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.
