King's Kou: Do not awaken the knight in the beast

Chapter 22: A little bit of Kairon

 "Kou?"

There was a heavy feeling on Kou's shoulder. It was like carrying a medium-sized boulder. It wasn't the heaviest he carried; as a matter of fact, he could lift this all day even if he's asleep.

"Kou? Kou!" the king's paladin snapped out from his light submersion of slumber when his left cheek was firmly pulled by King Kairon's fingers. Kairon was staring at him with relief and amusement. He always had that gentle look on his face. Donned on him was an apron smeared with yesterday's tomato juice. He was wearing a commoner's clothes: a long black tunic which ends mid-thigh and loose-fitting trousers. The only thing royally made for him that he managed to carry along with him was his ankle boots with a blue gemstone in the middle, but even those were slightly tattered.

"Did you doze off while working again? I told you not to work too hard, didn't I?"

Kou adjusted the bundle of oak logs he cut down for the firewood. "My king, Kou isn't working too hard. Kou is just taking a power nap so Kou could work more."

Kairon couldn't help but chuckle in the midst of his sigh. "That equates to what I was saying of 'working too hard', Kou. Now, put those logs down for a bit and nap. I'll chop them."

Kou stepped back, moving the logs away from his reach as if he didn't want to share his toys. The real reason he didn't want Kairon to take them was because he didn't want his king to strain himself. Chopping logs was a very unkingly task to do.

"Kou will do it after Kou naps."

Kairon swayed his head. "That won't do. We'll share the household tasks, didn't I tell you that?"

It had been three years since Kairon's monarchy ended. No one knew he was alive. After El' Azar collapsed, Kou and him lived in a remote cabin. If they resided far away from humans, they'd also be distancing themselves from engaging with viels and vessels.

Of course living with a king and a knight with no one to rely on when it came to house tasks was downright chaotic and horrendous. The cabin was in a topsy-curvy situation for the first few months. Neither of them knew how to clean, cook, wash clothes, or build anything. Kairon merely had the knowledge to keep the economy stable and plan strategies for war but never had he held a frying pan. Frying an egg proved to be more complex than silencing the sizzling egg heads of nobles in the senate hall. With Kairon's angry look, the nobles and other officials would zip their mouths shut, but with that egg, no matter how much he would say: "Stop, this is an order!" the oil would splatter on him like lava.

Kou's beastly growls didn't subdue the egg's terror either. His "Stop in the name of the king" led to a burnt breakfast that left a bitter taste on every bite. Kou didn't show any disgusted expression. He was a knight. Sometimes he'd get to eat and sometimes he would go on days without having a meal. Napping was a good way of eliminating hunger. Kairon on the other hand, couldn't help but grimace from his own cooking. His respect for the royal chefs, maids, and other helpers grew immensely.

"I'll do better next time, Kou."

The knight looked up, seeing the determined look on Kairon's face. "I'll cook the best fried egg for you next time."

Kou smiled and then gobbled up the rest of his meal. "King Kairon cooks like a chef! Kou approves!"

Kairon laughed, ruffling his hair. "Liar."

El' Azar was left untouched by the new monarch. No person was valiant enough to venture inside. No one sent a search party to see if Kairon was still alive. If they did, Kou would be able to sense their smell. They immediately assumed he had fallen along with the capital and moved on to the next ruler.