The optimistic court jester Diederik and his half-sister Marie travel the country with a group of traveling artists, until a mysterious incident forces them to flee. The two seek refuge in the castle of the newly crowned Countess Isabella of Haspengouw, who is determined to "modernize" her county after her father's death. Diederik gets his first permanent job as a court jester. Marie becomes a chambermaid against her will, secretly dreaming of a position in the city guard. Together, they make frantic efforts to fit in within the community within the castle walls.