Blood of the Kingdoms: 1916 part 1

Blood of the Kingdoms: An African Hetalia Story

1916: February: Western Kamerun: Mora


Igbo found herself stretched out on the soft soil, placing a chewing stick in her mouth and biting on the soft bark whilst her rifle was spread over her stomach. Looking at the sky she sighed with relief knowing that the war in Kamerun was over and that she would not have to do anymore fighting for England. Sitting herself up as noticed Yakurr sleeping on a tree, her long hair floating in the breeze, the fighting was over and there was no more need to bundle it up. Boki and Efik were busy playing a game of Ayo, with Efik winning, having the least amount of seeds left on his side of the board with Boki looking very disgruntled.

Igbo looked over to where England and France were. The two Europeans were discussing something with Beti, one of the Kamerun regions and were shaking their head. Curious Igbo walked over to them, using her tongue to shift the position of the chewing stick in her mouth.

"Excuse me Mr. England," she said, "But where are the Germans?"

France and England gave each other a glance, France sighed and shrugged his shoulders and continued to talk to Beti. England put a hand on Igbo's shoulder, the white palm's touch sending uncomfortable shivers down her spine.

"Why don't we take a walk Igbo, would you like a pipe?" he said whilst bringing out a spare smoking pipe

Igbo shook her head and let her right shoulder inch downwards so that his hand slid off her. The two began to walk as they saw German weapons collecting sand whilst Beti children gawked at them.

"The Germans have fled to the colony of Rio Muni where they seek protection from Spain since the colony is neutral. Under the terms of agreement we cannot go to Rio Muni and extract them there. It is still our victory however. France and I are going to divide Kamerun between ourselves." he explained whilst blowing out smoke rings

"What will happen to Beti and the other people living in Kamerun?" she asked, "Will they end up split just like the Hausa brothers were?"


"Oh? Yes indeed, after all, this colony is now our property and we may do with it as we wished. I will get the western half of the colony which I shall call.....British Cameroon, that will be Cameroon with a C instead of a K and Os instead of a U, needs to sound good and British. France, being the unoriginal one will name his half French Cameroon, because that head full of frog's legs could not think of anything better."


England found himself face first in the soil as a rock hit him in the head, France was on the far end whistling to proclaim his innocence whilst Beti just stood there dumbfounded. Boki and Efik were busy trying to contain their laughter whilst Igbo could not help a smirk cross her face for a quick second but removing it before England saw it.

"As I was saying." he said with a huff as he scraped the mud out of his blond hair, "The western half shall be under my administration. However I don't really have time to dilly dally here in Cameroon as there is still a major war going on in Europe and France and I need to head to the Trenches. Oh that reminds me, I have some decrees to give you when you and the others return to Nigeria, one of which is long overdue."


Igbo paused at that statement and looked at England, continuing to try and clean his uniform. He looks so silly Igbo thought to herself, before listening in closely.


"Ahem, I Arthur Kirkland", he began, "Abolish the slave trade and slavery in Nigeria as of this year. I realize that it is a bit overdue since I made that declaration to other countries in 1833." he finished sheepishly

"What about Hong-Kong?" Igbo asked, knowing full well that despite his declaration of abolition of slavery in 1833 he had still taken a long time to effect that statement for the various colonies. Gold Coast had to wait till 1874, Gambia in 1906 and Sierra-Leone was still pouring in slaves everyday yet England touted himself as the first of the westerners to abolish the slave trade. 'It probably made him feel superior to the United States', she thought to herself.

"Well...Hong Kong and some of the others....are just not ready yet. I...need to raise them up some more, make them a bit more civilized." England said, sitting down in front of Igbo who bit down on her chewing stick hard that it snapped and folded her arms, taking care to single her rifle holster behind her back.


"Oh that reminds me." England gasped with his eyes wide open as he snapped his fingers, "Speaking of Hong Kong you remember Governor Lugard? Right Igbo?"

How could she not, Lugard was England's governor to Hong Kong before leaving for the Hausa Kingdom in 1912 and had established the city of Zungeru as the capital of northern Nigeria before the amalgamation. Once England left for the trenches he would probably try to exert his own power and there would be nothing she or the others could do about it. Especially since Hausa had already made his moves to gain his favour early.

