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Would you prefer if Rhaegar won?


Sunandspear

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Rhaegar's victory would probably be better for the realm, as I believe he'd be a more capable king than Robert and he'd keep Littlefinger and Varys and maybe even Tywin away from (too much) power. So if I lived in Westeros, I'd want Rhaegar to win. But the story we'd have wouldn't be as exciting as it is now. There probably wouldn't be a a war of the 5 kings, Jon wouldn't go to the Wall, Dany wouldn't be an important character and there wouldn't be any dragons. So as a reader I like it the way it is.

What about you?

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Rhaegar's victory would probably be better for the realm, as I believe he'd be a more capable king than Robert and he'd keep Littlefinger and Varys and maybe even Tywin away from (too much) power. So if I lived in Westeros, I'd want Rhaegar to win. But the story we'd have wouldn't be as exciting as it is now. There probably wouldn't be a a war of the 5 kings, Jon wouldn't go to the Wall, Dany wouldn't be an important character and there wouldn't be any dragons. So as a reader I like it the way it is.

What about you?

Why would people prefer the author write a different book? If they don't like it they can always put it down

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The right side of the honor and justice point of view won the war. The problem I think was that with the Targaryens gone, they tried to hold it together with another dynasty, even though Robert had Targ blood in him. They should have disolved it for tired something different. Also, if Rheagar had won, Ned would be gone and prob Robb too. It could have been worse.

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I disagree with people who believe there wouldn't have been a story; it would just be a different story. It would be entertaining to watch a lovelorn, melancholic, singing lord deal with the Varyses, Littlefingers, Tywins of this world.

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Why would people prefer the author write a different book? If they don't like it they can always put it down

I'm not saying I or anyone would want George to write a different book or suggesting that I don't like it. I specifically mentioned that as a reader I like the story the way it is, but if we look at it in-universe, I would want Rhaegar to win for the good of the realm. I just thought it'd be fun to speculate on the possibilities.

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Personally I think Rhaegar's victory could result in as much mess as Robert's did.

Lets look at it. From the start we have the rebels vs loyalists and from earlier examples we would know that many Houses would not submit in spirit just because they lost ONE war, so there's that issue with it and seeing as there would be four Great Houses royally pissed with the crown and in need of being watch I don't think that its a minor issue.

Then to that we should add that Rhaegar's rift with his father has, if I recall, made Aerys proclaim Viserys as his heir and as a madman we can't take it for granted that Aerys wouldn't both try to make the aftermath of the rebellion more difficult for the Targaryens as well as seeing Rhaegar as another threat to him. Thus within the Targaryen camp we have Rhaegar vs Aerys, with their supporters on each side, and then this added to the issue with the rebel Houses.

As far as I can see, its as much of a clusterfuck as the War of Five Kings. Either way, Westeros was in for a tough ride.

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A weird question. Rhaegar winning at the Trident changes the whole story. Not some details, not fragments, but all of it. It's like "would you rather Gandalf had found some other burglar, instead of Bilbo Baggins from Hobbiton?"; "would you prefer if Hornblower, instead of joining the Navy, pursued a career of barrister?". I know how the original story went, and I have no clue about the hypothetical, alternative one. Seriously, how can I give you an answer?

As I said, a weird question.

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I doubt Rhaegar's win would have been better for the realm. Instead, the succession war would be almost guaranteed again, this time between Dorne and the North. We already have the fight between brothers (Stannis and Renly, Daeron and Daemon). It would only change the premise of the books while taking away from its richness (Daenerys and the Dothraki, the Lannister influence.)
 

Not better for the realm, not better for the story, as far as I'm concerned.

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I doubt Rhaegar's win would have been better for the realm. Instead, the succession war would be almost guaranteed again, this time between Dorne and the North. We already have the fight between brothers (Stannis and Renly, Daeron and Daemon). It would only change the premise of the books while taking away from its richness (Daenerys and the Dothraki, the Lannister influence.)
 

Not better for the realm, not better for the story, as far as I'm concerned.

Why do people assume that a succession war would happen between Jon and Aegon? 

 

Why would the Northerners care about the ugly throne? Who would push for Jon to be king? 

 

 

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Why do people assume that a succession war would happen between Jon and Aegon? 

 

Why would the Northerners care about the ugly throne? Who would push for Jon to be king? 

The same kind of people who pushed for Daemon Blackfyre? Jon himself? The ruling Stark Lord? Maybe Dorne strikes the first blow out of fear? People who want to use Jon to further their own interests? Too many to name.

I think we'd just be reading about a different war. Rhaegar's only known political actions (Harrenhal, Lyanna Stark) don't depict a good political mind.

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I think much of it depends upon how quickly and painlessly Rhaegar could have gotten rid of Aerys. If Rhaegar couldn't get rid of Aerys quickly, then standby for mass reprisals and murders. And if Rhaegar couldn't get rid of Aerys quickly, then standby for round two of Westerosi civil war.

And then Rhaegar would have had to probably figure out how to smooth things out with the former rebels and how to placate Dorne(and probably the North) over the whole Elia and Lyanna thing.

How adept Rhaegar would have been at doing these things, I am not sure. It seems not highly likely though.

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The same kind of people who pushed for Daemon Blackfyre? Jon himself? The ruling Stark Lord? Maybe Dorne strikes the first blow out of fear? People who want to use Jon to further their own interests? Too many to name.

I think we'd just be reading about a different war. Rhaegar's only known political actions (Harrenhal, Lyanna Stark) don't depict a good political mind.

Ned would be the ruling Stark lord(I doubt Rhaegar would have killed him)but there is nothing in the Stark/Northernmen history of any desire to have any part of that throne so why would the push for it when Jon being part Stark they would be his biggest supporters? 

 

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Ned would be the ruling Stark lord(I doubt Rhaegar would have killed him)but there is nothing in the Stark/Northernmen history of any desire to have any part of that throne so why would the push for it when Jon being part Stark they would be his biggest supporters? 

 

Nothing in the Starn/Northernmen history showed any inclination to involve themselves with anything going on in the South before Rickard chose to take interest either. And the North isn't even needed for Jon to press a claim. Daemon Blackfyre didn't have any major region behind him when he tried to steal the Iron Throne from Daemon.

 

Even if it wasn't Jon and Aegon, it would have been a descendant of Jon for certain. That's just what happens in this world. Blackfyres are the greatest example. Five generations of wars because of a king who thought crowning his mistress was such a great thing. Who was handsome and a good warrior in his youth. Who even had a warrior maiden (whom he didn't love, apparently, interesting enough.) The coincidences are just too many.

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There is no reason to imagine that things would be better for the realm. There would be a torn realm, no easy fixes, on the contrary tensions could become even worse: for examble, assuming that Rhaegar would go for a second marriage and legitimisation of Jon, this would be an insult to Dorne and an insult to the Faith. Who would support him, then? The defeated half of the realm, because Jon? I do not think so. Tywin might, if that meant increase of his own influence. In general, Tywin would profit as much as he did with RR, maybe even more, because Rhaegar would not have a solid support base: except for the Crownlands, he only can only count on the Reach; therefore, Lannister support becomes indispensable.

As for Varys & LF: they are symptoms, not the cause. The "illness" is the Game, which would be played even more fiercely and uncontrollably because the "central authority" would be weaker in case of a Targaryen win. The Game produces its players, so there would never be a lack of Varys/LF figures.

 

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