When the roaring finally eased a bit, music burst out again and the King and Queen began to walk off the platform and head down the aisle once more. Behind them Tanlir and Feral followed, the rest of the brothers then the council directly after. The group headed for another room where they took their places once more on another platform where photographers began a thirty minute photo session. As soon as they were done, a short press conference was held.
Once that was over, the family stepped back out into the hall and made their way up the stairs to a special balcony where the inhabitants of the Kingdom would be allowed to see the new Consort. Accompanying him was Tanlir, his brothers, and the King and Queen. Feral was required to wave to all the people who were cheering below him while standing close to Tanlir who had his arm around his mate and was waving with his other arm.
After twenty minutes, they were allowed to finally come back inside. They dispersed to change their clothes for the banquet.
In their room, Dr. Taglion quickly had Feral sit down after his heavy robes had been removed and before he was dressed for dinner.
Feral felt shaky as he gratefully sat down on a padded chair. He was ashamed to say he wanted very much to lie down.
Dr. Taglion frowned in concern as he took Feral's blood pressure. Shaking his head, he said, "I don't like these readings. They are much too low." Turning to his bag, he instructed over his shoulder, "Take him to the bedroom and have him lie down on the bed, raise his legs.
Concern and worry flashed across the faces of those present. Two servants quickly came to the Consort's side. Tanlir gently pulled his beloved to his feet and was dismayed when Ulysses swayed suddenly. The two servants quickly stood on either side of the dark tom and wrapped an arm around his waist. They slowly walked the unsteady Kat to the bedroom. Other servants ran ahead of them to prepare the bed and get the pillows in position as the doctor had ordered.
Once they entered the bedroom, Feral was held standing in place long enough for the servants to quickly remove more of his clothing, leaving him in his underwear. He was helped to lie down and his feet placed over the piled pillows. By the time they were through settling him, Feral's face was very pale and he was breathing rather hard.
Tanlir sat down next to his mate and caressed his forehead worriedly. Dr. Taglion hurried up to Feral's other side and efficiently began to draw a small amount of blood from the dark tom's arm. Using a special test kit, he checked Feral's blood count.
"This is not good. Your blood production has fallen to an unacceptable and dangerous level. You'll need a transfusion." He said in concern. He took a blood plasma bag from his medical kit and prepared the tom's arm for an IV. Expertly, he had the IV inserted and the plasma going within moments. He directed a servant to hold the bag up to chest height.
Tanlir turned away from Ulysses to search for his head chamber servant. "Jason, go to my father and tell him Ulysses is ill and must rest before joining them for the banquet." He instructed.
"Yes, your highness." Jason said with a bow and quickly left on his errand.
Arriving at the busy royal apartment, he had to wait until he could gain the attention of the King's head servant, Byron. Seeing the Prince's servant here instead of with the Prince getting him ready and having a very worried look on his face made Byron hurry over and pull Jason to a quiet corner to talk.
"Why are you here?" He hissed urgently.
Jason quickly told him. Byron paled, this was bad news. He gestured Jason to follow him. The King was in his dressing area staring off in space, his mind preoccupied while his servants removed his heavy ceremonial clothing. He was wearing only his undershirt and pants at the moment.
"Your majesty!" Byron called, his voice tight with concern.
The King blinked his attention back to the room and eyed his servant in the mirror. He frowned when he saw the look on Byron's face. He turned around and raised an inquiring eyebrow.
"You majesty!" Byron repeated. "Prince Tanlir's servant, Jason has troubling news about his highness Ulysses." He said quickly.
"What is it? What's happened to Ulysses?" The King demanded in concern.
Jason stepped forward and knelt before the King. "The Consort's blood pressure has dropped and Dr. Taglion was beginning a transfusion when I left to bring you Prince Tanlir's message that his highness Ulysses would be late attending the banquet." Jason explained quickly
"Good lord! That's terrible. Give me my robe!" He ordered. A servant quickly fetched it and helped the King put it on. Roender rushed through his apartment and made his way to his son's rooms, Jason hot on his heels.
Bursting in, he made his way to the bedroom and was appalled to see Ulysses on his back, looking pale, his legs raised on pillows, a servant holding a bag of plasma that was nearly empty.
He moved to the foot of the bed and stood in concern. "Tanlir, how is he?" He asked in a soft voice.
