#TKotLT

[sare11aa11eras]

Just before

[Image Description: a full-color drawing, depicting the moment before Lyanna Stark is discovered to be the Knight of tihe Laughing Tree by Rhaegar Targaryen.

In the foreground, Lyanna Stark stands on a large grey stone at the edge of some water. She is barefoot and her shirt’s ties are undone so it falls open, revealing linen chest wrappings. Her shirt is white with red details and a silvery-grey lining. She also wears strips of light-colored fabric like her chest wrappings around her wrists. She wears dark grey stirrup pants. Her hair is in two braids, one still piled up on her head, the other falling down. Her hair ribbons are blue. Her bangs are plastered to her forehead. A necklace with a silver pendant with a wolf emblem on it is tucked into her chest wrappings. In her left hand, she holds her plain, wooden jousting lance straight up. Her helmet is propped between her left elbow and hip. She looks downward, towards the water in front of her, smiling, looking breathless and excited.

Also in the foreground is water, lots of grass, reeds, cattails, and more grey stones. A sapphire sits in the water. A pair of steel-toed leather boots is nearby. A little behind Lyanna, a crumpled grey dress is lying in the grass. A frog sits on the stump of a tree. There are a few purple flowers and red weirwood leaves scattered here and there.

In the midground is a massive weirwood tree, its foliage taking up much of the top half of the drawing. Lyanna’s shield, painted with the image of a laughing weirwood, is propped beneath its face. A raven perches on one of its boughs, in profile. A figure in profile wearing red and black, Rhaegar, is just coming around the tree, sword extended in front. The background is mostly blue, with an attempt to convey more trees and forest behind the subjects. / End ID.]

[vivacissimx]

Summary:

“The Knight of the Laughing Tree had vanished. The king was wroth, and even sent his son the dragon prince to seek the man, but all they ever found was his painted shield, hanging abandoned in a tree. It was the dragon prince who won that tourney in the end.” —ASOS, Bran II

Or: The story of Rhaegar and Lyanna, come upon each other in the pathless woods.

Rated T

16k words

Genfic (pairing tagged from an abundance of caution)

Feat. Benjen Stark, Howland Reed, Oswell Whent, and Arthur Dayne

A super exclusive meet & greet! (except it's just Rhaegar's Aerys complex meeting Lyanna's Brandon complex)

[glossywooo]

IM IN LOVEEE WITH THIS MUSIC VIDEO. The animation is so beautiful, i just had to draw something for it

[mysuunandstars]

[agentrouka-blog]

I thoroughly believe Rhaegar blackmailed Lyanna into “running away with him” because he had the information she was TKotLT and as you said the kingsguard (like with Rhaella and Sansa) probably stood by and did nothing as he kidnapped and likely r*ped her

That's kind of what I take away from the books, too. 

Another hint is in the fact that Ygritte tells the Bael the Bard/Winter Rose story (of DUBIOUS consent), and ends up forcing Jon into a relationship. Roses and rape.

Or look at ASOS, Sansa VI. She is "reborn" Alayne, a bastard girl whose mother died birthing her and was supposed to join a celibate order. Massive Jon parallels. There's a rushed, reluctant marriage in a remote tower, to the surround sound of "ANOTHER SON!" in the context of which Sansa is almost raped by a singer who will later name her "Roadside Rose". Roses and rape.

Sansa's marriage bed? Strewn with rose petals. Roses and (narrowly avoided) rape. With a guy who had previously protected her from a crazy violent king, even.

Being handed a rose at a tourney? Not a sign of love. But an overture from a faction who would seek to use her for their own gain.

There are just no good associations to be found. 

[hackedbyawriter]

Lyanna and Rhaegar did not Fall in Love

Spoilers

I’m going to pitch in my two cents. Let’s start with the Tourney at Harrenhaal.

So we all agree that Lyanna was most definitely the Knight of the Laughing Tree.

Do you guys remember what she said when she won? She told the Knights to teach their squires honour.

This and the fact that she entered the lists in lieu of Howland Reed’s slight to his honour suggests that Lyanna, as wild and fierce as she may be, holds the concept honour quite highly. A characteristic that most Starks share.

If you all remember Aerys orders TKOTLT to be hunted down and brought to him. But nothing remained but the shield.

It’s generally accepted that Rhaegar eventually found out it was her and they fell in love. I beg to differ.

That’s right, you heard me. Lyanna and Rhaegar did not fall in love.

Well, at least not at that moment. Like c’mon guys this is G.R.R Martin we’re talking about.

Here is what I think happened.

Rhaegar tracks her down and confronts her about it in private. She doesn't deny it. Rhaegar tells her that Aerys would probably want her head because of a perceived plot against him.

Lyanna replies, probably says something witty about how Rhaegar’s head should be one brought to the Mad King. (It is thought that Rhaegar most likely held this tourney to overthrow the King and I don’t think Lyanna would be unaware of it).

But soon after that, she tells him that she is prepared to go before the King, profess her innocence in any conspiracy and die for it if need be.

Rhaegar, impressed, states he expected nothing less from The Knight of the Laughing Tree and tells her that he would spare her.

Startled she asks why.

He tells her there are shortage Knights who could claim to be as honourable as her, and it would be a pity to kill her.

Probably thinking of how her being labelled a traitor might affect her family she reluctantly agrees. Lyanna then proceeds to tell Rhaegar that she is honour bound to him and if there is anything he needs from her, he should only ask it. (Do you see where I’m going with this).

He also tells her he intends to name her Queen of Love and Beauty once he wins.

Jokingly she states that he doesn't know whether he would win. But when understanding falls on her she asks what Elia would think? What all the Lords and Ladies would think?

He tells her she deserved the victor’s crown and this was the least he could do. Besides she risked everything by entering in the lists and he in turn would be willing to risk everything to credit her.

Conclusion:

Rhaegar named Lyanna Queen of Love and Beauty because he felt that she deserved the Victor’s prize.

Lyanna went with Rhaegar to have the third head of the dragon because she was honour bound to him for saving her life.

She most likely considered her own honour (maidenhood and marriage to Robert) secondary to her promise to Rhaegar. Just like how her brother Ned considered his own honour secondary to his promise to her.

So a civil war happened because two idealists were too intent on maintaining honour in a dishonourable world.

[lostchildofthenewworld]

I’m tickled cause can you imagine Rhaegar finding TKotLT and it’s just smol Howland?

Omg I hate you for that realization about Elia at the tourney! (just kidding I don't hate you ofc) but Jesus. But on the other hand Elia was stunning and to be boot graceful and witty (the worst thing Cersei could say about her was her flat chest) that IMO there had to have been some men who secretly wanted to crown her and thought Rhaegar was an idiot. But maybe I'm being too optimistic.

I think everyone thought Rhaegar was an idiot for not crowning his own wife. Like, I think even Mace Tyrell thought it was a dumb move, and he's an idiot.

As for people that secretly wanted to crown Elia... there were probably quite a few of them hanging around! Whether they actually would have if they won probably depended on several factors, but I don't see how no one would want to.

[heypunkletsdance]

Was just on a forum where this guy was arguing vehemently that Lyanna Stark could not have been The Knight of the Laughing Tree because she was a girl.

I'm kind of wondering if this guy really reads ASOIAF because if he did he would know about:

1. Arya Stark

2. Brienne of Tarth

3. The Sand Snakes

4. Arianne Martell

5. Asha Greyjoy

Not to mention the wilding women like Osha and Ygritte. All of these women are proven warriors but nope. He just won't buy it.