Game Of Thrones: 10 Worst Things The Starks Have Ever Done

For the majority of the Song of Ice and Fire saga, relatively little is known about Lyanna Stark. In the first episode we learn that Robert was madly in love with her, even years after her death and the King's marriage to Cersei Lannister, but there was no real hint as to the importance she had to the entire story.

Lyanna was involved in something of a love triangle with Robert Baratheon and Rhaegar Targaryen. Though the former two were betrothed, and the latter was married to Elia Martell, Rhaegar crowned Lyanna the Queen of Love and Beauty after a tourney win at Harrenhal.

The two fell in love, and ran off to Dorne to marry in secret. This, however, was not what was seen by the rest of the country. To the knowledge of everyone else, including Robert Baratheon, Lyanna had been kidnapped and carried south against her will by the Prince of Dragonstone.

This misunderstanding directly led to Robert's Rebellion, not to mention the deaths of Lyanna's father and brother, Rickard and Brandon, who travelled to King's Landing to demand the arrest of Rhaegar. Should Ned's sister, like Ned's son, have honoured her arranged marriage, an immeasurable amount of blood would not have been spilled.