How Do You Think Elia Thought About Lyanna?

[Ygrain]

Oh yes because Cersei is such a terrible person for having self respect. A decent woman would put up with her husband's infidelities :rolleyes:

My sour summer child, you know nothing of how different people handle a marital crisis, and hating "the other woman" is absolutely not a must, especially if she is a decent person.

[David Selig]

it's a society where for the noble women the most important things are supposed to be:

1) ensuring their children's smooth succession

2) their own reputation, power and influence and keeping up the prestige of their Houses (both the birth and the one they joined through marriage)

What Rhaegar did with Lyanna threatened seriously the first and was a major blow to the second for Elia. It was a major humiliation for her, major loss of prestige and influence.

Is it possible that she was OK with all of this despite this? Sure, people are unpredictable and everyone is different, but the chances are pretty slim IMO.

[Pikachu101]

My sour summer child, you know nothing of how different people handle a marital crisis, and hating "the other woman" is absolutely not a must, especially if she is a decent person.

1) Lyanna's kids are a threat to Aegon and Rhaenys

2) Lyanna's family is more powerful

3) this is a blatant insult to Elia

4) Lyanna is a threat to her crown

Very naive for you to think that Elia would accept someone so dangerous to both her and her children. If Elia knew what was good for she'd make Lyanna's life hell until she ran back to Winterfell

[Hanged Black Robin]

It seems like, on this forum, people's beliefs about Elia tend to be based on their opinions of Rhaegar. If someone likes Targaryens/Rhaegar, they say Elia was probably cool with Rhaegar and Lyanna running off together. If they don't like Rhaegar, they say she wouldn't be and Rhaegar abandoned his family etc.

Personally I think it's sorta whitewashing Rhaegar as a character to say Elia would be totally fine with it. This is ASOIAF, marriages and relationships are usually pretty messy and complicated. It would be awfully convenient for Rhaegar if his wife just totally went along with his idea to start a second family. But as it's been said, we have absolutely nothing to go on here so that's just my two cents

[Djinn]

She would have wondered what kind of lotion Lyanna used.

Not enough clues to tell, but she must have upset with Rhaegar about the whole QoLB thing, i mean it's public act.

[daario's man]

The one thing we really know about Elia is that she was close to Oberyn, that's all I'm going to say.

[Mad Monkey]

It seems like, on this forum, people's beliefs about Elia tend to be based on their opinions of Rhaegar. If someone likes Targaryens/Rhaegar, they say Elia was probably cool with Rhaegar and Lyanna running off together. If they don't like Rhaegar, they say she wouldn't be and Rhaegar abandoned his family etc.

Personally I think it's sorta whitewashing Rhaegar as a character to say Elia would be totally fine with it. This is ASOIAF, marriages and relationships are usually pretty messy and complicated. It would be awfully convenient for Rhaegar if his wife just totally went along with his idea to start a second family. But as it's been said, we have absolutely nothing to go on here so that's just my two cents

Yeah, seriously. Basically everything everyone has said here is a complete and total fabrication with no textual support whatsoever. We have no idea what Elia and Rhaegar were like as people, we have no idea what they thought about each other or how they handled the Lyanna situation. They could have been in a polyamorous relationship for all we know (I don't believe that, but then again I can't prove that they weren't since we've never actually met any of these people in the books). There's just not enough detail -- this doesn't even rise to the level of speculation; it's more or less fanfiction.

[Petyr Patter]

We actually know enough to draw some pretty definitive conclusions.

1. Elia was a woman.
   
2. Elia was a mother.
   

So, its quite obvious Elia thought Lyanna was a home-wrecker, a gold digger, probably slept with Robbert before jumping ship to a the bigger prize, and utterly without redeeming qualities.

Don't try to bring reason or rationality into this, basic human instinct says women do not abide rivals for their man.

[Winter's Knight]

We actually know enough to draw some pretty definitive conclusions.

1. Elia was a woman.
   
   
2. Elia was a mother.
   

So, its quite obvious Elia thought Lyanna was a home-wrecker, a gold digger, probably slept with Robbert before jumping ship to a the bigger prize, and utterly without redeeming qualities.

Don't try to bring reason or rationality into this, basic human instinct says women do not abide rivals for their man.

Can't tell if serious...

[Hukthagz]

So, its quite obvious Elia thought Lyanna was a home-wrecker, a gold digger, probably slept with Robbert before jumping ship to a the bigger prize, and utterly without redeeming qualities.

This. Unless Elia is a member of Rhaegar's creepy AA breeding cult.

