Would Robert have waged war on the North if he found out about Jon (assuming R+L=J)

[The Snowman]

Found a topic like this but its months old and didn't really take off so I thought I'd give it a crack.

While Jon was still an infant or young boy and Robert found out about Jon being Rhaegar's son, what would he do?

Would he call for the boy's head?

If this happened I assume Ned would have said Hell No.

Does it result in war, Robert's Targ hatred was only curbed by Ned on Bob's deathbed so I assume a 'dragonspawn' of his dearest Lyanna would send him over the edge.

I would say that Jon Arryn could/might be able to stop a conflict but if Ned barred Robert from coming to kill Jon then Robert would call his banners and his new pals the Lannisters would be happy to oblige.

[nQthing]

If Robert knew r+l=j then he would want Jon Snow killed. Ned would never give up the baby. Ned and the North would go to war to defend it

[Rickon the Reclaimer]

Robert was an ass and he hated the targs so yes I think he would of and the lannisters and Jon arryn would have backed him up. Of course he would try to persuade Ned first but Ned would not give jon up.

But you also have to think of what highgarden and dorne would do.

Surely they would rally behind jon aswell so maybe Robert would back down with jon being dissowned or something rather than going to war with the north dorne and the reach, maybe even the riverlends?

[nQthing]

Jon Arryn might back Robert but wouldn't war Ned

[Rhaegar Targaryen's Ghost]

it really would have complicated Robert and Ned's friendship. Ned would do anything for his sister, and Robert would have been furious, but I really can't see him willing to go to war if Ned was on the opposite side. Best friends since they were kids, they wouldn't fight on opposite sides. i just couldn't see it.

[winterbird]

I am actually not sure. (working with the assumption that R+L=J) Ned has a need to protect Jon, but is it really from Robert?

The thing is Robert really loved Lyanna. Or as much as he could love any one woman. Maybe she only gets a pedestal because she died, but he thinks so highly of her.

Could he really kill Lyanna's child? Could he kill of that last remaining part of the woman he loved knowing that she begged Ned to care for her child that it was her dying wish? Remember he didn't give the orders to kill Elia and the children that was Tywin. Robert who had never been king might have felt differently about sending someone to kill children. (I'm assuming 15 years in KL twists the mind a bit.)

Robert hates the Targs yes, but he hates them because he loves her. His love fuels his hate. I don't think he could kill Jon knowing that Lyanna loved him. Tywin on the other hand wouldn't have blinked at ordering an assassin to kill the baby. Tywin cared about power plays, Tywin wanted the Targs dead and used Robert's passion to help him with that. Robert did not want revenge on Lyanna though. I think Tywin is the one who would want Jon dead. (Remember Ned doesn't even tell Cat the truth so no one knows so it isn't like he is only hiding it from Robert).

Yes Robert sends an assassin to get Dany, but Dany has no connection to Lyanna and that is after his counselors have been giving him "advice" for 15 years.

ETA: Remember too that Robert listens to Ned (and Jon Arryn) above all else. Especially young Robert who was not yet king.

[lostinwesteros]

Just think back to Robert's reaction about finding Dany was carrying a child, and how he and Ned nearly came to blows over that, then multiply it by "n to the 100th degree".

[Master Of Armies]

Robert was a horrible king, but he would never think to force Ned to kill Jon. Even if Jon is the product of Rhaegar and Lyanna, which I do think he is, he would still be a bastard, because Lyanna and Rhaegar were never actually married.

[winterbird]

Just think back to Robert's reaction about finding Dany was carrying a child, and how he and Ned nearly came to blows over that, then multiply it by "n to the 100th degree".

Danny is not Lyanna and Dany's child was no bastard. Those two things might change Robert's viewpoint.

[The Snowman]

Okay let's just assume that Ned told Cat and you know she said something to someone and then one of Varys' birds told him and he told Robert.

How about if this occurred maybe 3 years after Robert took the throne he was kinda tight with the Lannisters by now...ish.

So Ned has kept this secret for 3 years from Robert.

I am actually not sure. (working with the assumption that R+L=J) Ned has a need to protect Jon, but is it really from Robert?

The thing is Robert really loved Lyanna. Or as much as he could love any one woman. Maybe she only gets a pedestal because she died, but he thinks so highly of her.

Could he really kill Lyanna's child? Could he kill of that last remaining part of the woman he loved knowing that she begged Ned to care for her child that it was her dying wish? Remember he didn't give the orders to kill Elia and the children that was Tywin. Robert who had never been king might have felt differently about sending someone to kill children. (I'm assuming 15 years in KL twists the mind a bit.)

Robert hates the Targs yes, but he hates them because he loves her. His love fuels his hate. I don't think he could kill Jon knowing that Lyanna loved him. Tywin on the other hand wouldn't have blinked at ordering an assassin to kill the baby. Tywin cared about power plays, Tywin wanted the Targs dead and used Robert's passion to help him with that. Robert did not want revenge on Lyanna though. I think Tywin is the one who would want Jon dead. (Remember Ned doesn't even tell Cat the truth so no one knows so it isn't like he is only hiding it from Robert).

Yes Robert sends an assassin to get Dany, but Dany has no connection to Lyanna and that is after his counselors have been giving him "advice" for 15 years.

ETA: Remember too that Robert listens to Ned (and Jon Arryn) above all else. Especially young Robert who was not yet king.

You are right in that his love for Lyanna fueled his hatred for the Targs but would that really extend to being able to hold himself back from a 'rape induced birth of a dragonspawn' (Using Bob's extreme view there)

My question to your post is that would it really matter to Robert if it was Lyanna's child or not? A product of rape, a product of Rhaegar spoiling his beloved Lyanna.....He'd RAGE like only King Bob can.

