Alexandra picked up the pen, quietly glanced at the Crown Prince, and then quickly began to write on the paper:
[When the moonlight flows over the dome of the Winter Palace like a silver glaze,
I dip into the mist of the Neva River to blend an indigo tide—
If you ask why my colored pens always wander southwest,
It's because an unfinished painting in my dreams lies there.]
[Your amber eyes refract the morning dew of the Seine,
I disperse twelve colors of ripples on the canvas;
The trembling palette outlines the boundary of dawn and dusk,
Beautiful irises awaken on the silk...]
She wrote out the sonnet, revised countless times, in elegant Roman script, and then handed it to Joseph with anticipation: "Your Highness, since I can't bring anything into France, this is the only thing I could think of to give you."
Joseph softly recited the slightly awkward verses, a joyful smile appearing on his face. Who knew this little girl would have such sentiment...
