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Why didn't Rhaella leave Dragonstone?


Lucia Targaryen

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Rhaella spent approximately 9 months on Dragonstone. I imagine during the beginning she was trying to rally support around Viserys but that clearly didn't work. So why remain on Dragonstone? We know that Oberyn tried to raise Dorne to support Viserys and I imagine that Rhaella and Elia got along so why not head for Dorne with the royal fleet? Or if she thought that was too risky, then why not go across the Narrow Sea? We know that Willem Darry took the children to Braavos (and for those who think that they weren't in Braavos, I recommend watching In Deep Geek's video on the subject). Again having the dowager queen and the remaining royal fleet would have put the Targaryens in a better position. Also perhaps Rhaella's life could have been saved.

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7 minutes ago, Therae said:

Didn't the storm destroy the royal fleet?

 

When Dany was born. She was conceived when Aerys burned Qarlton Chelsted, which occurred just before the Battle of the Trident. After Rhaegar's death, Rhaella was sent to Dragonstone. So she was there with the Targaryen fleet for approximately 9 months. 

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33 minutes ago, EvanSol919 said:

When Dany was born. She was conceived when Aerys burned Qarlton Chelsted, which occurred just before the Battle of the Trident. After Rhaegar's death, Rhaella was sent to Dragonstone. So she was there with the Targaryen fleet for approximately 9 months. 

Maybe she was in too fragile of a condition to travel? She died giving birth so it wouldn't be inconceivable if she were sickly during the pregnancy also. 

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1) Abandoning Westeros is a bad look. The remaining Westerosi supporters of the Targs would be less inclined to continue support if the Targs leave.

2) She was possibly in touch with likely supporters by sea or bird for some of the time and maybe then learned she was pregnant. Then, see @Lyanna<3Rhaegar's point above.

3) We don't know who she was being advised by, other than Darry. Depending on the advisors, they would advise different courses of actions.

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40 minutes ago, Loose Bolt said:

She was waiting all those replicants that Tyrell corporation promised to deliver.

Did they promise it??

 

Rhaella was said to be a broken woman by that time, i doubt she could do more than she actually did.

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18 hours ago, Ser Leftwich said:

1) Abandoning Westeros is a bad look. The remaining Westerosi supporters of the Targs would be less inclined to continue support if the Targs leave.

2) She was possibly in touch with likely supporters by sea or bird for some of the time and maybe then learned she was pregnant. Then, see @Lyanna<3Rhaegar's point above.

3) We don't know who she was being advised by, other than Darry. Depending on the advisors, they would advise different courses of actions.

Very good answers, Ser.  Very good indeed.

The Prince Viserys became King Viserys III.  Westeros is theirs by right.  It is not something any family can easily walk away from.  That is similar to the Starks wanting to keep the north and later planning to take it back from the Ironborn.  One should also remember, Queen Rhaella and the majority of Westerosi have never been outside the kingdom.  It is all they have known.  The Queen will have had the privilege of meeting and talking to Essosi during her reign but she would naturally prefer her home.

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23 hours ago, EvanSol919 said:

Rhaella spent approximately 9 months on Dragonstone. I imagine during the beginning she was trying to rally support around Viserys but that clearly didn't work. So why remain on Dragonstone? We know that Oberyn tried to raise Dorne to support Viserys and I imagine that Rhaella got along so why not head for Dorne with the royal fleet? Or if she thought that was too risky, then why not go across the Narrow Sea? We know that Willem Darry took the children to Braavos (and for those who think that they weren't in Braavos, I recommend watching In Deep Geek's video on the subject). Again having the dowager queen and the remaining royal fleet would have put the Targaryens in a better position. Also perhaps Rhaella's life could have been saved.

This SSM, even though it is an answer about Robert and Storm's End, applies to Rhaella staying on Dragonstone.

https://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/The_Siege_of_Storms_End

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2 hours ago, Widowmaker 811 said:

Very good answers, Ser.  Very good indeed.

The Prince Viserys became King Viserys III.  Westeros is theirs by right.  It is not something any family can easily walk away from.  That is similar to the Starks wanting to keep the north and later planning to take it back from the Ironborn.  One should also remember, Queen Rhaella and the majority of Westerosi have never been outside the kingdom.  It is all they have known.  The Queen will have had the privilege of meeting and talking to Essosi during her reign but she would naturally prefer her home.

The Blackfyres believed that Westeros was theirs by right but that didn't stop them from fleeing to Essos. Bittersteel had only ever known Westeros but he fled when he realized the battle was lost in order to fight another day.

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9 minutes ago, EvanSol919 said:

The Blackfyres believed that Westeros was theirs by right but that didn't stop them from fleeing to Essos. Bittersteel had only ever known Westeros but he fled when he realized the battle was lost in order to fight another day.

The Blackfyre's were never really in power. They were winning at times, but never truly the undisputed ruling Kings of Westeros. Also, Daemon's wife was Rohanne of Tyrosh, so they had real connections there.

Rhaella had no such familial connection.

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On 2/5/2020 at 5:10 PM, EvanSol919 said:

Rhaella spent approximately 9 months on Dragonstone. I imagine during the beginning she was trying to rally support around Viserys but that clearly didn't work. So why remain on Dragonstone? We know that Oberyn tried to raise Dorne to support Viserys and I imagine that Rhaella and Elia got along so why not head for Dorne with the royal fleet? Or if she thought that was too risky, then why not go across the Narrow Sea? We know that Willem Darry took the children to Braavos (and for those who think that they weren't in Braavos, I recommend watching In Deep Geek's video on the subject). Again having the dowager queen and the remaining royal fleet would have put the Targaryens in a better position. Also perhaps Rhaella's life could have been saved.

She was pregnant and had a lengthy history of miscarriages and stillbirths. It was probably deemed too dangerous.

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On 2/5/2020 at 8:15 PM, Lyanna<3Rhaegar said:

Maybe she was in too fragile of a condition to travel? She died giving birth so it wouldn't be inconceivable if she were sickly during the pregnancy also. 

This is a solid line of reasoning. Couple this with the fact that Rhaella was often cowed, at least by Aerys, and Dragonstone was a place of strength while Westeros is literally filled with traitors. She'd have no reason to trust anyone on the continent enough to put her fate into their hands quite literally. 

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She had hope.  Hope the rebellion would fail.  Besides, where would they go?  They left the treasury behind.  How will they survive on short funds?  Queen Rhaella is not Daenerys.  She was accustomed to having attendants and serving people.  The thought of living on limited means is not going to appeal to the queen.  

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