The Royal Kennels - Camelot, Sunday Morning

[bigdamndestiny]

With Francine and Katchoo visiting, that meant that... showing Francine puppies. Because they were the girliest girls to ever girl when allowed to hang out.

"Arthur claims Brynn's no good at hunting, so he's using her to breed larger hounds," Merlin informed her sagely. While holding a wriggling puppy in his arms.

Big, badass wizard. Oh yeah. Live in fear.

[[For the one with him and anyone who might want to facepalm]]

Comments

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"I stopped when I was older!" A beat. "Unless I was cross and wanted something to eat."

[thatsamilkshake]

"You always want something to eat!" Not that she could talk.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Not always!" Like when he cooked for himself.

[thatsamilkshake]

Francine nodded. "True. Sometimes you're asleep."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Ha ha. It's not my fault I'm still growing."

[thatsamilkshake]

"Hey, I'm not complaining." No, what she was doing currently was kissing a puppy on the nose and getting slobber up her own for her trouble. "Euufph! Well, maybe about that." Francine wiped at her face.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Merlin just grinned. "Have you found your way to the kitchens yet?"

[thatsamilkshake]

"Maaaaaaaaybe. Not that they'll let me really cook yet, but at least they're trusting me with chopping things up and throwing them in the stew. That's progress, right?"

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"For the cooks? Yes."

[thatsamilkshake]

"Someday. Someday I will bake them strawberry cake, and then they'll see!"

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"It might confuse them if you used those baking... powders to make it lighter," Merlin pointed out.

[thatsamilkshake]

"I'll just tell them it's--" Magic? Yeahno. Ahem. "No, on second thought, I won't tell them that. I'll, um. Secret herbs and spices from the east?"

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"That might work!" A beat. "Or we could keep it all to ourselves."

[thatsamilkshake]

"But that'd be mean! Everybody should get cake!"

That was sort of a fundamental tenet for Francine's existence, in fact.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Not if they might think it's magic!" AND CAKE. CAAAAAKE.

[thatsamilkshake]

Francine frowned. "I could try it without the baking powder?" She could probably still make something like strawberry shortcake that way...

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

That held merit...

"You could ask how they normally make them."

[thatsamilkshake]

"You think they'd actually tell me, or is it like a state secret?"

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"It wouldn't hurt to ask." It wouldn't hurt him.

[thatsamilkshake]

"Easy for you to say. They like you! Every time I'm in there somebody says, 'Oh, you're Merlin's friend, aren't you? Are you going to see him? Take him some grapes. That boy's all skin and bones.'"

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Well, he made sad eyes at them a lot. It worked well.

"They like you too! They won't even let Arthur in the kitchens and he's the crown prince."

[thatsamilkshake]

Francine snickered. "Arthur's ever been near the kitchens?"

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Merlin grinned and nodded. "He won't admit it because they kicked him out."

[thatsamilkshake]

"I bet that's a state secret." Francine picked up the puppy currently wriggling on her lap and peered into its face. "Shhhh. Tell no one!"

"Rff!" That was... probably not a yes.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Not it would be a secret if they didn't allow the king in there."