A/N: Much thanks and praise to bushviper, (the amazing writer of such classics as 'Would you have me beg?' which I've read more times than I care to admit, though I think my husband might be keeping track) who thought up this prompt and let me run with it.

The names of the months in the world of Thedas: Wintermarch, Guardian, Drakonis, Cloudreach, Bloomingtide, Justinian, Solace, August, Kingsway, Harvestmere, Firstfall, Haring. So few months, so many men to fill them with...

Chapter 1

He should have known something was amiss when she started waking up at dawn with him to observe the morning training exercises. Evelyn rarely woke up so early. In fact, it was so rare as to call it almost never. That situation alone should have been enough to set off alarm bells in the Commander's head.

She never interfered or interrupted. She mostly sat apart, on the ground or perched precariously on a ledge or wall, scribbling things on pieces of parchment. She would watch the men intently during their forms and study the sparring matches with a critical eye. Sometimes, she would get up and change her seating arrangement only to sit right back down and continue her work.

What that work was, Cullen had no idea. As this had been going on for several days now, however, he was starting to get nervous that she was going to show up in his office sometime soon, present him with her scraps of parchment and start suggesting things. It wasn't that he didn't value her opinion. She was their Inquisitor after all, and a well-deserved title it was, but he had worked very hard to keep Leliana's intrigues and Josephine's politics out of his army. He would never presume to tell their Spymaster how to blackmail nor would he presume to tell Josephine how to kiss a nobleman's ass. He expected the same regard. But he wouldn't put it past those two to try and manipulate Evelyn into doing their dirty work for them and use her intimate relationship with him to further their agendas.

If any of that parchment had any notes on it about appointing some noble dandy's pampered son as an officer or embedding a spy in one of his infantry units he was going to tell all three of the women just where they could put their suggestions.

But, it appeared he was granted another day of reprieve from whatever it was she was plotting when Evelyn smiled brightly at him in thanks for letting her observe for yet another morning and started gathering up her papers. She hugged them close to her chest as she tried to scurry past him with only a nod in parting. He wasn't about to let that happen, so he grabbed her arm and pulled her close enough to speak so they weren't overheard.

She clutched the parchment pieces tighter and she looked up at him nervously. Something was definitely suspicious, but he'd learned from many a hard lesson in the past that sometimes the best action was no action at all, so he let her odd behavior go for the moment and pledged to simply be more observant, hoping she would reveal herself before any gambit she was plotting went too far to fix.

"Can I see you this afternoon, Inquisitor? In my office?" He offered her a small smile and used just enough inflection in the low registers of his voice to hint at an entirely different request. They could usually both be convinced to set aside a little time for a midday tumble if their busy schedules permitted, and recently their duties had been comparatively light, so he saw no reason he should have to wait until dark to have a taste of her, especially when he knew something rough and quick would only make her more wanting when they settled into bed at night.

"I'm sorry, love, I don't think I can today." She replied with both disappointment and nervousness. "I have to meet with Leliana and Josephine this afternoon."

"I wasn't aware we had a council meeting?" Cullen asked.

"No, no it isn't that." She said, shaking her head a little too vigorously. "It's...another matter. We would never trouble you over it. I only heard a few details from them, that's why we planned to meet. Something with nobles or Orlesians or something you're sure to find distasteful. After they brief me, if there's anything at all I'd require your counsel for, I'll come find you straightaway, but I'm sure it's nothing of consequence. Please don't worry about it at all."

Well, that was far too many words to be convincing. But, again, Cullen let it slide. "Mm. Alright then. See you tonight." He playfully swatted her behind. No one was watching them to see it, but she let out a surprised squeak that drew a few heads to turn in their direction. Unfortunately, that tiny noise escaping her parted lips was enough to make him want to pull her into an alcove right now and have her up against a wall, but he was resigned to wait until this evening. She scampered away and he contented himself with watching her sweet little behind run into the keep and imagining what he'd do to it later.

xxxx

Evelyn couldn't get away from Cullen fast enough. She knew she wouldn't be able to keep this from him for long. He definitely suspected something. She almost tripped over her own feet scrambling up the courtyard steps into the main hall, hands grasping her drawings so tightly they were starting to get sweaty. She ran into Cassandra. Literally almost ran into her. She nearly panicked when the parchment stack fluttered out of her grasp only to be deftly scooped up by the Seeker before they even hit the floor. She shoved them back into Evelyn's waiting embrace and pulled her along by the arm towards Josephine's office.

"You should be more careful with those." Cassandra scolded her.

