“Able. That above all. Determined, deliberate, dutiful, single-minded” Despite having never appeared in the series to date, and despite being dead for eighteen years before our story even gets going, I cant help but feel Rhaegar has had his own arc even in death. Layers are added to his character through the perspectives of others, and we are told just enough about the last Prince of Dragonstone to perhaps fathom his motives. I think Rhaegar divides fandom as much as he divides Westeros. My own view is Robert Baratheon appears alone in his single-minded hatred of the man. He was neither vicious nor cruel, and appears to have held genuine affection for Lyanna. At the same time, his obsession with whatever prophetic words he read blinded him to all else. For however much he tried to uphold his honour, he must have known that escaping with Lyanna meant war. Prince Rhaegar loved his lady Lyanna, and thousands died for it. Indeed ... and doubtless Rhaegar contemplated that he himself would lie amongst those thousands in the ground, when all was said and done.
Posted on: Sun, 03 Aug 2014 15:39:00 +0000