Helena Pevensie (Caspian Love Story)

7. Mortal or Immortal, That is the Question

As the ship moved closer and closer to land, Helena found her way back to Caspian's study. In the corner, she found a small cupboard of books she hadn't noticed before. Running her finger over the spine, she smiled as she read some of the titles. They were all fantasy novels as well as a few about history. "You may borrow one if you like," a voice said behind her. Helena jumped, twirling around quickly to find it was just Caspian. 

Letting out a small breath, she laughed, "You startled me." 

With the tiniest frown, he teased, "Did I really? I could have sworn people jumped because they were expecting someone to appear." A very unladylike laugh escaped her and Helena had to attempt to muffle it with her hand. Letting out a breath to control her laughter, she crossed over to face the blade in its sheath, a warm smile still twisting her lips. 

"Did my brother really carry this sword?" she asked, studying the intricate figure of the lion's head on the handle. 

"Yes," Caspian said. "Almost killed me with it when we first met." Helena smiled. 

"I had no idea all of this was real," she admitted. "It's not that I didn't believe them, it's just that it never crossed my mind that there was anything to be believed. I thought it was...I don't know, some kind of coping mechanism for the war. I don't know. Some magical country they talked of to forget about it all. But now..." 

"A little more than fiction," Caspian finished. 

"Yes," she said. 

"How did they never talk to you about it?" Caspian asked. 

"Well," Helena said slowly, thinking of how exactly to explain. "I haven't lived with my family in a long time. I'm a ballet dancer so I had to go to another country to train so I had a chance of making a career out of it. We've communicated through letters for a long time." 

"How old were you when you left?" Caspian asked curiously. 

"Twelve," Helena explained. "I would have come back home to see them, but Father couldn't afford it. Edmund was only nine when I left and Lucy was seven. It was hard on them all, most of all Peter." After a pause, she asked, "May I look at the sword?" 

"Of course," he said. Carefully, she lifted it down from where it hung and drew it. Along the metal was carved words in a foreign language. 

"What does it say?" 

"'When Aslan shakes his mane, we shall have spring again,'" Caspian quoted. "It's the prophecy that brought your siblings here. Narnia was stuck in eternal winter by a witch. Only the four of them could defeat her, along with the help of Aslan, of course." 

"Right, Aslan," Helena said with a frown, thinking over her short interaction with him. She wasn't even entirely sure it had been real. "Who exactly is he?" 

"Aslan is the son of the Great Emperor across the sea," Caspian explained. "He created the world and he rules over it." 

"But what exactly is he?" 

"A lion." 

"No, I know that," Helena said. "I meant like, is he mortal?" Caspian frowned. 

"That's kind of a complicated question," he said finally. "Here, mortal means one can die." 

"It is the same in England," she admitted. 

"He can die, he has actually, but he is not ruled by death," Caspian explained. 

Frowning, Helena asked, "What do you mean?" 

"Well," he said, "he came back." 

"He rose from the dead?" she clarified. He nodded. "So then comes the question of, if you can't be controlled by death, then are you mortal?" 

"I would say no," he replied. 

"Interesting," Helena remarked. "Elaborate." 

"Well, if we may make the assumption that death is assumed to be permanent, then a non-permanent death isn't really death at all," he explained. "Perhapts, immortality is simply not being able to be controlled by death." 

Helena hummed in response. "Have you ever met him?" she asked. 

"Yes," Caspian admitted with a smile. "He was with us after we overthrew my uncle. That was the second time your brothers and sisters were here." 

"I still can't believe it never crossed my mind that they were even trying to tell me it was all real," Helena admitted. "I suppose I was so tired most times that I wasn't reading them properly. But still...my siblings as kings and queens. It seems quite impossible. We're just middle-class back home." 

"Caspian," Edmund said, coming into the room. Instantly Helena turned away from the king to pretend she was admiring some of the artwork. Frowning slightly, Edmund looked between the two. 

"Yes?" Caspian replied when Edmund's words failed him. 

"Right, er, Drinian was looking for you," Edmund said. "We're nearing the Lone Islands."