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What was Rhaegar doing during Defiance of Duskendale?


Mithras

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I don't think that's an accurate description of Tywin in the field at all. If it were, he'd have attacked Duskendale right off and Aerys would have been killed. His destruction of the Reynes and Tarbecks was no impulsive act -- Tywin knew exactly what he was doing and was effect he intended his actions to have.

Tywin is not "over the top" -- he is just very, very, very thorough. (Gregor is over the top. And Tywin disapproves strongly.)

What talking about? Being over the top is his thing. KL, DDD, the riverlands, Reynes, he murdered and butchered this people to the extreme. Tywin pushes Gregor to be a murderous bastard.

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Rhaegar was a Crown Prince, this is no need to put himself in danger while Tywin is handling things, Most likely since he wasn't mentioned, he was either in KL,DS or Summerhall.


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There is no evidence at all that Rhaegar ran the affairs of the realm. He seemed pretty incompetent to run them with the way he handled Lyanna.

He'd hardly be the first person to be otherwise competent and get stupid when love gets involved. "Love is the death of honor" and all that.

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About ruling; A ruler does not do everything on his own.



“He left you to rule in Sunspear when he took himself off to his Water Gardens, did he not?”

“To rule? No. He left his cousin Ser Manfrey as castellan, old blind Ricasso as seneschal, his bailiffs to collect duties and taxes for his treasurer Alyse Ladybright to count, his shariffs to police the shadow city, his justiciars to sit in judgment, and Maester Myles to deal with any letters not requiring the prince’s own attention. Above them all he placed the Red Viper. My charge was feasts and frolics, and the entertainment of distinguished guests. Oberyn would visit the Water Gardens twice a fortnight. Me, he summoned twice a year."

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About ruling; A ruler does not do everything on his own.

He left you to rule in Sunspear when he took himself off to his Water Gardens, did he not?

To rule? No. He left his cousin Ser Manfrey as castellan, old blind Ricasso as seneschal, his bailiffs to collect duties and taxes for his treasurer Alyse Ladybright to count, his shariffs to police the shadow city, his justiciars to sit in judgment, and Maester Myles to deal with any letters not requiring the princes own attention. Above them all he placed the Red Viper. My charge was feasts and frolics, and the entertainment of distinguished guests. Oberyn would visit the Water Gardens twice a fortnight. Me, he summoned twice a year."

Doran was crippled, was Rhaegar?

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Rhaegar was a Crown Prince, this is no need to put himself in danger while Tywin is handling things, Most likely since he wasn't mentioned, he was either in KL,DS or Summerhall.

Tywin has to direct lea, just command from the reserves.

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Rhaegar was a Crown Prince, this is no need to put himself in danger while Tywin is handling things, Most likely since he wasn't mentioned, he was either in KL,DS or Summerhall.

Exactly. The king was prisoner with rebels and the Hand was trying to get him back. Who do people supposed would take over ruling in King's Landing for the six months that king and Hand were absent?

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Exactly. The king was prisoner with rebels and the Hand was trying to get him back. Who do people supposed would take over ruling in King's Landing for the six months that king and Hand were absent?

The Master of Law.

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Tywin was clearly willing to march into Duskendale and sack the place, even if (or perhaps because) the hostage takers would kill the king.


Barristan infiltrated and saved the king because he knew this was coming. King Aerys was probably in more danger from Tywin than he was from the Darklyns.






I don't think the heir to the throne goes on rescue missions. It doesn't make sense for him to "risk his life". If he wanted to, no one would stop him from trying but it just makes no sense for him to place himself in danger. And for what?






Indeed. The Kingsguard would not be doing their job if they allowed the heir to the crown to go into the same danger that the king was in. Rhaegar was no idiot - the solution to having one person hostage is not the give the abductors a second.

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Possibly but unlikely.

The crown prince outranks him by a wide margin and so is more likely to have held the power.

How? Crown Prince's aren't given command unless they take a seat on the SC or if named regent. Also if he did take command, Barry in his fishing expatiation for tales of Rhaegar he would have mentioned it. Ruling for a year beats going to ruins to write emo songs.

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I think the OP asked a great question. The King is being held hostage, making Rhaegar, the Crown Prince, effectively the sovereign in his stead. Proper delegation means having your subordinates deal with the small stuff, not the single most important thing at the time.


Given that the conflict involves the life of the sovereign, Rhaegar's presence is actually pretty important. No, he shouldn't be the guy lead the charge at the gates, but he does need to be there to make decisions regarding the future of the realm. He needs to be the one offering terms, not Tywin. And when it's over, if it's anyone's job to ask for clememcy, it's the Crown Prince, not Barristan.




