Final Idea: Mark One...

Beginning (Act One):

The idea I've decided on is having the Chef as the lead, being forced to work in the bowels of the castle for his evil employers, the King and Queen.  While leaving work halfway through the night he hears a faint sigh.  Looking up he spots the princess up high, in the tallest tower, looking longingly into the night sky.  He's immediately taken aback by her beauty and tries to grab her attention. She's startled but greets him with a gentle smile.  He tries to shout to her but she quickly quiets him. He tries a questioning gesture to her and she disappears into her room.  He waits a moment, hearing a rustling from inside. The Princess appears again with a piece of paper on a string. She lowers it, slowly, to the Chef below, he plucks it from the air and reads the message within it.  She's being held hostage by her evil Step-mother and indifferent father, and she has no choice but to spend her days in the tower until they can marry her off to some prince,  Moved by her story, the chef wants to comfort her but how can he reach her without waking the King and Queen? He gestures to her to wait for him and he runs off, back into the castle.  He then appears again now with a balloon of all things.  He takes the notepad he keeps in his pocket and writes a letter back to her and attaches it to the balloon.  He releases it and to the Princesses joy it floats up to her, a bright symbol of hope against the dark of night.  She reads his note and smiles delightedly. They look at each other for a moment, and then, as time slowly twinkles past, the princess yawns quietly, and waves affectionately to the Chef below. As he waves to her she turns away solemnly and he watches as she disappears into her dark and lonely tower.  He's decided. He will do any and all things he can to make her happy and free her from her prison, no matter what it takes.

Middle (Act Two):

The next morning he returns to work. This time with a new speed and passion, making more than just the usual 5 bird roast. The King and Queen are pleased with his performance but he doesn't care, he knows why he's cooking.  At the end of his work day, when everyone else is in bed he takes the luxurious dinner and desserts he prepared earlier from its hiding place in one of the cupboards, places them delicately in a wicker basket and sneaks out into the courtyard..  With a loud 'Psst!' the Princess approaches her window greeting him with beautiful smile. He places the basket below the tower and then scurries off again, returning this time with 10 balloons.  He ties them securely to the basket and then gently guides it upwards and watches as it floats, a little clumsily, towards the window and into the arms of the princess.  She opens it and giggles with glee at the gorgeous feast he's prepared for her.  She looks at him lovingly then, with a flash of sudden realisation scurries inside the tower.  She returns with what appears to be a lace handkerchief .  She cuts one of the balloons from the basket and attaches the handkerchief.  As she lets it go it elegantly drifts down towards the chef.  He takes the balloon, a little surprised that the handkerchief could weight the balloon down and unties it.  He opens up the handkerchief to find a little spool of golden cotton, used to weigh down the balloon, and an elegantly embroidered balloon.  He looks up smiling to see the Princess looking to the stars with a look of such sadness that he feels his heart drop a little inside his chest.  She looks back at him with glittering tears in her eyes and smiling fondly, she waves farewell, stepping back into the darkness.  He turns away, a little more solemn than before and as he walks away, one of the balloons dances in the wind in front of him and drifts off gently into the evening.  Something clicks and in his mind he knows what he needs to do.

End (Act Three):

This morning, as he cooks for the King and Queen, he adds a little something special to their evening meal.  After it is served he waits a while and then sneaks a peak at the now sleeping royalty. It is time.  He rushes out into the courtyard, zigzagging from one place to another, every time with more balloons than before.  The Princess sits quietly in her room sewing until she hears a strange cough from her window. She turns and to her surprise the chef is floating just outside, although he's gripping the windowsill rather tightly.  She runs over to him but realises she needs to grab some things before she leaves. As she starts to grab at needles and thread, scarves and shawls they here a raucous from inside the tower.  The King and Queen have woken up and are trying to get to the Princess!  The chef calls to her and she runs to him, just as her door bursts open she leaps out the window into his arms. They drop out of sight. There's a pause and then they drift up, gaining height and soon they're away.  They leave the King and Queen in the tower and fly away, almost elegantly, into the stars.

There are still plot holes and things that need to be tweaked. I'm not entirely sure whether he gets the balloons from the leftover decorations of a garden party or somewhere else. This is the general narrative I have though, it could be too long or not detailed enough but at least I know roughly where I'm going with it :D