The Bastard Queen (Viciously Yours #2)

Epilogue

Two month's later...

Slipping out from underneath the furs, I carefully tiptoed across the cold stone flooring of our chambers. Calling a thin piece of metal to me, I finger combed my long locks free of braids today and tied it up in a messy bun. Cringing at the creak of the drawer, I peaked over my shoulder and released a sigh when Lilly's sleeping form didn't move. Putting on my undergarments, I shrugged into a pair of brown leather pants and a long sleeved white tunic. My swords and waist chains settled onto my body comfortably as I bent over to pick up my boots.

"Where do you think you're going, Cell Bait?"

Cillian's gravelly morning voice almost had me crawling back into bed but I had promises to keep, "To the human realm."

"And this wouldn't have anything to do with our portrait being painted today, would it?"

"Whaaaat? Is that today? I completely forgot." I exclaimed, sitting on the edge of the four poster bed to stuff my feet into my boots. "Sorry, Lilly. But I made plans I absolutely cannot cancel on."

"Mmmhhh."

Tying the laces, I continued, "So, it looks like you'll have to do your solo portrait with Calvin first."

"Oh, no. No way, you're the one who wanted these portraits taken. And I didn't agree to a solo one, I barely agreed to a conjoined one." He spat, bed furs rustling.

Standing, I stared at the way the black furs pooled around his hard abdomen, "Yes, but our portrait is for the grand hall so everyone can gawk at our radiance as a couple. Your's is for my private collection."

"I am not letting Calvin paint me naked. Forget it, Macha." Cillian stated blandly, full lips twisting into a scowl.

Faking offense, I waved my hands around, "Whoa! Who said anything about a naked portrait?"

Scanning my face with narrowed eyes, he flopped onto his side and pulled the fur over his shoulders, "No. I'm going back to sleep."

"Come on, Lilly. Don't be a prude. You'll look amazing in oil paints."

"No."

I pouted, "But I wanted to hang it in my office."

"Where? By the live painting of you repeatedly killing Mab?" He snorted sleepily, wiggling into the mattress.

I blinked, "Wow, actually that'd be perfect."

"Not happening. Unless you're...doing onetoo."

Grinning at his sleepy mumble, I thought about that, "Sure, it wouldn't be my first."

The covers flung back down to his waist and wide awake Cillian stared at me, "What. Do you mean it wouldn't be the first?"

"That I've been painted before, Cillian. Duh."

"Naked?"

"There's only two ways to be painted. Post battle and naked, so yea."

His oak colored chest rose heavily in a deep breath as he pressed his palms into his silver eyes, "Macha. Are you trying to tell me that there is a naked portrait of you floating around the realm?"

"Of course, not. Don't be crazy." I laughed. "It's somewhere in the human realm." Seeing the fiery look in his silver eyes, I backed away slowly with raised hands, "In my defense, it was the 1400's and everyone was doing it. But I can see you need some time to make your decision, so I'm going to leave you to it."

"Macha, get your ass-"

Grinning at his charging naked form, the rest of what he had to say was cut off as the hard stone of the castle dropped out beneath me. In the past month, I'd been able to divide the territory between the two old Kingdoms between the Faekind. It was grueling and I wanted to kill some of them to make it easier but Lilly stopped me. He also completely took on the task of hunting down the last of Mab's supporters which helped his image to the public or so Puck told us.