“You came back so fast? Thought you had a plan to deal with Zoutpansberg. The De Buys were cosying up to you as well. No deal?” Potgieter served him a cup of tea, before leaning back onto his seat.
“What can I say? Seems too good to be true. I bet they offered the same to you. You didn’t take it. You have much more experience dealing with them, so I believe it is best to trust your judgement,” Jan sipped his cup of tea.
“Lobedu dwarves. Descendants of Coenraad. These two working together could have easily mopped up the Boers in Zoutpansberg. The dwarves’ Rain Queen could have easily made their weapons ineffective. Then, in hand-to-hand combat, the Boers would lose. So, it begets the question, why are they tolerant of their presence?”
Potgieter leaned forward from his seat, intertwining his hands together on his desk. He looked towards Jan and listened to his next words.
“They must have thought of the Boers there as a buffer. A buffer against any outside threats. Whether it is Tswana, Mzilikazi or any other party, they’ll think that the Boers are the only threats. But the true threats are these two, the Boers are a mask of deception. Let me make another guess. Any man who takes their deal ends up missing, correct?”
Potgieter nodded.
“They are devils. Sly devils. The De Buys would cosy up to any newcomer seeking to obtain the gold from Zoutpansberg, then, they will be missing. I see it time and time again. I was the first one they asked. I believe they offer the same things to anyone who passes through. From my time here, I know I should not trust them. The local Tswana elves made sure of that.”
Jan raised his head, gesturing to the man to get on with his tale.
“The local Tswana sangoma took one look at them and told me that they were untrustworthy. I did not believe her words at first but decided in the end to trust her. I suppose that’s why I’m still here today.”
“Why not get rid of them? They are a nuisance.”
“The question is how? Any attempt, and the De Buys would use the magic they gathered from all the elves in the continent to make combat difficult. The Lobedu dwarves could easily close off the tunnels into their hideout. I don’t think a siege would even work since they can dig a hole at the other side of the mountain and forage for food.”
“It is annoying that a couple of future settlers get killed by them from time to time. But I suppose it is a filter. The greedy get killed, whilst those who could remain calm amidst their greed stay alive. It is a reason that Potchefstroom rarely has conducted cattle raids against the Tswana.”
“Alright then, enough small talk. Tell me why you have summoned me today Potgieter? Couldn’t you let a man rest after trekking from Zoutpansberg?”
“You will be interested. Your mind will be invigorated once I tell you this,” Potgieter placed a parchment onto the table.
“The Zulu fish has bitten the bait.”
Sliding the parchment over the table, Jan caught the paper and turned to read it.
Dear Potgieter,
I am interested in the gold that you offer. I am saddened that you were unable to procure a nugget as a sample in the letter you sent. So, let us have a meeting two days later at the midpoint of the trail between Pietermaritzburg and Potchefstroom.
Yours sincerely,
Cetshwayo kaMpande
“Any idea where the supposed midpoint between the two towns is? I have my guesses, but I would like to receive confirmation.”
“Isn’t it obvious? It would have to be Van Reenen. Right by the outskirts of Natal. No doubt, they plan to hold a little expeditionary force to meet with the local Zulus in the Free States to see how much influence they could exert over them. But Potgieter, bring your best gold nuggets, and have a good negotiation.”
“Commando Jan, since you organized the meeting. You ought to come along. I believe negotiations would be much better with your presence. But I will prepare the best gold nuggets.”
Right by the outskirts of Van Reenen, the Boers stood in a valley. Overlooking them, were a couple of hills. It was the perfect site for an ambush. But Jan was feeling lucky today, Zulus weren’t in a vengeful mood. He doubted their whole party might be wiped. But just in case, they formed a laager and waited.
A day passed, and a Zulu entourage showed up. The princess that was a teenager the last he saw her grew a little taller, no doubt due to the power of puberty. Nokuthula and her entourage were dressed in regalia meant for war. Huge cow shields were held by their sides, and their upper bodies were covered in cow tails. Their kilts were made from the skins of Elfrican wildlife. Most eye-catching of all is their headdress consisting of a browband and flaps of leopard skin framing their face. Multiple feathers were adorned on the headdress. The Princess’ headdress was the most colourful followed by Nokuthula.
Other Zulus came along in similar attire, but their headdress was much smaller. Behind them, were a couple of Zulu Impis, following behind their every step.
“Apologies for the large entourage, we were meeting with the local Zulu chiefs and decided to invite them along,” Cetshwayo explained, and Potgieter frowned. The man was feeling intimidated. Who didn’t know of the Zulus and their fierceness in battle? Pretorius’ victory over them was amazing considering how intimidating they could be with tens of thousands in their sights.
