What if Cersei had married Rhaegar

[Sera dy Relandrant]

After I saw the Jaime-Lysa what-if thread how could I resist? What if Aerys had agreed to Tywin's plan when Cersei was a kid? Or what if Elia had died later in childbirth with Rhaenys and Cersei was chosen as a second wife for Rhaegar? Would he have still have run away with Lyanna? Do you think there's a possibility that he might not have if he had his three heads of the dragon before he ever met Lyanna?

[Ice Turtle]

Would he have his three heads, that isn't an easy question, Cersei was healthier than Elia but I think that one of the reasons that he ran off with Lyanna was that she was the only one that could fulfill the ice and fire prophecy. Maybe he would have married her and then discovered that she is sleeping with her brother and again it would only lead to the Stark girl.

[Sera dy Relandrant]

Would Cersei have cheated with Jaime? She had a huge crush on him when she was a kid, she thought Jaime was a 'callow boy' compared to her precious Rhaegar... and she even sort of liked Robert when they married before he called out Lyanna's name. Would she have pressured Jaime into joining the Kingsguard?

[SelaBela]

I think Cersei wouldn't have ended up being so bitter had she actually married Rhaegar... but woo Jaime woulda been jealous! Rhaegar may not have run away with Lyanna, simply because I don't think he actually abducted her to fulfill the ice and fire prophecy, I think it was for love that they ran away together. However, if he was falling for Cersei he might not have had time to look twice at Lyanna.

@lazy turtle, I'm not sure that Cersei would have continued sleeping with Jaime since she was so in love with the idea of him, and it seemed to me that the only reason she kept sleeping with Jaime after she married Robert was because he betrayed her with the "Lyanna" whisper. Sleeping with Jaime was probably more vengeance motivated early on in the Cersei-Robert marriage. Unless Rhaegar really royally pissed her off, I don't see her continuing her sexual relationship with Jaime. ...Even if she did, how would a Targaryen really have room to be ticked about it? :lol:

[Tyler Snow]

I feel like she still would have dabbled in incest regardless. Aerys probably would've cooked her like a stuffed pheasant and you'd have Tywin raising his banners instead of Jon Arryn.

[Ice Turtle]

I think Cersei wouldn't have ended up being so bitter had she actually married Rhaegar... but woo Jaime woulda been jealous! Rhaegar may not have run away with Lyanna, simply because I don't think he actually abducted her to fulfill the ice and fire prophecy, I think it was for love that they ran away together. However, if he was falling for Cersei he might not have had time to look twice at Lyanna.

@lazy turtle, I'm not sure that Cersei would have continued sleeping with Jaime since she was so in love with the idea of him, and it seemed to me that the only reason she kept sleeping with Jaime after she married Robert was because he betrayed her with the "Lyanna" whisper. Sleeping with Jaime was probably more vengeance motivated early on in the Cersei-Robert marriage. Unless Rhaegar really royally pissed her off, I don't see her continuing her sexual relationship with Jaime. ...Even if she did, how would a Targaryen really have room to be ticked about it? :lol:

I always wondered if Lyanna incident really happened or if Cersei only said that to make Ned feel sorry for her. She never thinks about it in her POV.

I agree that Cersei would have liked Rhaegar more, but I think that she would have been voluntary sleeping with both. Really two super hot men sharing her bed (without forcing her like Robert), she would think that no one more beautiful ever lived in the world.

[Gurkhal]

After I saw the Jaime-Lysa what-if thread how could I resist? What if Aerys had agreed to Tywin's plan when Cersei was a kid? Or what if Elia had died later in childbirth with Rhaenys and Cersei was chosen as a second wife for Rhaegar? Would he have still have run away with Lyanna? Do you think there's a possibility that he might not have if he had his three heads of the dragon before he ever met Lyanna?

I think it would have worked better as Rhaegar seems to like the idea of an open marriage himself. But you are right that Cersei would likely continue to see Jaime, but on the other hand I don't think that Cersei would've been pushed over the brink she was with Robert. So I think it would have had a happier ending, but it would not have been perfect.

[the Remarkable Other]

Maybe Rhaegar would have ended up whispering "Lyanna" during their wedding night...

[Gurkhal]

Maybe Rhaegar would have ended up whispering "Lyanna" during their wedding night...

And the bets would be off because the game would be on!

[TyrionsFlagon]

Maybe Rhaegar would have ended up whispering "Lyanna" during their wedding night...

Likes this.

By the way, where in the text does the prophecy of Ice and Fire come from?

[Fire and Blood!]

What if Cercei had married Rhaegar?

