The sun shone its last rays of sunlight as dusk approached and the isolated but magnificent castle was covered by the shadows of the night. The flames from the palace's chandeliers shone a dim, warm glow. Estelle's room, however, barely lit up from a single, flickering candle light. It used to be a space of comfort for her, a cozy privacy to read her books and forget, even if for a minute, of the daunting tasks of being a princess.
But at that moment, not even the countless, shimmering books in the shelves could distract her from her thoughts, nor could the fluffy blankets she currently found herself under hide her from her inevitable fate.
Estelle, although merely 12 years old, knew of the confinement that awaited her. She had dreaded something similar would happen to her in the future, with arranged marriages and whatnot, since such negotiations are common in the life of nobility. But no number of lessons and tutoring could have prepared her for what she would endure. She gulped back her sobs, to no avail, as tears streamed down her face.
That night, she would be given away to the giant kingdom.
The human king and queen entered the colossal palace. No, colossal was not enough to describe it. Its perimeter extended across so many yards that it surpassed the human kingdom's territory size, and its towers stretched so far above that the clouds covered their tips. Climbing up hundreds of stairs, the royal couple reached the meeting hall, in which they had to be lifted by a giant servant's hand in order to reach a marble pillar made specially for such rare occasions, located right in front of the giant king's throne.
The king resembled more a beast than a man. So monumental was his stature, the human palace would not be able to reach his knees in height. Broad in build, his torso acted as a natural wall between him and the royal couple, between his abundance of power in comparison to their lack thereof. Layers upon heavy layers of expensive-looking robes made from bear fur hid the athletic physique that led the giant kingdom to be so feared and admired by its neighboring nations. A long, gray beard cascaded down the immense man's chin, and his equally grey, short hair was almost completely concealed by the glow emanating from the jewels of his crown. His sharp, narrowed eyes glared at them with disdain, as both humans struggled to hold their gaze.
" The terms of peace have been decided." - the giant's voice boomed in their ears - "as I impede myself and my men from invading your paltry kingdom, you shall hand your daughter's hand in marriage towards my son, prince Alaric."
The king and queen held their breaths. Their heart thrashed inside their chest, but both maintained their posture firm.
There was no other way.
" Your majesty, your terms have been agreed upon," – the human king started, gaining a subtle yet perturbed glance from his wife. – "but both our children are still too young for marriage, according to giant and human customs. How are we supposed to let our daughter marry your son?"
The gigantic king contained a smirk.
" Your worries will not be necessary. Your daughter is to live here under prince Alaric's custody until they reach the age of maturity."
The king and queen could not contain their widened eyes or the sweat dripping on their forehead. A heavy feeling set in their guts. The giant's thundering voice reverberated through their bones.
"Your daughter's hand in marriage, or your kingdom. It is your decision, your majesties."
A soft knock came from the door. The queen opened it to find her sobbing daughter laying on the bed. Estelle did not have the strength to dry her tears. Her mother's heart sank. She could not consider herself worthy of being a mother, guilt settling deep into her mind. Her only daughter, cruelly robbed of her life for the sake of the whole kingdom. It was the right thing to do for their reign's survival, the queen knew it. However, nothing could lift a mother's burden of willingly giving away her child.
The queen sat beside Estelle at her bed, tears cascading from her face, as she also could not contain her own cries. She lifted her crying child and gently held her into her arms.
" My dearest. My most precious star... I am so sorry, please forgive me..."
Estelle held her mother in a tight embrace, as if the queen would disappear at any instant. Her mother cupped the princess's face in her palms and gazed at her distraught daughter.
"You will be able to get through this, my little girl. I know you will. You are a princess, the future ruler of this nation. I raised you to be so, and I know you are strong. You are brave."
Estelle did not believe in the words the queen said, but she nodded, for her mother's sake.
For her own sake.
The queen and king waited with dread on the highest perch of their castle. The rain poured violently, but giants waited not for it to pass, as two silhouettes could be seen from the distance, their steps so loud, it could be misheard as thunder.
Estelle walked up the stairs to her room to pick her luggage. The corridor shook as the giants approached. Her heart stopping at each step she took. The little princess did not know whether she was breathing. A part of her daydreamed about jumping through the window, being carried by the wind, flying to someplace safe, where she played and danced to the lyres of the court musicians, and a crown of flowers adorned her head.
A place where she knew peace.
She opened the door as it creaked and groaned under the movement. The fireplace crackled and illuminated her dark bedroom. Only her numb footsteps could be heard over the wooden ground. She glanced at the window with empty eyes as the rain scurried through it, the moonlight illuminating her luggage, as if telling her there was nowhere else to go to.
She hunched over to pick her belongings.
And a shadow covered the lit-up spot.
She widened her eyes in realization. Her heartbeat pounding through her ribcage. She shivered, but not from the cold. She lifted her head up, and fell into her knees, a cry from help threatening to escape from her throat.
On the other side of the window, a giant eye peered attentively at her.
Estelle scrambled up, hurrying to the door as she heard the ground jolt and tremble, the window shaking at the sound, dust falling to the floor from the impact of a heavy object over the ceiling. The frightened girl rushed to the nearest servant by the castle grounds, who took her to where her parents were, high up on the balcony of their tallest tower. She rushed and opened the door to the porch, just in time of her departure.
And thus, her destiny was sealed.
Before the railing, standing higher than the towers, were the giant king and his son.
Compared to the imposing, broad figure of the king, his son, prince Alaric, looked feeble and fragile. Barely half as tall as his dad, his thin and dainty appearance contrasted that of the king. He wore a dark navy-blue suit and a robe over it to cover from the rain, black, straight locks of hair covering his forehead. His large, honey brown eyes stared curiously at the princess.
She held her breath. He was the one who looked at her from the window.
If prince Alaric was human like Estelle, she wondered if he would be an interesting suitor.
But towering over her palace, all she could think about was the shiver running down her spine or her heart threatening to escape from her chest.
The king spoke in a thunderous, deafening voice, loud enough to ring through hers and the human couple's ears.
"We came here upon request. Now, to the point. The princess."
The king stared at his son, who extend his hand towards the humans. They flinched at the approaching limb. A loud clank on the porch revealed the shape of a glass cage, big enough to hold the princess inside it.
The queen whimpered, holding tightly to Estelle's hand. The king gulped down the knot on his throat. Estelle's widened her eyes with dread, squeezing her mother's hand tighter.
That was it.
The king and queen gave their daughter the warmest embrace. Tears threatened to escape from her eyes.
She might never see them again.
Holding back her tears and picking up her luggage, Estelle stepped inside of the cage.
And the door was closed.
Under an instant, the giant prince lifted the cage away from Estelle's parents, and with a short curtsy both giants left, shaking the earth as they stepped away.
Away from the king and queen. Away with their daughter.
The queen crumbled and fell on her knees, not bothering that her dress was soaking from the wet floor. Not bothering if there was an umbrella over her head or not. She buried her face in her hands, and let out strangled, pained sobs. Her husband crouched down by her side and held her with shaky hands, tears cascading down his face and mixing with the rain.
Just like that, their only daughter was taken away forever from their grasp.
Estelle held her urge to vomit from the hard jostling and being thrown left and right by gravity. The giant prince carried the cage she was in by a handle on top of it, and each step made her stomach plummet and twist in pain. She could not even cry or think about her situation, for all that mattered to her at that point was not faint from the sudden and nauseating movements.
All was in vain, however, as during a rather harsh movement from her captor, she was tossed head-first to a corner, getting knocked out in the process.