Chapter 22: Signing for the devil

Chapter 22: Signing for the devil

I felt my breath quiver but only slightly. I could feel the onset of tremor in my hands and I could hear the sound of his labored breath like he was in physical pain.

"I asked… Do you want to die!" Zuri yelled this time around.

I blinked and I looked him straight in the eyes.

"If you are going to hit me, I suggest you get it over with, King Zuri"

He blinked.

"What?"

He looked genuinely confused.

"I said if you are going to hit, punch or slap me then I suggest you get it over with" I repeated myself.

I had no idea where my sudden boldness came from. I was suddenly fearless.

"Emily, why would I hit you?" Zuri's voice softened just a little bit.

I didn't take my gaze away from him.

"Does anyone need a reason to physically inflict pain? So go ahead, morals never stopped my uncle Phil. It shouldn't stop the devil of castaway too. But anything short of death won't make me wear a dress. So, get on with it! Do you hear me, I said, get on with it!"

I picked up Zuri's hand and tried to get him to hit me. It was the worst thing he could do to me but then he took a step back and he turned around and opened the door but before he left he spoke to me.

"Emily…I might be the devil himself but I would never raise my hand to you. I believe people who hit children and women have a special place in hell reserved for them"

I turned around quickly but only to see him close the door.

Wait what?!.

*

Zuri and my mother were comfortably standing by the car that was supposed to take us to the king's private airfield when I came out of the palace. I could see the surprise on my mother's face but my brother's face remained undecipherable as always.

"Can we go?" I murmured when I was close enough.

"Emily, you are wearing a dress. You hate dresses" my mother commented.

"Mama, the king of Zolcovia agreed to see us at such a short notice, the least I can do is wear a dress, right king Zuri?" I looked at my half brother and he nodded.

"You look exquisite, princess"

"Thanks" I murmured and didn't even wait to find out if the king was supposed to enter the limo first before I made myself comfortable in it because today, I went head to head with my psycho brother and I won.

Soon, we were on a private jet to Zolcovia and I couldn't even enjoy the ride because I was so nervous. I tried to grab my mother's hand for comfort as I closed my eyes but the hand I interlocked my hands with was strangely bigger and considerably softer. Wait! This wasn't Eloise's hand.

Was I…was I holding the devil's hand? And why was he squeezing it reassuringly?

I opened my eyes and I turned and I looked at him. For once, his eyes had a hint of kindness.

"Sorry" I murmured and took my hand away.

Zuri nodded.

He was almost human at that moment. "I am not a fan of height too but you will get use to it eventually, Emily"

Why was he being kind and understanding? Was it a scheme or does the devil of castaway indeed have a heart?

"Thanks but I am fine" I insisted.

"Good. Now, sign this" Zuri pulled out a tablet from his briefcase and handed it to me.

I didn't take it from him.

"What am I signing?" I asked him.

I might be seventeen but I had watched a lot of legal movies to know I wasn't supposed to sign any documents with verification.

Zuri watched my curious green eyes and since I made no move to take the tablet from him, he dropped it on my lap.

"Don't tell me you don't trust your own brother, Emily?" Zuri asked me with his one sided smile.

"I am on a private jet because you sold me to the highest bidder a day after you found out of my existence, King Zuri. Forgive me if I am not jumping up to sign a bunch of digital documents" My voice heard no malice, I was too tired to be angry but I wasn't about to throw caution to the wind.

"Fair enough. I shall explain it to you dear sister. The first document was drafted by the supreme court of castaway, its a document acknowledging you as my father's daughter and therefore a member of the Williamson's dynasty"

Zuri stopped talking briefly. I suspect it was for my sake, to give me the chance to assimilate everything he was saying.

"And the second?" I asked him.

"Do you know that as princess Supreme you can send any subject to jail for more than 80 days?" Zuri asked me.