Helena Pevensie (Caspian Love Story)

11. Into the Night

That night, most of the crew went to sleep, leaving only a few up and about keeping watch and manning the ship. Helena couldn't sleep. Her body felt tense and she couldn't relax. It was only under the light of the stars that her whirling mind seemed to calm slightly. It was a clear night and just warm enough to be comfortable. A soft breeze tugged her hair and brushed against her skin. She drew in a deep breath, allowing her eyes to flutter closed.

"Are you all right?" Edmund asked, coming to stand next to her and leaning against the railing.

"I'm fine," she replied. "Just overstimulated, I guess." After a pause, she added, "Well, and..."

"What?" Edmund asked, brows furrowed.

"I wish Peter was here," she admitted, turning her gaze up to the stars. "I'd forgotten just how much I miss him."

"I was always jealous of the two of you," Edmund admitted.

Frowning, Helena repeated, "Jealous? Why?"

"You always got along so well," he remarked. "I was too much of an arse to get on with the others."

"Oh, Peter and I fought," she countered. "But, you probably just don't remember it. We used to fight about everything. The worst fight came when I told him I was leaving. But still, we would defend each other without hesitation. We were the only ones allowed to pick on each other."

"He sort of lost it after you left," Edmund remarked. "Especially when you stopped writing as much. It was really hard on him." Helena sighed, trying not to think about what had prompted that change. "Do you remember that?"

"Yes," she admitted quietly.

"Well, what happened?" Edmund asked. Helena ran a hand through her long hair, turning her gaze to the dark waves.

After a long pause, she admitted, "I was engaged, Ed."

"What?" he exclaimed. "To who? Why didn't you ever tell us?"

"Because we were only engaged a few days," she admitted.

"What happened?" Edmund asked.

Decided it was finally time, she admitted, "I first met Jacques when I became a principal dancer at seventeen. He was the choreographer. He was handsome, rich, and...well, he had the power to charm wood." She broke off, biting her lip as she tried to find the words to explain. Edmund, despite his dislike of romance talk, bit his tongue and let his sister talk. He could tell she hadn't expressed this to anyone since getting back. He doubted even Peter knew. "I was young and naive. I was flattered by his attention and his gifts. But then...well, two days after he proposed, I..."

With a start, Edmund realized that she was tearing up. But the next moment he thought he had imagined them.

"Marie!" Helena had called excitedly, rushing into her changing room with Camille. Marie was laying in bed under the large, muscular form of Jacques. She shrieked, trying to cover herself as Jacques pulled away from her. Neither of them were covered at all and the moment she saw anything, Helena shut her eyes. Turning her head toward the door, she opened her eyes. The room had fallen silent aside from the still-heavy breathing of the two on the bed. A single tear slipping down her cheek, Helena slipped the beautiful diamond engagement ring from her finger and set it on the floor before walking out.

Edmund was shocked. "He slept with another woman right after getting engaged?" he exclaimed in outrage.

"I never let him," Helena explained quietly. "I didn't want...I wasn't ready. So...he found someone who was."

"Your friend, no less?" Edmund cried. After his short burst of anger, he calmed, seeing that the anger wasn't doing anything to help Helena. Her long hair was flying behind her in the breeze, full of life, but her face remained frozen in an expression of apathetic sadness. "I'm sorry, Lena. You deserve so much better."