What was Rhaegar's plan, Bael the Bard 2.0?

[Mithras]

He took a woman over his wife. This is a big insult to Dorne. No wonder they are all pissed to Rhaegar.

He took the woman who is betrothed to a Great Lord, who is his closest relative and one of the most loyal houses to the Targaryens. Moreover, he did this to a Baratheon, whose is the fury. And not an ordinary Baratheon but Robert, who is all dick and no-brains at the time.

He disappeared with a Great Lord's most prized daughter without her father's permission. This is also an insult.

Rhaegar wanted the third child, that is for sure. And knowing Lyanna (KotLT) better in Harrenhal, he believed she can be the perfect mother for his child. Lyanna, aldready having a crush on her, decided to go with him.

Now the purpose of this topic is that what was Rhaegar's planning to do.

Does he simply think that once he and Lyanna make the child, he can deliver Lyanna and the child to her father as Bael did?

[Nictarion]

I don't think he had a plan. His love for Lyanna blinded him to everything else.

[Mithras]

I don't think he had a plan. His love for Lyanna blinded him to everything else.

I dont think Rhaegar is a loving type. He was obsessed with the prophecy and his main motive was to fulfill it. Not saying he was a dick no. He just dont seem to me as a lover as Jaime.

As I said, their union had great political consequences. They cant just come to KL and do what they do. So Rhaegar must have thought something for returning to their normal lives after the child is born.

[Nictarion]

I personally believe he fell in love with Lyanna. Crowning her queen of love and beauty at the Harrenhal tourney, and I like the theory Lyanna was the knight of the laughing tree, and Rhaegar fell in love with her when he was sent after the klt. If Rhaegar only cared about having another child, he could have chosen any woman. Especially one that wasn't a great lords daughter betrothed to another great lord.

[Jon of the Dead]

I dont think Rhaegar is a loving type. He was obsessed with the prophecy and his main motive was to fulfill it. Not saying he was a dick no. He just dont seem to me as a lover as Jaime.

As I said, their union had great political consequences. They cant just come to KL and do what they do. So Rhaegar must have thought something for returning to their normal lives after the child is born.

I think Rhaegar knew there would be no going back to normal after that. He managed to insult at least 3 Great Houses. I think he was ready and willing to die, knowing that he had at least managed to fulfill the prophecy.

[Jon's Queen Consort]

I dont think Rhaegar is a loving type. He was obsessed with the prophecy and his main motive was to fulfill it. Not saying he was a dick no. He just dont seem to me as a lover as Jaime.

I agree. He had his own variation of Targ madness and he cause the deaths of his family because he was obsessed with a prophecy. The same prophecy he was proven to be wrong twice before.

I think Rhaegar knew there would be no going back to normal after that. He managed to insult at least 3 Great Houses. I think he was ready and willing to die, knowing that he had at least managed to fulfill the prophecy.

I think that his passage with Jaime shows that he was delusional enough to believe that he will come back.

[Mithras]

Why Rhaegar chose Lyanna as the mother of the third head of the dragon is a mystery. I dont think he could pick just a random lady. Rhaegar was a dragon and we know nohing about his dragondreams. He was counselling to Aemon about the prophecies and also about his dragondreams I believe. Maybe Rhaegar dreamed something and seeing Lyanna as the KoTL, made him certain that she is the one in his dream.

[Nictarion]

Why Rhaegar chose Lyanna as the mother of the third head of the dragon is a mystery. I dont think he could pick just a random lady.

There is the ice (Stark) and fire (Targ) angle as a possibility. But I still think he just fell in love with her.

[OberynBlackfyre]

I don't see how any of these conclusions people are drawing make any sense without having biased feelings towards hating the Targs.

Rhaegar, by ANY CHARACTER POV EXCEPT FOR ROBERTS, is said to be loved, the Last Dragon, a good person. He believed as fervently in a prophecy as anyone. I mean by rights you guys are saying that Melisandre is a total and complete lunatic as well, just because her belief in a prophecy is a flawed one?

When reading a book and drawing conclusions, things and descriptions are there for a reason. GRRM would not give us a description of a character who is dead (therefore incapable of defending himself, or showing his actual characteristics through present actions) unless those descriptions were filled with at least slivers of truth. No one ever said he acted mad, even Aemon, one of the oldest and possibly wisest people in the realm believed there was a prophecy.

We also know universally that his marriage with Elia was loveless, and she was weak. He fell in love with Lyanna, and because of that love lead to irrational actions, insulting people that they too cared about, but that's the point of the symbology of him "stealing" Lyanna.

