Would Rhaegar have been a better father to Jon than Ned?

[Spartan64Destiny]

In regards to Elia of Dorne treating Jon just as bad as Catelyn did growing up, my answer to that would be "no." I truly believe Elia knew where she stood as the wife of Rhaegar Targaryen and the mutuality involving love in their marriage which more than likely was not present. Rhaegar and Elia's marriage arrangement was based solely on the purpose of duty for both House Martel, Targaryen and The Realm. Both Targaryens and Martel's Dornish cultures practiced polygamy often along with having open relationships and because of that notion, I don't think Elia ever felt betrayed by Rhaegar when he ran off to marry Lyanna Stark. Before experiencing birthing complications to both Rhaenys and Aegon, which almost left her permanently bedridden, she already had prior health issues growing up according to Oberyn Martel and due to that fact, I really do not think she had any unnecessary energy to waste being hateful or ice cold towards Jon Snow had he been raised in Kings Landing. .

[jon stark I]

There is no easy way of telling Jon who his mother is.If he is Rhaegars son then what did you expect Ned to say?

Ned:Hello Jon it is time you learned the truth about your mother.Your mother is Lyanna.She and Rhaegar eloped and had a nice sexy year in TOJ.Then my brother demanded Rhaegars had under the suspection of Rhaegar kidnaped Lyanna which caused your grandfathers and uncles deaths.Then we started a war to end Targeryan dynasty andwe captured KL which caused your Targeryan siblings deaths.Then I searched for your mother like crazy and I found her in TOJ.We killed all KG I lost 5 of my best friends your mother made me take you as mine.Ohhh by the way your father died in trident.Yeah thats all Iguess.Ohhh one more thing because of your mother "love" I lost my father, brother and probably lost the love of my love Ashara.I then married Cat to make sure Tullys fought besides us.

Jon:hmmmmm.....So what you are saying is because of my parents "love" hundreds of people died my entire family died and you lost your honor?So could we just pretend this never happened?

Or if Jon is really Neds bastard(I still believe he is or I would choose him being Neds bastard then the alternetive) then what would Jon do visit her mother tell how they spend time together.Do you really think Cat would allow Jon to stay in WF if she knew her mother was alive or if she knew where Jons mother was?Only reason Cat kept silent is because of not knowing.

[CosimaistheHottest]

In regards to Elia of Dorne treating Jon just as bad as Catelyn did growing up, my answer to that would be "no." I truly believe Elia knew where she stood as the wife of Rhaegar Targaryen and the mutuality involving love in their marriage which more than likely was not present. Rhaegar and Elia's marriage arrangement was based solely on the purpose of duty for both House Martel, Targaryen and The Realm. Both Targaryens and Martel's Dornish cultures practiced polygamy often along with having open relationships and because of that notion, I don't think Elia ever felt betrayed by Rhaegar when he ran off to marry Lyanna Stark. Before experiencing birthing complications to both Rhaenys and Aegon, which almost left her permanently bedridden, she already had prior health issues growing up according to Oberyn Martel and due to that fact, I really do not think she had any unnecessary energy to waste being hateful or ice cold towards Jon Snow had he been raised in Kings Landing. .

Elia wouldn't have anything to do with Jon. She isn't his mother or his stepmother. Jon would have his own mother. We don't know if Elia knows where she stands with Rhaegar because of the simple fact. That he has humiliated her before at the Tourney of Harrenhall in front of thosands of people and then again when he ran off with Lyanna. Especially if he is trying to get another wife and willing to destroy other's alliances to do it. Who's to say that Elia wasn't in the room while Rickard and Brandon Stark weren't being murdered. She knows that could easily be her and any promise that Rhaegar made was a lie.

Look at this scene right here. The war is now over. Elia is looking out the castle window as Rhaegar and his Kingsguard are riding up to the castle gates. He jumps off then goes to another horse and gently helps Lyanna get down while she is holding her baby. They are gazing down lovingly. More than he ever did with any of her children. WTF. Everyone has now come to flock over Rhaegar and Lyanna. Do you really expect her or any woman put into that certain situation to go down there and greet them and be happy? If you can honestly say yes, then I say Wow.

The Dornish do not practice polygamy. They have paramours. It has actually been said that all Dornishmen do not hold to these ways. Just because a Dornishman or woman has a paramour, doesn't mean that their spouse actually likes it. Dornish aren't that liberated. Hell, we just have to look at Quentyn and Doran as compared to Arianne and Oberyn to realize how different Dornishmen are. With Doran, I doubt after his wife left that he ever took a paramour even though he could because that wasn't his personality. Who's to say it is Elia. Sometimes some spouses have all the power to do whatever they want in the relationship even if the spouse objects which could be the case of Elia and Rhaegar.

Feel betrayed. She may not feel betrayed but Elia is a smart woman who knows how bad it looks. My God. Rhaegar ran off with another woman. Even the most heartless or indifferent of women would care about that. Especially since Elia was left with his crazy father who is King and later became a hostage to him.

I don't think her health has anything to do with if someone can be hateful or cold to someone. There are plenty of sick people who hate people regularly. It could be the simple case of she doesn't care about Jon. She doesn't have to care about him and he can stay out of her sight because she has nothing to do with him. Jon would have his own father and mother. She doesn't have to love and she can keep her distance and no one would expect her not to not even Rhaegar and Lyanna.

No one ever talks about what Lyanna would do with her lover's kids. I mean she ran off with a father of two, one of which was a newborn baby. Talk about bold. At times, even the most irresponsible and impulsive of women wouldn't do that.

Who's to say that willful and strong Lyanna wouldn't hate Aegon and Rhaenys and that she wouldn't try to get them out of the way so that her child can become King. She could become the next Alicent Hightower.