"I know! I'm sorry!" Evelyn's eyes darted around making sure no one was close enough to hear their conversation. "And I think Cullen suspects something! I told you I'd be rubbish at keeping a secret. What if he sees?"

Cassandra scoffed. "He knows nothing. You are worrying too much. Calm down. You look like someone who's guilty of something."

"Aren't we?" Evelyn whispered.

"Of course not. And we've received a few more requests. We can discuss them now." Cassandra led her into Josephine's office where both the Ambassador and Leliana were taking tea by the fire.

Josephine rose and started pouring two additional cups while Leliana pulled over two more chairs. The ladies all sat and, after checking that both doors were shut, Evelyn set her papers across her lap and relaxed back into her seat.

"You look flushed, Inquisitor." Leliana asked amicably. "Is something the matter?"

Cassandra rolled her eyes. "She's worried about Cullen...spoiling things."

Leliana and Josephine looked at each other and then they both laughed. "Poor sweet, Evelyn." Leliana sang. "Our dear Commander doesn't know a thing about this, I assure you." And then she added with a raised eyebrow. "And even if he did find out, I'm sure you wouldn't be too troubled if he chose to punish you for it just a little."

Evelyn blushed a shade darker than she had already been sporting all morning. "You said something about more requests, Cassandra." She said quickly trying to divert the subject away from her apparently well know amorous proclivities with the Commander.

"Yes, Dorian just pulled me aside in the library and requested Knight-Captain Rylen."

Evelyn's anxiety was washed away by excitement. She had been hoping against hope someone would request him. Not that she had any personal requests for anyone but Cullen, but, well, Templars... Bless Dorian for thinking of him. She knew it had been a good idea to let that beautiful mage in on the action. The man had impeccable taste in men.

"I can definitely do that!" She responded enthusiastically. "He leads most of the morning exercises, so I've had loads of time to study him." She started shuffling through her papers. "I've already drawn a few quick sketches of him in particular..."

Josephine questioned Casandra. "He asked for Rylen? Why not The Iron Bull?"

"I wondered that as well, and he said, and I quote 'I see that great oaf every night. At least for the month of Wintermarch I'll get to see that strapping Templar every day too. Variety, my dear Seeker, is the spice of life.' " Cassandra's impression of both Dorian's accent and his usual carefree, yet disdainful, tone was uncannily accurate.

"Why does he want him to be Wintermarch?" Leliana asked.

Cassandra assumed Dorian's persona again. "Because the weather is ghastly for all of Wintermarch and if I have to be frozen to the bone, I want his steamy body gracing my wall to warm me." They all laughed, then she added, in her own voice this time, "And besides, Lysette requested the Knight-Captain as well."

Evelyn found that interesting, and she said so. "I wouldn't have thought her the type to go for tattoos."

"It's the accent." Josephine answered dreamily. "Who could resist that lovely brogue coming from that rugged body?"

Leliana smiled widely. "Is that your choice too for our little calendar then, Josie?"

"Oh, Maker no! I can't waste my pick on someone who's already been chosen twice."

Josephine. The very spirit of practicality.

The Ambassador continued. "I choose Ser Barris." She said definitively. "He will make a perfect Messere Drakonis. The month he joined the Inquisition."

"Very well then," Leliana said, "Evelyn should be able to observe him quite well in the mornings, same as Ser Rylen." The Nightingale reached out for the sketches in Evelyn's lap and started looking over them. "These are quite delicious already Inquisitor. You have a talent for capturing the male form."

"Oh, these are just rough drafts, I plan on making them much more...detailed before we get them printed up." Evelyn winked.

"I don't see our very pretty Commander here though?" Leliana asked. "Do you have the same sentiments as Dorian about wanting something novel?" It was her turn to wink now.

Evelyn giggled. "Not a bit! I'm perfectly content for Cullen to grace my bed and my walls and every piece of furniture in between every month of the year. I simply can't decide how to pose him."

Cassandra spoke up again. "I'm sure you'll think of something. We do still have to address how we're going to print sufficient copies with discretion. We have at least two dozen requests for the final product already."

"We're going to have to ask him eventually." Josephine said. "He's the only person I can think of who would know a printer that would keep quiet about our project. May as well get it over with and speak with him as soon as possible."

Evelyn's stomach tied in knots. She'd been dreading this. This was going to be the start of endless insufferable looks, smug smiles and thinly veiled innuendo, likely in hearing distance of Cullen as often as he could manage to torture her with it.

She sighed deeply. "I suppose I'll go find Varric."