When a peasant girl and her brother discover a leather pouch bearing the King’s seal in the woods, Pia and Enzio instinctively choose to hide it, guessing the contents must be important. Eventually the pouch brings them to the Castle Corona, where they take on the post of King’s Tasters and their lives become intertwined with those of the royal family. Pia, Enzio, the King, the Queen, and their three children, along with two wise hermits and a storytelling Wordsmith, weave a magical fable of forgotten promises, hidden identity, and unfulfilling lives on the brink of positive change. Breaking down boundaries between social classes benefits both royalty and commoner in this satisfying, often humorous tale. Deckled pages, illuminated letters, and occasional full-color illustrations lend this new book the air of a vintage volume. (Ages 9–12)