"When you go back, I want you to tell him that I've decided to make Lagos the capital. It's a sprawling city that shows a lot more potential than Zungeru. I see it becoming a trade hub. Hmph I better tell Portugal, that should put a smile on his face. It would also put a smile on Yoruba's face as well." he said with a content grin

Igbo felt stunned, the capital was changing? Hausa certainly would not like that and she doubted Lugard would but he would not defy England. This left Yoruba with a nice new power base, but yet she had nothing to hold on to. She would have to make her own moves before she got left behind by Hausa and Yoruba. She barely paid attention as England shuffled away, humming the song Heart of Oak to himself and joining France. Igbo only started up as she noticed a yawning Yakurr standing behind her with Boki and Efik having finished their game and Efik looking pleased with himself and holding a few pound notes in his hand.



March: Nigeria: Lagos


In the great grand judiciary hall Yoruba could not contain himself as he rubbed the scars on his cheeks together with glee. Turning to Igbo he looked at her again, looking disgruntled whilst trying to maintain a proud appearance in front of him. She is so jealous Yoruba thought to himself.

"So, Eko has now acquired the new capital of Nigeria? Oh this makes things so much fun, now Hausa and Lugard would have to drive over to my area instead of going all the way to Zungeru instead." he roared

"They will call it Lagos, like Portugal did, remember that Yoruba." Igbo stated whilst pacing around the hall, "Remember that, you cannot call it Eko to their faces."


Yoruba waved his hand as if swatting the problem like a fly but paused, yes, the capital was in his territory, but why did Lugard want to see them in Lagos tomorrow with each of their respective leaders? Well it would be interesting to find out anyway.


Two days later


Yoruba stood in his box with Oba Siyanbola Onikepe Oladigbolu I who he still considering the ruler of the Oyo even if they no longer had a Kingdom proper as of 1905. Personally he wished that Siyanbola wasn't so much in the pockets of England. There was nothing to do but be a vassal these days. Glancing over to his right he saw Igbo in her booth with her Eze, Nri Obalike, wearing his traditional red cap. Turning to the left he saw Hausa in his booth with his Emir, Muhammad Abbas, whilst Fulani was looking at Hausa darkly beside her new Sultan Muhammadu Attahiru II who had come into his throne only a year after his father's reign. Edo, the oldest of all the old regions that were there was in his stand with his Oba Eweka II whilst Edo's old rival, Ijaw sat smugly across her corner of the room with her Regent, Ate.

The six of them Yoruba thought, all once the biggest powers at one point in the history of the land and they still had major influence. Maybe Lugard had a sort of plan for them all which was why he needed their rulers as well as the regions themselves to show up.

Finally Yoruba looked at Lugard. He was a tall man with presence, his large brown moustache drooped past both cheekbones, whilst his hair was balding within the middle. Wearing a brown jacket, with cuff-links and looking as a Lord of England would he held a Hausa ceremonial stick in his hand.

"Greetings everyone," Lugard said in Hausa, causing Hausa to smirk whilst the others bristled. Lugard ignored the reactions of the others then switched to English and repeated the same phrase, not caring to address everyone else in their native tongues.

"I have a proposition on how we can all make this two year old country of Nigeria, work between all of us and to everyone's benefit."

All the regions and their rulers started to whisper amongst one another until Lugard raised his hand to ask for silence.

"There is something I realized recently during my travels," he said, ""the typical African ... is a happy, thriftless, excitable person, lacking in self control, discipline and foresight, naturally courageous, and naturally courteous and polite, full of personal vanity, with little sense of veracity ...in brief , the virtues and defects of this race-type are those of attractive children."


Yoruba felt himself seething inside but Siyanbola put his hand on his shoulder and he calmed down. Children were they? Lugard saw all these people and kingdoms, with all their centuries of history as children? Did he not know the accomplishments each of them had done. But of course, he was a European and as far as the Europeans were concerned, the African colonies were nothing more than children that needed a proper upbringing. Demolishing their culture in the process to replace it with their own. Even Hausa looked put off by that statement but maintained his composure. The own who looked like they wanted to tear Lugard's throat the most was Igbo whose Eze was gripping her arms tightly.

Lugard's moustache twitched slightly before continuing on his oratory.

"Now listen closely, because this is important. I plan to make Nigeria a respectable colony and you all with listen to my plan."





To be continued