Lyanna and Rhaegar.

[King Robert's Warhammer]

Forgive me folks as I'm at work so don't have my books.

We know that R became smitten with L at the Tourney and named her QOLAB but did they get any other opportunities to meet up and properly fall in love before deciding to run off?

Also is it possible that L simply ran to R? We learn that she is a horsewoman of some renown.

[profilebegone]

I have no idea what the answer to your questions are, but I do know that QOLAB, or perhaps Q.L.A.B., will be the name of my feminist nerd-rap collective. Thanks!

[Steinnis]

The text implies the HH tourney was their first meeting. There is also specualtion that Lyanna was the Knight of the Laughing Tree, and Rhaegar was sent by Aerys to hunt him down. Rhaegar never returned for a few days, and never found the KotLT. He could of been off with Lyanna and used his 'hunt' for a cover story.

Check out the many threads this has already been discussed on.

[Groat]

Meera tells Bran the story of the Knight of the Laughing Tree. The story features a mysterious knight, who is skilled, but short in stature, who bests some knights, then disappears. The story that Meera told lends one to believe that the Knight of the Laughing Tree was a young Howland Reed, however something curious about the story is how after the KotLT disappears, Aerys ordered Rhaegar to find his identity. Rhaegar apparantly never found the person, but most people speculate that Lyanna was the KotLT and Rhaegar found her and thus the love began.

[ab aeterno]

Forgive me folks as I'm at work so don't have my books.

We know that R became smitten with L at the Tourney and named her QOLAB but did they get any other opportunities to meet up and properly fall in love before deciding to run off?

Also is it possible that L simply ran to R? We learn that she is a horsewoman of some renown.

My personal suspicion is that Lyanna had a lot of agency in this, and at the very least went willingly, given her personality and concerns about Robert, as well as some other hints.

[joluoto]

I have a hard time understanding how a girl complaining about how Robert would never be able to be pleased with just one woman would run to a married man. That just makes her a hypocrite. It would destroy her character all together. No, I think form all evidence we have the most likely scenario is that Rhaegar kidnapped her.

[Creepio]

I have a hard time understanding how a girl complaining about how Robert would never be able to be pleased with just one woman would run to a married man. That just makes her a hypocrite. It would destroy her character all together. No, I think form all evidence we have the most likely scenario is that Rhaegar kidnapped her.

She wasn't complaining about Robert, she was just like "he is who he is, regardless of his feelings for me." Also a hormonal, 14-year old girl making an impulsive decision based on love/lust isn't exactly shocking. She's not a hypocrite so much as she is a bit of a wildcard.

[The Taxman]

I have a hard time understanding how a girl complaining about how Robert would never be able to be pleased with just one woman would run to a married man. That just makes her a hypocrite. It would destroy her character all together. No, I think form all evidence we have the most likely scenario is that Rhaegar kidnapped her.

But dude it's Rhaegar

[Ti-Guy]

I have a hard time understanding how a girl complaining about how Robert would never be able to be pleased with just one woman would run to a married man. That just makes her a hypocrite. It would destroy her character all together. No, I think form all evidence we have the most likely scenario is that Rhaegar kidnapped her.

There's still a difference between a guy that goes for every girls he meets and another one who's married to one and for some reason declare his love to her (would be very interesting to know what Rhaegar told Lyanna because from Danny's vision we saw that he was pretty clear with Elia when saying the dragon will need a third head).

[corbon]

Forgive me folks as I'm at work so don't have my books.

We know that R became smitten with L at the Tourney

No, we don't. We believe greatly impressed.

At this time he is still working on his three heads of the dragon with Elia, who becomes pregnant around the time of the tourney. 9 months later she gives birth to Aegon and the Maesters declare she can't risk having more kids. We see Dany's vision of the three of them together, and Rhaegars says "there must be one more". Only then, when Elia cannot produce another, does Rhaegar need a new woman, and likely his mind casts back to the beautiful, brave, spirited, honourable girl who was the KotLT.

and named her QOLAB

Yes.

Most likely not out of love or desire, but because it was a way of honouring her for the KotLT performance, which couldn't be done publically due to Aerys' enmity.

but did they get any other opportunities to meet up and properly fall in love before deciding to run off?

