15 Tragic Love Stories in A Song of Ice & Fire

**Contains Spoilers: Only for Game of Thrones veterans**

George R.R. Martin is one heck of a writer. While the characters in his series are killing each other, Martin was good enough to instill romantic love to us even when his story is in butchery. Without futher ado, here's 15 sad and troubled love stories in this one epic story:

Mad King Aerys & Johanna Lannister

A story of a one-sided love, King Aerys was about to ask for the hand of a house of Casterly Rock maiden. But since he doesn't have a dragon to fly to like an airplane, he was 2 weeks late. Tywin has already married the love of his life, Johanna when he arrived at their kingdom. I speculate that the reason why King Aerys made Tywin Lannister his Hand (aside from his prowess in war) is so that he could see Johanna everyday even though she has married Tywin. But Tywin knew better about the art of war that he left his wife in the castle and instead brought their twin children. And this is where King Aerys started getting mad.

Jon Snow & Ygritte

They both love each other but with differing beliefs. Ygritte not only had passion under the sheets but passion also for equal rights among all humans. For this, the wildlings must get over The Wall. But the people on the other side believe that them on the other side are enemies. It can't be helped for them to butcher each other. Before Jon Snow has the power, became the commander of the Night's Watch, Ygritte had already died.

Cersei & Rhaegar

Another unrequited love, before Cersei turned 9 years old, she was always fond of Rhaegar. She was not even just fond of him, she was obssessed. She expected that she will be betrothed to the prophesized dragon (after all, the signs of the coming of the hero then fit Rhaegar) for her father was the Hand of the King and both she and her twins were brought by their father in King's Landing. Alas, the king was mad of the fact that Tywin married Johanna that he would not even let his son be betrothed by Tywin's daughter. Cersei had always been sure of her beauty but after her demise in love, she had her doubts. She did eventually marry the new king, Robert, but she hated him for killing her unrequited love Rhaegar.

Robert & Lyanna

It was already declared that Robert of house Baratheon was to marry Lyanna of house Stark. He was thrilled with their upcoming marriage. Not only was Lyanna a beauty but also the sister of the man he dearly loved, Ned Stark. But then, Rhaegar has kidnapped her and did things to her in Seven Hells, the Gods only know. Eventually, Lyanna was returned to the Starks but died even before Robert gets to see her after the battle.

Reagar & Lyanna

Rhaegar has always been a sad boy. No one could quench his sadness. Until Lyanna happened. He was betrothed by his father, the king, to Elia Sand of house Martell. He did grow fond of Elia after they were married and had two kids. But that was only fondness. Elia has a feeble body, and therefore, not adventurous. Meanwhile, Lyanna was famous for her spirit, a wild beauty who loves adventures. Whatever has compelled Rhaegar to Lyanna grew him a compulsion to take away Lyanna for himself. And thus started the war that is still fought until now.

Frog Prince & Lyanna

Once upon a time when he reached manhood, a crannogman from the bogs of the Greywater Watch decided he would leave the crannogs and visit the Isle of Faces. He finally reached the God's eye, paddled his way through the lake and into the Isle. After the winter, it was time of the False Spring when Lord Whent of Harrenhal decided to stage the biggest tournament in all of Seven Kingdoms. The crannogman left the isle and walked through the fields of Harrenhal when he chanced upon three squires who are no older than fifteen but were much bigger than him. As a crannogman, he was very small. Eventually, he was bloody beaten until a young and strong girl came to the rescue.

That was Lyanna Stark who saved the Prince of Greywater Watch whose people are known to be frogeaters. Inadvertently, the Frog Prince fell in love with the young she-wolf of house Stark. But it was that time when the Dragon Prince, Rhaegar of house Targaryen who had won the tourney and named Lyanna Stark as the queen of love and beauty.

Ned Stark & Ashara Dayne

In the year of that False Spring, Ned Stark attended the tourney in Harrenhal. There he met Ashara Dayne of Dorne. But with Rhaegar's crazy deed of kidnapping Lyanna, Robert Baratheon waged war against the Targaryens. As a vowed knight of the Kingsguard, Arthur Dayne, the sword of the morning, must protect the Dragon Prince with his life. In the battle of the Trident, Arthur Dayne died alongside Rhaegar. With the news of her brother's death, Ashara Dayne threw herself into the sea from atop the Palestone Sword.

Catelyn Tully & Brandon Stark

In the heat of the war against the Targaryens, there came a time when the Starks wanted to settle with peace. So there Lord Rickard Stark with his eldest son Brandon Stark marching off to King's Landing with a peace banner. After urging King Aerys to convince his son to stop his madness and return Lyanna, they were met with a far worse one where Lord Rickard Stark cooked in his own armor and Brandon choked to death in saving his father.

All her life, Catelyn Tully was prepared in marrying the dashing Brandon Stark. But with his death, she was settled with his younger brother, Eddard Stark instead. She eventually loved Eddard who's known as Ned as much as Ned loved her but first love never dies for both of them.

Daenarys Targaryen & Khal Drogo

In hopes of bringing a large army back to Westeros, Viserys Targaryen sold his sister Daenarys to a savage lord for marriage. No, rather Daenarys Targaryen was gifted to a Khal with one of the biggest khalasars among the Dothrakis. Daenarys Targaryen had a horrific marriage with a ruthless man. The dothraki's disturbing culture was one thing, the language barrier quite another. Despite all that, Daenarys eventually loved Khal Drogo after marrying into his culture and learning his language.

