Part VThe Scene is set at the Stadium of the Restoration in Busukuma, National Capitol Region, Banija Mwanga was standing center stage, here at the Stadium of the Restoration. The traditional home of coronations and regal funerals, the stadium had been packed, just one week before, not to watch the
Kadongo Kamu play Xanneria, as originally scheduled, but to pay the last respects to the Kabaka. And as per Banijan tradition, foreign diplomats were not invited. A strange tradition, one would think, but of course, with the coronation taking place so soon after, that was the preferred event to have all of the foreign dingnatiries. But still, every living former Katikkiro, member of the Royal Family, the entirety of the bishops of the Mormon church in Banija, and 90,000+ other well watchers, were at the royal funeral. And now, of course, it was time for the inauguration.
The Patriarch of Herzegovina began to give his introduction to the ceremony. On stage with him were many of the prominent foreign dignitaries who were invited to this lavish ceremony. "I would like to thank the Almighty God for bringing us together here, for the coronation of the next Kabaka, for the celebration and start of the dawn of a new era in Banija, the reign of Mwanga." And with that, he led the whole crowd in a short, traditional prayer. "This witnessing of a new era is important. We must come together, in this time of celebration. The tragedy that was the death of His Majesty, Albert III, was terrible for all of us. The first Kabaka to die since the Banijan Civil War, over 200 years ago, is something that cannot be easily forgotten."
"This ceremony has developed over the years. From being a simple chief, to the ceremony of an Emperor, and now, the ceremony of the Kabaka. From before the founding of the faith that now binds our nation together, from before our involvement in the world, there was elements of this ceremony. But still, we have added and subtracted throughout the years, with various making changes. And we are at the very site of where a Banijan monarch, in a sad wave of tribal violence, died to defend his country." The phrase that history is in the eye of the beholder was almost perfectly coined for that exact moment. Regardless, the Patriarch continued. "Let us remember the sacrifices of those who made it possible for our nation to be where we are today, and to celebrate where Mwanga will lead us next."
A short pause, and then, of course, he continued. "First- bring out the fisherman's ring!" And the ring, passed down from generations since Banija's final independence in 1906, was carried over, in glass casing, to Mwanga. The Patriarch turned to face Mwanga, who stood with his hand out, facing the old man. "The ring is the symbol of the importance of your role in the church. The state must defend the religious tenants of this nation. The values of Mormonism, keeping our nation's Mormon character, and our Mormon beliefs. You, as the head of state, are it's leader. Being the fisher of men means that you must keep true to the faith, the faith of your fathers and their grandfathers, and as the leader of the sole nation that has a majority of their population as a member of the Puritan Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and the leader of a people to whom the Almighty, through the angel Moroni, revealed this faith, you must be a defender of all the faithful, wherever they are. You must defend all the people, all the time. Do you accept this responsibility?"
Mwanga looked at him, and almost yelled into the microphone. "I do." He said, loudly, and clearly, with authority. ANd at that moment, a large candle, also in center stage, was lit.
The Patriarch continued. "Now, the representatives of the people must declare their loyalty to you." And the Katikkiro picked that moment to walk up. The Patriarch put a copy of the Book of Mormon in front of him, and he put his hand on it. He then turned to Mwanga, and then started to speak.
"Your Majesty," he declared. "I do swear, freely and without reservation, loyalty to you, the throne, your successors, and this country. So help me God." And, one by one, each elected member of the Lukiiko did exactly that. All 500 of them. While they did it fairly efficiently, this was not something that ever going to be a fast process. Always one of the boring parts of the ceremony. But finally, it was over. The Patriarch then continued.
"Your Majesty," he said. "Now, the bishops will declare their loyalty to you." And, one by one, all 26 Banijan bishops declared their loyalty to Mwanga, and their recognition of him as defender of the faith. The Patriarch then continued. "Now, I must go through the establishment of each of the titles that you are about to ascend to."
"You are to be the head of the Royal House of Katende. Your family members, both older and younger than you in years, will look to you to lead the family. You must be prepared to fill that role. You are the direct successors of the historic Shujaas(Chiefs) of the Kasanke Tribe. This is your heritage. The heritage of a majority of this country. You have a direct line to the original pioneers who, almost a thousand years ago, landed on these shores and established Herzegovina, or what is now called Herzegovina City. You are the successor of the Maharajas of this country. From when we originally founded the faith, this title was bestowed on our national leaders. They united Banija's borders into the country that we have today, though minus the Busoga Islands. You inherit their legacy of forming a true nation state, rather than just a land of separate tribes.
"You are the direct successor of Mugisha The Liberator, who ensured that this nation was free from tyranny in the first place. You are the leader of all the tribes of the nation. You are the symbol and source of unity for all Banijans, no matter their ethnic tradition. And lastly, with the ring on your hand, you are the Defender of the Faith. Your Majesty, do you accept these responsibilities?"
Mwanga paused, and then, slowly nodded. "I do." He said. A second large candle was lit. There was just one remaining in the middle.
