A/N: Hi everyone, sorry it's taken me so long to update. Its been a tough month for me. I hope ya'll enjoy this installment. Hopefully it will by less than a month till my next updates. Remember to review!

Chapter 13

The week between Christmas and New Year's passed uneventfully. Caleb was still pressuring Molly to return to Avalon with him, and Rabadash was well on his way to wooing Susan. Peter and Edmund were spending a hell of a lot of time behind closed doors, the few times that Molly walked past Peter's private office she could hear the frustrated screaming within.

There were some days where Edmund would come to visit Molly's in her office with steam almost literally pouring from his ears. Molly tried her best to calm the hot blooded teen down, but it seemed that each day Ed's angry outbursts were becoming more frequent.

As New Year's Eve drew closer Molly began thinking of ways she could tell Edmund about her predicament, after all he was the father of her child. Yet it seemed that whenever she tried to broach the subject with the Just King he grew irritated and sour. Molly gave up figuring that Ed would figure out their predicament sooner or later the smart man he was.

She, however, found it strange that the other members of the Pevensie family has not realized her moods had changed over the last week. In fact it seemed that once again the four royals were too busy running a country from four separate fronts to notice the changes in their friend.

Finally almost three weeks to the day after Christmas, Caleb announced that within the week he and his entourage would be returning to Avalon. He, again broached the subject of Molly being sent as a diplomat back with him in order to secure more friendly relations with an important port on the trade routes to Calormen and the Isles southwest of Narnia.

Peter and Edmund had called Caleb into a meeting the day before his ship was to set sail presumably to talk about the situation. Molly spent the hours pacing her office nervously, her mind racing. She needed to tell Edmund about the impending baby, and how would she deal with it if she was sent away. After three hours of her mind racing, a dryad interrupted Molly's thoughts to inform her the meeting had ended and Edmund wanted to see her in his study.

With shaking hands, Molly pushed opened the door to Edmund's study. It occurred to her as she quietly crossed the threshold that she had only entered the room a handful of times over the last two and a half years. Edmund was sitting in the large armchair behind his desk a book in his hands. Molly smirked to herself tiptoeing around piles of books and discarded parchment. She stopped once she was situated behind Edmund, who was still engrossed in his book.

Molly reached around the chair bringing her hands down on Edmund's eyes. She felt the young king flinch under her fingers "Molly, that was not funny," he said not moving her hands from his face, " what if I had pulled my sword?" Molly let go of Edmund walking back around the desk settling into the armchair on the other side. "You asked me to come,Ed. I highly doubt you would expect anyone else to enter your domain without announcing themselves," Molly retorted. Ed nodded.

An awkward silence descended between the pair. "So…" Molly began, "What's the verdict, your majesty?" Ed stiffened at the use of such a formal title. "You're going to Avalon, Archenland for the express purpose of setting up a trade agreement," he explained placing the book on the floor. Molly relaxed into her chair, "thank Aslan."

Ed nodded a little before continuing. "Naturally Lord Caleb wanted to have you in Avalon indefinitely, since he believes a marriage between Archenland and Narnia would be a strategic move. However Peter and I offered an ultimatum. You have five months to broker a treaty that is advantageous to Narnia financially from the day you land in Avalon. Once that five months is up you are to ride to Anvard and I will be there in a week to retrieve you."

Molly was thinking everything through. With the five month time line she really needed to tell Edmund about their situation. The next time he saw her she would be showing. "Edmund, I need to tell you something.." Molly started working up the courage to tell Edmund everything. "Molly, please don't try to tell me you love him. I swear to Aslan, if you say that I'll kill him," Edmund said anger lacing his voice, not allowing Molly to finish her thought.

"That's what you think Edmund!" Molly yelled at Edmund, "that everything we've shared meant nothing to me!" Edmund's expression changed from one of anger to one of fear. It was not uncommon for Molly to raise her voice, but she rarely raised her voice at him. "What am I supposed to think," Ed asked in a softer tone, "You don't seem that upset about the situation." Molly stood from her seat glaring at Edmund. "Of course I'm upset Edmund. I'm more upset than you could ever realize, but I realize that I have a duty to Narnia," she continued to yell.

Ed moved from his chair to embrace the now hysterical Molly. She turned away from Ed. "Ed, I can't do this right now," she said, "I'm sorry you have so little faith in me." She turned and left the room. No one saw Molly at dinner that night.

The next morning, Molly found herself up before the sun emptying the contents of her stomach into a chamber pot. "What a lovely day I'm going to have," she said to herself as she cleaned up after this first bout of morning sickness. At least on the boat she could pass off her morning sickness as sea sickness. A maid entered her chambers not long after to help her pack and dress for the day. Molly took special take to entrust Mr. Tumnus with recording everything that happened while she was away, her other projects packed away in her small carry on.

She took her breakfast with the royal family, tense as it was. She was certain that Lucy would have broken into tears if Caleb wasn't sitting at the table. The young lord's eye held a glint as he looked over the table of young rulers as if he was somehow cleverer than any of the other people sitting at the table. Molly only picked at the small lump of egg on her plate avoiding Edmund's calculating gaze . Even after the meal, Molly made it a point to avoid him as though life depended on it.

At noon, the royal family was standing on the royal docks saying their farewells to their adopted sister. Lucy went as far as to cry whilst giving Molly her last hug in five months. Molly had saved Edmund for last. As he stared at the wood dock below his feet, Molly wrapped her arms around his shoulders pulling him to her. As their bodies came into contact Ed leaned his head down trying to bury his face in the junction of her neck and shoulder inhaling the scent of her skin.

"Five months Ed, and we'll see each other again," Molly whispered into his ear. He nodded his head not wanting to remove himself. Molly ended their embrace, her eyes instantly saddened by the loss of contact. By this point Caleb was standing on the deck of the ship, the entire voyage waiting on a girl, preposterous. Molly hurried up the gangway, but stopped three quarters of the way up. She turned around and shouted, "I meant what I said that night, Edmund." Peter, Susan, and Lucy looked over at their brother who was now redder than any tomato the three had ever seen. With her work complete Molly ran up the gangway intent on disappearing into the bowls of the ship.

The poor girl spent the first days of the journey safely stowed away in her cabin relieving herself of her sickness through the small port hole just big enough for her head. When a member of the crew came to check on her they often laughed remembering to point out that the sea was no place for a woman.

On the third night, as Molly fought to keep down her dinner of bread and cheese, Caleb made an appearance in her rooms. "Lady Molly," he began. "It's Sir or Lady Knight Molly, my lord" Molly said not bothering to really stand on decorum. The man huffed before continuing, "Although I am certain our trade talks shall be fruitful, I believe you should be aware of a few things. First, My name is not Caleb, but Calum. I am his lordships more trusted servant."

Molly looked the man over for a minute, "If you are not Lord Caleb, than who if?" she asked. "Lord Caleb, is my master Lady Knight. He does not like to travel far from his home, especially when the omens are not in his favor," the servant explained. Molly's mind was working a mile a minute now, Peter had granted permission for a man neither of them had ever met to court her. Now she was traveling into the witch's den so to speak. Aslan help her. "However, my lord had expressed a great deal of interest in you, having heard of your exploits during the Battle of Beruna and that fight with Lord Emeth of Calormen. When we reach Avalon he means to ask for your permission to court."

Molly too disgusted for words found herself indeed revisited by her dinner barely making it to the port hole in time. When she turned about, Molly found the servant Calum gone. She resolved to write to Edmund in the morning, and mail the letter the second she found a talking bird or something. But at that moment fatigue overtook her and sleep followed soon after.