Tracy Anne Barlow

Medieval England under King William II Rufus. In a kingdom where secrets are currency and survival demands silence, Ancel the Jester navigates the treacherous corridors of power with bells on his sleeves and nothing but truth in his heart. When a silver casket vanishes from the King's chambers, Rufus commands his Fool to find it by noon-on pain of whipping. The hunt leads Ancel through castle kitchens, herbalist cottages, and the quiet spaces between courtly masks.
He discovers that Edmund, a nervous guard, hid something he shouldn't have. That letters exist which could unravel the King's reputation.