Giant Heart

Chapter 16

When I awoke, the giant was still asleep. I smiled at him. When he was asleep, he looked so peaceful, so harmless. I knew he meant well, and he had a good heart. I knew at least that I would be safe with him and he would treat me well. But I still new I couldn't stay with him forever.

I gently slid down off the Giant's stomach and gazed out at the morning view in front of me. I could see many villagers crowding the marketplace, and I could see the King's guards riding out through the forest. There was a gaggle of people outside the palace and I wondered what the event must be. They were probably not meeting to talk about me. Gwendoline had probably convinced my father to forget about me.

The giant sat up behind me. "Princess," he said. "It's time to go back."
"Can't we stay out a little longer?" I pleaded. The giant chuckled.
"No, Princess," he said, and placed his hand on the floor for me to climb on. Then he carried me back to the cave. Instead of placing me in the cage, he put me on the table.
"Aren't you going to put me back in there?" I asked, pointing at the cage. The giant shook his head.
"No. Too mean." He picked up the cage and threw it to the ground so it broke. "You no longer a caged bird," he said. "Breakfast?"
"Yes please. But... maybe I could show you how to make something different?" The giant agreed, and I set to work showing him how to make porridge. He put some in a button for me, and as I had no spoon, I sucked it up. The giant copied me. "Do you have a spoon?" I asked him. I saw he had a wooden spoon for mixing, and showed him how to use it to eat the porridge. When he had finished, he rubbed his stomach. "That was tasty. You show me how to make more?"

I nodded."Certainly." The giant leant down and placed a kiss on my forehead.
"You work wonders, Princess!"
"It was only porridge!" I laughed. The giant laughed too.
"Now," he said suddenly. "I will make you a home to live that you will enjoy. He spent all day hammering and cutting pieces of wood. He put them together and made a sofa, a bed, a bookcase, a table and a chair. He covered the sofa in soft fabric and stuffed underneath so that it was soft and bouncy. For the bed, he made a mattress, blanket out of cloth, and a pillow, and he painted the frame with a beautiful gloss. He painted the bookcase and added the gloss, also adding it to the table and the chair. The end result was spectacular.

"You are a superb craftsman!" I told him. "I can't thank you enough!"
"You like it?" the giant sounded hopeful.
"I love it!" I ran to the edge of the big table and held out my arms for a hug. The giant scooped me up and I kissed him on the cheek. "You really didn't have to do this!"
"I want you to be happy."

"Well this is better than what I could have asked for," I told him and he let out that same cry of delight he had let out the night before and clapped his hands.
"You shall have whatever you wish for," he told me with a warm smile.

After showing the giant how to make proper soup I lay in my new bed. It was wonderfully comfortable, and I slept rather well, even though I could feel the giant's eyes on me as I slipped into unconsciousness.
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*Chester's POV Past tense*
I saw her again, I swear I did. Not just on all the Wanted posters, no, I saw her in the flesh and bone. My Princess. My Heather. She was there, just for a second, and then she was gone. I saw her in the Marketplace with some man, but then he went off and she ran after him and I was trapped in a crowd of people and... oh, Heather. I will find you again. We will be reunited once more.