This is completely unknown, but seems likely.

Also is it possible that L simply ran to R? We learn that she is a horsewoman of some renown.

Many things are possible. At this stage we just don't have any data to speculate with any confidence.

[UVA]

I have no idea what the answer to your questions are, but I do know that QOLAB, or perhaps Q.L.A.B., will be the name of my feminist nerd-rap collective. Thanks!

If for no other reason, I'm so glad I logged on today to read this. :P

[Ser Luke.]

If for no other reason, I'm so glad I logged on today to read this. :P

Me too :lol:

[profilebegone]

If for no other reason, I'm so glad I logged on today to read this. :P

Me too :lol:

I aim to please.

[Nami]

We only know maybe 10% of what really happened

I don't think they didn't speak for a whole year, then Rhaegar showed up whenever and was like "hey Lyanna let's go" and she agreed,

I believe they started something in the tourney and that escalated to an affair by meeting occasionally through events in the land and keeping contact

That is if we go by that Lyanna went willingly

I don't think he went to Winterfell and took her. She was probably on her way to Riverrun, for Brandon's wedding. And after that she was going to Storm's End to marry Robert

So she was in the south

[Pikachu101]

Tbh I think it's kinda disturbing for a grown man to be attracted to a 13 year old. Especially if Lyanna was a late bloomer.

I don't think a proper introduction and meeting was needed, they both fit each others needs:

Rhaegar wants a third head

Lyanna probably wanted to escape marriage

I wouldn't go as far as to say it was a love on the same level as Ned and Cat's, because it wasn't. We know little about R+L except that Rhaegar was obsessed with ASOIAF and Lyanna was a teenager and a Stark

I honestly don't like that whole love at first sight and star crossed, tragic lovers crap. That's so damn boring :stillsick:

[Rhaegarsjoy]

I have a hard time understanding how a girl complaining about how Robert would never be able to be pleased with just one woman would run to a married man. That just makes her a hypocrite. It would destroy her character all together. No, I think form all evidence we have the most likely scenario is that Rhaegar kidnapped her.

I agree with the first bit, why would she say she doesnt want to be the Wife of a philandering man but ok with being the mistress of a similar man doesn't make sense. I think she ran away and he agreed to help her no one will go looking for her in dorne until maybe he becomes king and have the power to set their betrothal aside and everything else just happened.

[Nictarion]

Tbh I think it's kinda disturbing for a grown man to be attracted to a 13 year old. Especially if Lyanna was a late bloomer.

I thought Lyanna was 16.

[Rhaegarsjoy]

I think she was 15 and he was 23 when they 'ran away' together, which is normal for westeros. What's destroying is jorah married a 13 yr old when he was 30 and and now at 45 another 13 yrs old. Barristen loved Ashara when he was 45 iirc and she was young. Sandor and sansa, what's with all the middle aged men into 13 yr old girls?

[Ygrain]

I thought Lyanna was 16.

She was not yet sixteen when she died.

ETA: As for the age issue... Lady Rohanne Webber in Sworn Sword: “Old men are frail, I know. I learned that from my second husband. I was thirteen when we wed. He would have been five-and-fifty on his next name day, had he lived long enough to see it. When he was half a year in the ground, I gave him a little son." Curiously, Dunk doesn't think this gross, and no-one makes any comment on Tyrion marrying and bedding Sansa.

I agree with the first bit, why would she say she doesnt want to be the Wife of a philandering man but ok with being the mistress of a similar man doesn't make sense. I think she ran away and he agreed to help her no one will go looking for her in dorne until maybe he becomes king and have the power to set their betrothal aside and everything else just happened.

Perhaps she was more OK with being a second wife ;-)

[Pikachu101]

I thought Lyanna was 16.

She was 13 at Harrenhal and the OP thinks Rhaegar was attracted to her. That's just twisted, I still have issues with SanSan and Tyrion/Sansa

Perhaps she was more OK with being a second wife ;-)

I actually agree with this. Lyanna was 16, in love and had no ambition whatsoever. She wouldn't mind being the second wife, someone like Cersei would but not Lyanna