Free

[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