Post by SlyWren on Oct 25, 2015 0:30:34 GMT
As opposed to Aerys ordering her taken, I'm finding this scenario more and more likely. My original thought was that Rhaegar drew Aerys's attention to Lyanna through crowning her at Harrenhall, causing him to go after her. And although this is possible, I wonder... Did Lyanna run away? What happened to make her do this if she did? Let's look at the blue roses again. When Rhaegar crowned Lyanna, from the reaction of the crowd, it could also be seen as a threat. But a threat of what? Now let's look at wolfmaid7's take on what the crown represents. Lyanna is not a maiden. But if she's getting it on with Robert, who cares? She's already betrothed to him. What would spell downfall for the Starks and their Southern Ambitions? Why Lord Rickard claiming the maidenhead of his one and only daughter. At the very least that would jeopardize the North's relationship with the Stormlands and possibly the Vale as well. Certainly a reason for Lyanna to run away. An awfully good reason to not let the Starks know where she is as well. Look at the Sansa parallels as well. LF, who is currently Sansa's father figure, is treating her any way but fatherly. Did Lyanna run away posing as a bastard, herself? Did someone, i.e. Arthur then steal her? Just like Jon with Ygritte, I didn't know you were a girl until my blade was at your throat.
Possible--biggest problem I see with this is--is there any hint of Rickard's being off in relations to his kids? I agree that LF trying to be a father figure while also being not remotely fatherly is a possible parallel--but am wondering if it means someone she was supposed to trust might have crossed her. . .
I agree with the idea that the crown, if it meant Lyanna wasn't a virgin, wasn't likely to break up the alliance between the Starks and the Baratheons. But whether the crown represented Lyanna's lost virginity or Rhaegar's potential sexual intent OVER his wife, in public--it did a good job of angering the Starks towards Rhaegar. And thus probably the Stark allies.
This would undermine Rhaegar's attempts to undo his father's damage and reunify the realm Which is one of the reasons I struggle to see why he'd do it willingly--it undermines him domestically with his wife and in-laws (imagine that conversation at Christmas) and with the realm.
So, to do a hodgepodge of your ideas, ideas over on The Whole Shebang thread thelasthearth.freeforums.net/thread/200/shebang and other ideas I've read all over (meaning I can't remember who said them. . . sorry):
1. Lyanna saves Howland at HH and the Starks take him in. Ned and/or Howland find a way to defend Howland's honor/get revenge.
2. Aerys, already paranoid re: the realm and Rhaegar, assumes someone's out to get him. Sends Rhaegar out to find the truth. Maybe Rhaegar finds the Starks. Maybe not--but he lies to mad-dad and says he couldn't find them.
3. Aerys is mad, not stupid. Realizes the weirwood on the shield is likely tied to the Starks. Maybe heard the story of Lyanna and those particular squires. So--three birds one stone: forces Rhaegar to give Lyanna the crown. Angers and insults Starks. Takes the shine off of Rhaegar's halo and jeopardizes his ability to broker peace. And, for good measure, pisses of the Dornish contingent whom Aerys doesn't seem to like anyway.
4. It's all very like Cersei-the-Targaryen-wannabe--clever, shortsighted and nasty in one go.
5. Now--why does Lyanna stay at HH after the tourney? Did she really? We've got the echo between Sansa (the killing of Lady) and Brandon/Rickard. Of Sansa and Lya as stolen Starks maidens. Echo of Arya defending her friend--like Lya. Is Arya's running away an echo with Lya, too? Per your point above--did the situation get out of control and she ran away? Maybe from Rickard, but maybe from a kidnapping? And maybe Arthur helped? Ned praises him as the finest knight, not finest KG. Did Arthur break ranks and save Lya? Like Jaime snapped and saved King's Landing?
6. Possible support? Ned's dreams of the rose crown are negative: he finds thorns in it that cut his hands. Lyanna's wearing it in the crypts with the ice-eyed Kings of Winter, their snarling direwolves, and Lyanna's bleeding eyes.
But Ned has no negative thoughts about Rhaegar--the guy who gave the Crown of Horror! So--why the disconnect? Did the crown come from Aerys?
And that's enough rambling from me--a mishmash of your thoughts and mine--apologies for making you read hash. But it might work. . . .