Robert Baratheon - Tumblr Posts
“He loved her, and would love her; and defy her, and this miserable bodily pain.”
Robert&Lyanna “North and South” AU by Elizabeth Gaskell.
“I trust my father, and I trust my mules. I won't fall.”
“He heard his laughter in the dark, saw his eyes, blue and clear as mountain lakes.” -AGOT Eddard XV
“The apprentice lifted his face. Ned studied the shape of his jaw, the eyes like blue ice.” -AGOT Eddard VI
Robert was a summer king but Gendry belongs to winter.
Bonus:
“When she spied Gendry, his bare chest was slick with sweat, but the blue eyes under the heavy black hair had the stubborn look she remembered.” 🥹
Like father Like daughter (Robert Baratheon and Mya’s broken hearts)
They dreamed to marry;
“Robert had loved her even more. She was to have been his bride.” -AGOT Eddard I
"Mychel's my love," Mya explained. "Mychel Redfort. He's squire to Ser Lyn Corbray. We're to wed as soon as he becomes a knight, next year or the year after." -AGOT Catelyn VI
They failed(or refused);
“I killed him, Ned, I drove the spike right through that black armor into his black heart, and he died at my feet. They made up songs about it. Yet somehow he still won. He has Lyanna now." -AGOT Eddard X
“Mychel was the best young swordsman in the Vale, and gallant . . . or so poor Mya thought, till he wed one of Bronze Yohn's daughters. Lord Horton gave him no choice in the matter, I am sure, but it was still a cruel thing to do to Mya." -AFFC Alayne II
Then they refused any love;
“I had no wish to marry after Lyanna was taken from me.” -AGOT Eddard VII
“My father's tried to make a match for Mya, but she'll have none of them.” -AFFC Alayne II
But the saddest thing in all of those Robert left Mya for take back Lyanna and he lost both of them in the end;
“I knew that he would always be there to catch me." She pushed her hair back. "Then one day he wasn't. Men come and go. They lie, or die, or leave you.” -AFFC Alayne II
songs: how did it end/my boy only breaks his favorite toys/this is me trying by Taylor Swift. plays: winter’s tale by Shakespeare.
Gendry “a hidden bastard / a king” theory
As a Gendrya shipper i am not prone to ship Arya with anyone else. I respect other ships but i don’t like it. When i read something about others i always find a way to turn their proofs from the books into Gendrya thing :D And the most frustrating one for me was “you’ll marry a king” quote said by Ned Stark to Arya. The interesting side of this quote, it changed in the TV series. And so many readers thought it means they will change something, maybe they won’t add a character who mentions in this quote(like Aegon the Young Griff thing). I still don’t know why they changed; maybe George himself wanted it but if we only focus the books now my thoughts about this quote changed in good sake of Gendrya. It will be long. Here we go;
The chapter Ned met with Gendry has full of knowledge about Baratheon brothers(plus Renly’s shit comment about Shireen), their characters, their differences and similarities and even it mentions Lyanna Stark;
“Could it be that Lord Renly, who looked so like a young Robert, had conceived a passion for a girl he fancied to be a young Lyanna?”
And end of this chapter we met with Gendry personally. Remember Ned’s quote about “marrying a king”. It was on Ned’s previous chapter which is two chapters before(there is only just one of Jon’s chapter between two Ned Stark’s chapters).
Now, after Ned Stark told to Tobho Mott “I should like to see the boy as well” the story begins to evolve about a hidden prince. English is not my first language so i don’t know how i can explain to you well but if you read the chapter again i assume you can see the process too. There is a boy who the last Hand of the King interested so much, and the other one came and wonder about him. And there is a protector who is Tobho Mott knows about him but didn’t want to say anything. Then Ned insisted and Tobho says he wants no trouble. Then Ned tells him send him to me later etc.
But that’s just feeling of course, i’ll give you more hints about the “marrying a king”s part;
Ned says “a king” not “the king”. We know the differences from Margaery Tyrell on the show; She wanted to be “the queen” not “a queen”. But Ned says to Arya “you will marry a king” like any king. Because as we know Sansa got engaged with the prince so it means she will marry “the king” actually. And who ever he is there will be just one “the king”. So it means Arya will marry other king if she do so. But who is he?
Now we’ll check Street of Steel. What it says about;
“Ned turned off the square where the Street of Steel began and followed its winding path up a long hill, past blacksmiths working at open forges, freeriders haggling over mail shirts, and grizzled ironmongers selling old blades and razors from their wagons. The farther they climbed, the larger the buildings grew.”
As you read there are so many forges, and the largest buildings aka richest ones are on the higher than the others. And where is Tobho Mott’s?
