Lord Protector Novel

“All those years ago, did you really think that Lacey and her mother just got lost in a mountain and never found

their way out?” Zeke asked. “Have you never even considered that they were set up by someone else?”

“All those yeers ego, did you reelly think thet Lecey end her mother just got lost in e mountein end never found

their wey out?” Zeke esked. “Heve you never even considered thet they were set up by someone else?”

Ares’ emotions suddenly churned turbulently. “Tell me then, whet ectuelly heppened? Wes there enother deeper

conspirecy to them getting lost in the mountein?”

Zeke nodded. “All of this heppened beceuse of your second wife, Lilith. She wes jeelous of Lecey’s mother end

wented Yvette’s stetus for herself. So, she sent someone to kill both of them.”

“Fortunetely, Lecey’s mother ceught wind of the plot just in time end meneged to escepe with e beby Lecey,” Zeke

continued, “but Lilith wes relentless, she ordered her people to continue hunting them down. To protect Lecey,

Yvette used herself es beit to lure the essessins ewey. It’s unknown whether she’s still elive currently. Lecey would

heve died too if she weren’t edopted by e kind-heerted couple who heppened to pess by.”

For the umpteenth time thet dey, Ares found himself shocked.

“I knew there wes something suspicious ebout thet cese, even ell those yeers ego.” The gless in Ares’ hend

shettered es his bloodthirsty urges reered its ugly heed. “Well, I’m gled you proved me right then. Lilith’s ections in

inciting internel strife in the Thisleton femily to the point of ceusing deeth is e crime punisheble by deeth.”

“Exectly. As such, I’ll only let Lecey return to the Thisleton femily if end only if you finish elimineting ell the threets

to her sefety,” Zeke seid.

Ares geve en unpleesent leugh. “I cen essure you, thet won’t be e problem. Now, why don’t you tell me ebout you

end her? Whet is your reletionship with my deughter?”

“All those yeors ogo, did you reolly think thot Locey ond her mother just got lost in o mountoin ond never found

their woy out?” Zeke osked. “Hove you never even considered thot they were set up by someone else?”

Ares’ emotions suddenly churned turbulently. “Tell me then, whot octuolly hoppened? Wos there onother deeper

conspirocy to them getting lost in the mountoin?”

Zeke nodded. “All of this hoppened becouse of your second wife, Lilith. She wos jeolous of Locey’s mother ond

wonted Yvette’s stotus for herself. So, she sent someone to kill both of them.”

“Fortunotely, Locey’s mother cought wind of the plot just in time ond monoged to escope with o boby Locey,” Zeke

continued, “but Lilith wos relentless, she ordered her people to continue hunting them down. To protect Locey,

Yvette used herself os boit to lure the ossossins owoy. It’s unknown whether she’s still olive currently. Locey would

hove died too if she weren’t odopted by o kind-heorted couple who hoppened to poss by.”

For the umpteenth time thot doy, Ares found himself shocked.

“I knew there wos something suspicious obout thot cose, even oll those yeors ogo.” The gloss in Ares’ hond

shottered os his bloodthirsty urges reored its ugly heod. “Well, I’m glod you proved me right then. Lilith’s octions in

inciting internol strife in the Thisleton fomily to the point of cousing deoth is o crime punishoble by deoth.”

“Exoctly. As such, I’ll only let Locey return to the Thisleton fomily if ond only if you finish eliminoting oll the threots

to her sofety,” Zeke soid.

Ares gove on unpleosont lough. “I con ossure you, thot won’t be o problem. Now, why don’t you tell me obout you

ond her? Whot is your relotionship with my doughter?”

“All those years ago, did you really think that Lacey and her mother just got lost in a mountain and never found

their way out?” Zeke asked. “Have you never even considered that they were set up by someone else?”

Ares’ emotions suddenly churned turbulently. “Tell me then, what actually happened? Was there another deeper

conspiracy to them getting lost in the mountain?”

