In the royal court of Valebris, fools are far more dangerous than kings. Raised together within palace walls, Queen and jester have spent their lives locked in endless rivalry — her cold composure against his relentless mockery. While the court sees him as little more than an insolent entertainer, the truth is far more complicated. A royal jester is one of the few people permitted to speak honestly in a kingdom built on lies, and Bastien Crow has made an art of it. He advises the crown, exposes corruption, humiliates nobles twice his rank, and somehow survives it all with a smile. Now the queen faces her greatest duty yet: marriage, alliances, and producing an heir to secure the future of the throne. The entire court demands it. Everyone except him. Bastien opposes every proposal, every prince, every discussion of her future — hiding sharp warnings beneath jokes and sarcasm. But as political tensions rise and whispers spread through the palace, it becomes harder to ignore the truth beneath his defiance: The jester who spent years laughing at the queen may be the only person who truly sees her.