Lyanna's Death
After the events at the Sack of Kings Landing, Ned headed to the Tower of Joy, where he knew Lyanna to be. He recalls the events in A Game of Thrones within a drug-induced dream- understandably the recollections are ambiguous and obscure... Ned raced to the Tower of Joy where he and his retinue encountered it guarded by 3 Knights of the Kingsguard: Ser Arthur Dayne, Ser Oswell Whent, and Ser Gerold Hightower. Dayne was Rhaegers closest friend and was considered to be one of the greatest fighters and most honourable men in the Realm at that time. That Rhaegar had left his closest friend and 2 other members of the Kingsguard to protect the Tower of Joy indicated that he placed great importance on the woman within. That woman was Lyanna, pregnant with his child. I believe that Lyanna died in the pangs of a fever hastened by childbirth. The smell of roses in the room is indicative of a gift that been presented to her for a congratulatory purpose- we are told in the books that Lyanna loved the smell of roses. Rhaegar had sent these roses, or had the Kingsguard present them on his behalf, to the woman he loved and the son that he would never meet.