He knew it was done, he knew he wanted to make changes, as he told Jaime, but when it comes down to it, I think he knew Robert would kill him at the Trident. When in all facts he DID have a pretty good chance of actually BEATING Robert.

So this talk of "delusions" and madness are unfounded.

[Mithras]

I agree he loved both Elia and Lyanna. Yet he was not blind by his love as Jaime. If it were Jaime, I would be 100% sure that he has no plan after going with Lyanna. Bu Rhaegar was more intelligent and willfull than Jaime. He must be thinking something about the future. Maybe not for himself but absolutely for his children.

[Nictarion]

I don't see how any of these conclusions people are drawing make any sense without having biased feelings towards hating the Targs.

You can't possibly be including me in this, I'm one of the biggest supporters of the Targs there is.

[OberynBlackfyre]

You can't possibly be including me in this, I'm one of the biggest supporters of the Targs there is.

well obviously not you bud. Haha And trust me you are one of few it seems. It's like a "cool thing" to hate the targs and blindly love the Starks.

[Petyr Patter]

I think Rhaegar knew there would be no going back to normal after that. He managed to insult at least 3 Great Houses. I think he was ready and willing to die, knowing that he had at least managed to fulfill the prophecy.

Three out of Nine. A peace was still more than possible, and a better king than Aerys could have worked through his sons indiscretions. For example, offering Rhaeneys (Rhaegar's daughter) to Robert or Benjen could have appeased either House. It would also have confirmed Rhaegar as a terrible father, trading his daughter for a mistress, but a peace could have been formed. It wasn't until Aerys demanded Robert and Eddard be turned over to him for "treason" after he just murdered Rickard and Brandon. Heck, the Battle of the Trident is often described as a close affair, with the outnumbered rebels winning it only after Robert slew Rhaegar and causing a rout.

[Mithras]

I choose Rhaegar as my nickname on occasions. I am not a Targ hater.

But the whole runaway with Lyanna seems very suspicious. By this time, we have a strong feeling that Rhaegar was already displeased with his father's madness. If you believe the southron ambitions (which I do), Great Lords were also making alliances through marriages. In this delicate environment, it is a very bad decision to disappear and leave the matters to Aerys to handle on his own.

[Jon's Queen Consort]

Even if he was in love with Lyanna his decision to elope, or kidnap, Lyanna wasn't a sane one.

[OberynBlackfyre]

I choose Rhaegar as my nickname on occasions. I am not a Targ hater.

But the whole runaway with Lyanna seems very suspicious. By this time, we have a strong feeling that Rhaegar was already displeased with his father's madness. If you believe the southron ambitions (which I do), Great Lords were also making alliances through marriages. In this delicate environment, it is a very bad decision to disappear and leave the matters to Aerys to handle on his own.

it can seem suspicious and irrational, because it was exactly that: irrational. Rhaegar knew he was going to need a third child for his belief in the prophecy. He was told almost right after Elia had Aegon that she would bear no more children. Therefore Rhaegar was already searching for what was to be the mother of his third child.

Enter: Lyanna Stark. A girl whom he fell head over heels with, at the precise time for him to want a third child. It's so easy to clearly see his actions were that of love, as there wasn't even any talk of open rebellion until AFTER the abduction took place.

[OberynBlackfyre]

Even if he was in love with Lyanna his decision to elope, or kidnap, Lyanna wasn't a sane one.

what you just stated is that everyone who has loved and eloped is not sane.

[Jon's Queen Consort]

what you just stated is that everyone who has loved and eloped is not sane.

Well, when that someone is a crown prince who is married and has 2 children elope with a teen half his age and as the result he insults three Great Houses then yes he is not sane.

[Mithras]

I like and respect Rhaegar so much that I cant see him blinded by his love, making irrational decisions to bring great threats to the lives of all those he loved. I hope Benjen, or Septon Meribald (if he is the one who marred them) give us more clues about their mindset at the time of events.

[OberynBlackfyre]

Well, when that someone is a crown prince who is married and has 2 children elope with a teen half his age and as the result he insults three Great Houses then yes he is not sane.

you forget that Elia could bear no more children. On that precedent alone she could have been put aside. And as anyone who has fallen in love can tell you (including myself) you don't always make the best decisions when in love. This also came at a time when he KNEW he was going to need a third child because of his (and maybe even Aemons belief) in the prophecy.