The House of Silverswann has long avoided the Choosing of Queens, but this time, there is no escape for Alianna Silverswann. Forced to compete for a crown she does not want, Alianna starts down a twisted, manipulative path, a path the White Queen’s set for her specifically. Her skill and quick thinking might outwit her fellow peers, but it won’t be enough to trick the Queen. To get out of this ceremony alive, Alianna would have to make the right friends, both within and out of the Court. But the Queen has eyes everywhere, and time is running short. If Alianna doesn’t eliminate herself from the ceremony by the twelfth moon, she will be crowned Queen– the title that comes with the steepest of prices: madness.
Chapter 1
Alianna woke this morning expecting a light snowfall, a regular game of Royal
Chess with her brother, and then a breakfast with her mother to determine what their
schedule for today would be like.
What she didn’t expect was a wax-sealed letter from her majesty, her brother
being drafted to become a pawn, and bland porridge for breakfast.
Her morning routine was simple. Wake up, dress, library, then dining hall, all
while leaning on her silver-white cane for support. Unfortunately, this day left Alianna
little to no time for a pleasant bath in the morning because just seconds after she slid off
the bed, someone stormed into her room. Without even knocking.
“Alianna, out of bed, now!” Her mother clapped twice as she marched onto the
carpeted floor, three maids following close behind her, each carrying a big wooden box
wrapped in identical silver, silk bows.
Alianna blinked the sleep out of her eyes as she tried to process what her mother had
just said “I’m already up, mother.” She covered her mouth to yawn, but her mother
snatched her wrist and dragged her towards the wardrobe.
“This is no time to be silly, Alianna.” Grand Duchess Ciana Silverswann shoved her
daughter in front of the mirror. “Ladies, dress her.”
Alianna groaned in protest as her mother took her cane, forcing her to shift her weight
onto her left foot. “Mother, what is going on?” she muttered as the maids lifted her arms
and started piecing whatever outfit her mother chose over a tight-fitting bodice.
She heard her mother sigh, and Alianna tilted her head to look at her curiously. In
Alianna’s eighteen years of life, her mother had never sighed once. Not ever. She was
the Grand Duchess of Silverward, and a great ally of the queen. Her reputation and
image meant everything to her; not all the stress in the world, not even the fall of the
Ivory kingdom, could make her lose her composure once.
Yet she sunk down into Alianna’s reading chair and rubbed her temples wearily.
It was then that Alianna spotted the letter in her mother’s slender, gloved hand. A letter
with a broken seal.
“Mother, what is that?” She could only assume the letter was the source of her
mother’s distress this morning.
Lady Silverswann opened her eyes, normally sky blue but now darkened with
worry, “I should’ve told you of this a long time ago,” she said as she pursed her glossed
lips and rested her chin on her palm, “but first, you must get dressed.” She stood up and
smoothed her gown, any signs of worry disappearing from her chiseled face with a calm
smile – the smile that comforted Alianna more times than she could count.
Strange that it didn’t this time.
Alianna turned back to the mirror as the maids finished up the last of her gown. It
was white and silver, the colors of their kingdom, and the gown itself reminded her of a
wedding dress. The white and diamond-adorned neckline almost blended with Alianna’s
alabaster-white skin, and the waistline sparkled with pearls and lace. The gown was soft
enough to be freshly fallen snow, and the silk rustled like leaves in the wind as Alianna
ran her fair, slender fingers through the folds. It was surprisingly light, like a gown of
frost and stars.
She blinked out of her trance when Lady Silverswann snapped her fingers. The
maids curtsied hurriedly before leaving the room in a single file line.
Alianna turned to face her mother, limping on her left foot as she did. Her life-
long injury was not helping her look graceful at all, but – for once – her mother didn’t say
a single word. Instead, she pulled off her white glove, reached out, and stroked a finger
down Alianna’s cheek. Her smile was warm like the winter sun, and her eyes lit up like
aquamarines.
“There, now, my little swan,” she murmured and looked up and down at her
daughter, “you’re all grown up.”
As much as she appreciated her mother’s words, Alianna frowned. “You still haven’t
given me a reason to drag me out of bed, force me into this wedding dress of a gown,
and say that as if I knew what you were talking about.”
Her mother didn’t say anything. Instead, she walked over to one of the wooden
boxes the maids brought in and pulled out another smaller box. This one was made of
glass, and on the sapphire blue cushion inside was a beautiful set of jewelry: a pair of
teardrop diamond earrings, a crystal pendant of a swan hanging by a thin silver chain,
and a ring crowned with a single, cream-colored pearl.
“These would go perfectly with your gown, little swan.” Her mother lifted the glass box
as if it was a crown and turned around. “I wore these to my Elestriel ceremony, and
now, you will too.” She set down the box and opened the lid before taking out the
necklace slowly. The crystal swan, their family insignia, gleamed under the streams of
sunlight coming in from her window and refracted all the colors of the rainbow across
her room.
“Turn.” Her mother held up the pendant and opened the clasp.
Alianna blinked and did as she was told, shivering when the cold, heavy crystal
touched her bare chest.
“Now, earrings.” The Grand Duchess came back with the pair of earrings and
clipped them on with ease. When Alianna reached up to touch the diamond teardrops,
she felt her mother’s quick, light slap on her hand. “Don’t touch them,” she said in a
rather stern voice. “It’s bad luck.”