"Father! You didn't have to hurry here." Tanlir exclaimed softly.
"He'll be alright, your Majesty." Dr. Taglion interrupted. "It was all the heavy clothing and the tension. He just needs to rest for a couple of hours and since the banquet is sitting, he will be able to attend when he's feeling better." He reassured everyone.
"Oh the banquet be damned! All that matters is he's going to be okay. If he needs to rest longer than he shall. We can go ahead and if he feels up to it then he can attend. I do not want his health risked simply for a fancy dinner." The King said brushing off what was an important dinner as if it were simply a casual affair.
"Thank you, Father but I think Ulysses will want to attend..." Tanlir began to say when he was interrupted.
"I'm sorry for causing a disruption in the proceedings, your Majesty." Feral said thickly, feeling soo embarrassed.
"Nonsense. It's not your fault my son. Rest. Your kitten and your health are all that's important to us. You did very well during the most important part of this day. Don't fret so about the rest. We'll see you when we see you." The King said, gently patting the foot near him in reassurance.
"Thank you for your understanding, sir." Feral said softly.
The King merely smiled then took his leave so that he could continue to get ready. He needed to tell his Queen before she found out and got upset.
"Crud! I feel soo embarrassed." Feral murmured in annoyance.
"My love, you simply must accept that sometimes this is going to happen and that it is only for a few months more." Tanlir chided him gently.
"Prince Tanlir is correct, Commander. It's not as bad as it could have been and really that was a lot you had to manage. I'm surprised you didn't collapse sooner. Just rest, you'll be fine, I'm very pleased to say." Dr. Taglion said in relief.
"If you say so. I still feel a bit shaky." Feral sighed and settled into the pillows.
"Rest love." Tanlir ordered, leaning forward and giving him a kiss on the forehead. Everyone left him to rest except for a servant who stayed at his side to keep watch.
The King was visibly shaken when he hurried back to his apartments. He swept into his dressing room and his servants hurriedly put his dining wear on. When he was properly attired he made for his wife's dressing room but found her coming his way already and not quite finished preparing as the trail of anxious maids attested.
"Geoffrey, I heard a terrible rumor..." She began, her face upset.
"It's alright, my love, I've just come from Tanlir's room. Ulysses had a drop in blood pressure and received a transfusion. He is resting now. He's a bit pale but Dr. Taglion assures me he will be fine. Ulysses wants to attend but I told him not to push it. We'll offer his apologizes and hope that he might be well enough to sit with us later." He said taking her paws in his to soothe her.
"Oh, thank goodness. Poor Ulysses, this is soo hard on him." Regina said, shaking her head and heading back to her dressing room, much to her maids relief. Roender followed so that they might continue to talk.
"I know, my dear. I can't begin to imagine how he must feel having his strength sapped that way." He said.
She clucked her tongue. "Well, dear, males were never meant to bear kittens. He's doing something truly extraordinary." She said as her clothes were settled on her frame and the last touches were being applied.
"You can say that again!" Roender said, still amazed by it all.
Soon the royal pair was ready and made their way down the staircase and to the banquet room. The guests stood as soon as the royal Seneschal announced them. They swept into the room and took their seats. Three seats were conspicuously empty when everyone reseated themselves. The King called for everyone's attention by gently tapping his wine glass with a knife, causing the room to fall silent.
"Greetings to all our honored guests. I'm glad you all could attend our feast in honor of my son's lifemating and the investiture of the new Consort. I'm sorry to tell you that my new son-in-law, Duke Ulysses has taken ill. His pregnancy takes a heavy toll on him and he has been ordered to rest. We hope that he will recover enough to join us later. For now, please don't let this momentary setback ruin the celebration of this happy occasion. My staff has prepared a wonderful repast for us so let's enjoy it and the evening of dancing that will come later." He said with a smile.
Excited conversation burst out everywhere, especially in one section. The King and Queen had invited and flown here for the ceremony, Ulysses' family, friends and associates. They were concerned about Feral's well being. Before one of them got up to see if they could find out more, Prince Tanlir entered the room and headed for them.
Standing over the group, he smiled warmly. "I'm sorry Ulysses is missing the surprise but I promise he will be feeling better soon and will be here in a few hours." He promised them.
"What happened exactly, your highness?" One of the guests asked.