[The guy from the Vale]

Danny is not Lyanna and Dany's child was no bastard. Those two things might change Robert's viewpoint.

Jon probably isn't a bastard either, going with the King's Guard at the ToJ and Bloodraven calling Jon 'King' repeatedly.

I also think Robert would have tried to have Jon killed. That he was Lyanna's child by Rhaegar (when he himself might have dreamt of having children with her) would probably only fuel his jealousy.

[Master Of Armies]

Jon probably isn't a bastard either, going with the King's Guard at the ToJ and Bloodraven calling Jon 'King' repeatedly.

I also think Robert would have tried to have Jon killed. That he was Lyanna's child by Rhaegar (when he himself might have dreamt of having children with her) would probably only fuel his jealousy.

How isn't he? Rhaegar and Lyanna were never married, so when Lyanna (if she did) conceive Jon, and he was Rhaegars son, he is still a bastard

[salt]

Frighteningly enough, I do think that Robert would indeed go to war with the North if they kept him fom killing Jon Snow. I think his hatred of Rhaegar would be the only thing that could cause him to mach against Ned. If Jon was just a Targaryen? Robert would probably go to war with anyone except Ned and Jon Arryn for his head. But Rhaegar's son? He'd do whatever it took to kill him, even if he hated himself afterwards.

[Ice Turtle]

Frighteningly enough, I do think that Robert would indeed go to war with the North if they kept him fom killing Jon Snow. I think his hatred of Rhaegar would be the only thing that could cause him to mach against Ned. If Jon was just a Targaryen? Robert would probably go to war with anyone except Ned and Jon Arryn for his head. But Rhaegar's son? He'd do whatever it took to kill him, even if he hated himself afterwards.

Not to mention he would have Lannisters, LF and Varys whispering to his ear.

[Every]

Robert would have felt extremely conflicted, I think. He would have hated Jon, but his love for Lyanna and her obvious love of her child (explained to him by Ned) would have complicated his feelings. I really don't think there's any way Robert would have gone to war with the north even if he had known that R+L=J. The realm couldn't have stood another war, and he loved Ned.

[Noelle Snow]

Are you sure they were never married? There's no way three KG members, the best three in fact, would be at the ToJ defending a bastard child of a dead prince when there was a legit brother elsewhere....unless said baby was, in the view of the KG, the new king. And the only way that would be is if Lyanna and Rhaegar were married or Jon was legitimized. Can't see Aerys legitimizing Jon so that only leaves one option.

As for Robert, I think his jealousy and rage at the Targs and the loss of Lyanna was so great that it would fuel him more than his love for Ned. So yes, I think he'd do everything he could to have Jon killed.

[The guy from the Vale]

How isn't he? Rhaegar and Lyanna were never married, so when Lyanna (if she did) conceive Jon, and he was Rhaegars son, he is still a bastard

We don't know if they were married, but there is reason to believe they were. Remember that there is precedent for polygamy among Targaryens; Aegon I married both his sisters, not only one of them. Maegor the Cruel practised polygamy, too.

Then there's the fact that a number of hints (like the KG at the ToJ, or Bloodraven calling Jon 'King') point out that Jon must have been born legitimate, which would only be possible if Rhaegar and Lyanna married.

[Rickon the Reclaimer]

I dont see why Robert would spare Jon out of love for Lyanna.

He was already sleeping with other woman before Lyanna died (Mya Stone, his bastard, is older than the rebelion).

He was in love with the idea of Lyanna and was only so set on getting her back because she was HIS.

Plus Jon was his worst enemies son.

Ned is the only thing that would make him think twice but he would still try kill Jon.

Plus Tywin killed the two Targ kids because he knew it would gain him favour with robert.Robert was relieved that they died so why not Jon?

[salt]

Robert would have felt extremely conflicted, I think. He would have hated Jon, but his love for Lyanna and her obvious love of her child (explained to him by Ned) would have complicated his feelings. I really don't think there's any way Robert would have gone to war with the north even if he had known that R+L=J. The realm couldn't have stood another war, and he loved Ned.

Robert barely new Lyanna, he hated Rhaegar more than he ever loved her. His rage at Rhaegar wasn't just because he loved Lyanna, it was because he took something that belonged to me! The knowledge that Rhaegar took his bride and he could never get her back was enough to almost destoy him as a man, can you imagine how he would feel to learn they had a son together? He has blonde psychopath Joffrey, and Rhaegar had intelligent and strong Jon with the woman he loved? He would feel that even in death, Rhaegar had won and was mocking him, and I don't think anything but death would have stopped him from killing Jon.

[Black Wolf Smith]

I just skip the quotes there are to many little parts, and some of sounds the same.

Whether or not Robert would ever say so, part of the reason that he wanted Dany's child dead was that child would be a threat to "his" Crown and kids. You can not reign while having someone eles out there with a greater claim to your throne. Or even as close to as good as your on (think Blackfyre)*1

Part of the reason Robert goes at Ned so strongly with the Dany thing is Robert thinks he can get Ned to back down. He knows that Ned would think its wrong, but it is also wrong to disobey your king, so Robert thinks that between the two wrongs his friendship will pull Ned to his side, he was wrong about that too.

As to the OP itself, I just don't know. I don't think Jon being L is why, but Ned. If Robert found out, he would have to have to kill Jon, and wouldn't have a problem with it. But he would know that in doing so that he would lose Ned, and I am not sure he would have done that it (at least not in the open, or where he could have been blaimed)

*1 I believe this both in general and in this thread, even it conflicts with my own crack pot theory, somewhat.