"Now, tell me what you're hiding from everyone? What exactly are you planning?" Gustav asked while squinting his eyes.
Matilda stood in place for a few seconds with a myriad of expressions displayed on her face before moving close to the tree and also leaning her back against it.
"It's a long story... Are you ready to listen?" Matilda asked.
"Hmm," Gustav nodded slightly in response before saying, it's not like I have a choice now, do I?"
A wry smile appeared on Matilda's face after hearing Gustav's response.
She understood that she had put him on the spot today, but she had decided to make up for it in the future.
Her face turned serious again before she started speaking.
"When I was seven years old, I had a friend," Matilda stated.
"This friend of mine was from a different place entirely, lived an entirely different kind of lifestyle, but she and I became close really fast because the relationship between our parents was tight... We bonded even though we came from two different places. I showed her my way of life, and she showed me hers along with some of her memories.
It was wonderful because we both saw beauty in our different lifestyles.
This place you brought happens to be among the places we shared memories as kids," Matilda placed her hand on the tree and rubbed it while looking around with a smile on her face.
"Although her looks were different, I felt it was normal since lots of mixedbloods look different compared to humans. However, I later found out how wrong I was... My friend was an alien from the planet Abruikis.
At that time, I never knew why she couldn't go to school, but every time I came back from school, we would meet here, and I would share stories with her.
We were together for three years until one day..." Matilda's voice and expression turned sad as she got to this point.
"Several spacecraft landed in our residence, and they took my friend and her parents away... I knew something wasn't right that day because I remember they were forced away like criminals on the run.
I kept begging my father to do something about it, but I remember the look of helplessness on his face like it was yesterday.
For some reason, my father couldn't do anything, and I had to watch my best friend being dragged away amidst tears," Matilda's eyes had turned red and watery at this point.
"It has been seven years since I last saw her... At least that would have been the case if she didn't send me a message two years back," Matilda voiced out as she touched her storage bracelet.
Zing!
A small circular but flat-shaped object appeared in her hand.
Gustav's eyes squinted as he stared at the device.
"I suppose a recorded footage is stored there," Gustav muttered, and Matilda replied by nodding before tapping onto the surface of the object.
Troooiinnn!
The image of a beautiful-looking girl with two pear-shaped golden eyes and purplish skin along with silky long black hair appeared above the device.
There was a square-shaped black mark on her forehead along with green contour marks surrounding it.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Sounds of an explosion could be heard coming from the footage as it would seem that chaos surrounded her.
The footage shook severally, and although the visibility of the surroundings was low, Gustav could see tiny red glowing particles in the surroundings.
"Matilda, I need your help... I didn't tell you the truth all those years ago, but I'm actually a princess to the largest empire on Abruikis.
We are currently at war. My empire is lacking in forces after my grandfather, the Emperor, was assassinated, and my father also went missing leaving me to cater for the kingdom. I lost over thirty percent of my forces to bad leadership, and some even defected to the other kingdoms after deeming me unworthy to lead..." Tears started streaming out of her eyes as she got to this point.
"I don't want my people to perish, so I will have to surrender... I know many of them will meet their end because of my decision, but I have no other choice so long as some lives can be preserved. I have repeatedly requested help from earth, but they ignored my pleas saying they cannot interfere in interplanetary wars.
I do not wish to disturb you with my problems, but if this message does get to you... Please, Matilda, get help for my people... I know you, Matilda, you're strong... When you become powerful enough, please try to save my people.
If you can't, it's okay too; just make sure you live your life to the fullest and be happy... Regardless of what comes to be, I have always loved you, and I will always love you.
I haven't forgotten all the times we spent together... Our fond memories are one of the things that kept me going through the toughest times.
If I ca..."
Sshhrrrkkyyhhh!
The footage suddenly came to an end before the princess was able to complete her statement.
Matilda raised her hand and used her sleeves to clean her teary eyes.
"I always still wonder what she wanted to say at the end. I can tell that something happened..." Matilda muttered with a sad look.
Gustav, at this point, could more or less understand things.
He began to put two and two together, "This is why you don't want to get betrothed to anyone... You still intend to travel to her planet and save her people?" Gustav voiced out with a contemplative expression.
"Yes... Although I love my family and wish for them to form connections, become larger and flourish, even more, they can survive without making use of me... Unlike Dahria, I'm her only hope right now. Getting betrothed means being chained down, and I need freedom, so I can perform this task in the future," Matilda explained.