A Royal Purr-suit

Previously

…Bartholomew, his limbs trembling, slowly lowered himself to the floor. Jasper was there instantly, offering a steadying paw. The court, slowly recovering from their shock, began to murmur, their gazes now filled with a newfound respect for the timid heir. The pampered house cat had faced the precipice and emerged not just alive, but transformed. The heir had proven himself a protector. The Cat Queen, in a way none had expected, had already begun to reign.