u/Tenth_avenuefrezeout

I believe it’s now more possible for him to be legit.

Because Now we know, Elia Martell is a political operator: realist , pragmatic, willing to hedge her bets, and ultimately focused on the throne. because she is capable, she might actually have reached a deal with Varys in the end. leaving a secret way out for her son while sacrificing herself in King’s Landing .

Another piece of evidence is Ashara Daynethe stage play, she is Elia’s true love. Ashara doesn’t die in the play and in the books, her body was never found. So it’s genuinely possible that she survived. The theory that Septa Lemore is actually Ashara Dayne is starting to look more interesting .

That would also explain why she joined Young Griff’s group,perhaps she did it in memory of the princess she once loved.

And honestly, that makes the whole thing a little funny , because on the other side, Jon Con is still obsessively reminiscing about his Silver Prince Rhaegar Targaryen

On Parents genetics’influence

Aegon VI now have that Rhaegar’s idealism and Elia’s realism.Well I hope he can become a good leader to restore Westeros‘ order

https://x.com/got_onstage

Lyanna: I wish only to say your song transported me as if in a dream, a dream I've had before… I saw dragons.

Rhaegar: Dragons?

Lyanna: As real to me then…

Rhaegar: …as you are to me now.

Lyanna: Strike.

Rhaegar: Yield.

—Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark’s first meeting, dancing at the Harrenhal feast 🐺🐉

Elia: The stage is set, my prince. Let us play our part. Smile not, Rhaegar. Joy sits unnaturally on you. They will mark deception. I shall smile first of all.

Rhaegar: I mean no deception. I am happy to be here with you, Princess.

Elia: My prince, happiness was never part of this arrangement. You knew from the start my heart belonged to another, and yours belongs to the realm.

—Elia Martell and Rhaegar Targaryen while dancing at the Harrenhal feast 🌞🐉

From https://x.com/got_onstage

“You can dance with me, Princess”

“We are not in Dorne now, my love. Here, women must dance only with men, or else cause a riot”

Ashara Dayne and Elia Martell

()

“I feared Rhaenys would blanch at the blood, but she held my hand the whole while. Sang to me that it was not yet our time. First there will be a river of rubies, a thundercloud in a clear sky, music at the gates, and a mountain in our room. Then we shall sleep wrapped in gold. Since we arrived, our girl speaks only in riddles.”

- Elia Martell to Rhaegar Targaryen

()

“You think me afraid of the King? Mark you these hands, charred to scales, protecting my son, while Summerhall burned away Aerys’ wits. I was pulling life from myself, shielding the prince's tiny body with mine own. Look! LOOK!”

-Rhaella Targaryen

()

Elia: I shall see the grandmother of my children. Or else, starve. One wields what power one has.

Varys: Indeed, but what power could you wield when dead?

Elia: 10,000 Dornish spears. Spears that would promptly turn toward the King should their Princess die his hostage.

Varys: I underestimated your strategic mind.

Elia: Many do.

()

“Will you cut me down, Barristan? Do it! ‘Tis not the usurper’s dogs, nor the king, nor even the gods themselves that will bring the world to its end. It is those who favor order over justice, sword in your hand and the princess in chains! You hate us, for we can make life, and you can only destroy it”

-Ashara Dayne

()

“Fuck your oath! You are sworn to madness. Your king has chained a Dornish princess, your own blood. Where is your pride? Your passion? You should take up your sword!”

-Oberyn Martell to Lewyn Martell

()

“The promised prince will save us. Our child will save us!”

-Lyanna Stark to Rhaegar Targaryen

()

“I have a destiny. From my womb the promised child will be born”

-Rhaella Targaryen

()

“Ned! What would I do without you?”

-Robert to Ned at Harrenhal, Act I

()

“Go, Ned. I don’t need you here.”

-Robert before his coronation, Act II

()

“Am I to be a knight of the Kingsguard, or a pawn in some quarrel with my father?”

-Jaime Lannister

()

pre-Trident scene. Robert hears music from the opposing camp and says “Trumpets… wherever that bastard goes, fucking music! Drums, strike up, let them hear us!”  

