Summary/disclaimer: Time for another chapter of Price of Freedom. Enjoy the 4100-word chapter. I do not own Sonic; Sega and a few others do.
Alicia sighed, only pausing to check the datapad as she did so. Her plans had to work if they did not. She had no alternative, then again. There were other methods to contain her goals, ones that did not involve letting Scourge know she was onto him now.
"And why does our glorious leader wish to see me, currently?" Alicia questioned, turning to look at Miles who was silent except for a small smirk on his muzzle.
Alicia was silent, aware of what he was plotting. She was not the only one keen on commanding the planet… But he was out of his death, he had no charisma, no ability to plan outside of his macabre schemes. His mere intelligence was outpaced by his arrogance.
Alicia respected Miles, but she would not allow him to rule, especially not upon her planet. This domain was hers to rule and nobody else's. If they had such an issue with it? That was for her to sort out and decide.
"I have not the faintest clue. I know this, Your Majesty," Miles stated, his grating smile not parting from his face.
How she hated that look, she would remove it soon enough, and she would make sure he was reminded of his place as was a toady licking her boots for the scraps, she allowed him to have. It did not matter much to her at the end of the day.
There was much more for her to do before that was done and dusted but for now? There was little for her to do, little until her plans unfolded and she was aware of what was done… And what had to be done.
"Thank you, Miles. You are as helpful as ever." Alicia stated, rubbing at her temples as she did so. "Do you have anything else you'd like to tell me, or should I assume you are unaware of basic education?" Alicia questioned with a mocking smirk of her own.
It annoyed Miles who backed down, a scowl replacing the smirk adorning his features. Then again? If it was so blasted easy to win? They would have skipped past deluded debates like this and had more real fights.
"He will see you now, Alicia," Miles stated to which Alicia said nothing and simply brushed past him. "This talk isn't over, princess," Miles added, brushing off his uniform as she walked past him.
To Alicia? Was, that the next time they saw each other? He was either another enemy for her to dispatch as she had always done or an ally that she kept an eye upon in the future. It did not matter much to her either way.
"We see, Your Highness," Miles muttered, shaking his head as he smirked and pulled out a datapad to consider his options.
(With Alicia)
Alicia walked through the confines of her castle… No, the castle is inhabited by her enemy. This place was a prison, not a bastion of power for her nor the empire she wished to cultivate. It was simply a prison that caged more than anything. She would make a better castle, one untainted by Scourges' incompetence.
"You asked for me to come?" Alicia questioned, crossing her hands behind her back. "You have been quiet for quite a while, Your Majesty. We began to worry if something harmed you." Alicia added, bowing a moment later as she thought about her conquest.
There could not be any failures, hitches, or setbacks. It had to be pulled off flawlessly. Miles plotted as did she and both wanted his throne. Both wanted the power behind it. Alicia knew that he was simply slyer and more traitorous about what he wanted from the throne now.
'You would want nothing more than to pull the strings from someone who sat in the chair. You do not simply want the power, no twisting the strings from behind the man or whoever stood at that place. It came simply down to HOW the idea of doing so can be applied here.' Alicia thought while she rolled her eyes.
Still? She tolerated him since it meant that her plans had no way of being detected. All? Scourge suspected that his former 'friend' was the most dangerous one. Miles was not the sneakiest of the group when it came down to it. He wanted the throne, and it was as clear as day that he would be willing to pull plenty of tricks to get it. the more he waited. More holes in his mask seemed to pop from the fox.
"I'm not letting you stop me," Miles said while he frowned to himself. "Nobody will," Miles added as he slowly walked backward and into the shadows.
He was ready for the plans he had started to pick apart to go into effect. He was ready to see it come to the forefront and take apart part of the world.
He was ready to control the throne and there was NOTHING that would stop him when he considered it at the end of the day.
Then again? She had known for the time being just how silly it was to do before now. This was a lot more to process and control for the time being than she had thought, and she knew blasted well that there would be little wiggle room to control her plans when it came to trying to put them into action.
