Fan theory holds that Benjen helped Lyanna disguise herself as the Knight of the Laughing Tree at the Tourney at Harrenhal — an act that drew King Aerys's ire, sent Rhaegar to investigate, and ignited the romance that would spark Robert's Rebellion. If true, a single act of sibling loyalty set off a chain reaction that killed his father, his brother, and Lyanna herself. Benjen joining the Wall then reads less like tradition and more like a lifetime of penance.
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