Dearest King, Herewith The Story:

Sophia Sleeping All Alone

Karl went away and she had to
stay, she made a soft bed of moss
and ate berries and wild-fruit all
day, she bathed in clear mountain
streams and played with the deer and
the fawn, her clothes were in tatters
all falling to pieces when Karl returned
just in time to hear her say she must
find a job as kitchen-maid to earn
money to pay for a new dress, the
old one was almost gone…

Then, When Karl Returned:

Sophia is sleeping, Karl is watching her breathing
rhythmically, unaware of what’s she’s dreaming:

How they both go into the castle and investigate
the riddle of the King’s disappearance,
just for Sophia to discover – to her utmost surprise
and Karl’s utter dismay –

That Karl actually is the King in disguise!
Sophia is smiling and laughing in her sleep,
while Karl is calculating how to keep
his castle and kingdom up and running

While his beloved is working
as a kitchen maid undercover
in order to earn enough money
to buy a cheap dress – all because

She is a runaway princess
who left the Kingdom of her parents
in order to discover life for herself!