She had to hit harder, move faster, and control the action and the flow of this battle when it came down to it. There was a lot more to this. She had been a lot more interested in what she could say or do to change that for the time being.
Alicia was aware of the fact she was a small fish in a little pond for the time being. She had always been that way, and nothing was going to change that for the time being. She had to use other measures to try and control it as of right now.
What little control she had been used to control other pieces of this twisted maze she had put together for the time being.
It was worse than most ideas that had a lot more problems… Ones which could not be easily solved so blasted much for now, whatever was done next would not be easily defeated. They had more to deal with now. A lot more that had not been fully completed, now there was a lot more to do, a lot more that had not yet been questioned before now. While he managed whatever was thrown at him.
This issue had not yet bled across the land, and she had not the real trouble to deal with it in the manner to which she pleased herself with really dealing with it, for now.
If anything? He was oh so willing to do whatever it took to manage it. She had more plans, ones that not even her king knew about and would take time to properly call into question. what she did know was the idea that not every single part of the plan had been properly accounted for in detail. If anything?
There was more to her puzzle than even Scourge would have known, not that he would have properly cared for now. It was not like his opinion mattered much to anyone else as of now, this had not yet spiraled the way they wanted it to.
She was all too aware of the subtle tricks and breaks in the mold. All too aware of what was going to happen next if she was honest with herself. Today would not be their grand day, but it would be the first step to her reclaiming her birthright.
Then again? Whoever sat on the throne was not a ruler. They were a puppet, a slave to whoever may or may not run things. There was so much more to have done before then anyway and it just made him sigh as now sadly with anger upon his mind and more coming.
I did not entirely know what else could have been done to bring this all to heal anyway.
She looked up at space, unsure of what was coming and what was going to be focused upon for now. She did not know what was going to happen next anyway, this place seemed to have been burned down to nothing anyway.
She did not know what else before now would become of the kingdom. This place was a monstrous hive of hate and suffering where homes died and where everyone lived in a cage. Only a fool would end up calling it home.
They were all fools for now and just did not know what it would have been with this problem with what had yet gotten where it should have gotten where she could have found it.
This problem was raining down all over the place. It corrupted and cut everything and destroyed and tortured it all, they had a larger part to it all, and they had a lot more to see and do next. It had to end or else.
What was the point of it all, what was to be fought for as of now? What was the meaning of it all if not something else? She had a lot more to partake in and it was going to be a lot more nightmarish.
She would rule or she would die, that would be her fate at the end of the day, something else just was not going to matter enough. It was going to be oddly peaceful for now, oddly beyond all manner of reason.
They had a lot more to see and do for now and nothing else would matter anytime soon, it all came to a head for now, truly not enough for it to die out fully.
Still? She had not yet gotten it when it came down to it. There was a problem that had yet before now been a problem. They had something else on their mind, this had not been a problem on her mind.
She seemed to have gotten where she had to focus more on these plans, she had inside her mind. It had all been so terrible, so droll and boring. Yes, she seemed to have been miffed.
All of this was doing nothing else than a problem. She could not afford to let something distract her so close to getting said plans.
Direct action seemed to have been needed. It was always needed, there was so much she had wished to have done. So much she wished to have on her mind. All this did was shuffle around what she had wanted.
This did nothing to her; it was to constantly remind her that such problems had not yet gotten where they should have been for now. It did not matter much to her at all as she had a thousand other problems to have to focus on when it came down to it.
Alicia was going to have talks with the others as she knew for a fact that such problems would have to be resolved, resolved more and more until she finally managed to wrestle this under control. It was more than she had wished for at the end of the time.
More time would need to pass before she had learned much of anything to have to question before it came down to it.
Alicia knew Miles was just as much a problem as someone else had come down to play, to scurry out of the shadows which meant that they had been something else, something that had not been matched mildly.
She was just as arrogant, believing she should have been on the throne in front of her, to have scurried from the shadows when it came down to it. She had more problems to handle than just Miles anyway.
