Chapter 212: Chapter 212 - Negotiations in Mengo 4
The morning of the third day dawned with a mist that clung to the ground, softening the palace walls and blurring the edges of the distant hills. The drums beat slow and deliberate, a rhythm that meant the day’s negotiations would be heavy.
Inside the Great Hall, the council gathered again. The Kabaka sat straight-backed, his lion-headed staff resting beside him, eyes sharp with the weight of decisions that would echo through generations.
He spoke without ceremony.
"Today, Buganda lays out its demands."
A single drumbeat followed his words.
Juma and Achieng bowed.
The Kabaka lifted his chin slightly.
"First. Nuri shall guarantee military support within an agreed number of days whenever Buganda requests it. Not in words and promises, but in soldiers, trained, disciplined, and ready."
The elders murmured their approval, some firm, others anxious.
Juma inhaled slowly. "We can meet this demand," he said, "as long as it is mutual. Buganda must also answer when Nuri calls. And this clause must never be used to target your allies, or ours."
A ripple of tension moved through the council.
A younger elder with narrow eyes leaned forward. "So you say Nuri can dictate when we defend ourselves?"
"No," Juma replied calmly. "We only say this alliance cannot be used for conquest."
Achieng stepped in. "Our troops will deploy only for defense, never to invade or dominate smaller kingdoms on your behalf. That goes against our ideals, and the foundation of Nuri’s existence."
The Kabaka tapped his thumb quietly against his knee. "That is reasonable."
But then he raised a different concern.
"What happens if a Nuri ally attacks Buganda?"
The hall tightened.
"Will Nuri abandon us," he asked, "and rush to the side of the more powerful kingdom? Or worse, will you stand against us to protect your trade?"
Juma bowed his head, acknowledging the weight of the question. "When two allies go to war, Nuri will intervene only in peaceful negotiation. We will not take sides. We will send no troops, not to you, not to them."
The scarred elder from the previous day gave a grunt of approval. "A wise stance," he said. "War between friends is not a place to sharpen spears."
Juma continued,
"We will offer food, shelter, and medical aid to the civilians of both nations until peace is restored. But nothing more. This applies to all kingdoms."
The Kabaka leaned back, thoughtful, then nodded.
"These terms are acceptable."
A drumbeat marked the agreement.
The Kabaka went on.
"Second. The number of freed men you bring into Buganda must be capped."
Elders lifted their heads, listening.
"For the first two years, no more than one hundred and fifty people: men, women, and children combined, shall enter. We must test how they integrate before opening the gates wider."
Juma and Achieng exchanged a subtle glance. This was expected.
The Kabaka continued, "They must follow our laws and respect our cultural practices. Buganda’s traditions cannot be diluted. We opened our hands to help, not to be reshaped."
An elder with braided grey hair added sharply, "We have lost many to the plague. Our hearts are still tender. We cannot allow instability."
Another said, "Some nations have been changed entirely by foreigners. We cannot risk losing ourselves."
Juma stepped forward. "Your concerns are real. But understand, many of these people have lost everything. Their culture may be the only thing they possess. Asking them to abandon it fully would be unjust."
A low hum of disagreement filled the room.
A stern elder with painted marks on his cheeks asked, "And how do we trust what we do not know? What if their customs clash with ours? What if their gods forbid loyalty to the Kabaka?"
Achieng answered before the tension could sharpen further. "Culture is meant to be shared, not erased. And no kingdom thrives by suppressing the identity of its people. If their practices break no laws, they should be allowed to keep them. You can teach them your ways and let them show theirs."
Another elder, this one a calm, heavyset man, stroked his beard. "But different beliefs can create factions. Conflicts. Clans divided."
Juma nodded respectfully. "Forcing sameness also breeds animosity. People rebel when stripped of their identity. But if they are welcomed, not reshaped, they become loyal. Because they choose to belong."
A younger councilor, thoughtful and reserved, spoke softly. "Perhaps teaching them our customs, rather than demanding it immediately, will earn their hearts faster."
The Kabaka’s eyes softened slightly. "Hmm. You make strong arguments."
He leaned forward, looking directly at Juma and Achieng.
"Very well. As long as they do not break our laws or attempt to undermine our traditions, they are free to keep their customs. If they embrace our culture, we will welcome them fully."
He paused, gaze sweeping his council.
"Buganda is not afraid of new people, but neither will we forget who we are."
An elder murmured, "A fair balance."
Another nodded, "Order without cruelty. Unity without force."
The Kabaka lifted his staff.
"The second demand is agreed upon, with amendments."
A drumbeat sealed it.