“Bad luck?” Alianna had enough. She spun around, her gown barely avoiding being
caught in the intricate carvings of her wardrobe frame, and put both hands on her hips
defiantly. “Mother, what is going on? What is this Elestriel ceremony you’re talking
about?”
The Grand Duchess straightened and rested one gloved hand upon the other. Her blue
eyes remained calm and unchanged. “It is not something young ladies like you should
concern yourself with,” Alianna opened her mouth to interject, but her mother raised a
hand to stop her. “However, most of us never had a choice, and it pains me to say this,
my little swan, but you don’t have a choice in the matter either.”
“You’re not answering my question—”
Her mother slammed the cane down once on the wooden floor, and Alianna jumped at
the sudden act. What has gotten into her? She kept her mouth shut and gaze low.
“You must learn to be patient, Alianna Silverswann,” the Grand Duchess said in a voice
so firm she almost made Alianna flinch. “Making rash decisions cannot be an option
anymore. This is the Elestriel ceremony, better known as the Choosing of Queens.”
Alianna wasn’t sure she heard her right, and the Grand Duchess noticed her
confusion right away. Her grip on Alianna’s silver cane loosened and her shoulders fell.
“Yes, you heard me right. The Choosing of Queens.” Her voice softened to a low
murmur.
“Choosing of Queens?” Alianna tilted her head, and an earring grazed her bare
shoulder.
“It’s exactly how it sounds, Alianna,” her mother admitted. “Her majesty is coming
to the age where she can no longer fight.”
“But that’s impossible!” Alianna took a step forward and almost stumbled onto her
knees. “The queen is immortal, isn’t she? She’ll always be at the front lines to fight
Ebony!”
“I don’t know where you got the silly idea that her majesty’s immortal,” her mother shook
her head, “but, if I am to be honest, I don’t blame you. Her majesty has been ruling Ivory
for quite some time now.” Her mother took a deep breath and continued in a strained
voice. “Regardless, the queen is not immortal, Alianna. She is mortal, just like us, and
she’s dying.”
“Dying?” Alianna repeated, “but—”
“I already told you, Alianna, the queen is not immortal nor is she invincible. The whole
purpose of the Elestriel ceremony is to choose a new queen,” her mother’s eyes
darkened as she said this, “and the position of queen is not something you should wish
for. Ever.”
Alianna didn’t need to ask why. Every queen – or, at least, every Ivory queen –
holds a power that no one in the land can possess. Aside from sharpened wit and
combat prowess, the queen also holds ultimate power over decision making within
Ivory’s borders. So, contrary to what most people might believe about kings, the queen
is the one who actually controls the land, and without her, Ivory would fall easily to their
opposing kingdom, Ebony.
But, like all great powers, a queen’s word comes at a steep price. Most queens
that went down in Ivory history became ruthless and cunning as a result of the countless
battles they’d fought until there was nothing in their hearts but misplaced ambition and
pure madness.
At least, that was what her mother told her. What her mother hadn’t told her was the fact
that the queen could die of old age as well. Alianna grew up around stories that said the
queen was invincible and immortal, so naturally she believed the same. It never
occurred to her that they might’ve said that just to reassure her, and she felt rather silly
to have been chided by her mother for believing something so stupid.
“So, her majesty has no heirs?” Alianna asked, fidgeting with the folds of her
gown uncertainly. She still felt out of place in such an outfit.
“It wouldn’t matter if she had one or a hundred heirs.” Lady Silverswann shook her
head, the brown curls tucked behind her ear swung back and forth. “They hold the
Elestriel ceremony to give every family in Ivory a chance to prove themselves… and
they choose a new queen to prevent corruption in the royal line.”
“But why would any family want to prove themselves if they know what might
become of their daughters?” She ran a thumb over her crystal pendant.
Her mother got closer and gripped her bare shoulders, “Because not all families
believe the same, Alianna.” She lowered her voice, as if entrusting her with some
ancient secret. “You know your friends? Kaelis and Mareal?”
Alianna nodded her head silently so she wouldn’t interrupt her mother.
“Their families do not share our beliefs,” Ciana’s hand went to her daughter’s snow-
white cheek, “and when the queen asks them why they want to become the next queen,
both girls will say that they want to serve Ivory and lead us to victory.” The Grand
Duchess stroked her thumb gently across Alianna’s face. “My little swan, I’ll say this
now so you won’t have to discover it on your own. There is no victory, Alianna. Ivory
and Ebony have been at war for as long as anyone can remember, and that isn’t going
to change. Not now, not ever.”
Alianna tried to process what her mother had just told her, but she barely had time to
blink because the Grand Duchess pulled away from her and took out the last piece of
jewelry resting on the sapphire cushion. “I say it’s bad luck to touch your earrings
because it’s… an old superstition of our family.” She slid the cold silver ring onto
Alianna’s pale, slender finger as she said this. “We believe that if we touch the earrings
before the Elestriel ceremony, her majesty would then choose a Silverswann to become
the next queen.”
“So, if I touch them, it increases my chance of being Chosen?” Alianna plunged
her fingers into the ruffles of her gown to keep them from reaching up to her ears.
Lady Silverswann pursed her lips. “That’s what we believe,” was all she said
before handing Alianna her silver cane. “Now, come out of that dress, little swan. Time
for breakfast.”
Now available on Amazon! Link down below!
Amazon.com: The White Queen: 9781622112210: Tai, Annabelle: Books
