Outside the Don't-Tell Motel.

The peasants were revolting.

The Duchess stood on the 2nd floor of the motel as her people were gathered out front, chanting and screaming. Her Delta Guard were, understandably, on edge. Their grips tightened around their tridents as they readied to defend their Duchess, even from their own people.

"How is this sanctuary?!"

"The Goddess has abandoned us!"

"Why won't you do something?!"

While the town has done what it could for her people, it still wasn't enough as only a small portion have been able to find shelter and food. Fresh clean water wasn't hard to come by in town it seemed, but the people could only survive for so long on water alone.

"Good people of Daele! I know the current situation isn't what we had hoped for! But aid is coming if we can only-"

"What?! Stay in this hell?!" A voice called out and a fearful looking man spoke up. Beside him were some others that were just as fearful and desperate looking.

"While it is not the best, I would think it better than being under siege in Daele and awaiting our death or enslavement." The Duchess spoke in an attempt to counter the fearmongering.

"How is this any better?! The people of this town, perhaps even this world, consort with thieving kobolds and even cruel greenskins!"

"And your rulers are-"

"DEAD! Our Duke trapped us in a dying city! Crammed us together like crab awaiting the pot, and rushed off to die! Just like you are doing now!"

"The Duke did everything he could! Do you honestly think that you would have been better off in the wilds where bandits, brigands and who-knows-what awaited you?!" The Duchess snapped. It was unbecoming of one of her status but she wouldn't dare allow this fearmonger to besmirch his sacrifice.

"Perhaps we would! What's left of our nobility are feasting among the goblins! Our army is dead along with the Duke! And our Duchess does nothing but offer us empty promises to go with our empty bellies!" Came the rebuttal.

The fearmonger pointed to several hanging corpses belonging to former citizens of Daele.

"And now the greenskins are killing us and yet you stand there and offer us nothing! You have led us from certain death in our own homes and beds to certain death in a strange new world surrounded by strangers and monsters!"

She was losing the crowd. You can only placate the masses for so long before the elements and starvation set in and wear down their patience, what little they had anyway. If he wanted to play to people's fear than she would have to scare them back in line if she had to.

"And where would YOU lead them? Out into the unknown of this new world that, by your own presumptions, are full of greenskins and kobolds and other monsters? With what food and shelter will you find? At least here we have plenty of water, can you say the same for out there?!"

Thankfully that had the desired effect, she thought as the large group wasn't as unified as she first thought, now it was being divided between those that wished to take their leave and chance it elsewhere and those that wanted to stay in a place that, while still relatively new to them, was familiar enough to satisfy a sense of comfort and safety.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Who knows what awaits us out there!"

"I don't know, but it has to be better than what we know is here!"

"At least it isn't raining."

Things began to get heated once more as tensions mounted between the forming groups and clashes already began to form.

"If you wish to leave then you can give up your room!"

"Maybe I will leave! But in the meantime it's still mine!"

"Less mouths to feed the better!"

The Duchess hated the fact that she had to resort to turning her own people against one another just to keep them together. But the fearmongers left her little choice, they already lost many people to the siege and she didn't dare lose anymore, especially to short sighted fools.

She also didn't fail to notice that some were locals that seemed to be split as well between wanting to push for her people to leave or to continue welcoming them.

"My great granddaddy fled Ireland, wouldn't sit right to turn them away."

"Maybe they should go to a town or even a city that can afford to house all these people then! We're barely makin' ends meet as it is without all these strangers showin' up! Barely a penny to their name and wantin' what food and water we have left!"

While she could placate her own people, the locals were a whole other matter that she neither had the pull of royalty nor familiarity to sway. She would have to leave that up to the local government to handle. Which just thinking about gave her a headache.

Things have stalled in their talks at the Town Hall. Not like there was much they could do other than exchange cultural knowledge while they waited for the promised aid to arrive. Which just made her feel worse. At least back in Daele she had a measure of assurance that came with the knowledge of being the one making plans, but here she could only hope, pray, and wait.

Her only solace was that the fearmongers were quickly being out shouted and pushed out as the two groups turned on one another, those without a taste for conflict quickly left while those that did fought for their own stances. At the corners of the crowds were the local guards. The Sheriff and one of his deputies looked on with worry for most of it, no doubt concerned for his town's well being and the potential for a riot.

On the other side were the strange greenskins that glared at the group, the goblins smirking and cackling at the thought of being able to take their cruelness out on the poor, desperate, and frustrated people while the tanner and almost human-like goblins stood straight-backed and steely-eyed as they watched the whole thing unfold.

Then there were the thugs that worked for the Thieves Guild that lurked at the edges of the group while those with quick feet and quicker fingers merged into the crowd as they sought to profit on the conflict.

Before things could get too out of hand, a piercing sound came from the police vehicle of the other deputy. The noise alongside the sight of the large and noisy thing startled enough people to break up most of the brawls starting to form. The deputy got out and ran over to the Sheriff where he whispered to him and a look of great relief came over him as he marched over and grabbed something from within.

"People of Somewhere and new arrivals! It is with great pleasure, and relief, that I say that aid has arrived! If you will all just follow the cruiser here to the westside of town we will do what we can to provide you with food, water, and warmth!"

The Sheriff's voice coming out so loud startled plenty of people, but the thought of food and warmth was enough to override that quickly as they followed the metal creature that carried the Sheriff and his deputies towards the west end of town. The Duchess breathed a sigh of relief and her guards relaxed somewhat as well. Only for a nearby voice to tense them back up again.

"It won't be enough."

She turned and saw the man that occupied the room next to hers.

"I'm sorry?"

"The aid that's arriving, that won't be enough. It will either have to be rationed and spread out until more help arrives or it will all be fought over and wasted."

"I'm sorry, and may I ask who you are?"

"Agent William Smith. I am with the Federal Government." The man stated as he dipped his head into a bow.

"Duchess Helena of Daele. Though I guess it would be just Helena, formerly, of Daele." The former Duchess replied.

"To continue in my observation, Your Grace, help from the local government will not be as forthcoming as they, or you, would like and desperately need."

"Am I to assume you have a solution?"

"Me? No, solutions are for people with much higher paygrades than myself!"

"But you know of one?"

"I do. My section of the government has been keeping a close eye on the situation here for some weeks now, to say that your arrival has thrown them into a fit would be an understatement."

"Am I understanding correctly that you are implying that YOUR section of the government is willing to provide aid?"

"Willing and readily! Just gotta cross our I's and dot our T's and all manner of aid will be here within hours, days at the most."

"And what will the cost of this promised aid be?"

"Nothing you yourself aren't already trying to do. Keep your people safe, keep them happy, and most importantly, keep them here."

"Why would you want us to remain here? Isn't your country vast?"

"It is, and in normal circumstances we would seek out ways to get you all properly integrated and safe. But I'm sure you can imagine that your arrival is anything but normal."

"I imagine it is not." She said with a sigh.

"But not to worry! With a bit of paperwork, we'll get you all sorted out and back to doing everyone's favorite pastime!"

"Which would be?"

"Complaining about nothing."

The Duchess cracked a smile, the first she's had in a long time it felt like.

"I guess I can only hope that you are as good as your word then Mr. Smith."

"I try to be. You should get some rest Duchess. Your people need their leader rested."

"I'm not sure if I can truly call myself their leader anymore."

"Maybe not literally. But you still hold weight and influence that many, obviously, will still listen and even follow what you say. So go and get some sleep, me and my men will keep things from exploding for the time being." Smith said as he returned to the hotel room. Leaving the Duchess to continue to stare at the door where the strange man had entered.