The Forgotten Son: A Benjen Stark SI

[TheHoneyPot]

Honestly, Benjen should have run to the wall. Better than ending up with Barbrey lol. Your MC lack a backbone. He is a pushover.
We will see how this story continue.

Click to shrink...

Whilst I wouldn't want to read about him at the wall... I think you're right about him being a push over. He's too soft and reactive to be a lord of anything.

As things stand hes probably going to give the reigns to his wife to be, follow her orders and get chucked the moment that nephew of hers arrives...

 

[rahad]

Whilst I wouldn't want to read about him at the wall... I think you're right about him being a push over. He's too soft and reactive to be a lord of anything.

As things stand hes probably going to give the reigns to his wife to be, follow her orders and get chucked the moment that nephew of hers arrives...

Click to shrink...

Exactly. He is getting bossed around by a 19 years kid. In medieval time, lady and female did not have lot of authority. She would have never dared to speak like this to Ned in front of everyone. Heck, the whole Ben x Barbrey is weird. It Is very rare to see a young lord wedding a Widow. They want a ''pure'' maiden. Benjen is also a important lord coming from house Stark. I'm surprise by the choice of wife...

We will see if he improve or stay a push over. He need to have some charisma if he want to be a lord.

 

[KingOfIreland777]

I feel like to much of your modern day view is influencing your story. Barbrey would never dare speak like this to Ned in front of everyone. You keep forgetting that Ned is the third most powerful lord in Westeros. Good friend with the king and the hand of king.

Honestly, Benjen should have run to the wall. Better than ending up with Barbrey lol. Your MC lack a backbone. He is a pushover.
We will see how this story continue.

Click to shrink...

Eh would be boring on the Wall but it could be a funny crack fic .one-shot I'd give you that and I love writing crack fics, my modern-day views are defo influencing things; I won't deny that in the slightest but the Barbrey thing was meant to be completely out of order, that was the point of it.

it's only the third chapter, things take time to develop and the term not having a backbone is subjective, the MC isn't particularly used to being in Westeros they just got there, but with the power of bullshit they will get to a certain point.
Unrelated but I think it's funny:
When I was first thinking of this story a couple years back, the idea was in my head to place Jon on the throne, wait and wait til Robert died and dragonwolf it up, but I didn't, I'd find that boring as fuck but I suppose it could be played for laughs. It just wasn't for me.

 

[KingOfIreland777]

Whilst I wouldn't want to read about him at the wall... I think you're right about him being a push over. He's too soft and reactive to be a lord of anything.

As things stand hes probably going to give the reigns to his wife to be, follow her orders and get chucked the moment that nephew of hers arrives...

Click to shrink...

lol that's not going to happen dont worry but I appreciate that people care enough to be worried that it might

 

[Jimjam]

I like the story so far, though this part kinda stood out to me:

"And I am also the ruling Lady of House Dustin, or have you forgotten the widow's laws of Queen Alysanne as well?" Barbrey hissed back.

[...]

"Do I have the right of this, Lord Stark?" Barbrey spat. And here we go. I muttered to myself. "You wish for me to give up the lands and titles that I am entitled to by the laws of Westeros, just to be a way to make sure your precious wife doesn't have to worry about your bastard boy roaming around the castle?"

[...]

Since Lady Dustin will be remarrying, the widow's laws no longer apply, and the lands of House Dustin will be given to the closest male relative.

Click to shrink...

This isn't the Widow's law as it stands. It's basically to keep the women from being tossed out of her home, not that she gets to keep her position/rights that she had as the wife.

In times of peace, it was not uncommon for a man to outlive the wife of his youth, as women die in the birthing bed, and in times of war, the men may perish in the fight, leaving behind widows. Due to this, men would often take a new wife, whose presence was resented by the children of the first wife, who would often feel no bonds of affection for her. Upon the man's death, his heir could and would often expel the newly widowed wife, reducing her to penury; in the case of lords, the heirs might strip away the widow's prerogatives, incomes and servants, reducing her to no more than an impoverished boarder.

To rectify these ills, in 52 AC King Jaehaerys implemented the Widow's Law, reaffirming the right of the eldest son (or daughter, where there was no son) to inherit, but requiring said heirs to maintain surviving widows in the same conditions they enjoyed before their husband's death. A lord's widow, be she a second, third or fourth wife, could no longer be driven from his castle, nor deprived of her servants, clothing, and income. The same law also forbade a man to disinherit the children by a first wife in order to bestow their lands, seat or property on a later wife or her children.

Click to shrink...

https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Widow%27s_Law

Basically,

• A wife does not inherit her husband's lands. Which is not a problem if it's her child who inherits.
• If the man had an older child from a previous marriage, they inherit. If he has no children, then another family member inherits.
• The widow could then be forced out by the new lord or heir, who has no bond to her and might resent her.
• The Widow's Law prevents this. It grants the widow the right to remain on her husband's lands and continue receiving income until she dies or remarries—not to fully inherit the title or lands.

So in terms of law, Barbrey is wrong. She's talking like she's entitled to lands and titles by default, when in canon she wouldn't be, especially since she and Willam had no child, she just gets a roof over her head and allowance.

Basically it's kinda like alimony.

 

[KingOfIreland777]

I like the story so far, though this part kinda stood out to me:



This isn't the Widow's law as it stands. It's basically to keep the women from being tossed out of her home, not that she gets to keep her position/rights that she had as the wife. Basically,

• A wife does not inherit her husband's lands. Which is not a problem if it's her child who inherits.
• If the man had an older child from a previous marriage (or no children), then another family member inherits.
• Without legal protection, a widow could be forced out by the new lord or heir.
• The Widow's Law is meant to prevent this: it grants the widow the right to remain on her lands and continue receiving income until she dies or remarries—not to fully inherit the title or lands.

So in terms of law, Barbrey is wrong. She's talking like she's entitled to lands and titles by default, when in canon she wouldn't be, she just gets a roof over her head and allowance. As "Lady Dustin" what she really gets is:


Basically it's kinda like alimony:

Click to shrink...

I see, I appreciate that you explain your point! I think I am fine with her being wrong, though, in this case, to me it adds to her just kinda flipping and being OTT with little right to back it up, given who she is talking to.

Alas Ned had it covered with the marriage agreement; the Dustin lands are out of her control the moment she is a Stark, when I first started this story and posted this chapter elsewhere over a year ago, someone did suggest having her keep the Dustin lands, but that's just...yeah no.

So a OC Dustin relative it is