Aaaand my final piece of art this year is a completely indulgent OC piece for a 'Rhaegar Wins' au that lives solely in my head.
The TLDR bare bones is Rhaegelle taking in Jon as a ward, while Rhaegar is in critical condition and recovering after the trident. He defeats Robert Baratheon, but barely. With no burning of Qarlton Chelsted, Dany is not conceived from Aerys raping Rhaella. Alongside Qarlton Chelsted living, there is no sack of King's Landing, thus Tywin doesn't have an opportunity to kill Elia and her children, nor does Jaime kill Aerys.
Instead, Rhaegelle kills her own father after she learns of his Wildfire Plot, and with Jaime's help, she frames it as the throne itself killing him, as was done with Maegor.
While Rhaegar recovers, she has Arthur bring Lyanna to the Red Keep. Once Jon is born and Lyanna dies, she takes him in as her own ward before Rhaegar recovers, denying him legitimization so he would not be a threat to Elia's children place in succession.
For the symbolism chosen:
The dragon in the upper left is based on the Cannibal, flying over the red keep, with the wildfire spreading. Rhaegelle killing her own father is akin to the Cannibal eating other dragons, all under the threat of wildfire consuming everything.
The right is all that Jon could have been, as is in the books. Winterfell with winter coming, Ghost looking up at Jon, and with The Three Eyed Raven overlooking it all.
And for the center, Rhaegelle is holding Jon, while sitting on the Iron Throne, and a symbol of the Faith of the Seven behind her, with a crown of winter roses haloing Jon. I pulled from symbolism of plain clothes Madonna and Child for Rhaegelle and Jon, however with a stark contrast between Jon and Rhaegelle's expressions. Despite the circumstances of his conception and birth, Jon is allowed to be a fat and happy baby, oblivious to what he has been born into. Rhaegelle however, has no light left within her eyes, and is consumed with spite against her father and brother for the life she has been condemned to.
The Faith of the Seven imagery paints her almost saint like, like the Mother herself, for taking on Jon, even as it is the worst thing that could happen to her. Her suffering as a woman born into House Targaryen is almost holy. Jon is haloed by the symbol of his mother, breaking up the visual of the symbol of the Seven, his roots as one of the First Men and the Old Gods.
Overall, I cant believe I actually finished this lol. I cant even count the hours put into it. The final working file size was 53.5 mbs, and all layers in total pre merging and deleting, was in the 90's. Huuuuuge undertaking that I'm glad I was able to finish in time.