Daenarys already had a beautiful love story with Drogo but after saving a maegi from Drogo's own bloodriders, Khal Drogo's life was taken. It was just Daenarys' soft heart that compelled her to save another woman from rape and butchery. But it was also her soft heart that made this maegi Mirri Maz Duur kill her husband and her unborn son.

Ser Jorah Mormont & Daenarys

Ser Jorah Mormont is a lord of a small and poor kingdom, an island with few people and where trade is sparse, the Bear Island located northwest of Winterfell. When he fought a tourney at Lannisport, he had won with a lady’s favor knotted round his arm. He had won the lady too; Lynesse of House Hightower, his second wife, highborn and beautiful. Lynesse was the kind of woman who spends more than her husband earns. Her vices could have been trivial had she still lived in Oldtown. Eventually, Lord Mormont resorted to slavery where he sold captured poachers taking from his land for which he was gravely punished by his liege lord, Eddard Stark into exile. His wretchedness made Lynesse leave him for good and into another rich man's arms where she is just another concubine as this trader hailed from a polygamous culture.

Lynesse has hair spun of gold and hands of cream. When Ser Jorah Mormont met Daenarys for the first time, the thing that came to his mind was how much she looked like his second wife, Lynesse. Though he was destroyed by her, he still didn't stop from loving her. But why wallow on something that he has already lost forever when there's someone younger and more beautiful, and a dragon to boot for that matter? An exiled knight he may be but he's a kingsguard of an exiled queen.

Tyrion Lannister & Tysha

Tyrion was 16 when he crossed path upon this young girl fleeing from rapers. It was Jaime Lannister who actually rescued her (who'd not fear the dashing knight of house Lannister?) but it was Tyrion who soothed and comforted her after. He settled her in this inn and accompanied for the night and for which the two developed love. After about 2 weeks, he married this girl with a drunken Septon and pigs to witness.

When news reached Tywin Lannister that his dwarf of a son married a lowborn wench, he ordered his favorite son, Jaime whom Tyrion also love to convince Tyrion that his feelings towards his wife was for naught. Jaime claimed that he arranged the whole sordid affair, from the rapers, to the girl fleeing so Tyrion might fall in love with the girl; that Jaime was just bored with life and it was done so to celebrate Tyrion's coming to manhood. Tywin then had his knights rape her for punishment of fooling his son, had each men pay her a silver and a gold coin for a Lannister.

As it turned out 17 years later, Jaime told him the truth. Tyrion really did know his wife for who she really was, that she was not a whore as how Tywin told Jaime to claim so. Now, Tyrion's on a quest to save Westeros with a part-time job of finding his wife, Tysha. But wherever do whores go?

Tyrion & Shae

When Tywin had arranged for a possibility of the death of his dwarf son, Tyrion, by putting him in the vanguard against Robb Stark's army, Tyrion met a camp follower whom he grew to love. Apparently, Robb's greater army was up against Jaime's and not his (and for which Jaime was held captive by the Starks) that Tyrion was safe. Eventually, Tywin made him his proxy as the Hand of the King for which he was immediately sent to King's Landing. He kept his whore, the camp follower Shae in secret, something that Varys the Spider didn't overlook.

Tyrion protected her in all ways so Shae may not fall victim from any member of his family. This, despite not knowing of Tysha's innocence. He kept her in guises like pretending to be a kitchen scullian and then Sansa's maidservant, just for her not to get harmed in any way. Despite all his efforts, Shae turned out to be a real whore who sold his secrets away to his father and even slept with him.

Arys Oakheart & Princess Arianne

Arys Oakheart was sent to Sunspear to protect King Joffrey's sister against prospect enemies. He's tall, handsome, and must be strong for he's a Kingsguard. But alas, he isn't quick of wit as Princess Arianne could attest. Arianne has weaved some plans to make Myrcella queen of Westeros. To hatch her plans, she must get into the defenses of her protector by seducing him.

Arys Oakheart was convinced that Princess Arianne genuinely loved him. Why then would a princess give herself to a white knight of the Kingsguard if she doesn't love him for real? So he played the role that Arianne gave him to fulfill Myrcella's coronation. But something went awry as someone from Arianne's supposed loyal friends spilt the beans that Myrcella eventually lost an ear and Arys Oakheart ended with an axe between his head.

Brandon Stark & Meera

Brandon is just a kid. And a cripple for that matter. He must stay dead to fulfill whatever the three-eyed crow thought of him to be his destiny. But now that people are convinced that he's still alive and kicking somewhere, as the remaining eldest male of the house Stark, he's the heir to Winterfell. But what is he heir for when he can't even have a child? Not only is he to become a physically static tree, even if he will not turn into a tree, he's an invalid. His romantic feelings for Meera will be nothing more but a hollow crush.

Arya Stark & Gendry

Their love story isn't clear but I see a potential. Arya and Gendry has the age gap. While Arya was groomed how to impose power into her subordinates, Gendry was groomed to follow. But at times, Gendry sure is cranky though even towards Arya. So there's a possibility that Gendry could get on top on the wild and defiant she-wolf. Gendry may not be gifted in wit but he has the blood of a king. If Arya and Gendry do get together, they'd be filling the shoes of Lyanna Stark and Robert Baratheon (being that Gendry is Robert's son) and fulfill the love life they never had the chance to share. It's sad because they're both a world away now and Gendry is not even aware of his origin. In fact, we don't know if (or when) an axe will get down on Gendry.