Rhaegar Targaryen

Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, the last Prince of Dragonstone, was the eldest son and heir to King Aerys II Targaryen, the Mad King. He was the older brother of Viserys and Daenerys Targaryen and the husband of Elia Martell, with whom he had two children, Rhaenys and Aegon.

He also fathered Jon Snow with Lyanna Stark, whom he secretly married following an annulment from Elia. Young Rhaegar was seen as having every quality to make a great king after succeeding his father - so most lords hoped to simply wait out Aerys II's insanity.

Prince Rhaegar already showed such great promise as the future heir to the throne that most were willing to endure with Aerys's eccentricities, intending to wait out the remainder of his reign until Rhaegar succeeded him. Rhaegar was brave, kind, and wise, and most looked forward to the golden era that would assuredly begin when he would ascend to the throne.

Like the rest of the realm, Rhaegar hoped to simply wait out the rest of his father's reign, and that his bouts of insanity would remain manageable by his courtiers and Small Council, the realm capably led by Tywin Lannister, his father Aerys's hand for nearly twenty years, bringing two decades of piece without the realm tearing apart because of his father Aerys's madness.

Many assumed that in reward for Tywin's long and distinguished service as Aerys's chief advisor, a marriage-alliance between Prince Rhaegar and Tywin's daughter Cersei would happen. Yet Aerys surprisingly spurned the match. It was believed that Aerys did this in a fit of paranoia that Tywin was trying to usurp his throne.

Despite everything Tywin had done for him. Instead of Cersei, Prince Rhaegar marries Elia Martell. Alienating his longtime Hand, Aerys instead agreed to an arranged marriage between Rhaegar and Elia Martell, a princess from Dorne, daughter of the ruling Princess of Dorne (who was a distant cousin of the royal line through intermarriage a century before).

Rhaegar and Elia's marriage was happy according to all accounts. Oberyn Martell, Elia's younger brother, said that his sister loved her husband. Rhaegar and Elia had two children: a daughter named Rhaenys, and then a son named Aegon. Sometime after this, many interactions between Rhaegar Targaryen and the wild she-wolf Lyanna Stark even when Rhaegar's wife Elia Martell was around, led many to believe that something was going on between them.

About a year after the tourney, under as-yet unknown circumstances, Rhaegar allegedly abducted Lyanna Stark. Unknown to all, Lyanna had actually desired to leave with Rhaegar, and they ran off together to the Red Mountains of Dorne. Rhaegar arranged for the High Septon to grant him an annulment from his marriage to Elia Martell, then personally officiate his secret marriage to Lyanna the same day.

This war became known as Robert's Rebellion, or the "War of the Usurper" to Targaryen loyalists. Rhaegar was nowhere to be seen. For months, it seems he stayed in seclusion with Lyanna at the Tower of Joy in Dorne. Around the same time, Rhaegar suddenly returned to the royal court at King's Landing to lead the crown's armies.

The the battle of the Trident happened in which Rhaegar returned. On the way, Rhaegar privately confided to Barristan that after they won, there would be "many changes" at the royal court upon his return - alluding that he intended to depose his father for his crimes and instability, and try to restore peace with the Great Houses of the realm.

Robert ultimately killed Rhaegar at the Trident by caving in his breastplate with a mighty blow from his war hammer. His armor had been studded with red rubies, which were sent flying through the ford in the river. It has been known as the "Ruby Ford" since.

Their leader killed, the Targaryen army collapsed, and the rebels were victorious. Rhaegar's ex wife Elia Martell was brutally taken advantage of and murdered by Gregor Clegane along with the children he had