Jan was sure their discussions weren’t peaceful because the chiefs seemed very meek and followed behind Nokuthula’s every command. No doubt they were cowed into submission.
Retrieving a gold nugget from a pocket, he passed it to the Xhosa servant. The servant trembled upon seeing the fearsome sight. No doubt, they were the fearsome Zulu, and here are hundreds of them in his sight. The tales his family uttered about the disorder and chaos caused by Mfecane stirred in his mind.
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He took tiny baby steps, hoping not to agitate the Zulus in any way. Getting impatient, Nokuthula waved at the servant. The Xhosa broke into a dash and passed the nugget into her hands before dashing back into the safety of the laager.
Some Boers laughed at the cowardly servant, but Jan knew that if he asked one of the men to do it in his stead, they were likely to piss themselves.
Inspecting the nugget, Noktuhula handed it to Cetshwayo. The Princess, being the young teenager she was, let slip of her emotions and she studied the gold nugget intensely with glee.
“I polished them to make sure they're real extra shiny. Added the Potgieter touch,” Potgieter whispered into Jan’s ears, who rolled his eyes.
“I can secure your routes. But I want more than a gold nugget! I want an entire bar!” Princess Cetshwayo demanded.
Nokuthula shook her head and took Cetshwayo to the side and the two discussed the matter further.
The Zulu Chiefs looked towards the Boers and at their superiors. Unsure of what to do, they obediently stood on the spot.
The two finished their quick discussions. Before they returned to face the Boers, Jan could see Nokuthula frowning. She glared at him before the Princess continue speaking.
“As I’ve said. I wish for enough gold to make the bar of gold that I’ve read in the numerous stories I hear. To facilitate the routes, I will establish my Great Palace in the Free States! But I expect the Boers to hold up the end of the deal. If the gold is not protected, we will ravish all your caravans. And we will make sure there are no survivors.”
Potgieter frowned.
They were extreme terms. If they failed to cough up, they will slaughter entire families, even the women and children.
“Jan Boddewijk, I will hold you and your family responsible for the deaths of anyone who is attacked by the Zulu along the route in the future. I hope that what you say is true, that the routes are as profitable as you espouse. For the sake of your soul, I hope so,” Potgieter looked toward Jan, before turning to face the Zulus.
“You must understand, a bar of gold a week is extremely unreasonable. You should know the rarity of gold. If it is so easy to obtain a bar of gold, then gold will not be as valuable as it is. The best I can give you is a bar a month. Any more than that, then your presence in the region would become inherently unprofitable to maintain any routes.”
Cetshwayo looked towards Nokuthula who shook her head fervently. She pouted.
“You should know princess. We should focus on the royal court back in Natal instead of useless affairs like this. So what if you’re able to obtain gold? Your younger sister, your mother’s favourite, will be able to easily become the new Queen if we fail to contest her. We must not use up resources in such frivolous affairs!”
Nokuthula said firmly in the Zulu language. She said it loudly, not bothering to whisper, considering the white men on the other side won’t be able to understand her words anyway.
“You do not understand Nokuthula. We are talking about gold. A single gift of gold will win over the loyalty of any Zulu chief.”
“Gold is only temporary! Can the gold secure their loyalty? Weapons, armaments, gunpowder! This is what they constantly need. By constantly providing them, we will secure their loyalty.”
“Then is there any interpersonal relationship during our dealings? Are our dealings no different from that of a patron and an artist?”
“It might be the case, princess. But it is naïve to think otherwise!”
While the Zulus were discussing things without a care of the world, they seemed to have forgotten that the Boers brought along Xhosa servants. And they could somewhat comprehend the Zulu’s words. The only issue was that they couldn’t communicate.
Well then, he wanted to know what they were discussing. The priority of servants’ literacy went to the top. The education of Boers could come later, and they will complain about this shift in priorities. But he had to, no must know off what the Zulus were discussing.
Nokuthula heaved a huge sigh, realizing that the stubborn girl refused to change her mind. It was her chance to strike out and make a mark on the world, and she planned to fully utilize this opportunity offered by the Boers. Plus, they were paid.
She bared her teeth towards Jan, whose lips curled upwards upon seeing her frustration.
Considering how opposed Nokuthula was, her anger was a good thing.
The Zulu Chief felt like tearing the scheming Boer into shreds but then she remembered how she ruined the town’s affairs. The chaos on the Boer side of Port Mpande was music to her ears. And reminiscing about how things were upside down allowed her to restrain her anger. This time, her lips curled upwards instead.