[joluoto]

Ned was a great father to Jon. I doubt anyone could beat that.

[The Wolf Lord's Daughter]

Is this a troll? Lol, No! Honestly, Ned was one of the best fathers in this series, while Rhaegar was, well, a pretty sucky one.

[Dornishwoman's Husband]

I don't know for Rhaegar, but Lyanna would be a good mother for sure.

[Dead Wolf]

No. This is the guy who just ditched his family to run off with another woman who he barely knew, and started a fucking war. Ned is Jon's true father, and he's better off that way

[Nami]

If anything I think he would expect a lot more from his children, especialy the boys. I think he would be hard on them, not mean, but expecting great results.

I think he was close to Rhaenys, so he would probably have a better relationship with his daughter.

[Anath]

So far, we have seen Rhaegar with only one of his children - Aegon, in the scene in the HotU. I am not overly impressed. I got the impression that Rhaegar didn't see the boy as his son but the fulfillment of a prophecy. He came across as someone who didn't know how to be a father and didn't particularly care to find out.

Still, it might have been different with Jon, the son of the woman Rhaegar supposedly loved. But a better father than Ned? Hardly.

[CosimaistheHottest]

If anything I think he would expect a lot more from his children, especialy the boys. I think he would be hard on them, not mean, but expecting great results.

I think he was close to Rhaenys, so he would probably have a better relationship with his daughter.

Yea. Good Lord, what would happen if his children decide not to follow his wishes? They decide to have their own life that doesn't revolve around a obscure prophecy. What would he do? What if they decide that they aren't going to marry their siblings? Since they see how well it got him, they run off with the person they truly love. Let's see how well he takes that.

He would have a cow.

I don't really know how close he was to any of them when you think about it. Like what Anath said, he saw Aegon as the fulfillment of the prophecy. As soon as little Aegon was born, he left not to long after and didn't could back till months later. Babies change so much during that time. He may even be sitting up some, smiling, and other things. He probably looked totally different. Rhaegar missed it all.

Rhaenys is also a relationship that can go either way. She hid under of bed and Tywin seems to think because she thought Rhaegar would protect her. But that doesn't really mean anything when you think about the fact that it may have been a really big bed and also dark so no one would look for her there. It could have been her favorite hiding place. Although it may mean they had a good relationship.

We also see how playful and happy of a relationship Robert had with Mya during his time with her. Then, he left and never came back. Robert isn't gonna be winning any fatherly awards and no one would even call him a decent father so everything is up in the air.

[Spartan64Destiny]

It seems as though if you were of noble birth during the Medieval Times your life was just as harsh as a low born peasant because if you cannot love who want to love and your mandatorily forced to fulfill or meet the standards of society you were born into, life just SUCKS no matter how rich you really are............

[CosimaistheHottest]

It seems as though if you were of noble birth during the Medieval Times your life was just as harsh as a low born peasant because if you cannot love who want to love and your mandatorily forced to fulfill or meet the standards of society you were born into, life just SUCKS no matter how rich you really are............

Yup those nobles have it just as bad as the peasants. Yup. The nobles have the basic necessities and the luxuries of life. Not so for the peasants. Nobles can destroy the lives of peasants and become kings. If a peasant did that, they would be dead. Peasants are the first to die in the wars of nobles. Yet the nobles have it just as bad. Yeah. NOT!!!

You have been given these privileges and they come with a price. If you don't want to pay the price, then you shouldn't take the privileges and just leave. But these people want to have their cake and eat it too. Well it doesn't work that way.

Dude from what we know about Rhaegar. Even marrying Lyanna, he probably would have never been truly happy. Barristan even says that he loved Lyanna, but he also said that he never had it in himself to be happy. What does that say about a person? It's possible that Lyanna would have made him happy for a little while. Then he would go back to his moodiness and depression. That doesn't even get into how Lyanna would feel about her husband always being moody and always having to be the one to cheer him up. And him playing songs in a ruined castle that tragically killed probably dozens of people including family members not 25 years before. When it is all said and done, is that the kind of relationship that she would want or would she come to resent Rhaegar for it and realize her follies as a youth.

[TheNorth's1stKnight]

no way ned is the man

[Wmarshal]

He wasn't that good a father to his own kids.

[Lee-Sensei]

Rhea gar abandoned his other kids, he'd probably have done the same thing to jon.

[Galaxian]

Jon Waters? No thanks, it was better that Ned raised him.

[Hos the Hostage]

Nope. The Targs suck at parenting.

Agree.

The Targaryens always had bigger concerns than taking care of their children and raising them properly. Even Dany, the 'Mother of Dragons' and Mhysa made a botch of both roles.

Rhaegar would be in Harrenhal singing, or ruling. If Lyanna died, and Elia had to look after Jon as well, I think Elia would have been a better mother to Jon than Catelyn ever was, if at all she was. Elia wanted to nurse Tyrion. I think she would have loved Jon. Judging by Oberyn, Dorne is more accommodating of paramours and extra marital affairs than the other kingdoms.

[lyannaisalive]

Maybe. Aegon could look at Jon as a big brother, and maybe Rhaenys would have been a little like Arya. /shrug

They were both older than Jon. Aegon was one and Rhaenys was 3 I think

[of man and wolf]

It's always better to be a Stark than a Targ, so nope.

[Winterfell is Burning]

Considering he thought it would be a good idea to leave his children with his completely mad father for several months, I doubt it. Even more in the very likely event that he expected Jon to be a girl, adding that to the fact that Lyanna died during to the childbirth, meaning he won't get the chance of making a Visenya with his chosen one.

I mean, I doubt he would be Tywin bad, but this isn't a particularly high standard.