()

“If a beloved's been wrenched from you, then you are a fellow countryman, a citizen of grief”

-Rhaegar Targaryen to Robert Baratheon during the Harrenhal tourney

()

“Let our sorrow unite us, for we are all citizens of grief”

-Robert Baratheon during his coronation

and from https://x.com/thetowerofjoy

Rhaegar unhelms Lyanna.

Rhaegar: You!

Lyanna (grabs Rhaegar’s sword and points it at him):

Stay, Benjen. He’ll not hurt me.

Rhaegar: Oh?

Lyanna: Threaten a Stark and the North will rise.

Rhaegar: Threaten a prince and House Stark will end.

Lyanna: Yet it is you who looks upon me with fear.

()

Oswell: (screaming) Rhaegar! My prince! Your grace, you must not wander unattended.

Rhaegar: Lyanna was craving fruit. Here, sweetling. Mulberries, figs, grapes and red apricots. And a carcanet of desert wildflowers in lieu of your clothing. (Lyanna giggles)

Lyanna: Did you weave that yourself?

(Rhaegar incorrectly names the flowers)

Lyanna: Those are weeds, my love. Pretty weeds.

()

(Battle of the Trident. Rhaegar sees Lyanna in a vision and calls out her name right before he dies: “Lyanna!”)

(The Tower of Joy, Lyanna grabs a sword)

Oswell: My lady! Lyanna?

Lyanna: Unhand me. I must get to my prince.

Oswell: Nay, Lyanna, we must await his return.

Lyanna: (screams) Bring me a horse! The prince is... he needs me. I can’t... I can’t feel him...

()

"Keep him safe. He was born of love, and my love goes with him, my heart, my life. But he can not know. Hold my secret, even from him. Tell nothing of his royal father or blood of the dragon. Speak not to him of prophecy or fate, no minstrel stories. Let him choose his own path. Promise me."

- Lyanna Stark's Last Words

I came across his epic rant at tower of joy. It was cool at first, then his indecision for many months after that, pretended to be a malewife, disregarded his duties all together,as times go by,I am feeling more and more angry about his inaction.

So is there any fanfic that someone just beat him up. no matter the AU, like Robert or Oberyn or some OCs.

As the saying goes, you can never be a Rhaegar fan without bashing him sometimes

Btw.I prefer him to be alive and learn his lesson. Please

(Gerold Hightower is sent to the Tower of Joy to bring Rhaegar back to King's Landing. Gerold wonders what makes Rhaegar stay and then he sees a pregnant Lyanna. Rhaegar and Gerold argue until Lyanna speaks up)

Lyanna: The Prince will accept his decree. If the prophecy be true then the realm must be united. Please, sweetling, you and I have lived in peaceful indecision, now the gods demand action. For what are we if not the choices we make? The war must end, my love, it must be you who ends it.

Rhaegar: And what of you? Of our child?

Lyanna: As King the world will be as you make it. Heal the realm. Pardon Robert and my brother. Make amends. No more fearful supremacy, but humble alliance. Make the new world, Rhaegar. For our child.

Rhaegar: I shall go on this sole condition that Lyanna and our child are safe. Arthur and Oswell will remain by her side. As shall their Lord Commander. There are lives here more worthy of protection than mine own. Even
that of the King. My friends, swear upon your swords, guard these lives with your own. Let no one reach that tower. This is my condition. Without it I shall not accept

Lyanna: My love.

Rhaegar: You have given me the world.

Lyanna: I will be with you in every moment.

(Rhaegar and Lyanna kiss)

still from X user Ruby @ thetowerofjoy

https://x.com/thetowerofjoy/status/2087556553683456153

They cut Lyanna’s solioquy rant about dismantling The Iron Throne. But I hope it’s due to stage time and we will see the scrip someday.

It’s quiet surprising to see Lyanna was thinking about politics and prophecy more than Rhaegar.

He came back after Lyanna told him to make a new world.