[Petyr Patter]

Can't tell if serious...

Relatively serious. Maybe Elia had some self doubt and blamed herself and her fraility for the infidelity, but other than that... no point in denying human nature barring very substantial evidence. Even Ellaria Sand didn't let Oberyn keep any of those other women they bedded, just the bastards.

[Pikachu101]

I think there's a general flow of women in asoiaf who don't take threats to their children lightly. I don't see why Elia would be any different, especially when considering the fact that:

A) Jon's a boy

B ) his maternal family is more powerful

C) Lyanna could possibly have more sons and they'd all be a threat to Aegon

[sarah.jenice]

As far as I am aware, it is never really stated that Elia was "in love" with Rhaegar, although I'm sure she cared for him greatly. I could honestly see her being content with simply being a mother to her own children and leaving Rhaegar to frolic off on his prophetical pursuits.

I love how you put this.

[The Duke]

See, this is what I'm talking about-we don't know anything about Elia.She may have been in love with a handmaiden and glad to be well shot of Rhaegar, she may have drunk the prophecy kool-aid and blessed his union with Lyanna, she may have been in love with Lyanna herself and supported Rhaegar as the best way to bring her closer, she may have hated Lyanna and Raegar for their etrayal and deliberately fanned the fire of rebellion as much as possible-we have no way of knowing at this point in time.

Yep. About all we know is that it looks like Rhaegar discussed the prophecy with her. Other than that, this is how different board members would react.

[The Dornishman's Wife]

Yep. About all we know is that it looks like Rhaegar discussed the prophecy with her. Other than that, this is how different board members would react.

Many, but not all of the posts are written from a "How would I react if I was Elia?" perspective. Quite a few appear to be more of the "How would I wish Elia would react if I were Rhaegar?" variety instead.

[Ygrain]

1) Lyanna's kids are a threat to Aegon and Rhaenys

2) Lyanna's family is more powerful

3) this is a blatant insult to Elia

4) Lyanna is a threat to her crown

Apples and pears. A potential political threat doesn't mean that she would have to hate Lyanna as a person, which is what I was arguing.

Very naive for you to think that Elia would accept someone so dangerous to both her and her children. If Elia knew what was good for she'd make Lyanna's life hell until she ran back to Winterfell

Ah. To offend the Starks for good and make sure that Lyanna's child grows up with zero good relationship to Elia's children? A 100% recipe for disaster.

We actually know enough to draw some pretty definitive conclusions.

1. Elia was a woman.
   
   
2. Elia was a mother.
   

So, its quite obvious Elia thought Lyanna was a home-wrecker, a gold digger, probably slept with Robbert before jumping ship to a the bigger prize, and utterly without redeeming qualities.

Don't try to bring reason or rationality into this, basic human instinct says women do not abide rivals for their man.

And why is it that Lyanna should get all the flak instead of Rhaegar?

[The Duke]

It really can range from anywhere from she sent a raven off to Oberyn telling him to decapitate that cheating SOB, to she was a prophecy fanatic and told Rhaegar that he must find another woman to complete the three heads of the dragon.

[Creepio]

I can't imagine her being thrilled about Lyanna. Even knowing that she and Rhaegar weren't in love, she was barren, and Rhaegar wanted another kid/dragon head, I still can't see her enjoying this situation. She's Dornish so I guess the idea of paramours isn't something new, but all and all it's still a pretty major slight, especially when she's going to be the future queen and all.

Though The Duke is right...this is all just speculation because it's such an unknown.

[The Duke]

Look at Stannis' wife. She would probably sacrifice Shireen if Mel demanded it. She's a fanatic. I doubt Elia was a fanatic, but Selyse probably wasn't either as a younger woman.

[Pikachu101]

Apples and pears. A potential political threat doesn't mean that she would have to hate Lyanna as a person, which is what I was arguing.

Why wouldn't she?

This 16 year old ran off with her husband and then comes strolling in with a boy.

Ah. To offend the Starks for good and make sure that Lyanna's child grows up with zero good relationship to Elia's children? A 100% recipe for disaster.

If the child is far away from court and all the way up North he's less of a threat to Aegon. There's a reason why Cat wanted Jon to be removed from Winterfell.

And why is it that Lyanna should get all the flak instead of Rhaegar?

Because that's human nature. When their partner cheats, men and women always blame the person their partner cheated with.

Rhaegar's the crown prince; Elia can't touch him anyway. But she can make sure Jon doesn't threaten Aegon