A Song of Ice and Fire is a complicated series, and between all of the mystical and political misdirects, there is plenty of theorising to be done. Of course, with the vocal fanbase and highly debatable nature of much of the material, few theories are widely accepted by readers. There is one, however, that has united many: that Rhaegar Taryargen and Lyanna Stark are the parents of Jon Snow. At first, this may seem like a crackpot conception. According to every in-universe account - including those with high opinions of Rhaegar - Lyanna was kidnapped and held against her will. Why should readers think otherwise? Well, largely because of the Tower of Joy. In A Game of Thrones, a feverish Ned Stark dreams of the day on which his sister died. Ned and six companions ride to the Tower of Joy in Dorne to rescue Lyanna. Rhaegar and Aerys are both dead by this point, but three legendary knights of the Kingsguard remain to guard the tower. As a battle ensues between the ten warriors, Lyanna screams for her brother from her "bed of blood" within. When the fighting comes to an end, Ned makes a mysterious promise to his sister, and Lyanna dies. Overall, it's an amazing scene. We get a look at some of the heroes of the previous generation, and we see just how the subsequent knights of the Kingsguard pale in comparison. There is a sense of respect between all of the men, in which honour and duty are of paramount value. It's also a remarkably well-written scene, and despite the fact that this is their only actual appearance in the entire saga, we can't help but mourn for the three knights, who either died to protect the woman whom their prince had abducted and assaulted or the woman who had given birth to his only surviving heir. It's kind of a big deal. Sadly, none of it made the cut for the show. Although there certainly would have been difficulties in shooting such a sequence, the Tower of Joy is one of the most iconic scenes for readers. Also, if fans are correct and Rhaegar + Lyanna = Jon, the lack of foreshadowing on screen will be downright shameful. Neither Rhaegar nor Lyanna have received more than passing mentions over the three and a half seasons that have aired. With Ned dead and gone, it's unlikely that we'll be able to see it on screen for a very long time, if at all.
Fiction buff and writer. If it's on Netflix, it's probably in my queue. I've bought DVDs for the special features and usually claim that the book is better than the movie or show (and can provide examples). I've never met a TV show that I won't marathon. Follow on Twitter @lah9891 .
