"Must we leave right away?" said the Inquisitor with a slight frown. "I haven't even had a proper bath yet."

Evelyn Trevelyan, the Herald of Andraste and leader of the Inquisition, had been in Emprise du Lion for nearly a month, sleeping in cold, boggy camps in between battling red templars and rift demons. She had returned to Skyhold triumphantly having acquired a new keep for their cause. But clearly, she was weary from her long journey.

"I smell like demon's arse," she continued, "And I don't know that I can inspire troops smelling like demon's arse." Commander Cullen, watching her from across the war table, felt the corners of his mouth twitch unbidden. Little did she know how radiant she was, blonde hair matted around her head, green eyes ablaze, face streaked with mud and demon goo. Even in such a state, she commanded every eye in the room.

"We can delay our departure until the morning," he said, summoning his most professional voice to exit his throat. "But a rift so close to Skyhold is a certain threat and must be dealt with immediately."

"Our departure?" the Herald said with emphasis, snapping her head around to look at him. "Does that mean that you'll be accompanying us on this particular excursion, Commander Cullen?"

Cullen cleared his throat nervously. In his peripheral vision, he saw Josephine and Leliana exchange a coy look. He started in on the speech that he'd been rehearsing for the last month. "We're training a new set of special recruits that haven't had rift experience yet. It's time for them to get their feet wet. While awaiting your return, their commanding officers were deployed on other assignments, so I'll be supervising the training mission."

In truth, the second he'd learned of the rift's existence four miles outside of Skyhold, he'd hatched this plot, carefully calculating the timing of sending his supervising officers away to ensure that they would get a chance to spend some time together.

She picked up one of the war table pieces and turned it in her delicate hands. "Won't your duties suffer with you away from Skyhold?" she said distractedly.

Cullen paused. He hadn't expected resistance. "My duties will keep for a few days. Besides, I'm going a little stir-crazy and a hands-on mission could do me good." He glanced at her. "Assuming that's alright with you, of course."

"Of course, Commander," she said with a smile that did not reach her eyes, "I welcome your assistance." He searched her face for a sign of more enthusiasm, but all he found there was dread and stress.

They'd kindled a romance prior to her departure to Emprise de Lion. Some stolen kisses and glances was all they'd had time for before she left. The pretense of titles had been dropped and they'd embraced a new familiarity. He'd called her Eve, she called him Cullen. On her departure, they murmured soft promises to each other to pick up where they left off on her return.

Cullen had been in his office when he'd heard the horns sound. He knew what they meant. She had returned. It was impossible to ignore or suppress the strange mixture of adrenaline and nervous energy that hit his bloodstream and he found he didn't want to. He was elated to see her.

But upon her return, he had found her much changed. She had greeted him politely enough, but there was something cold and withdrawn in her demeanor. Brushing past him without any significant acknowledgment, she shouted to convene the war council immediately. But while here, nothing pressing seemed to present itself.

Something had happened and he didn't know what. Still, he was so desperate to be in her company, he felt he had no choice but to press this local rift engagement to buy them some much needed time together.

"If that covers everything," cut in Cassandra's strong, accented voice, "I have things to attend to."

"Yes, I think we're done here," said Evelyn with no small amount of relief. "See you in the morning," she said formally, nodding at Cullen and turning to exit the room.

"Enjoy your bath," he called after her softly. She paused, back to him in the doorway and he could see red creeping up the back of her neck. "Thanks," she muttered and exited the room quickly. It was good to see he still had some effect on her, but the tight coil of concern in his gut still ate at him.

He looked up at Josephine and Leliana and shrugged. Leliana put a hand on his shoulder and gave him a pitying look. "She's just exhausted. She carries the weight of us all on her. Don't worry too much about it."

"I hope you're right," he said shaking his head. But he couldn't shake the feeling that something larger was going on. By the Maker, he hoped she hadn't changed the way she felt about him.

Later that evening, after a long day of preparations, he strode through the great hall on his way to his quarters when he heard a familiar giggle echo through the chamber. Turning to his left and finding the right angle, he secured a view into Solas's chamber where he spotted the source of the laughter.

Eve was with Solas. She was near him, crumpled over in laughter. He hovered over her - ever attentive. As he watched, she finished her gale of laughter and looked up, exchanging a meaningful glance with Solas. He said something, too low for Cullen to hear. She nodded her head solemnly, and then...they embraced.

Cullen lowered his head. Of course. Solas had been with Eve the last month, travelling. It only made sense that she would have found companionship elsewhere. She was too lovely of a woman to not attract other suitors. Feeling like he was suddenly starved of oxygen, he strode ferociously out of the hall to the stairway. He gulped down the cold, night air, and feeling frustration well up, landed a blow on the stairwell wall. The sound of his armor clanging against the wall echoed coldly through the empty, dark courtyard.

The next few days were going to be long ones, indeed.