Rhaegar was a Crown Prince, this is no need to put himself in danger while Tywin is handling things, Most likely since he wasn't mentioned, he was either in KL,DS or Summerhall.





How much danger was really there? This was one rebellious house completely surrounded on all sides by a superior force. We're not talking about Rhaegar trying to end the conflict single-handed (like Aerys apparently did). We're talking about Rhaegar being in the command tent discussing matters of state with the Hand, while surrounded by 20,000 soldiers.


Dealing with the rebels who hold his father (the King) hostage is exactly what the Crown Prince should be doing. The situation demands both the Hand and the Crown Prince (and, really, most of the small council).

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I think the OP asked a great question. The King is being held hostage, making Rhaegar, the Crown Prince, effectively the sovereign in his stead. Proper delegation means having your subordinates deal with the small stuff, not the single most important thing at the time.

Given that the conflict involves the life of the sovereign, Rhaegar's presence is actually pretty important. No, he shouldn't be the guy lead the charge at the gates, but he does need to be there to make decisions regarding the future of the realm. He needs to be the one offering terms, not Tywin. And when it's over, if it's anyone's job to ask for clememcy, it's the Crown Prince, not Barristan.

How much danger was really there? This was one rebellious house completely surrounded on all sides by a superior force. We're not talking about Rhaegar trying to end the conflict single-handed (like Aerys apparently did). We're talking about Rhaegar being in the command tent discussing matters of state with the Hand, while surrounded by 20,000 soldiers.

Dealing with the rebels who hold his father (the King) hostage is exactly what the Crown Prince should be doing. The situation demands both the Hand and the Crown Prince (and, really, most of the small council).

In any case, Rhaegar did not act. Perhaps one sees why Aerys became a bit paranoid too, wondering if his Hand and his firstborn son even wanted him to get out of that situation alive.

Regarding the danger - in battle there is always danger. A stray arrow, a falling horse, or any number of inopportune things take place and you can die. Especially if you do an unwise thing like go to the frontlines - Rhaegar himself makes the best case for this later in life, when he faces off against Robert and gets killed.

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In any case, Rhaegar did not act. Perhaps one sees why Aerys became a bit paranoid too, wondering if his Hand and his firstborn son even wanted him to get out of that situation alive.

Regarding the danger - in battle there is always danger. A stray arrow, a falling horse, or any number of inopportune things take place and you can die. Especially if you do an unwise thing like go to the frontlines - Rhaegar himself makes the best case for this later in life, when he faces off against Robert and gets killed.

Rhaegar had a council and a Hand to advice him. And as many have pointed out before, sending the Crown Prince to save the King could have been a stupid move having both of them killed.

The Battle of the Trident is a different thing. Rhaegar went to fight while his father and son were "safe" in KL.

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Regarding the danger - in battle there is always danger. A stray arrow, a falling horse, or any number of inopportune things take place and you can die. Especially if you do an unwise thing like go to the frontlines - Rhaegar himself makes the best case for this later in life, when he faces off against Robert and gets killed.

But I don't think anybody is saying he should be riding into battle himself. The Darklyns are under siege - Rhaegar could easily have camped on a hill five miles away, or in one of the many holdfasts or castles in the surrounding area - close enough to have a firm grasp on the situation while still far from the site of battle and surrounded by thousands of loyal soldiers. The point is, he just needs to be close enough to handle negotiations directly, instead of relying upon Tywin via ravengram.

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Rhaegar had a council and a Hand to advice him. And as many have pointed out before, sending the Crown Prince to save the King could have been a stupid move having both of them killed.

The Battle of the Trident is a different thing. Rhaegar went to fight while his father and son were "safe" in KL.

Rhaegar could easily commanded the siege force.

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Dear Robert:

It was clear for the rest of us like 20 post ago that you simply dislike the guy.

The Seven bless you

JCRB.

Why do you have to be Robert to see this guy as a lazy fool who started a war ?

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^Because as the readers, we see that even people like Eddard who should've been more offended than Robert, still thought of Rhaegar positively; and as readers we know he started that war because he was compelled by prophecy to have a third child, who most of us believe to be Jon who will be TPTWP and greatly contribute to saving the realm from the others. The reader is suppose to understand he wasn't a "fool" and the only person with a perspective worthy of hating Rhaegar is Robert, because of what he was lead to believe


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