Is it possible that Rhaegar and Lyanna married before they died?

[Raul]

Maybe someone mentioned that theory before, but I was reading about Targaryens and first Targaryen - Aegon The Conqueror was legally married with both his Sisters - Rhaenys and Visenya. With Rhaenys he had son Aenys I and with Visenya Maegor the Cruel. Both of them became lawful kings.
So was it possible that Targaryens customized polygamia?
In That case Jon wasn't bastard at all, but legal son of Rhaegar and Lyanna and most rightful pretendent to Iron Throne?

[MOUNTAIN THAT READS]

RAUL !!!!!!!! GET DOWN!!!!!!!

(rumble in the background, as a herd of regulars come for another crack at this one)

welcome to the forum, Your theory is possible. It has been mentioned a few times.

[TK-421]

WTF!

Marriage!!!

I think I like Jon better as a bastard and the thought that a bastard is Lord Commander and that a bastard may inherit the throne.

[KiwiBird]

Well, all you need is a maester at hand, so it is possible ofc.

[Boaz]

Welcome Raul.

Kiwi's meant a septon, but he's absolutely right. Tyrion married secretly... so it can be done. And I think a septon would consider any request by the Crown Prince to be a command.

But the implications to the throne and inheritance of taking multiple wives and siring sons is immense. I would think that if Rhaegar and Lyanna had made their marriage public, then the Starks and the Targaryens may have been able to settle on a diplomatic arrangement rather than war. Remember, Lyanna's abduction was the cause of Brandon's public denouncement of Rhaegar which led to Brandon's arrest, etc. The Martells may not have liked a second queen, but the Martells would have been a far easier problem to deal with than the Arryn-Baratheon-Stark-Tully alliance was.

In another thread, TK accused me of double talk. I will do this now.

On the other hand, many people with vital information were killed during Robert's Rebellion. For instance, the pyromancers responsible for the Mad King's orders to store wildfire in order to blow up King's Landing seemed to have all been killed, most notably Lord Rossart. So if Rhaegar and Lyanna wed just before he rode to the Trident, who would have known this? The septon (this could have been Pycelle), the Kingsguard guarding Lyanna, and Ashara Dayne could have all known. Ashara and the Kingsguard are all dead. The septon could have died or been too frightened to come forward with the tale after the Targaryens' utter defeat. If it was Pycelle, he'd probably have leaked it to Tywin Lannister.

I've always assumed that R+L=J was on the wrong side of the sheets. Lyanna's "promise me, Ned" was explained away by Robert's irrational loathing of all Targaryens. But could Robert have somehow been persuaded to see Jon as the last and best vestige of Lyanna? Could Robert have been coaxed to see only Lyanna in Jon and not see Rhaegar? If Jon was born of rape, then perhaps Ned might have been able show Jon in a positive light to Robert. But if Lyanna married Rhaegar, then she not only willingly went from Robert, her betrothed, but she married without even breaking it off with him. To add insult to injury, Jon could have been considered Aerys II's heir and not Viserys... Jon was either the rightful king or Viserys' heir. Jon would have had to die no matter what Robert felt for Lyanna.

"Promise me, Ned" takes on an even more desperate tone now.

[Boaz]

Reviewing Maester Aemon's life, I find that he had a few opportunities to become king. The Iron Throne appears to have been available to male Targaryen heirs, but not female. Perhaps the lords of the Seven Kingdoms will welcome a Targaryen queen since they don't know of any surviving male Targaryens. Welcoming an infertile Targaryen queen is another story.

If Rhaegar secretly married Lyanna, then isn't Jon the preferred choice as ruler? In fact, he'd be the one seated on the Iron Throne and Dany could be his consort... especially if he also had a second consort who was fertile. Dany says in ACOK that she wanted to learn to rule, but it also occurs to me that Jon is learning to rule and to lead.

[Aegon the Unworthy]

Welcome Raul....

Let me take the time to tell the gathering mob a few things.

1. No one is allowed to call a new poster an idiot until his 18th post. Those are the rules. No rule however, probscribes said new poster from doing like wise.

