What if The Mad King DIDN'T Attend The Tourney at Harrenhal

What if Aerys DIDN'T Attend The Tourney at Harrenhal? What if The Mad King DIDN'T Attend The Tournament at Harrenhal Discord:   / discord   YT:    / @threeeyedtheorist   Voice Acting & Narration: Steven Waters @bobablackfly602 Let's explore the depths of it in the video. Aerys stares at the invitation in his hands, signed with the black bat of House Whent, and curses their house. They call on every house, great and small, to journey to Harrenhal to take part in the grand tourney Lord Whent intends to hold there. He boasts that it will put even the previous tourney of Lannisport to shame and that he would he honored if the king would grace them with his attendance. The Mad King scoffs. It is an effort to show the wealth of his house, and he has little interest in such matters. However, what gets his attention is who is attending. Aerys knows his son fully intends to attend this event, and that has raised his suspicions. If his son is so eager to take part, then he begins to suspect that there is more to this than a simple tourney. A part of him begins to suspect that he intends to gather allies for a plot. It makes perfect sense. With all the great houses in attendance, there will be many opportunities to recruit allies for a coup. However, when Grandmaester Pycelle hears of this, he urges Aerys to reconsider. Pycelle: Your grace. You must reconsider and stay in King’s Landing instead. Aerys: Reconsider? There is a plot against my life. My own son conspires to steal my throne from me, and you tell me to sit back to simply accept it? Pycelle: Y-your grace. You must co-consider the problem from all a-angles. Perhaps it is not a coup, b-but an assassination! Maybe the p-purpose is to l-lure you out so they may dispose of you once you are there. This causes Aerys to pause, as in truth he had not considered that. But as the seed is planted, his eyes widen in shock at the implications of this. A shiver runs through the king’s body. Pycelle allows himself a smile and continues to cultivate that idea until the Mad King now fears the very idea of stepping into Harrenhal. Finally, Grandmaeaster agrees to come up with an excuse, saying the king is too ill to travel to Harrenhal. Once he finishes drafting this message, he adds another message to Tywin Lannister, assuring him that Aerys will not interfere with his plans. In the weeks that follow, the Tourney of Harrenhal, Tywin grows more and more invested in the events in Harrenhal. He has his spies keep track of which lords will attend the tourney, and he watches Rhaegar, trying to understand his motives. He even sends gold to Lord Whent to help him sponsor the event. Before long, the day of the tourney finally comes, and hundreds of lords arrive, coming from across all the Seven Kingdoms. But Rhaegar’s presence puts them all to shame as he rides through the gates of Harrenhal, his silver hair streaming behind him as half the court turns to face him. Tywin stands alongside Lord Whent in the place of honor. The place that was initially reserved for Aerys. Rhaegar bows respectfully towards the lord and offers him a smile, thanking the Whents for their hospitality and saying that he looks forward to taking part in the festivities. Yet as he prepares to leave and heads towards his chambers in order to rest and prepare for the coming event, he hears footsteps beside him as Tywin walks alongside him. The Old Lion’s face is pulled taut, but his eyes gleam with excitement. Tywin: Prince Rhaegar, it is good to see you here today. Is there much to discuss with you? Rhaegar: You sound like you are in a Small Council meeting, Lord Tywin. This is a tourney. Tywin: A fine pretense, my prince. Think of it, many great lords in one place, speaking, sharing stories, and you at the center of their attention. Rhaegar: To do what exactly? Tywin: I think you know, Prince Rhargar. Your father…he cannot be allowed to continue ruling as he does. He shall run the realm into the ground, plunge us into chaos because he sees foes where there are none. Rhaegar: And your plan is to simply give him a reason to fear? My father might claim he does not attend because of illness, but it is because he fears that someone will try to kill him, and now you would have me prove him right by plotting against him? Tywin: I would have you do what is best for the realm, my prince. You think just because he wears a crown that makes him worthy of ruling? Even before his recent mood swings, he was always distracted, lustful, and prone to flights of fancy. Then the Defiance of Duskendale had robbed him of what little virtue he had; now he is a frightened man who fears even his own #GameOfThrones #ThreeEyedTheorist #ASOIAF #GameOfThronesWhatIf #WhatIfGameOfThrones #AerysTargaryen #RhaegarTargaryen #RobertRebellion #TourneyOfHarrenhal #WesterosHistory #LyannaStark #TywinLannister #HouseStark #HouseTargaryen #AlternateHistory #GotTheory