The Patriarch then continued. "OK, now, we will recognize those whose dignitaries are here. First, of course, to remember the fallen. Kabaka Albert III, the monarch who oversaw many great things in our nation- from the hosting of a World Cup Finals, to the expansion of our country's wealth, he had done a great job. And for Antonio DiMartini- a foreign minister, his career on the rise, who was slain by terrorists in the Northeast. A moment of silence for them." And the stadium got pretty silent- at least, by the standards of 90,000 packed into a stadium.
The Patriarch then continued once again. "I must take the time, right now, to thank the foreign dignitaries who came, to represent their nations, at this crucial juncture in Banijan history. The witnessing of the crowning of the Kabaka is a great honor for us, and your presence here will only serve to deepen ties between our respective nations. We will name the major dignitaries, the ones sitting on stage, right here behind me, for the benefit of the people in the audience, and the millions watching at home and around the country, and the millions more watching at home around the world."
"First, I will name Regent Christine II, of the Royal Kingdom of Quebec, acting Head of the Commonwealth." She rose, and there was thunderous applause. This was repeated for each name mentioned. "Our representative here from the Main Nation Ministry. We have Countess Hinata, from the Hinodejin Empire. WE have Collas d’Arcueil, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Obreour Ar Moro. And, of course, we have another fellow royal here, Prince Wangdi, of the Sherpa Empire. We thank all of you for coming to this ceremony. But now, of course, is the time to recognize the heads of state and government, who took the time to come to this ceremony.
It is a great honor to host you in our country- some of you having been here before, and some of you, here for the first time, for this ceremony. President Joachim Fleiss, of Siovanija & Teusland, is leading his nation's delegation today. President Dorigo Dutete, from Filindostan, is here today on behalf of his own country. Qusmyr Qaq, of Qusmo, whom Mwanga met just a few days ago, is here, representing his country. President Bennett, of the Echani Republic, is here today. And, like we have said, our prayers and our hearts go out to you, and your nation, at the loss of your foreign minister. The perpetrators will face the full force of the law.
And lastly, the delegation from Baker Park is strong. President Gregson and Prime Minister Schoenlein, have all travelled here, together. It shows the strength of our relationship that this has happened." And, of course, as they were the last ones mentioned, they received a thunderous applause.
And then, as that died down, exactly four trumpets were played. And then, the regalia was brought out. The crown of the Banijan monarch, that men had been wearing for generations, was being brought out. Four soldiers brought out the crown, and placed it in front of the Patriarch. The Patriarch walked over to Mwanga, who got on one knee, facing North, towards Herzegovina City- the first civilization of the Kasanke, the country's dominant ethnic group. Another bishop walked up with him, with a very fancy, gold plated spear- the spear that signified his role as the Commander-In-Chief.
"Your Majesty, I have come, by the duties given to me by the Constitution, to crown you with the regalia. From here, you shall take your most important title- Kabaka. This title will come before your name, as this job will be your primary purpose. You have inherited it from your father, who inherited it from his father. It is the position of head of state. You will represent this country, and decide its foreign affairs. You will defend it from all enemies, foreign and domestic. You will strengthen our friendships, and most importantly, you will prepare your sons for this job, for this role- to serve as your successor, when God calls you into his Kingdom."
He paused, and then spoke again. "Do you accept these responsibilities?"
Mwanga looked up, and spoke. "I do." He said. And then, the Patriarch placed the crown on his head. He stood up, holding the crown so it wouldn't fall off. The Patriarch then motioned to the other bishop, who handed him the golden spear. As he took it, every Banijan on stage bowed to him, now officially the Kabaka.
After a long bow, the Patriarch got up, and spoke again. "I officially declare you Kabaka Mwanga of Banija!" And there was a thunderous, long applause. THis lasted probably a good three to four minutes- which, of course, he was just crowned. After that, he decided to speak. He thanked each foreign dignitary, by name, for attending the ceremony. He vowed to carry on the legacy that his father had set out. He said that, of course, while carrying on that legacy, he would be his own man. He said he greatly valued Banija's relationships, and specifically mentioned the Royal Kingdom of Quebec, the Commonwealth of Baker Park, and the Echani Republic. He mentioned Swede Johanssen, Baker Park's Ambassador to Banija, and thanked him for being the first one at Mujaguzo when the news broke out. He mentioned the country's two major universities, Northern Moravica and Loyola-Istria. And he even mentioned the
Kadongo Kamu, and their World Cup Qualifying run.
Finally, he closed his speech. Many applauded as he left the historic stadium, along with many of these heads of states and government. He had things to catch up on. He knew a lot of work had to be done, but still- today was a day for celebration. He was finally wearing the crown, he was finally given the golden spear- the moment he had been waiting his whole life for. Born in tragedy, of course, but that's what happens when you are born a royal. The now Kabaka Mwanga looked forward to what would certainly be a challenging start to his reign.