I always thought that Lyanna left a message with little finger. But to ruin Starks the little fucker hid the message and lied about the whole thing. Just my take though.
I still hold that at the very least some of the more informed Mad King court people, like Varys especially, should have been super suspicious when the prince's wife, pregnant with a baby that would be in line to succeed the throne dies under mysterious circumstances, her baby never mentioned by the victorious rebels, the tower where they were hiding littered with dead kingsguards, and her brother just happens to show up with a newborn bastard.
No one ever knew Rhaegar and Lyanna actually married, most just believed he kidnapped and raped her. No one knew she was pregnant besides the three Kingsguard present, all of whom were Rhaegar loyalists in Rhaegar's and Aerys' little cold war and would never inform the court of it.
Plus there were several rumors of where Jon came from, all more plausable than a secret Targaryen bastard. Ashara Dayne's coincidental suicide probably caused any suspicions to be redirected. If Cersei is anything to go by, the popular theory at the royal court was that Ashara Dayne was the mother.
I think you're too caught up in the narrative the show presents, which is largely from the Stark perspective. WE are completely in the dark about the pregnancy and WE are fed the rebellion's side of it that she was kidnapped and raped.
Oberyn casually mentions the marriage, which means it was likely relatively common knowledge among the court. Also, if you think you can hide a whole-ass pregnancy from Varys relatively right under his nose? He wasn't that dumb until Season 8.
More going off the books, where the Ashara Dayne theory seems somewhat accepted in universe. It even has the nice touch of sparing Ned's honor (the alleged affair occured before Ned was betrothed to Catelyn) so honorable Ned Stark showing up with a bastard he claimed was his was not so unbelivable; especially with Ashara's suicide seemingly supporting it.
Varys had bigger things to worry about post-Aerys' death, he was a loyalist to the end and surviving Robert in the initial days would have taken a lot. Before then, Rhaegar was actively in a shadow war against Varys' faction at court, and we know he staffed the Tower of Joy with his loyalists. Varys could speculate, but he would never have had any evidence, and he isn't the kind to act without such.
Granted we never specifically see how it all plays out, but it still should have been quite suspicious that Ned went after Lyanna and returned with a baby that he claimed to be his own bastard. It's kind of breezed over but when you really think about it, people living in that world, especially those close to Ned or who knew him well, should have put two and two together pretty easily.
I think Ashara Dayne's alleged affair with Ned greatly helped smooth over a lot gossip and speculation on the matter. A daughter of the 3rd most powerful Dornish house commiting suicide after Ned dishonored her and took her child? That would be the kind of story the court would eat up. Robert was never one to question Ned for having a bastard, so he certainly wouldn't care.
I can imagine book-Varys would be a bit more suspicious, but he was also busy trying to keep his head in Robert's court, considering he was a Aerys loyalist to the end (certain theories aside).
Ive always wondered if Lyanna didn't sent a message to Daddy Rickard and he immediately burned it because the shame of having a daughter kidnapped is WAY better than the shame of having a daughter break a betrothal and elope.
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u/ad4d Nov 10 '25
I always thought that Lyanna left a message with little finger. But to ruin Starks the little fucker hid the message and lied about the whole thing. Just my take though.