Chapter 134: I Oppose This Marriage!

Eddard, accompanied by his family from Winterfell and his retainers, arrived beneath the Barrow Hill and looked up at Barrow Hall, the seat of the Dustin House atop the hill.

The walls of Barrow Hall were made entirely of wood, with square towers at the four corners; an ancient windmill turned slowly behind the castle, casting long, slender shadows in the afterglow of the setting sun.

"Iron Bitch" Helen Pyke gazed at Barrow Hall on the hill. "Barrowton in the Barrowlands, and Barrow Hall in Barrowton. Lady Barbrey, everything in this place of yours is linked to graves; is that auspicious?"

Lady Barbrey said sternly, "Iron Bitch, the North is an ancient place, and the Barrowlands even more so. According to legend, this is the grave of the First King. The First King was the first of the First Men to cross the Arm of Dorne and come to Westeros; he was the first king of the First Men to arrive in Westeros."

Domeric spurred his horse forward. "Aunt, there is another version in the books. Legend has it that the Great Barrow is the grave of an ancient Giant King, who commanded giants here to fight the Children of the Forest, and after dying of old age, he was laid to rest here."

Helen Pyke shrugged. "Whether it's the First King's grave or the Giant King's grave, the castle is built on the Great Barrow; I feel there are many ghosts wandering here."

Lady Barbrey made a face. "Iron Bitch, you and Theon should be careful. The First King will curse outsiders. You Ironborn had better behave yourselves on my turf."

Eddard, Lady Barbrey, Catelyn, Fellan, and others, surrounded by the crowd, rode up the Great Barrow, passed through the ancient bronze gates of Barrow Hall, and entered the castle.

The members of the Dustin House were waiting in the castle. The bald Jason Dustin had a silver-white beard and a sturdy, tall build; Steve Dustin had flowing long brown hair and a lean physique. Both were uncles of Barbrey's late husband, William Dustin.

When Lady Barbrey was away, Steve and Jason jointly managed the fief and the castle; it was said the two brothers never got along.

Paul Dustin was William Dustin's younger brother, short and stocky, clean-shaven, with a pair of gentle eyes; he had always served as the castellan of Barrow Hall.

William Dustin's other younger brother was Delong Dustin, who had a thick beard and messy brown hair; he had always been in charge of the castle guard. When the Northern Army campaigned against Skagos, Delong Dustin fought on behalf of the Dustin House and was in charge of the supply train, completing the task well.

The bald Jason Dustin said with a face full of smiles, "Lord Eddard, your arrival makes our Barrow Hall feel deeply honored. We welcome Lord Eddard, Catelyn Stark, and our friends from Winterfell to our hall."

The lean, long-haired Steve Dustin glared at Fellan. "However, we do not welcome horse thieves, poachers, and their ilk! The raven that flew from Winterfell brought news that Barbrey intends to marry the horse thief Fellan."

Fellan was somewhat angry, but Lady Barbrey spoke first: "Uncle Steve, what do you mean by this? Is my marriage something for you to point fingers at?"

Steve Dustin cleared his throat. "Barbrey, you have married into Barrowton for so many years, and because of the late Lord William, the members of the Dustin House have honored you as the head of the house. As Lady Dustin, your marriage concerns the future succession of the Barrowlands; we of the Dustin House certainly have the right to inquire."

Paul Dustin stroked his smooth chin. "Barbrey, you have been a widow for my brother for many years. If you choose to remarry, I can fully understand, but a marriage should be between equals."

Delong Dustin shook his bearded chin and said excitedly, "Fellan is a poacher from the Wolfswood and a horse thief. He intends to get his hands on the assets of the Dustin House in Barrowton by marrying Barbrey; this is a delusion. We can send him to meet the First King at any time!"

More than a dozen members of the Dustin House protested in a clamor, cursing at Fellan. Lady Barbrey gave a light snort. "You lot, colluding with salt peddlers and trafficking in illicit salt—now that Lord Eddard is right here, do you want me to spill all your dirty secrets?"

The members of the Dustin House went quiet instantly, exchanging suspicious glances. As a widow, Lady Barbrey had been able to rule the Dustin House of Barrowton for more than a decade; she was undoubtedly skilled in political maneuvering.

Eddard raised his voice. "William Dustin was my close friend. He followed me back then and died in battle at the Tower of Joy. Before he died, he entrusted Lady Barbrey to me. I want to tell you all that it was I who facilitated this marriage. You questioning Fellan and questioning this marriage is questioning me."

No one dared to question the Duke of the North. The members of the Dustin House began to appear flustered. Jason Dustin, the eldest among them, said, "Lord Eddard, Fellan is a mere commoner; how can he marry the Lady of Barrowton?"

Eddard pointed his finger at Fellan. "Fellan is a hero who emerged during the Rock-born War. I have already enfeoffed him as Baron Fellan Barrett. He possesses his own fief and manor; he is already a noble under the rule of Winterfell."

Steve Dustin said contemptuously, "A small noble not worth mentioning—what does he have to marry into the ancient and noble Dustin House? Even if we of the Dustin House agreed, Barbrey's natal family, the Ryswell House of the Rills, would not agree!"

Catelyn said, "How do you know what the attitude of the Ryswell House is?"

Jason Dustin said humbly, "Catelyn Stark, Lord Roderick Ryswell, upon hearing that his daughter was to marry Fellan, a former house servant of the Rills, immediately spurred his horse and arrived at Barrow Hall. The people from the Rills arrived three days ago."

The situation was even worse than Eddard had imagined. If both the Dustin House and the Ryswell House opposed Fellan marrying Lady Barbrey, the resistance to this marriage could be imagined.

Before long, Lady Barbrey's father, Lord Roderick Ryswell of the Rills, arrived before Eddard with his two sons, Halson and Rill.

Roderick Ryswell was a ruddy-faced, kind-eyed old man. He wore a brown wool tunic with the horse-head sigil of the Ryswell House of the Rills on his chest. Eddard rarely saw this old man lose his temper, yet at this moment, he seemed furious.

"Lord Eddard, Barbrey is my daughter. Back then, I once proposed to your father, Duke Rickard, hoping that Barbrey could marry your eldest brother Brandon, but unfortunately, the betrothal could not be settled. Later, I married Barbrey to William Dustin, and my other daughter, Bethany, to Roose Bolton of the Dreadfort."

"My standard for choosing a spouse for my daughter is actually very simple: a marriage of equals. Therefore, Barbrey can never marry Fellan."

"When Fellan was a stable boy, he stole my warhorse. Now this thief wants to steal my daughter; I will never accept it!"

"I oppose this marriage!"

(End of chapter)