the silent songbird by melanie dickerson

From what I can gather, Melanie uses a well-known fairy tale to dictate all the major plot points, places everything in a realistic historical setting, and factors in a love triangle with one wicked love interest and one good one. Though this is a very different story from Court of Swans, I can see why some people think Melanie Dickerson's books are too similar as both follow the same basic formula. Eva's situation becomes even more complicated when she witnesses someone attempting to murder Westley and rescues him from drowning in the moat (the only other reference to 'The Little Mermaid.') When she finally reveals the truth, no one knows if they should believe her after she had been lying to them for so long about being mute.

The more she gets to know Westley, the more Eva regrets lying to him, especially after it spurs the jealousy of Sabina, another maiden living in his family's castle. He and his loving parents tend to the blisters that appear on her soft hands, the hands of someone who has never done a day of work in her life, as they begin to suspect she may not be who she says she is. Eva attempts to do work for the family of a kind-hearted nobleman named Westley, who shows great concern over her struggles to perform the labors of a servant. Most of the similarities to 'The Little Mermaid' end here. She is followed by her companion, Muriel, who helps disguise Eva's beautiful voice by telling people she is mute, securing them both jobs as servants in a nearby castle. When the king refuses to listen to reason, Eva decides to run away. The only problem is that Eva can't stand Lord Shively, especially after hearing rumors of his violent temper and the mysterious circumstances of his first wife's death.

One day, the king is propositioned by a lord for Eva's hand in marriage and believes this is the perfect opportunity for her to live out the noble life she deserves.

She spends most of her days in a tower singing to the birds in her beautiful and renowned voice, occasionally being waited upon by friendly servants. She must be treated like the royalty she was born into, but the circumstances of her birth prevent her from becoming the heir to any throne. Because of this, her cousin, the king, is not quite sure what to do with her.

Evangeline has royal blood flowing through her veins despite her illegitimate birth.

The silent songbird by melanie dickerson