2. New posters must place a strange and marvelous theory into a new thread and let others mock it. Its kinda like Fight Club, everyone fights their first night in fight club. Oh and we dont talk about fight club. I think this thread qualifies Raul, so dont stress.

3. Whatever I type is funny. So chortle. Do it.

I think youre right Boaz. If they had been married, Ned would have been torn between Robert and Lyanna and in the end would have chosen Lyanna. Which would have split Jon Arryn and in the end forced Robert to come to heel without spilling any more blood. In the end Robert would have despised Ned and Lyanna.

So supposing they were married then I cant think of any reason to hide it. Especially considering Lyannas father and brother just got killed because they believed Lyanna was abducted.

Maybe its a timeline thing. Maybe everything happened while Rhaegar and Lyanna were off to Bear Island on their honeymoon or something. They come back, the two Starks were dead, Robert was enduring the prelude to the Battle of the Bells and Ned was marching on Kings Landing. Oh no, Rhaegar mounts up and heads to the Ruby Ford. Oh no, Lyanna wakes up with morning sickness while new hubby is off getting his helmet dented....

Maybe maybe maybe.....

[AandKsavetheDAY]

No marriage. I think that grrm is pulling out a big one if r+l=j, and swallowing that and the fact that a marriage happened that no one knows about is a little bit much. Pycelle couldn't have married them, he's a maester, not a septon. Though it was an interesting thought, Imo it's just too far fetched.

[Young stormlord]

I guess it is posible they got married. If Tyrion could marry Tisha what would stop Rhaegar from marrying Lyenna? He was a prince after all.

[etburyan]

1. Do Targaryens have strong genetics. It seems that their hair and such is pretty defining

2. Jon is only described as looking like a stark

3. If Stark genes were strong, then why did Ned's children look like Cat?

[Young stormlord]

Originally Posted by etburyan

1. Do Targaryens have strong genetics. It seems that their hair and such is pretty defining

2. Jon is only described as looking like a stark

3. If Stark genes were strong, then why did Ned's children look like Cat?

Let me try explaining this. Martin's genetics rules are pretty much same as in real world. Remember Robert's bastards? Well in our world black hair is stronger than blue hair (actually black is the strongest haircolor in real world).
Targaryens were mating between themselves to keep their genetics (indigo and purple eyes are pretty rare irc) clean, I mean when u mate silver-haired purple eyed male with golden hair female with blue eyes, posibility to get black haired ofspring is 0.

Now when u mate silver haired purple eyed male (Rhaegar) with blackhaired black eyed female chances to get silverhaired offspring are pretty much 0. (except if one of females ancestors had blue hair and female has hidden gene for it)

[Winters_Sorrow]

Originally Posted by Young stormlord

Let me try explaining this. Martin's genetics rules are pretty much same as in real world. Remember Robert's bastards? Well in our world black hair is stronger than blue hair (actually black is the strongest haircolor in real world).
Targaryens were mating between themselves to keep their genetics (indigo and purple eyes are pretty rare irc) clean, I mean when u mate silver-haired purple eyed male with golden hair female with blue eyes, posibility to get black haired ofspring is 0.

Now when u mate silver haired purple eyed male (Rhaegar) with blackhaired black eyed female chances to get silverhaired offspring are pretty much 0. (except if one of females ancestors had blue hair and female has hidden gene for it)

I'll start off by presuming every time you said "blue" you meant blond

And genetics is far more complicated that the simplistic version you've highlighted above. A brown-haired woman with a Valyrian grandmother could give birth to a silver haired child with purple eyes, even if she married someone with brown hair & brown eyes, though the probability would be low.

[etburyan]

I understand simple genetics, although I appreciate the refresher. Genetics are definitely complicated and therefore can't give definitive answers as to a persons lineage. HOWEVER, even if Targaryen traits are the less dominant traits, so were stark traits evidently. We have more proof of Stark traits being submissive than Targaryen. In any case, it is just my two cents. It wasn't meant to be the be all end all answer, just a thought.

[TK-421]

Well, then I'm sold on that crackpot theory that Tyrion is also a Targaryen bastard. Genetics or not...

[Boaz]

I'm so happy... I might cry.