Jan’s lips curled downwards.
Nokuthula made up her mind. The Boer side of town? Turn it into a complete matriarchy. Since they like to scheme so much, then let’s see how he would feel knowing that he would become a second-class citizen in his town.
Not wanting to let this be a verbal agreement, Potgieter looked towards the entourage of Potchefstroom Boers he brought along. They handed over the paper he asked for. Grabbing it, he left the safety of the laager and headed straight to the Zulu Princess. Signing his name on one end, he handed the pen to Cetshwayo, who signed the other end.
Nokuthula grabbed the pen and signed as a witness for the Zulus. Jan stepped forth and signed as the witness of Potgieter. Potgieter and Cetshwayo looked towards one another, dreaming of future possibilities. Whilst Jan and Nokuthula dreamt of the future chaos brought about by their actions.
Princess Cetshwayo's entrance into the Free States was made with little fanfare. Some chiefs who were loyal to her were shifted into the region. There, they quickly made their presence known, subjugating all the surrounding Zulu chiefs under their sphere of influence. They gave every chief two options, submit or die.
Many of the smaller Zulu tribes submitted, whilst the larger ones briefly resisted. But the use of gunpowder weapons decimated any resistance. The Zulu Buffalo Horns formation frequently used was quickly shattered by an artillery bombardment.
Many of the Zulus were absorbed into her fold.
The other elven tribes, caught in the crossfire, began migrating out of the region. The Zulus didn’t target these tribes specifically, since according to Cetshwayo, they were here to establish Mpande’s authority over all Zulus in the land. But the other elven tribes knew that they would also be subjugated soon after and began fleeing.
The Sotho elves fled southwards, seeking the protection of Queen Moshoeshoe. The increased number of mouths to feed put a strain on Lesotho’s food supply. The French missionaries in the region were all too happy to supplement the food, handing out food to all who were willing to listen to their teachings.
Queen Moshoeshoe, no doubt enraged by the trouble inflicted upon her people due to the Zulus, denounced the Zulu’s increasing presence in the Free States and warned them to not enter her territory.
The others dispersed into the lands belonging to the Tswana elves, who saw these new migrants as competitors for the lands that they live on. Conflict broke out between the migrants and the Tswana. Many elves were subjugated and absorbed into Tswana tribes, where they were integrated into the Tswana way of life, losing all that made them culturally.
Some went North, to modern-day Botswana, and were able to successfully carve out their lands in the region. The rest went to modern-day Zimbabwe, where they were absorbed into Mzilikazi and her Matabele.
A coalition was formed by local eleven tribes and kingdoms against the Zulu aggression. Using her diplomatic prowess, Queen Moshoeshoe and some local Tswana polities decided to work together to stymy further Zulu invasion. She even clobbered together Xhosa chiefs, who knew how terrifying the Zulus could be.
Historians would consider this event to be the second Mfecane. Although it was not as harsh as the first one initiated by Shaka Zulu, the fears of it possibly being as harsh as Shaka’s or even worst than his conquests spread like wildfire.
Queen Mzilikazi, once a lieutenant of Shaka, admired the rise of the new Princess upstart and saw her as a possible successor to Shaka. Considering the weakness of Dingane and the passivity of the Mpande, she was very much disappointed with how much the Zulu Kingdom had fallen from grace. She threw her support behind Princess Cetshwayo and said that if the coalition dared to take action against the Zulu upstart, she would ravage the Tswana lands.
Modern Day, as written on a plaque in Matabeleland, Zimbabwe
Although it was a nice story to tell for elves in modern-day Zimbabwe, historians believe that Mzilikazi only joined the Zulus because the Tswana elves were in the coalition. And she very much wanted to knock the detestable Tswana down a peg or two.
Mpande, furious with the trouble her daughter caused, immediately reprimanded Princess Cetshwayo’s actions and said that she did not influence her daughter’s actions. Few believed her and consider Queen Mpande of the Zulus to be the prime instigator. As historians put it, how could a young teenage elf cause so much chaos?
Although, there was a theory going around among historians that there was a certain Boer who had some part to play in the events. Many historians laugh at the theories cooked up by these historians dubbed Potgieterianism, believing Potgieter can't have so much influence. If it had to be someone, then it must be Pretorius!
Though there were the crackpots, who said that a certain Commando who bore witness to the signing of the agreement between the Zulus and Potgieter was the prime suspect. These historians were recommended to head to a mental asylum to get their heads checked.