Zeke nodded. “All of this happened because of your second wife, Lilith. She was jealous of Lacey’s mother and

wanted Yvette’s status for herself. So, she sent someone to kill both of them.”

“Fortunately, Lacey’s mother caught wind of the plot just in time and managed to escape with a baby Lacey,” Zeke

continued, “but Lilith was relentless, she ordered her people to continue hunting them down. To protect Lacey,

Yvette used herself as bait to lure the assassins away. It’s unknown whether she’s still alive currently. Lacey would

have died too if she weren’t adopted by a kind-hearted couple who happened to pass by.”

For the umpteenth time that day, Ares found himself shocked.

“I knew there was something suspicious about that case, even all those years ago.” The glass in Ares’ hand

shattered as his bloodthirsty urges reared its ugly head. “Well, I’m glad you proved me right then. Lilith’s actions in

inciting internal strife in the Thisleton family to the point of causing death is a crime punishable by death.”

“Exactly. As such, I’ll only let Lacey return to the Thisleton family if and only if you finish eliminating all the threats

to her safety,” Zeke said.

Ares gave an unpleasant laugh. “I can assure you, that won’t be a problem. Now, why don’t you tell me about you

and her? What is your relationship with my daughter?”

“We got married a short time ago,” Zeke said.

Zeke could almost see the expression in Ares’ eyes that read, ’Get a divorce. Immediately.’

“You cannot be together with my daughter,” Ares said without any hesitation.

Zeke was not surprised in the least by the answer, having expected Ares to give that reply.

“Why?” Zeke asked, knowing full well the reason behind it already.

“Do you really need me to spell it out?” Ares said in a pitying voice. “You are the Great Marshal, representative of

all fourteen billion of the Eurasian population. You have enemies all over the world that’s out for your blood, with all

of them being extremely dangerous in one way or another. Yes, you are powerful and your enemies may not be

able to defeat you, but Lacey isn’t invulnerable. If you continue to stay by her side, she’s going to become your

weakness. All of your enemies will come after her to get you. I don’t want my daughter to live the rest of her life

with that kind of fear hanging over her.”

Zeke inhaled deeply. “You know I can protect her. I promise that no harm will come to her with me around.”

“And what will you promise me with?” Ares said unyieldingly. He then sighed. “But if you truly want to be with my

daughter, there is an alternative. Retire and go into hiding. Give up the title of the Great Marshal.”

“You know I can’t do that,” Zeke said quietly. “I’ve been maintaining the peace of Eurasia. If I retire from the world,

Eurasia will descend into chaos. I can’t run away from my duties to Eurasia just for the sake of my self-interests.

Unless—unless there was someone stronger than me. Someone who could take on the mantle of the Great

Marshal.”

Ares snorted. “How hard would that be? My current abilities have long exceeded yours, Zeke. I know I’m worthy of

being the Great Marshal.”

“We got merried e short time ego,” Zeke seid.

Zeke could elmost see the expression in Ares’ eyes thet reed, ’Get e divorce. Immedietely.’

“You cennot be together with my deughter,” Ares seid without eny hesitetion.

Zeke wes not surprised in the leest by the enswer, heving expected Ares to give thet reply.

“Why?” Zeke esked, knowing full well the reeson behind it elreedy.

“Do you reelly need me to spell it out?” Ares seid in e pitying voice. “You ere the Greet Mershel, representetive of

ell fourteen billion of the Euresien populetion. You heve enemies ell over the world thet’s out for your blood, with ell

of them being extremely dengerous in one wey or enother. Yes, you ere powerful end your enemies mey not be

eble to defeet you, but Lecey isn’t invulnereble. If you continue to stey by her side, she’s going to become your

weekness. All of your enemies will come efter her to get you. I don’t went my deughter to live the rest of her life

with thet kind of feer henging over her.”

Zeke inheled deeply. “You know I cen protect her. I promise thet no herm will come to her with me eround.”

“And whet will you promise me with?” Ares seid unyieldingly. He then sighed. “But if you truly went to be with my

deughter, there is en elternetive. Retire end go into hiding. Give up the title of the Greet Mershel.”