"Ulysses' blood pressure took a dive from a combination of the heavy robes and the tension of the ceremony. Dr. Taglion gave him some plasma and he's resting quietly." Tanlir answered politely.
"That's a relief." Another sighed.
"Yes it is, now please, enjoy the meal. I'll be sure to save some of the best stuff for my love for later." He said with a grin. Then he took his seat and began to eat and talk with his new relatives.
In his room, Feral had succumbed to exhaustion and slept. He woke some hours later and tried to get up. The servant watching him, quietly urged him to stay put while he got the doctor. Sighing in resignation, Feral agreed.
Some ten minutes later, Dr. Taglion arrived. "Well, you look better. How do you feel?" He asked while taking Feral's blood pressure and checking his pulse.
"Definitely better." Feral said truthfully.
"Excellent and your blood pressure says you're right. I'll let the servants get you dressed. You are in time for the end of the main course so you haven't missed too much. I'll wait for you to get ready." He said warmly.
Feral got up slowly and the servants helped him shower and dress. In about twenty minutes, he was ready to go. When he went out to the living room, he found Dr. Taglion and Tanlir waiting for him.
"Ahh, the color is back in your face, my love. I'm so relieved. Shall we go?" He asked taking his mate's arm in his and escorting him out the door. Dr. Taglion followed behind.
As they entered the banquet hall, the Seneschal called for silence and announced their arrival. Everyone cheered as the new Duke stepped into the room. Feral felt his face heat in embarrassment as Tanlir escorted him to their seats. He was taken by surprise by the sight of familiar faces. His family, friends and associates quickly stood and hugged or shook his paw. After a flurry of greetings, they urged him to sit and they returned to their own seats.
The King called from the head table, causing everyone to go silent again.
"Ulysses, it pleases me to see you looking so much better. Welcome! As you can see we had a surprise for you. The Queen and I had your family and friends brought for this very important occasion. Tanlir has saved a plate for you so please relax and enjoy. Don't overdo!" He said with mock severity, smiling warmly at him.
"I will your majesty and thank you both for this." Feral said, smiling, amazed and pleased they had done such a wonderful thing for him.
The King waved off his thanks with a grin and turned his attention back to his Queen.
His family hadn't seen much of him when he was home so this was an extra treat for them to be able to visit. Of his family, there were his brother, sister-in-law, Felina, his grandmother and five cousins. His associates represented were Ms. Briggs, Mayor Manx, and few old friends he knew on the force. Ms. Briggs brought him up to date on the doings of the city while Felina told him of the happenings at Enforcer Headquarters.
Keeping his promise, Feral remained seated for much of the night. Even when dinner was over and the whole group moved to the ballroom, he was placed near the King and Queen in a comfortable chair where he could be greeted by those that wanted to meet him and to watch the dancing that began shortly after they entered the room.
It was getting late when Feral chaffed at sitting so long. Tanlir smiled in understanding and took him for a short walk in the gardens under the moonlight. They kissed and held each other for a little while near the fountain at the center of the gardens. Returning to the ballroom they noted a waltz had begun and dancers were taking their partners to the floor.
"Do you feel up to dancing, my love?" Tanlir asked, his arm wrapped around his mate, his face close and intimate.
Feral nuzzled him warmly. "Yes, I'd love to dance." He said with a smile.
Grinning, Tanlir led his mate onto the floor and they began to dance. Before very long, people began to pull away from the couple, leaving them in a private circle of their own. Many eyes watched with envy and joy at the happy couple. Tanlir and Ulysses only had eyes for each other as they moved as one with the music. Photographers surreptitiously took pictures of the happy couple for use in the royal album and newspapers.
The long evening finally drew to a close. Everyone said goodnight and the royal family retreated up the stairs to their quarters, chattering happily about the evenings events.
Tanlir and Ulysses followed from the rear, wrapped in each other's arms and talking intimately as they made for their apartment.
The servants helped them undress then finally left the couple alone. Tanlir kissed his mate deeply then helped him into bed.
"I love you my wonderful Consort." He murmured lovingly as he spooned his mate from behind.
"I love you my Prince." Feral rumbled, rubbing his face against Tanlir's cheek. It had been an incredible day and despite his brief moment of illness, it didn't ruin the joy and amazement he felt about what had transpired. He was a duke and the consort of a prince. It would take a while before he could get used to his change in status.