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The Truth of Others

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This is the truth:

Rhaegar raped Lyanna, the day of the tournament. He taunted her with his knowledge of her "antics" - he called them. He blackmailed her. He terrified her. She begged for mercy on her family, but his father's blood was strong in him and he called for his sword.

This is the truth Robert Baratheon might have comforted himself with, had he dared search a little further into what happened. Lyanna's rape justifies everything that came after; regicide and war.

This is the truth:

Lyanna abandoned her family and friends, broke her betrothal and ran away from home for the love of a married man. It was wanton, it was silly, it was always going to end in disaster. It might even have been a good thing for her that she died rather than face the hatred of a kingdom.

This is the truth Eddard Stark did not think about, except on white nights. It leaves him empty inside, sick of the world. He doesn't believe it, except when he is lost in nightmares. Lyanna was not the sort of person who would abandon her duty without excellent reason; she was a Stark of Winterfell.

This is the truth:

The gallant Prince Rhaegar fell in love with Lyanna Stark at first sight and knew that she was born to be the mother of the Prince That Was Promised. With the fate of the world in mind, he asked her to give birth to his child. She, a brave and noble woman, agreed. They risked everything, happily sacrificing their own lives for the sake of the nation.

This is the truth Daenerys Targaryen might have written in her history books. It's a good story, apart from anything else, which means it'll get round much faster than a dozen strictly accurate accounts. It also has the advantage of whitewashing the last remnant of Robert Baratheon's reign: Rhaegar's reputation.

This is the truth:

Lyanna did love Rhaegar, but for his weakness and not his nobility. She was hot-headed enough to agree to his suggestion of an elopement; rather optimistically, she saw a way out of marrying Robert Baratheon. Rhaegar did love Lyanna - he would never have harmed her; when he left her, he left his best men in charge of her protection. Perhaps the Prince That Was Promised did come into it; probably. But no one willingly spends a year with someone they don't care about.

This is the truth that no one believes any more. Maybe it's the only one that is true; no one will ever know. You decide.