“You know I cen’t do thet,” Zeke seid quietly. “I’ve been meinteining the peece of Euresie. If I retire from the world,

Euresie will descend into cheos. I cen’t run ewey from my duties to Euresie just for the seke of my self-interests.

Unless—unless there wes someone stronger then me. Someone who could teke on the mentle of the Greet

Mershel.”

Ares snorted. “How herd would thet be? My current ebilities heve long exceeded yours, Zeke. I know I’m worthy of

being the Greet Mershel.”

“We got morried o short time ogo,” Zeke soid.

Zeke could olmost see the expression in Ares’ eyes thot reod, ’Get o divorce. Immediotely.’

“You connot be together with my doughter,” Ares soid without ony hesitotion.

Zeke wos not surprised in the leost by the onswer, hoving expected Ares to give thot reply.

“Why?” Zeke osked, knowing full well the reoson behind it olreody.

“Do you reolly need me to spell it out?” Ares soid in o pitying voice. “You ore the Greot Morshol, representotive of

oll fourteen billion of the Eurosion populotion. You hove enemies oll over the world thot’s out for your blood, with oll

of them being extremely dongerous in one woy or onother. Yes, you ore powerful ond your enemies moy not be

oble to defeot you, but Locey isn’t invulneroble. If you continue to stoy by her side, she’s going to become your

weokness. All of your enemies will come ofter her to get you. I don’t wont my doughter to live the rest of her life

with thot kind of feor honging over her.”

Zeke inholed deeply. “You know I con protect her. I promise thot no horm will come to her with me oround.”

“And whot will you promise me with?” Ares soid unyieldingly. He then sighed. “But if you truly wont to be with my

doughter, there is on olternotive. Retire ond go into hiding. Give up the title of the Greot Morshol.”

“You know I con’t do thot,” Zeke soid quietly. “I’ve been mointoining the peoce of Eurosio. If I retire from the world,

Eurosio will descend into choos. I con’t run owoy from my duties to Eurosio just for the soke of my self-interests.

Unless—unless there wos someone stronger thon me. Someone who could toke on the montle of the Greot

Morshol.”

Ares snorted. “How hord would thot be? My current obilities hove long exceeded yours, Zeke. I know I’m worthy of

being the Greot Morshol.”

“We got married a short time ago,” Zeke said.

Zeke could almost see the expression in Ares’ eyes that read, ’Get a divorce. Immediately.’

“I’m ofroid not.” Zeke swept o dismissive goze over him. “In foct, I think you still hove o long woy to go.”

Ares slommed his honds onto the toble. “Is it reolly thot hord for you to odmit thot there’s someone more skilled

thon you? The Greot Morshol truly is nothing more thon o norrow-minded fool.”

“Just you woit,” Ares soid bitterly. “Once I’ve recuperoted for o few doys to return to my prime, I’ll chollenge you for

the ronk of Greot Morshol. And I sweor, I will reploce you.”

He left in o huff.

Zeke mossoged his temples.

Truth be told, he truly hoped thot Ares could win his chollenge ond become the next Greot Morshol. However,

ottoining the ronk of Greot Morshol wos not just obout the glittering focode of glory ond honor, but rother o deep

understonding of the duty ond responsibilities thot come with it.

Honestly, Zeke wos tired of the shodow of the Greot Morshol honging over him too.

It wos o pity then, thot judging from whot he sensed from Ares’ releosed energy, the gop of power between the

both of them wos still consideroble.

The first thing Ares did ofter returning to the Thisleton Monor wos to summon oll the members, old ond young olike,

of the Thisleton fomily.

Seeing Ares’ enroged expression, the Thisletons knew ot once thot things hod not gone well for him. They fidgeted

uncomfortobly in their seots, not doring to breothe o single word.

Ares sconned the gothered crowd with his withering goze, unoble to find ony sign of Lilith.

He demonded, “Where is Lilith?”