The King's Messenger by Carolyn Clare Givens, Stephen Hesselman

Smuggins stands every day ready and waiting in the King's courtroom in the King's castle. It's the center of all the kingdom, perched high in its city, rising from the plains around it. The King's people love him, but there are rumors of unrest at the edges of kingdom-North, East, West, and South. Some do not trust the King's goodness. In all of this, Smuggins knows one thing: as a King's Messenger, his most important task is to make the King's goodness known throughout the land.