Game Of Thrones Season 6: 8 Things You Need To Know About Tower Of Joy

8. Rhaegar's 'Kidnap' Of Lyanna

Rhaegar Targaryen's alleged kidnap of Lyanna Stark (Ned's sister, who we saw in Home) is a major part of modern Westerosi history, as it's one of the events that can be attributed to the start of Robert's Rebellion, and the eventual usurping of King Aerys II Targaryen.

This took place shortly after the Tourney at Harrenhal, where Rhaegar had crowned Lyanna (who was betrothed to Robert Baratheon) the Queen of Beauty, ignoring his own wife Elia Martell.

This led to Brandon Stark riding to King's Landing to confront Rhaegar, who wasn't actually there. King Aerys took him prisoner, and ended up killing him and his father, thus marking the beginning of the rebellion.

One of the big issues with this telling of events, or at least the kidnapping, is that it's all told from Robert's point-of-view - a man angry and upset over losing the woman he loved. It flies in the face of everything else we hear about Rhaegar, who was supposedly a kind-hearted and rather noble person. The counter argument is that Rhaegar and Lyanna were truly in love, and she went with him willingly to the Tower of Joy, a place where he could keep her safe.

Whatever the reasoning, it's Rhaegar taking Lyanna there that led to the war, and to the events at the Tower of Joy.