A relação entre Aerys II e Rhaegar piorou em paralelo à crescente loucura e paranóia. Ele ficou desconfiado e desconfiado de todos, incluindo seu próprio filho Rhaegar, que ele suspeitava estar tramando contra ele para assumir o trono.
De acordo com The World of Ice & Fire , Aerys II perdeu completamente sua sanidade depois dos eventos chamados de The Defiance of Duskendale , quando ele foi preso pela Casa Darklyn
Captivity at Duskendale had shattered whatever sanity had remained to Aerys II Targaryen. From that day forth, the king’s madness reigned unchecked, growing worse with every passing year.
[...]
Once safely returned to King’s Landing, His Grace refused to leave the Red Keep for any cause and remained a virtual prisoner in his own castle for the next four years, during which time he grew ever more wary of those around him, Tywin Lannister in particular. His suspicions extended even to his own son and heir. Prince Rhaegar, he was convinced, had conspired with Tywin Lannister to have him slain at Duskendale. They had planned to storm the town walls so that Lord Darklyn would put him to death, opening the way for Rhaegar to mount the Iron Throne and marry Lord Tywin’s daughter.
The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings. Aerys II chapter
Outro episódio que os separou foi o casamento entre Rhagar e Elia Martell, que Aerys não compareceu, por medo de ser assassinado
Meanwhile, King Aerys was becoming ever more estranged from his own son and heir. Early in the year 279 AC, Rhaegar Targaryen, Prince of Dragonstone, was formally betrothed to Princess Elia Martell, the delicate young sister of Doran Martell, Prince of Dorne. They were wed the following year, in a lavish ceremony at the Great Sept of Baelor in King’s Landing, but Aerys II did not attend. He told the small council that he feared an attempt upon his life if he left the confines of the Red Keep, even with his Kingsguard to protect him. Nor would he allow his younger son, Viserys, to attend his brother’s wedding.
The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings. Aerys II chapter
Mas, provavelmente, o evento que tornou evidente para todos o relacionamento que eles sofreram foi o Great Tourney at Harrenhal , os eventos mais importantes da história recente de Westerosi, cujas consequências moldaram basicamente tudo o que aconteceu desde então. A corte já estava dividida em facções apoiando Aerys II ou Rhaegar, e Rhaegar foi considerado o verdadeiro responsável pelo torneio, que ele usou como meio para reunir nobres com a mesma mentalidade para lidar com a questão da loucura de seu agravamento. pai.
His lordship [Lord Whent] lacked the funds to pay such munificent prizes, they argued; someone else must surely have stood behind him, someone who did not lack for gold but preferred to remain in the shadows whilst allowing the Lord of Harrenhal to claim the glory for hosting this magnificent event. We have no shred of evidence that such a “shadow host” ever existed, but the notion was widely believed at the time and remains so today.
But if indeed there was a shadow, who was he, and why did he choose to keep his role a secret? A dozen names have been put forward over the years, but only one seems truly compelling: Rhaegar Targaryen, Prince of Dragonstone.
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The prince, it is said, had no interest in the tourney as a tourney; his intent was to gather the great lords of the realm together in what amounted to an informal Great Council, in order to discuss ways and means of dealing with the madness of his father, King Aerys II, possibly by means of a regency or a forced abdication.
The World of Ice & Fire, The Fall of the Dragons. The Year of the False Spring chapter
A vitória do torneio por Rhaegar também contribuiu para levantar as suspeitas do rei
Prince Rhaegar emerged as the ultimate victor at the end of the competition. The crown prince, who did not normally compete in tourneys, surprised all by donning his armor and defeating every foe he faced, including four knights of the Kingsguard. In the final tilt, he unhorsed Ser Barristan Selmy, generally regarded as the finest lance in all the Seven Kingdoms, to win the champion’s laurels.
The cheers of the crowd were said to be deafening, but King Aerys did not join them. Far from being proud and pleased by his heir’s skill at arms, His Grace saw it as a threat. Lords Chelsted and Staunton inflamed his suspicions further, declaring that Prince Rhaegar had entered the lists to curry favor with the commons and remind the assembled lords that he was a puissant warrior, a true heir to Aegon the Conqueror.
The World of Ice & Fire, The Fall of the Dragons. The Year of the False Spring chapter
Como sabemos, o Torneio de Harrenhal colocou em movimento todo o evento que levou à Rebelião de Robert e o fim do governo da Casa Targaryen, então a partir de então, Aerys II e Rhaegar tiveram que se preocupar mais com seus inimigos externos do que em promover seus próprios planos um sobre o outro. No final, o mau relacionamento deles terminou com suas próprias vidas.
Resumindo, podemos dizer que Aerys II e Rhaegar tiveram um mau relacionamento que se originou da loucura do Rei, e que continuou piorando em paralelo ao agravamento das condições do monarca. As facções dos nobres que estavam por trás de ambos, e que tinham algo a ganhar com a proeminência de um dos outros, também foram um fator para tornar o relacionamento ruim ainda mais amargo e desconfortável.