A hush falls over the hall when the Kabaka raises his hand, signaling the next matter.
"Buganda requests access to Nuri’s current and future trading networks," he says, leaning forward as if weighing every word. "You have told us of Abyssinia, the ports, the coastal routes... We agreed on the ports, yes, but what of the rest? Trade cannot exist halfway."
A low murmur ripples through the Buganda elders. Some nod in agreement; others exchange worried glances.
Juma steps forward, hands clasped behind his back. His voice is calm, but the weight behind his words carries across the room.
"Your Majesty, Elders... at the moment Abyssinia stands in a storm. They are fighting the Adal Sultanate and, behind it, the Ottoman Empire. Two forces powerful enough to destabilize entire regions. Our alliance, for now, is tilted heavily toward military aid. The war must be resolved before true development can resume."
He pauses, letting that sink in.
"Our ports are still contested. Supplies, weapons, food, tools, even healers, are stretched thin. Nuri cannot extend its trade network properly until stability returns. Most of the freed men stay in Abyssinia to grow the kingdom, the war has claimed hundreds of thousands, if not more."
One of Buganda’s younger councilors clicks his tongue. "So you are saying we should wait. Wait for a war we are not part of. Delay our own growth for conflicts far beyond our borders?"
Before Juma can answer, Achieng steps in, her voice firm but gentle.
"We understand the frustration. But trade routes must be reliable. A single disrupted port can collapse an entire market season. Right now, Abyssinia needs our help to stand on its feet again."
She softens her tone, almost reassuring.
"Once the ports are fully reclaimed and secured, Nuri and Abyssinia will open trade to Buganda. And with that comes access to foreign goods, metals, cloth, and medicines. It will be easier, because both Nuri and Abyssinia use a shared currency, the rates you get with us, will be the same there. Although our ports are secure, battles with pirates on the way here are unavoidable."
Another elder clears his throat, an older man with deep lines carved across his face.
"You mentioned about your currency and how to safely trade it, but how do we trust money that does not originate from our land? Why bind your wealth to another kingdom?"
The Kabaka nods thoughtfully. "Yes. Why share a currency at all?"
Juma takes a breath. "Abyssinia was our first international alliance. And we found each other in a moment of desperation. They were losing their ports, starving for allies, and their kingdom was on the brink. Introducing a shared currency was a way to stabilize both kingdoms quickly. Commerce, market prices, supply chains, it all becomes easier when the flow of trade is seamless."
Another Buganda elder leans forward, skeptical.
"So Nuri tied its wealth, its entire economic future, to a nation on its knees?"
A soft chuckle escapes Achieng, not mocking, but knowing.
"Not tied. Strengthened. Solari is backed by both economies. Nuri’s mines, Abyssinia’s trade networks, both supporting one currency. Once their ports return, Solari will be the strongest regional currency on the continent."
A younger scribe whispers to the Kabaka, who then asks,
"I heard that Prince Khisa is set to marry, a princess from there? Where does that fit into this... woven bond?"
Juma doesn’t hesitate.
"Our leaders believed that alliances are strongest when trust is personal, not just political. The Prince is set to marry their princess next year. The union symbolizes unity, trade, military cooperation, cultural exchange... and, yes, financial stability."
There’s a sudden surge of murmurs, some impressed, others uneasy.
One elder frowns deeply.
"So if Abyssinia fails, Nuri falls with it."
Achieng raises her chin confidently.
"Abyssinia will not fall. Prince Khisa personally took back their ports, he rebuilt their failing navy ship by ship, Nuri provides advanced weapons, ships and tactics. The only reason Adal has not swept them away is because Nuri stands with them."
A softer voice comes from the far end of the Buganda delegation.
"A noble answer... but alliances shift. What guarantee do we have that once Abyssinia rises, they will not ignore Buganda? That you will not prioritize your ’shared currency partners’ over us?"
This time Juma answers with complete clarity.
"Once the war ends, Nuri will formalize a trade pact with Buganda before expanding trade elsewhere. You will not be overshadowed. You will be integrated."
He meets the Kabaka’s eyes.
"Nuri does not build alliances to abandon them. And we are not asking Buganda to trust blindly. We are offering transparency, access to our future markets and the economic engine we are building. But not recklessly. Not in the middle of a war that could swallow everything."
The Kabaka sits back slowly, thinking.
Finally, he nods.
"We accept your explanation... for now. But when the ports are taken back, we expect to be the first nation Nuri invites to the table."
Juma bows slightly.
"You have our word."
Achieng follows with a smile.
"And your place in Nuri’s future wealth."
The elders settle, some satisfied, others simply quiet, but the tension in the room eases.
