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"Absolutely not." Arthur says, crossing his arms as Merlin shows him a wriggling black and white bundle.
"But look at her little face! How can you say no to that?!" Merlin asks, holding up the puppy.
"I know she'll chew on everything!"
"She won't! She's a sweetheart, aren't you girl?" Merlin asks, snuggling the puppy.
Arthur has to look away, so his resolve isn't threatened.
"Where did you even find her?"
"The mean old cook was shooing her out of the kitchens. But I got her something, and she's not going to have to go to the kitchens ever again, are you?"
Arthur watches in dismay as Merlin talks to the puppy in a baby voice, knowing he's not going to get out of this, Merlin's already too attached.
"Besides, I thought you like dogs?" Merlin asks, not taking his attention away from the dog, and that's where the real problem lies.
Arthur doesn't really like sharing Merlin's attentions.
"I do, if they're hunting dogs!"
"You could be a big ferocious hunting dog, couldn't you?" Merlin demonstrates by setting her down and letting her chase magically conjured lights.
"You'll baby her too much for her to become anything other than a lap dog!"
"And what's wrong with that? You're not much else!"
"I'm the King!"
"She could be too!"
"Merlin, a dog cannot be king."
"Be better than your father was." Merlin says to himself, thankful Arthur is paying more attention to the dog still running around.
"Have you named her already?" Arthur asks.
"Of course. Her name is Flower, because she was covered in flour when I found her, and I'm going to make the little princess a flower crown. Why?"
"Because if you hadn't, then maybe we could give her away."
"Why would you give away our child?!" Merlin asks dramatically, scooping the puppy up and holding her close.
"She's not our child!"
"Not with that attitude, she isn't. Here, just look her in the face and try to tell me you don't want to love her forever." Merlin challenges, holding the puppy out to Arthur.
Arthur huffs, but he's never been able to deny Merlin anything.
So he takes the puppy.
And is quickly taken in as she looks at him with big eyes and gently licks his nose.
"I'll kill anyone who tries to hurt her." He says seriously, pulling her closer.
"That's what I thought." Merlin says, wrapping his arms around the pair and kissing both their heads.
"Now we have something to tell the council when they're feeling bothersome about heirs."
"Maybe we should have two, just in case?"
"She might not want to share us." Arthur says, which means he doesn't want to share either.
From now on, they only share everything with one little princess, with her following them everywhere to the point that the people of Camelot have taken to calling her Princess Flower whenever they see her, and some servants will laughingly bow to " Her Royal Majesty" as they pet her on their way by.
And she does manage to be pretty ferocious when someone is threatening her dads, as an unassuming bandit finds out.