The Court Jester

"The Court Jester" by Cornelia Baker is a historical story set in the late 1400s. It follows Le Glorieux, a jester, as he deals with the royal court's tricky situations after Duke Charles the Bold dies. The story is mostly about political games involving the young Duchess Anne of Brittany and her ties to other countries, especially Lady Marguerite of Hapsburg. The story begins showing the jester being funny with the complaining duchess, wanting to lighten the mood. He gets happy when he finds out he is going to Brittany with Lady Clotilde, hoping for a change from his boring life. The story quickly shows a tense atmosphere because of royal politics with characters like Antoine, and Marguerite hinting at stories of loyalty, lies, and trying to stay safe during changing alliances and upcoming fights. The jester's funny jokes are very different from the serious issues of political power, making for a story that's both funny and historically interesting.