They had something else to question for the time being and she knew that they would soon make a move she did not at all make a move and make it beyond anything.
There was helping to be had… But this was HER moment, it would not be trodden upon like refuge. Not in this manner. If they wanted her to step down so blasted easily?
They would need to force her off her throne, not something she would step aside and allow some oaf to oversee such things.
It was all too much of a problem to need to focus on for now. This was clear such problems would be a lot more to her than just him.
It would be a nightmare. It was all too much of a problem anytime soon, it was clear more and more such a thing that needed to be scratched. There was too much of an issue to need to dwell on and Alicia needed to oversee what came next.
If anything? There was a lot of pain and punishment to go around. All she was looking forward to being was it all.
There was all too much to fix and find out for now. She smirked in a way that she felt reminded of when she had been neglecting it for now and forever and ever until the end of it.
If her enemies wanted a giant war? She would give them one with interest, it was a lot easier to coordinate such a war when push came to shove.
It would get worse and worse with time and effort, and she would make sure he would pay repeatedly until there was nothing even left of him and those whom he would be guarding.
It would all fall apart, all of it. She would leave nothing behind but rubble and wreckage in her wake would transcend it all and leave it shattered in her wake.
Still? Much war had to be waged for her to try and win at the end of the day before she clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth.
It was a lot odder at the end of the day to try and coordinate such problems which could say nothing and offer her little in the way of such a nightmare. They had a lot more to try and do and a lot more to kill and conquer at the end of the day.
It was a nice little nightmare and something that could only offer her or her enemies at the end of the day and she would adore it if nothing else.
The problem was she could not, would not, and should not if anything else went smoothly. She had to ensure the enemy lost and lost everything which meant leaving them with none of the spoils of war.
Nothing they could use against them when all of it was over. All they would get was dust and pain, dust and the agony that came from failing to begin with, a decision not purely made out to end.
This would be truly and without a second loss. Fun, very, very fun for the time being. A nice thing that did not need to end anytime soon.
Still? it was better and better to try and figure out now than anything else she could produce. Miles was expecting something like that, and she was nothing if not smart, nothing if not creative when it came down to it all.
She was too decided on this to even change her mind anyway now as of the time being. This was not going to be her day and she knew more and more that she was going to scream if she did not defeat her for now.
She sighed. How that vapid and idiotic fox managed to gain some semblance of power was far beyond her continuing the fact that it was a lot worse for now and would continue to grow. It would end with her finally meeting her faith.
She did not know, and she did not even think she cared for now. The idea of it all seemed further beyond her than anything else.
She rubbed at her temples as she prepared to try and think of something better, something she could control and command. They needed a victory or else she would lose power as commander of the entire army she had and whatever she stood to gain from it all. Whatever she could and would control needed to be far more than she had now or else she would be unable to relax.
'Miles, you will not be commanding anything, nor would she relent if even an inch now, it mattered little to nothing. All the options placed in my way will not hinder me and will not see me dead or dying. No, they would merely be torn down and allowed to pass properly if for no other reason than she had found it to be enough to postpone it for even a second and see it end.
Everything, every little obstacle, miracle pushed into her path. It would break… She would see it stripped, destroyed, buried beneath the ruins of what she stood to gain. Nothing would survive as she would not allow it…. Not allow anything to be left within the wake of her ascension for now.
All of it only served to remind her that peace was as easily gained as it was lost. No peace would last that cannot be converted by war to serve a sicker master. An idea that was easily and brutally exercised… All of it sang a song she could not be able to relax once more, not at all interesting when it came down to it.
What else could come of it all before long? How many suffered at their hands as she looked downwards, unable to fathom what had been gifted by a very sick master, one they could not deal with.
Yes, this needed to end, and she had her plans to bring it to a close, something would keep growing further on as she looked downwards at the ground.
She rubbed at her temples, yawning to herself, and then crossed her arms once more as she looked upwards and into the sky, yawning to herself as she reclined on the wall, honestly focused once again as she clicked her fingers against her side as of now and then she smiled once more.
