow and emotionless, her eyes staring into Zeek's. With a cold and demanding tone, she said," Sit. Down."

Lydia's hand glowed, an aura of warmth radiating from her fingertips and spreading over Zeek's wrist and eventually his entire body. 

Zeek cleared his throat, his eyes widening in surprise. Despite his attempt to appear strong, he couldn't help but worry. These were the same eyes she had last night when she saw his mangled, bloody body in the bathhouse. 

With his other hand, he caressed her face. "What is this? Are you going to heal me?" 

"Are you going to listen to me?" Lydia replied, her voice soft yet firm. 

Her eyes were still hollow, with a hint of fear and worry. 

"Why, what are you going to do if I don't?" Zeek asked, genuinely curious about what was running through her mind. 

"I'd never hurt you, Zeek," she said, her voice soft and compassionate. Suddenly, all the strength in Zeek's body left him, and he fell forward into her arms.

 "Do you know how scared I was? I thought I had lost you yesterday," she said, her voice laced with emotion. She dragged his body over to the bed, laying him down and straddling him. Her hand and his body still glowed, and Zeek felt a wave of embarrassment wash over him. 

"Are you going to listen now?" Lydia asked, her voice still soft but now laced with determination. 

"Yes," Zeek replied, "Now, could you stop this? It's kind of embarrassing."

Lydia's hand stopped glowing in an instant, and Zeek felt his strength slowly seep back into his body. She got off his lap and sat next to him in the bed.

 He cautiously tested his limbs, moving his arms around to make sure before he spoke. "What was that just now, Lydia? I felt so weak. Was that your magic?" he asked, his voice laced with confusion. 

'That was actually kind of scary. Let's not make a big deal about it for now.' Zeek thought to himself.      

Lydia gave a small nod, her eyes still wide with surprise. "When I heal you, I actually transfer some of my Mana into you. Maybe you have some residual mana from me healing you so much," she said. "I got so worked up when I grabbed you that I must have triggered the mana inside of you."

Although he was kind of intimidated by what Lydia had just done, he was also kind of fascinated, " So, can I use magic now?"    

Lydia giggled in amusement at the childish question. "No, I don't think that's how it works, but you're free to try," she said. 

Zeek furrowed his brows in thought. "How would I test it? Do I just say a spell?" He then realized something. "Wait, you don't chant anything when you use your magic; is there a reason for that?"

 "Well, the type of magic I use is innate. I just think about using it, and it activates. I was never taught any traditional magic, so I can't really help you," Lydia replied. 

"Oh, I see. So it's kind of how I use my abilities."

 Zeek scratched his chin as he tried to recall the feeling he got when he first got his powers. He also remembered Angela mentioning something about tapping into ambient Mana. "Do what you did just now. Maybe I just need to get used to the way Mana feels."

 "O-oh, okay," Lydia said, her expression a mix of concern and nervousness. "Are you sure, though? You said it made you feel uncomfortable." 

Zeek hesitated. The feeling of being dominated was not something he enjoyed, but his curiosity about magic was overpowering it. 

He smiled reassuringly. "Yeah, it's fine. It's fine."

Lydia's grip tightened around Zeek's wrist as her eyes shut tight. She was trying to will her magic to paralyze him again, and he could feel a strange warmth emanating from her hand, travelling up his arm and into his chest.

 His body glowed, and his strength slowly faded away until, finally, he fell back onto the bed. 

Zeek scanned his body with his mind, searching for something out of the ordinary. 

He felt a faint stream of warmth from Lydia's grip, and he concentrated on it, trying to make sense of it all.

 But then, it was gone. 

Lydia released her spell and stepped back, looking at Zeek with a perplexed expression.

 She shook her head and said," I think we should stop this Zeek. This magic is making me feel weird." 

Zeek sat up and looked at Lydia, his gaze unwavering. He said," One more time, Lydia. I think I was close to something."

Lydia's eyes darted around the room as she nervously rubbed her thighs together, trying to quell the flurry of butterflies in her lower stomach. "Okay," she said reluctantly, "but only one more time." 

Her hand lit up with an ethereal glow, and soon after, so did Zeek's body. A soft moan escaped her lips as she bit her finger in an attempt to stop herself from crying out in pleasure. 

Zeek was too focused to notice. He could feel the Mana coursing through his veins and gathering in a spot near his heart. 

His mind's eye followed the same stream of Mana back into Lydia's body, and he could feel it collecting in the same spot as his. 

With a conscious will, he reached out and grasped at the energy, but his focus was quickly disrupted when a wet sensation brushed against his hand. 

Zeek opened his eyes and said, "I think I got something, Lydia!" 

She had fallen back onto the bed, still biting her finger hard enough to break the skin. He followed the wet sensation to his hand and realized that in her blissful state, she had moved his palm between her legs and against her pussy.

Zeek's hand brushed against Lydia's clit, and her body reacted instantly, her trembling intensifying as a low moan escaped her lips. Her eyes glowed a bright, passionate pink as she lost herself in the moment.

 Zeek shook her shoulder, his voice laced with concern. "Lydia? Are you okay?"

 Lydia stared into Zeek's eyes, the pink hue fading as she regained her senses. A thin line of saliva traced her lips as her breathing gradually returned to normal. 

"I told you something was wrong... but I'm alright now," she said softly.

Lydia's cheeks burned as she felt Zeek's hand still between her legs. Gently, she pushed it away and sat up. 

"Um, you can go out and walk around," she said softly.

 "I'm sorry for being so overprotective. I just really love you."

 Zeek chuckled. "You're fine, Lydia. I love you too." 

She slid off the bed and walked to the closet. Zeek's eyes followed her carefully as she reached underneath her skirt and pulled her panties down. 

As they dropped, a stream of love juice connecting from the wet spot on her panties to her inner thigh snapped in the air. 

"Stop looking at me, perv!" Lydia said, her face burning with embarrassment. 

He coughed. "Sorry, my bad. I'll go see if there's anyone who can help me with magic," he said, hastily finishing getting dressed.

 Lydia blushed, her hands shaking as she pulled on a new pair of panties. She turned away, her cheeks still burning red. "Okay. I suggest asking the king."