"The king has brought it upon himself. I'll none of it. I renounce my father, renounce my cursed name. Go, Arthur, Oswell, I have no need of your royal protection as I plan to live out my days in joyful privacy. Let them play their games of thrones. 'Tis not to me or Lyanna.[...] Prophecy be damned! I didn't take Lyanna to please gods, I took her in spite of them, in spite of it all. For once I made a choice that could not have been foretold. Whatever chains bound us, we have broken them"

- Rhaegar Targaryen, Game of Thrones: the Mad King

from X user Ruby @ thetowerofjoy

I definitely won’t characterise him as Prophecy obsess from now on.

He completely abandoned it, and in the process, renounced the dynasty as shown later he and Lyanna both agreed that Rebels were justified. There’s no actual legitimacy for Targaryen supremacy.

(I am sad that they cut short Lyanna’s soliloquy about dismantling the iron throne)

Man, who would thought they were like counter cultural figures of the 60s or 70s

From what I heard

The prophecy was quite important to him in the first half. well,his whole life actually.

But how did he become quite actually anti-prophecy in the second half , I mean burning the scrolls ,exclaiming damn the prophecy! I took her in spite of it!

What the hell happened to him?

Did he meet with Christopher Hitchens or what?

“I have been reading many scriptures, ancient Valyrian and modern religious books. I have been to different religious ceremonies the Old Gods and the New, we all agree that there is a spiritual life, that there is a higher purpose in life. And I keep dreaming about this girl that I met recently. Seems quite interesting.”

“Oh, so you’re falling in love? But you have to have this prophecy to cover you up?”

“Well, no, I… I am crown prince.”

“So you met that young girl, and you’re thinking, oh, what a beautiful young girl, what a beautiful girl that I can’t wait to impregnate her to make my third head of the dragon. What a disgusting thought.”

“………………..You’re right. It’s disgusting. Damn the prophecy!”

By the way, Lyanna becomes at least disenchanted of the prophecy in the end. She doesn’t want their kid to become any prophecy kid. So she tells Ned that this kid born of love and she doesn’t want any prophecy or royal blood to affect him let him choose his own destiny.

Rhaegar and Lyanna both have strange interconnected dreams,prothetic visions .They are like the prophets of the coming winter. But.G…in the end they really are the most anti-prophecy prophets I have ever seen in any medium

From what I read the play really makes him to be a quite interesting and sympathetic character. Why he becomes an alcoholic, why Lyanna is so important to him.and his interactions with Rhaegar before they become bitter enemies also adds a layer of drama. a degree of tragedy.

The only thing that mess this character up is that he was actually losing in the duel with Rhaegar.And then we have to think that he later propaganda that he was winning, and the dreams of killing Rhaegar every night is more than hatred, perhaps in only in dreams he is winning and that‘s what he wants.

Not necessarily sexually
The Mad King shows spoiler just makes me think he actually is a submissive person.
“Strike “ “Yield “

And he realised that she is the chosen one.
His obsession and suffering means nothing.

Seems like many readers just love to hate him ,no matter what happened.

I really don’t know what he can do to get a majority approval.

Maybe let’s send one of the reader who detest him to his time, maybe she can lecture the prince ,give him a good scolding!

And Rhaegar Targaryen was like” why?”

Or maybe we already have some similar fanfic ?

Any recommendations?

He seems like a man deeply in trouble instead of a good political leader.

And he could not combine the prophecy with political reality to form a strong message.

He is not ' The Great Communicator" for sure.

But the popular opinion in Westeros is that he would be a good king

So I am considering writing a crack where a fellow houseman of New Atheism Christopher Hitchens debates Prince Rhaegar Targaryen on the topic of Whether Prophecy is good or bad （in heaven perhaps?）

Of course Hitchens destroys Prince in the debate and destroys the legitimacy of Targaryen dynasty in the process.

But in the end,Dragon is rebirthed and prove to be necessary for the coming long night war.

Hitchens was like what the F…….is this?

Then he continues argue what the Prince did has nothing to do with this.

Do you think can I get my point through？

I want Hitchens to be very aggressive at start,just bashing the hell out of Rhaegar Targaryen. And the Prince was like what the seven hells I got myself into

Finally, we will have answers to decades-long myths.

One of the main attractions of the year of false spring is that mysterious, eerie feeling.

It will be gone tomorrow. No more myths, only history

I am feeling conflicted; I want the truth, but somehow I am afraid of the truth.