[ROYAL SCHEDULER, spoken]
Oh, we're late, late, late
We have twenty, maximum twenty-two minutes for your royal fitting
And then it's move, move, move to your speech at the Historical Society
After that, we have to rush, and I mean rush, to the Horticultural Society Tea
And then there's your math lessons, your geography lessons, your science lessons...
[ANNELIESE]
All my life I've always wanted
To have one day just for me
Nothing to do, and for once, nowhere I need to be
With no lessons, lords or lunches
Or "To Do" list in the way
No one to say when to eat or read or leave or stay
That would be the day
[ERIKA]
All my life I've always wanted
To have one day for myself
Not waking up with a pile of work on every shelf
With no hems in need of pressing
And no sleeves in disarray
No wedding gown with a thousand stitches to crochet
And no debt to pay
[BERTIE, spoken]
Madame Carp!
[MADAME CARP, spoken]
What do you think I'm running here? A cabaret?
[ERIKA, spoken]
I would've said a debtor's prison
[MADAME CARP, spoken]
Keep laughing, you'll be working for me for another thirty-seven years
[ERIKA, spoken]
But I've already paid off more than half!
[MADAME CARP, spoken]
But there's an interest, isn't there?
Your parents should have thought of that before they borrowed so much
[ERIKA, spoken]
They did it to feed me!
[MADAME CARP, spoken]
Their mistake
[ERIKA]
What would it be like to be
[ANNELIESE]
What would it be like to be free?
[ERIKA]
Free?
[ANNELIESE]
Free to try crazy things
[ERIKA]
Free from endless IOUs
[ANNELIESE]
Free to fly
[ERIKA]
Free to sing
[ANNELIESE]
And marry whom I choose
[QUEEN GENEVIEVE, spoken]
I'm so sorry, my darling
But as you know, it is vital you marry King Dominick
It is the only way to take care of our people
[ANNELIESE, spoken]
I know, it's my duty
[QUEEN GENEVIEVE, spoken]
Oh, and look, another engagement gift
[ANNELIESE]
You would think that I'm so lucky
That I have so many things
I'm realizing that every present comes with strings
[ERIKA]
Though I know I have so little
My determination's strong
People will gather around the world to hear my song
[BERTIE]
Can I come along?
[ANNELIESE]
Now I fear I'll never be
[ERIKA]
Soon, I will forever be
[ANNELIESE & ERIKA]
Free
I close my eyes and feel myself fly
A thousand miles away
I could take flight, but would it be right?
My conscience tells me, "Stay"
[ANNELIESE]
I'll remain forever royal
[ERIKA]
I'll repay my parents' debt
[ANNELIESE & ERIKA]
Duty means doing the things your heart may well regret
[ANNELIESE]
But I'll never stop believing
[ERIKA]
She can never stop my schemes
[ANNELIESE & ERIKA]
There's more to living than gloves and gowns and threads and seams
In my dreams, I'll be free