Helena Pevensie (Caspian Love Story)

18. The Black Knight's Tale

Helena sat directly to the knight's right and while they were waiting for the food, she spoke to him. The others could not help feeling surprised at how easily Helena was able to charm her way into the knight's graces. He seemed to have nearly forgotten that the others were there at all. Soon, however, Helena again raised her queries about his affliction and the kindness of the Green Lady.

"Ah, yes," he said, beginning to serve food to them all. "You must understand, my lady, that I know nothing of who I was and whence I came into this dark world. I remember no time when I was not dwelling, as now, at the court of this all but heavenly Queen; but my thought is that she saved me from some evil enchantment and brought me hither of her exceeding bounty." To Puddleglum he added, "Honest, Frogfoot, your cup is empty. Suffer me to refill it." In his louder voice, he said, "And this seems to me the likelier because even now I am bound by a spell, from which my lady alone can free me."

Refilling Helena's glass, he resumed, "Every night there comes an hour when my mind is most horribly changed and, after my mind, my body. For first I become furious and wild and would rush upon my dearest friends to kill them if I were not bound. And soon after that, I turn into the likeness of a great serpent: hungry, fierce, and deadly." In a lower voice, he suggested, "Lady, be pleased to take another breast of pigeon, I entreat you." Louder, he continued, "So they tell me, and they certainly speak truth for my lady says the same. I myself know nothing of it, for when my hour is past I awake forgetful of all that vile fit and in my proper shape and sound mind - saving that I am somewhat wearied."

Turning to Jill, he suggested, "Little lady, eat one of these honey cakes, which are brought for me from some barbarous land in the far south of the world." After offering another of the cakes to Helena, who graciously accepted, he said, "Now the queen's majesty knows by her art that I shall be freed from this enchantment when once she has made me king of a land in the Overworld and set its crown upon my head."

"The land is already chosen and the very place of our breaking out. Her earthmen have worked day and night digging a way beneath it, and have now gone so far and so high that they tunnel not a score of feet beneath the very grass on which the Updwellers of that country walk. It will be very soon now that those Uplanders' fate will come upon them. She herself is at the diggings tonight and I expect a message to go to her. Then the thin roof of earth which still keeps me from my kingdom will be broke through, and with her to guide me and a thousand earthmen at my back, I shall ride forth in arms, fall suddenly on our enemies, slay their chief men, cast down their strong places, and doubtless be their crowned king within four and twenty hours."

"It's a bit rough on them, isn't it?" Eustace remarked in as civil a tone as he could manage.

"Thou art a lad of wondrous, quick-working wit!" exclaimed the knight with a laugh. "For, on my honour, I never thought of it so before. I see your meaning." The knight looked troubled for a moment before his expression cleared and he began laughing again at the idea of people milling about with no idea they were about to be attacked.

"I don't think it's funny at all," said Jill disgustedly. "I think you'll be a wicked tyrant."

Helena let out a small laugh with the barest strain of tenseness as she lay her hand on the knight's arm and said nervously, "You must forgive her, sir. Children can so rarely be expected to fully understand such important things." As the knight burst into laughter at this remark, Helena sent Jill a pleading look.

"Never fear, sweetheart," the knight was saying in quite a patronizing, condescending tone to Jill. "In ruling that land, I shall do all by the counsel of my lady, who will then be my queen too. Her word shall be my law, even as my word will be law to the people we have conquered."

"Where I come from," began Jill again, forgetting that she was supposed to be allowing Helena to control the conversation. "People don't think much of men who are bossed about by their wives."

"Shalt think otherwise when thou hast a man of thine own, I warrant you," the knight replied and Helena detected with relief his great amusement at the entire situation.

"Forgive me, sir," Helena said, leaning forward with unfeigned interest. "What brought on your enchantment?" She was beginning to wonder if there was some other way it could be undone.

"I have always had it," he replied in his great, laughing voice. Helena frowned very slightly at this but quickly smoothed over her expression to continue pretending she took great interest in him, but the more he talked, the less sure she was that she could ever turn him to their side. His devotion to the witch...it was more than she had ever seen before in anyone. By the end of dinner, even Helena was tired of the knight's talk, although his laughter had since subsided.

Finally, he rose to his feet and said, "Friends, my hour is now very near. I am ashamed that you should see me yet I dread being left alone. They will come in presently and bind me hand and foot to yonder chair. Alas, so it must be; for in my fury, they tell me, I would destroy all that I could reach."

"Sir," Helena said cautiously, rising also to her feet. "What will they do to us when you are bound? T-They spoke of putting us in prison."

"Never fear, fair lady," the knight said. "Go through yonder door. It leads to my other apartments. And there, either await my coming when they have unbound me or, if you will, return and sit with me in my ravings."

"Thank you," Helena said, giving a deep curtsey as the others quickly departed. As Helena rose, he placed his hand under her chin, bring up her eyes to look at him. She didn't dare move and for the first time, she began to feel afraid.

"Your face," he said with a small frown. "Seems terribly familiar to me."

"W-We met before, sir," Helena said in a whisper, unable to help the small quiver of fear.

"No, it's more than that meeting on the bridge," he said with a frown. He stared at her face for a long moment before the sudden sounds of steps on the stairway caught his attention and he quickly gestured for her to go out the door the others had gone into.