Well Rhaegar would have been up for a longer yet somehow miserable life. :laugh:

[sarah.jenice]

Likes this.

By the way, where in the text does the prophecy of Ice and Fire come from?

When Dany is in the House of they Undying Ones she sees a vision of Rhaegar with Elia and baby Aegon and she asks if Rhaegar will write a song for the baby. Rhaegar says he has a song. He is the prince that was promised and his is the song of ice and fire.

That's the place I remember it from.

And on topic, ha ha at Rhaegar whispering Lyanna on the wedding night.

I don't see them being happy together but that is only because of the person I have seen Cersei act like now. If she would have spent a lifetime with Rhaegar, maybe there would have been happiness and rainbows in the realm, but I don't think so.

[Ser Lepus]

Would Cersei have cheated with Jaime? She had a huge crush on him when she was a kid, she thought Jaime was a 'callow boy' compared to her precious Rhaegar... and she even sort of liked Robert when they married before he called out Lyanna's name. Would she have pressured Jaime into joining the Kingsguard?

Cersei pressured Jamie to join the kingsguard when she still thought she would marry Rhaegar someday; she wanted to have both Rhaegar and Jamie for herself...and I suspect she wanted Casterly Rock for herself, too; she knew Tywin would never allow Tyrion to inherit Casterly Rock, so taking Jamie out of the way ensured that she got the Rock.

[Christina Ceriddwynn]

umm....if Jaime (ok based upon the actor) were my brother.....dayammm! (lol)

LOL she would've kept him on the side...she doesn't seem to be very good at monogamy

Maybe they would've had 3somes....4somes with Lyanna

[Blue Rose Direwolf]

Cool thread! I've actually been thinking of this topic for the past couple of days and meant to do a search to see if anyone had posted about it before.

I have a suspicion - and I have no way to prove it but I think it's true - that the reason why Aerys refused Cercei for his son was because Rhaegar himself refused her. I mean, it's not like Rhaegar never got a look at her. She was at King's Landing for years before her father proposed the match. I think that Rhaegar saw her, disliked her nature, and told his father no way.

My reasons for thinking this are that despite all those years of seeing beautiful Cercei, there's no whisper from anyone who knew him that Rhaegar ever wanted Cercei. But why wouldn't he? She was beautiful, rich, from a great house. Lots of marriage offers came in for her. Why wouldn't he have been attracted to her? And if he was attracted to her then why were there no rumours about it at court? He gave Lyanna some flowers and suddenly the entire country knew he loved her.

I think that Rhaegar liked women with good natures and gentle spirits. We know that he was fond of Elia because she was a gentle person with a clever wit. We know that he connected with Lyanna over music (she wept when he sang a particular song) and that they might have connected over other stuff too (the mystery knight at Harrenhal). We know from Ned that Lyanna was a thinker and a realist, she told Ned that she knew Robert would never be faithful to her. Rhaegar liked women like this.

Like I said, I can't prove this. It's just a suspicion. But from what I know of Rhaegar's character, it makes sense to me.

[Gingerly Grumkin]

There would be no The Kingslayer, only The Princeslayer.

its the same answer for all the what if quesitons. Rhaegar would not bang Lyanna and there would be peace & tranquility in the Realm untill Winter comes.

[Alia of the knife]

Cool thread! I've actually been thinking of this topic for the past couple of days and meant to do a search to see if anyone had posted about it before.

I have a suspicion - and I have no way to prove it but I think it's true - that the reason why Aerys refused Cercei for his son was because Rhaegar himself refused her. I mean, it's not like Rhaegar never got a look at her. She was at King's Landing for years before her father proposed the match. I think that Rhaegar saw her, disliked her nature, and told his father no way.

My reasons for thinking this are that despite all those years of seeing beautiful Cercei, there's no whisper from anyone who knew him that Rhaegar ever wanted Cercei. But why wouldn't he? She was beautiful, rich, from a great house. Lots of marriage offers came in for her. Why wouldn't he have been attracted to her? And if he was attracted to her then why were there no rumours about it at court? He gave Lyanna some flowers and suddenly the entire country knew he loved her.

I think that Rhaegar liked women with good natures and gentle spirits. We know that he was fond of Elia because she was a gentle person with a clever wit. We know that he connected with Lyanna over music (she wept when he sang a particular song) and that they might have connected over other stuff too (the mystery knight at Harrenhal). We know from Ned that Lyanna was a thinker and a realist, she told Ned that she knew Robert would never be faithful to her. Rhaegar liked women like this.

Like I said, I can't prove this. It's just a suspicion. But from what I know of Rhaegar's character, it makes sense to me.

