Chapter 136: Vodka and the Barrow Hall Ball

A few days later, Wyman Manderly of White Harbor, Roose Bolton of the Dreadfort, Greatjon Umber of Last Hearth, Lord Rickard Karstark of Karhold, Medger Cerwyn of Cerwyn, Lady Maege Mormont of Bear Island, Galbart Glover of Deepwood Motte, his brother Robett Glover, Herman Tallhart of Torrhen's Square, and others arrived one after another.

The vassals of the North gathered at Barrow Hall to attend the wedding of Fellan the marksman and Lady Barbrey.

Because Lady Barbrey was a daughter of the Rills and had governed Barrow Hall for many years, and because this marriage had been personally brokered by Eddard, Duke of the North, almost all the Northern nobility were present, including the Flint clans, the Wull clan, and the Norrey clan from the Northern Mountains, as well as the Flints of Widow's Watch and the Flints of Flint's Finger.

Except for the reclusive Crannogmen and the geographically remote Rockborn, the Northern nobility were all in attendance.

Eddard had his attendants from Winterfell bring out the fine wines and spirits they had brought: Blue Noble blueberry wine brewed by the Winterfell brewery, mead, and a new beer-based spirit called Vodka; the moment they appeared, they drew endless praise from the Northern nobles.

Utilizing the still invented by Eddard, the brewing craft at Winterfell had advanced by leaps and bounds; Eddard, working with the master brewer and the Alchemist Ginter, had brought whiskey and vodka to the North.

The climate of the North was cold, and drinking could ward off the chill. High-proof spirits like whiskey and vodka were destined to become the favorites of the Northern nobility.

However, whiskey required aging; it needed to be stored in wooden barrels for several years to achieve high quality, so the first batch of whiskey brewed in Winterfell was stored in the cellar.

Vodka, brewed from barley, wheat, and rye, did not require aging, and thus it became the biggest surprise at the wedding of Barbrey and Fellan; Greatjon, Lord Wyman, and "Big Bucket" Wull all praised the vodka endlessly.

Greatjon tasted the vodka and exclaimed, "Lord Eddard, this vodka has a mellow texture; when it hits the mouth, it feels like it's on fire, and before long, this heat spreads throughout the whole body. If Winterfell just brews vodka in the future, it will make a fortune."

Eddard laughed, "Vodka paired with caviar, salmon, maple syrup, boar meat, wild mushrooms, and other side dishes will have an even better effect."

Lord Wyman laughed, "Lord Eddard, your Winterfell brewery must expand its scale! If this vodka is taken to White Harbor to be sold, it will surely be snatched up. If sold to Braavos, King's Landing, Gulltown, or Pentos, it will also be a hot commodity."

Fine wine and a ball were indispensable for a wedding.

Many vassals brought their daughters; Alys Karstark, daughter of Lord Rickard Karstark, Jonelle Cerwyn, daughter of Lord Medger Cerwyn, and the heir to Bear Island, Dacey Mormont, were all present.

Jonelle Cerwyn was already thirty years old; although she had never been married and had no children, her figure was as full as a matron's. She clumsily invited Robb to dance, and, being shy, she was clearly very uncomfortable in such a setting.

Alys Karstark was about the same age as Robb; she was thin and tall, with brown hair and blue eyes. At the ball, she made all sorts of sharp jokes at Jon, Theon, and Domeric, showing a wild spirit.

But when she danced with Robb, Alys Karstark instantly transformed from a wild girl into a gentle and quiet noble lady, whispering softly in Robb's arms.

Dacey Mormont appeared at the ball wearing leather armor; being slim, she was a warrior, and among these noble ladies, Robb seemed to like Dacey more.

Catelyn and Eddard sat on the high dais, watching Robb being surrounded by a group of Northern noble ladies. Catelyn said helplessly, "My son Robb is not yet an adult, and he is already surrounded by so many girls. Robb is too charming; he is destined to be a handsome man."

"Robb's charm comes from his status," Eddard lowered his voice. "Robb is the heir to Winterfell, and these nobles all want to marry their daughters to Robb. Back in the day, my older brother Brandon was also the darling of the balls; no matter where he went, he was always surrounded by noble beauties."

Catelyn teased with a wicked smile, "Eddard, where Brandon was, you were rarely noticed by girls, right? You have always lived in Brandon's shadow."

Eddard noticed that there were many girls inviting Theon and Domeric to dance, but those who asked Jon Snow to dance were mostly maids, with very few noble girls. This was the gap between a bastard and a noble!

People were always snobbish. Eddard noticed that Sansa was invited to dance in turns by Daryn Hornwood of Hornwood, Cley Cerwyn of Cerwyn, Harrion Karstark, Torrhen, and Eddard.

Eddard did not doubt that at such a ball, the vassals of the North were all instructing their children to build good relationships with the children of House Stark of Winterfell, and if they could develop a romantic relationship, that would be even better. Once they could marry into Winterfell, the vassals could enjoy various favors from Winterfell for at least a generation.

On the night before the wedding, taking advantage of the gathering of vassals, Eddard summoned them to the great hall of Barrow Hall.

Lord Wyman of White Harbor appeared at Eddard's right hand, Lady Barbrey appeared at Eddard's left hand, Roose Bolton sat next to Barbrey, and the other vassals were seated in order.

Eddard had originally intended to announce the development plan for the North and the threat of the Wildlings and Rockborn, but unexpectedly, as soon as the meeting began, the vassals immediately started accusing one another.

The good-natured Lord Haris Hornwood acted out of character this time and was the first to attack. He glared at Roose Bolton and said indignantly, "Lord Eddard, the people of the Dreadfort are hunting and looting in my Ram's Gate territory. The evil servants of the Dreadfort, Reek, Ben Bones, Damon the Dancer, and others, are looting and raping in my territory, and Lord Roose Bolton is actually shielding these evil servants."

Roose Bolton said in a soft voice, "Lord Eddard, these accusations are groundless. The village Lord Hornwood speaks of is located in the border area between my territory and his; that was originally Dreadfort land, and besides, it was the Hornwood people who struck first."

The territory of House Hornwood was, quite sadly, located between the Dreadfort and White Harbor. Most of the Hornwood territory was located in the upper reaches of Ram's Gate and the Broken Branch River, and historically, it had been repeatedly encroached upon by White Harbor and the Dreadfort.

By the generation of Lord Haris Hornwood, Haris Hornwood decided to break the awkward situation and develop a wide range of allies in the North. He married Donella Manderly, who was a cousin of Wyman Manderly; in this way, Hornwood became in-laws with the Manderly family of White Harbor.

Lord Haris Hornwood married his sister to Lamberd Tallhart, who was the younger brother of Herman Tallhart, Lord of Torrhen's Square; in this way, Hornwood reached an in-law relationship with Torrhen's Square.

In addition, Haris Hornwood also sent his bastard son, Lawrence Snow, to Deepwood Motte to be a ward of Galbart Glover, Lord of Deepwood Motte, hoping that Deepwood Motte would support Hornwood.

(End of chapter)