On the southern border of the Ayu Empire and the Principality of Bengar stood the Hema la wafalme (tent of kings), the place where kings, queens and leaders of both the Empire and Principality come to settle disputes over water and have peace treaties. The Hema la wafalme was considered to be holy land, divinely given to the Empire and Principality by the gods as a place of refuge, self-enlightenment and peace. Because of this a rule was enforced by the great Alang tu vewat, the gifted of sight and the officiaries of the gods, that all forms of combat were forbidden from these lands and from a thousand Duats in any direction from the Hema la wafalme. If this law were broken by any of those in the Ayu Empire and Principality of Beangar then punishment would be death by exile into the Bahari ya chumvi (the Salt Seas), where nothing grows and nothing lives. 

Within the Hema la wafalme stood two leaders of their respective allegiances. On the left side of the table was the Emperor of Ayu, Mfalme Juu (High King) A’brahelm Ano Nabira Hasani Kucha Joka (Dragon Claw) of house Kucha Joka. The emperor was a tall man, with a strong muscular build. His skin was coke black, calos and hard to the touch, weathered from countless decades of desert storms and harsh sunlight. On his bare arms and chest, the emperor had may scares, proof of his victories in battle, and loss. On A’brahelm’s right arm he had an ornately designed gold-plated cuff. In his right hand he held a long pipe that he would regularly take a puff from, every time he did a deep dark blue vapour would emit from the pipe, and when he breathed out a huge plume of dark blue smoke would escape from his mouth and nose, like the flickers of smoke from the breath of a dragon. The emperor wore upon is head a black turban with an emerald gemstone in the centre of if holding it together. On top of that the emperor wore a deep blue hijab to protect the rest of his head from Allights gaze. The emperor had a thick and full well combed raven black beard and moustache, that he would occasionally stroke while he was in deep thought. A’brahelm wore a black robe with gold patterns, weaved into it. The robe went over A’brahelm’s back and left arm leaving his right fighting arm free to draw his blade holstered on the left side of his waist and his chest open as A’brahelm preferred to feel the direct warmth of Allight on his chest, that way he wasn’t too hot. The blade on his waist was an aggressively curved Shotel. A’brahelm specifically ordered it this way as he preferred to use the weapon specifically to rip off shield from his opponent’s hand.

One the other side of the table, the Prince of the Principality of Bengar Chini mfalme (Prince) Uma Jabari Reth Bengar of house Mwinjiba (Pride). The ruling monarch of Bengar sat very relaxed in his set not concerned about the presence of the emperor. He had a smug look on his face and a devilish smile on his lips as if he was concocting something sinister and unforgivable, or yet again that could have been how is face always looked, people always said that he was born with a twisted look about him, something evil, whether he really was still not desided. Both these great men sat at the opposite end of a cylindrical stone slate table. Indented words lined the circumference of the table with lines bordering the edges of it. At the centre of the table was a map of the southern border of Ayu and Bengar and all the Waterlands both kingdoms controlled. The map was made from sliced slabs of sandstone each with different varieties of colours, each ranging from white to dark maroon red. The dark maroon red represented all the bottom layers of both kingdoms, the other colours were put in an order of lighter colour, the distinct colours each represented mountains and hills of the border of both kingdoms. 

The Emperor of Ayu requested the summoning of the Prince of Bengar to the Hema la wafalme as to settle a dispute over the accumulation of Waterlands. As the Prince of Bengar believed that a large portion of Bengarian Waterlands were his to claim and that Ayu had no right to withhold the Waterlands from him and should relinquish dominion over them immediately. The Waterlands in question were off the southern borders of both the Ayu Empire and Principality of Bengar. Those Waterlands had been in a constant flip flop control of both states. With no kingdom being able to hold them for very long as multiple wars on the southern border have made it difficult to determine which kingdom had control of it first. The prince of Bengar believed that the Waterlands were rightfully his because of his great great grandfather mfalme (King) Abdullah Tau Jabari Bengar the 3rd of house Mwinjiba (Pride) the founder and first King of the now Principality of Bengar, had claimed those Waterlands as part of the then Kingdom of Bengar’s borders and the former Emperor of Ayu, Mfalme Juu Danu Hasani Baraka Kucha Joka of house Kucha Joka (Dragon Claw) took the land in one of the Hashari ba no gewti wars (the war of independence). The Emperor of Ayu believed that the Waterlands were his to claim as when the Kingdom of Bengar was formed by Abdullah the descendant of Reth Tamari Mwinjiba of house Mwinjiba who draw the borders of the newly formed kingdom of Bengar and new southern border of Ayu with Ayu’s border holding control of those waterlands and that it was Abdullah’s first daughter Binti mfalme (princess) Nia Jabari Bengar that captured it in one of the Hashari ba no gewti. 

Both kings stared each other down waiting for one or another to make a proposition. Finally, the Emperor of Ayu spoke.

“The Waterlands on the southern border of Ayu have been in my Empire for the past 50 years and have been part of my Empire before Abdullah the Founder split off from Ayu and built the kingdom of Bengar 257 years ago. However, these Waterlands are necessary for both of our Domains to survive and as such I will be willing to agree to an ultimatum in which we share our Waterlands on our closest borders, but the Waterlands will remain under Ayu control.”