I totally agree, and had the same thoughts.

They had this big ta-da about meeting, Cersei was prepared to be betrothed to him, then all of a sudden, after she was presented to Rhaegar, it comes out that suddenly Aerys doesn't want to marry his son to his 'servants" daughter.

And of course the irony in Martins work would be, that for all these years she and her family believed it was Aerys, or Maggie the Frog that ruined everything, but it was Rhaegar all along.

Rhaegar looked into her eyes too when she looked into his, and the eyes are a mirror to the soul.

I think she corrupted Jaimie, and this was very early on, and then she's abusing her infant Brother in his cradle?

That stuff gets around.

Plus, I just think that Lyanna was just meant for him.

He was "fond" of Elia, but nonetheless, it was an unfulfilling political marriage.

Selmy says thousands died for his love of Lyanna, and that love was a "slow poison" because it destroyed the Kingdom.

I think he could have been married to Cersei, Dany, or any other Court Beauty all at once, and he still would have gone after Lyanna, because she was extraordinary.

[Raksha the Demon]

When Dany is in the House of they Undying Ones she sees a vision of Rhaegar with Elia and baby Aegon and she asks if Rhaegar will write a song for the baby. Rhaegar says he has a song. He is the prince that was promised and his is the song of ice and fire.

That's the place I remember it from.

And on topic, ha ha at Rhaegar whispering Lyanna on the wedding night.

I don't see them being happy together but that is only because of the person I have seen Cersei act like now. If she would have spent a lifetime with Rhaegar, maybe there would have been happiness and rainbows in the realm, but I don't think so.

Actually, Dany's vision does not identify the woman in bed; just refers to her as 'a woman'; so it could be either Elia or Lyanna. Maybe Rhaegar named both boys Aegon. It seems a bit odd that a child who is either slaughtered by Gregor Clegane or who comes out of left field in the fifth book is the subject of the series title, at least according to prophecy/lore-obsessed Rhaegar; after lonely bastard Jon Snow has been dangled front in center before the readers for four out of five books as one of the main characters...

[Silverin]

Actually, Dany's vision does not identify the woman in bed; just refers to her as 'a woman'; so it could be either Elia or Lyanna. Maybe Rhaegar named both boys Aegon. It seems a bit odd that a child who is either slaughtered by Gregor Clegane or who comes out of left field in the fifth book is the subject of the series title, at least according to prophecy/lore-obsessed Rhaegar; after lonely bastard Jon Snow has been dangled front in center before the readers for four out of five books as one of the main characters...

It can't be Lyanna since Rhaegar died at the Trident and since according to GRRM Jon is 9 months older than Dany, he was born around the sack of KL, so Rhaegar couldn'T be with Lyanna when Jon was born. He showed up before the battle of the trident to gather forces wich had to be a few weeks at least.

And even GRRM said somewher that she was Elia.

And why would he name both his sons Aegon? I have never heard about someone name two of his living son the same. Not even if one of them died.

But about the what if Rhaegar Cersei pairing, I sort of think it wouldn't matter that much. If Rhaeger would betray her (either with Lyanna or with others) Tywin would have made sure the honor on his soude is restored (and the Starks are already starting to form an allience, I think Tywin wanted to have ties with the Northen alliance too that is why he was trying to make the Jaime Lysa pairing), Castamere anyone?

The thing is if Rhaegar couldn't stay with Elia who was siad to be a nice girl, and dishonored her that cruelly I doubt Cersei could have stopped him from fullfilling "his prophecy".

[Gala]

Well, Elia, except the fact that she was not very healthy or strong, was described a good, gentle and decent woman, which is opposite even of a younger Cersei. Cersei was probably more beautiful than Elia, but that is hardly an advantage for Rhaegar. I suspect that, if tKoLT is indeed Lyanna, then Cersei wouldn't have any chance. Rhaegar would still set his eyes on Lyanna and would still run away with her. I presume it wasn't beauty he saw in Lyanna and he wasn't driven by the prophecy obsession, I think it was her wild character of a brave and just/fair girl that attract him. Those are features that both Elia and Cersei are lack of. To be driven only by the prophecy seems highly unlikely: room full of blue roses would be weird and strange.

While I am unaware of a true story (waiting for the next books to explain) I prefer to think that it was actually the first time Rhaegar was really happy in his life, for the first time he forgot about the prophecy and thus really fulfilled it. Yeap, I am a romantic, so I want that to be true.

I doubt this marriage would change anything, except that it would make Cersei even more miserable in her marriage (she didn't admire Robert the way she had always admired Rhaegar).