Rhaegar couldn't have known House Stark would be pissed off by his running off with their betrothed daughter! (Even though Brandon had to be physically stopped from attacking Rhaegar at Harrenhal for Crowning Lyanna, thus compromising her reputation.)
Rhaegar couldn't have known it would be hurtful to both Elia's feelings as his wife and position as his consort to crown another woman his queen of love and beauty! (Even though we have the famous tale of how valiant prince Aemon had to save poor Queen Naerys Targaryen from the exact same public insult by her husband who was literally called "the unworthy".)
Rhaegar couldn't have known House Baratheon would not be pleased with his crowning of their future Lady and then running off with her! (Even though Lord Lyonel Baratheon had already raised a rebellion against House Targaryen over a broken betrothal by a Targaryen crown prince, and so poor princess Rhaelle had to be bartered to make peace, which is the whole reason why Robert has a Targaryen blood claim to the IT.)
Rhaegar couldn't have known his insane father, literally called the Mad King, wouldn't react well to the political disaster Rhaegar had created and then dumped on him to deal with! (Even though there was already gossip all over the seven kingdoms that Aerys distrusted Rhaegar so much that he was considering disinheriting him and declaring Viserys his heir.)
Rhaegar couldn't have known that Elia and their kids would be unsafe in the Red Keep without a single Kingsguard to protect them! (Even without the threat of the rebels and Tywin's treachery, Aerys was going to raze the whole city to the ground with wildfire, including Elia and Aegon and Rhaenys.)
Rhaegar couldn't have known Jaime wouldn't protect Elia and the kids! (Jaime was literally a child hostage himself, Aerys always kept him close for that very reason, and Rhaegar didn't even once ask Jaime, who was the only Kingsguard left in the city due to Rhaegar's own actions, to protect his wife and kids. Jaime feels bad for Elia and her kids' demise because this is another way he thinks he failed as a Kingsguard.)
Rhaegar couldn't have known creating a political crisis so big that it brought down his family's dynasty, would worsen and endanger not only his wife's and kids' life, but his mother's as well! It's Aerys' fault for what Rhaella suffered! (Rhaegar knew his father was a madman who liked to r*pe his poor wife after burning people alive. He absolutely could have showed a smidge of consideration to the poor woman who was forced to birth him at age of thirteen, and whose life had been just one trauma after another ever since. Rhaegar absolutely could have. If he wanted to. He clearly didn't want to, for he seems not to have spared Rhaella's suffering a single thought, else he would prioritize getting rid of his evil father over getting into Lyanna's pants.)
Rhaegar couldn't have known that House Martell would see his abandonment of their only princess as a grave dishonor! (I wasn't aware that House Martell had no personal sense of honor or self preservation. In fact, didn't we read that Doran was pissed off and reluctant to send aid because of Elia's horrible treatment by House Targaryen?)
Rhaegar couldn't have known it's diabolical to take your mistress to honeymoon in your wife's homeland, while the wife and kids are being held hostage by insane grandpa! (Then why was Rhaegar hiding in a super secret love shack in Dorne, instead of openly parading Lyanna around?)
Rhaegar couldn't have known Rhaenys would look to him for protection in her last moments alive! (This one I completely agree with, he was barely there for the three years that poor child got to live, Rhaenys most likely only knew about him from what her mother told her.)
There is a whole lot more stuff that Rhaegar's own stans say he couldn't have ever known or saw coming.
If I tried to list them all, I'd be here all day.
I'll just end with this -
I get it Rhaegar stans. Your favorite was a total idiot, who never knew anything. Ever.
Truly, he most certainly is Jon You Know Nothing Snow's biological father.
jbbartram-illu
vaporwave
stormborns
theartofmadeline
ellievsbear