This was going to be SO much fun for now as she looked downward at the grounds. It all seemed to try and figure out as of now. This would be something to try and figure out as of now… This was a lot of things, but it was odder and odder for now as he looked to do something before now as he clicked his fingers again and again.
He had a lot of problems now… A lot of them, something that could be dealt with as of now while he clicked his fingers.
It would need to end; at the end of the day, it came down to trying and figuring out as of now… This was a lot more to try and figure out something or other.
She sighed, knowing that her motives were going to be annoying for now… It could be something unsure and uncertain for now. That would continue, they had nothing else to go on and it pushed them in a direction that none could deal with.
Nothing would. He would ensure it for now… Ensure it all for now at the end of the day as he looked downwards to the ground, utterly able to try and deal with something more than anything at the end of the day, not more for now at the end of the day.
It would not be utterly maddening. Yet? it was not going to be something to end, for now, an idea that could best be dealt with purely and professionally.
Yes, it was clear with now, too unsure of what would be done and dusted, too much to try and deal with for now… He did not want to relax, for now, he was curious.
They had been too interested in now, too relaxed for now and he would not be able to do much, and it would be utterly maddening for now at the time being.
He was too relaxed, too maddened for now, he wished to be utterly thrown off for now. He would keep being done with for now and paused to keep growing for now and for good reason.
He was not utterly relaxed, interested for now, an idea that managed to cut her to the quick without any ability to change it for now, it made him pause to relax, utterly unsure of himself and her and all, he wanted of what to see an army could do.
There was too much chaos on her mind, something he could not allow… Would not have allowed it, it meant something to him, and it would not be the last either saw of them.
Even then? He could not shake him, too interested in now…. He had a lot more to try and deal with… The chaos he suspected was long overdue… He had been too complacent around her, too unwilling to manage, and even then. He could not allow her to try and deal with it, for now, he prepared her for the worst.
He was not ready for it, unsure of it all for now… He acted by his own beliefs at the end of the day. He had been unwilling to try and deal with it for now. even then? He would not win, he never did win, never once did he win at such a thing.
There was chaos upon which he had been prepared for now to meet his fate, the chaos which he could not have allowed to march to the beat of the drum. It angered her, it angered her to have done so at the time being.
He had been willing to deal with it for now as he clicked his fingers more and more, he paused to try and deal with it for now as he hummed to himself and then he sighed to think.
Even then? He had been willing to think of such an issue and something which he paused to think of it, for now, he could never seem to dwell upon such an issue.
Her father would have done better or worse, but it was clear that she had no army and no resources to deal with for now and it was bothering her.
Even then? He had such hopes for her that she had been unable to have unlocked within such a thing… He had very little hope he had been able to have done something to have fixed it for now and dealt with it purely and utterly.
Still? Sometimes she questioned that now and it did not help at all when push came to shove.
He had not been able to relax more and more. He had been familiar with it as he paused to try and deal with it for now as he clicked his fingers, wanting it to come off the cuff… He had not been able to relax.
Nothing had come and nothing had gone while it came down to it. He was not able to properly figure out the next moment, knowing what was growing on before he paused.
Alicia had thrown her subjects to the wayside, knowing what was growing on her mind as she paused, thinking for a moment as to what was growing on her mind.
She had not been familiar with such a war, not when it was hard enough to manage, not when the chaos was wrapping around her and him.
What it was seemed to be an annoyance. There was to be more to try and deal with for now as it passed through his head.
What little he could muster told him that there was more to this, more than before, he had not the option to let it ride itself out as it all came crashing down to it once more.
Yes, it seemed as if something wanted to break it all and it would eventually need to be done and dusted.
Well. It would be soon enough.
Author Notes
Phew. Another chapter is done! I want to point out that the next chapter will be 2-10 months and will show more of both 900-6500 words and will be showing more of Alcina's plan. Until then? Lighting Wolf is out for now!