“Ayu by law does not have the right to control any land or property that is of the Principality of Bengar and furthermore has no true claims to the Waterlands on our closest border, therefore you must relinquish control of the Waterlands and move Caretakers out of the border.” 

“I must remind you that the Reth Mwinjiba of house Mwinjiba created the borders of Bengar and had placed these Waterlands in the borders of Ayu therefore you have no right to demand that I relinquish control and expand the borders of Bengar into Ayu territory, such an action would be an act of war.”

“Then there can be no ultimatum!”

There was a long deafening silence as both Emperor and Prince stared down each other with such intensity that it made both kings guardsmen of their respective kingdoms sweat with anticipation. Finally, the Prince of Bengar broke the silence, becoming bored of it. 

“Is the Emperor of Ayu ready to comply with our demands, or has the droughts taught him nothing?” he spoke in a slow and controlling manner befitting of his title. 

“Has the Prince of Bengar been struck so hard by Allights gaze for him to lose his senses, or has the long desert days sweep your lands with so much sand, sult and glass that it has impaired your Sight causing you to be unable to, see?” 

His retort was sharp and witty, calculating and demeaning, a sharp tongue for a sharp Emperor, the Prince of Bengar thought. 

Once again both leaders went silent, each constantly gauging each other, until finally the Prince of Bengar broke the silence again. 

“I will ask you again, are you ready to comply with my demands?” 

This time his question had the subtext of a warning rather than a question, what he was really saying was give me what I want, and all will be fine, do not and you know what happens. This warning mildly annoys the Emperor of Ayu. 

“Maybe I need to clarify things again. The Ayu Empire is the greatest powerhouse in all three Domains, our soldiers are second in strength and numbers only to the sultanate of Kijar, however, in terms of mana manipulation, there is no greater war Maji than in my Empire. As well as hand to hand combat. My Empire has the largest number of Waterlands so we would outlast you in a full out war, and we would fight to the last man to make sure it is kept under our control. As my people say saysushindi au kifo (victory or death)” 

The kingsguard banged their spears into the ground twice and echoed “saysushindi au kifo,” 

“You threating my kingdom with war is a ludicrous statement at best, at worst you seek to incur the full wrath of my Empire.” The Emperor of Ayu calmed down a bit before continuing. “We have just entered the Rains season meaning that the sandstorms that keep the Kijar away have settled, thus they now have the opportunity to raid us both of our water, and now you wish to try and accumulate Waterlands you hold no claims to.” The Emperor of Ayu spoke condescendingly to the Prince of Bengar as if he were a child. “If you were to go to war with me then you would be putting your entire Principality at risk, and with the events that happened last year, you would end up splitting your domain in half. To launch a full-scale assault on one of my Waterlands would be like sending a kondoo wa jangwani (Desert Lamb) to its grave, you can’t win or have much to gain.”

The Prince of Bengar gave a strange grin at the Emperor of Ayu as if he was scheming something. 

“Yes.... the Empire is indeed a powerhouse, aye, its warriors of iron will are indeed formidable, and the Kijar are a great problem with their constant raids around this season. But the Emperor of this great empire is.... well not what he used to be.” 

This caused the emperor's Kingsguard to stand on edge, intrigued and concerned about what the Prince of Bengar meant. 

“And what do you mean by that statement?” 

“What I mean is your respect… Your armies, your warriors, your people, they no longer respect you. There is talk that you have become an oath breaker by fathering a mwanaharamu (bastard) in the last war with the Kijar, almost thirteen years ago, and subsequently you are becoming a weak king. I hear that your wife publicly objects to your plans and that on multiple occasions challenged your authority in front of the baraza la wafalme (Council of Kings) and representatives of the Alang tu vewat. I hear that members of your council seek to challenge you in the next haki ya wafalme (right of kings).

“You hear a lot, don’t you? Well, I wouldn't believe everything the ears hear when the eyes cannot see the full picture.” The Emperor of Ayu interrupted.  

“Your people grow restless due to last year’s constant raids from the Kijar, and the fact you do nothing but speak of peace treaties with your enemies and break the laws of the Alang tu vewat. Your people will come to rise against you.” 

“And what about your people!” The Emperor of Ayu snapped back. “From what I hear Bengar is on the brink of collapse. Two of your daughters are in open rebellion and seek to overthrow you and replace you with your third wife, and there are other political rivals besides your daughters that plot and scheme your demise, seeking to replace you with your brother believing that he is the rightful heir to the throne after the death of your father. Also was it not only two years ago that the Kijar broke into your capital and brought down one part of your city's defence walls leaving your capital defenceless from the desert's constant sandstorms and sand tornados making you request for aid from me and my people. And was it not because of the collapse of the wall that half of all your capitals new-borns were killed because of the extra glass in the air tearing their lungs apart, and remember, this is only in the past two years, this does not include the heap of problems Bengar has been having within the last fifteen years. You insult me by trying to say that because I elegaly broke an oath and seek to make peace with our former enemies instead of having a perpetual never ending war with our neighbouring kingdom, that makes you think my empire which has existed and held strong for the past 2000 years, is on the brink of collapse. You act like I have no control over my subjects and that you have some form of leverage over me and my people, but it is I who has leverage over you, and now you seek to overstep your bounds! End this farce before you regret it.” The emperor snapped.  

A silence fell in the room as the emperor stared down the Prince of Bengar with utter contempt.