“The man they wanted was all the way at the top of the hill, in a huge house of timber and plaster whose upper stories loomed over the narrow street. The double doors showed a hunting scene carved in ebony and weirwood. A pair of stone knights stood sentry at the entrance, armored in fanciful suits of polished red steel that transformed them into griffin and unicorn.”
Of course at the way top of the hill like a castle! Tobho Mott is a rich bastard! He is the man who made armors for our fashion love birds;Loras&Renly. And just look at the details the paragraf gives us; hunting scene on the door(Baratheon alert!) and there are stone knights at the entrance. Like how rich is this man?! His huge house looks like a qualified nice castle.
And then Tobho takes Ned to Gendry. And now i wonder why they go to see Gendry but not call him to come? Like this is the King’s hand! Why he have to go to see a boy but not this boy couldn’t come to see him? But Tobho says when Lord Arryn came he took him and Stannis to the forge to see the boy. So maybe Lord Arryn wanted to see Gendry at the forge and Tobho made the same thing for Ned.
“Tobho Mott gave him a cool, careful look. “As you wish, my lord,” he said with no trace of his former friendliness. He led Ned out a rear door and across a narrow yard, back to the cavernous stone barn where the work was done.”
But still this walk which Ned made for see Gendry seems to me appering before the king. Tobho accompanies him for direction and Ned follows him and then they reach the forge; to Gendry’s bench.
“Almost shyly, the boy led them to his bench, and a steel helm shaped like a bull’s head, with two great curving horns.”
And boom! Bench like a counter/seat. But bench also used as “a royal seat; a wide throne” on Middle English. So guys, Ned Stark visited King Gendry on his throne room :)
Okay, enough for this chapter. Now let’s beam up Brienne’s chapter on AFFC;
You know the story. There is an inn with full of children, and there is Willow which is Arya and there is Gendry as their protector. The important part is this;
“The common room was crawling with children. Brienne tried to count them, but they would not stand still even for an instant, so she counted some of them twice or thrice and others not at all, until she finally gave it up. They had pushed the tables together in three long rows, and the older boys were wrestling benches from the back. Older here meant ten or twelve. Gendry was the closest thing to a man grown, but it was Willow shouting all the orders, as if she were a queen in her castle and the other children were no more than servants.”
And this from AGOT;
"You," Ned said, kissing her lightly on the brow, "will marry a king and rule his castle, and your sons will be knights and princes and lords and, yes, perhaps even a High Septon."
Arya marry a king; it means she will be a queen. And she is the one who will rule her husband’s castle. And their sons will be royals.
Gendry is a man grown in the inn: A king.
Willow/Arya is the one who orders: A queen.
Boys are wrestling benches: knights, princes, lords etc.
And as i said on the top there is Robert&Lyanna mentions on this chapter. Now let’s read sentences as this;
“Could it be that Renly (Gendry), who looked so like a young Robert, had conceived a passion for a girl (her niece)he fancied to be a young Lyanna?”
“A girl” part originally mentions to Margaery who Sansa wishes has a sister like her :) But yeah, she has Arya Stark who is Lyanna’s niece and more looks like Lyanna than Margaery.
I accept i forced too much this time. But “a king” means a lot and Gendrya forever!
“And what of the direwolf?” she called after him. “What of the beast that savaged your son?” The king stopped, turned back, frowned. “I’d forgotten about the damned wolf.” -AGOT Eddard III
"Last night Hot Pie asked me if I heard you yell Winterfell back at the holdfast, when we were all fighting on the wall." "I never did!" (…) “I told Hot Pie he should clean the wax out of his ears, that all you yelled was Go to hell! If he asks you, you better say the same.” -ACOK Arya VIII
Gendry not just took his look after his father but also his wordplay skills :D
Currently i am thinking how Gendry will reach and use Bobby B’s hammer. I know HE WILL but how?
HOLLOW ; “having a hole or empty space inside”
“and seven kingdoms couldn’t fill the hole she left behind”
Robert’s victory was hollow cause it didn’t give him Lyanna back and after became knight of the hollow hill Gendry stayed with brotherhood and it was mean to lose Arya.
I never understand how can people see a love story between Rhaegar and Lyanna. Shipping them is one thing but thinking them as lovers on the books is another thing. People blame Robert as “he never knew under the beauty” but all Robert did as a high lord making a good match for his house. So people likes to think Robert was a rubbish and when Lyanna saw Rhaegar she suddenly fell in love to him. How can Rhaegar knows about Lyanna by the way? He saw her as a knight of the laughing tree and then he fell in love to her? And then she decided to go after a married prince? She was also has fiancee but that’s not even matter. This could be stupid act for Lyanna. Remember she was like 15 and made a sentence like “love is sweet Ned, but it can not change a men’s nature”. I think we’ll see this sentence not just describe Robert but also Rhaegar.
Making Jon the son of Rhaegar and Lyanna kinda ruined many characters.
1) The point of Jon being a bastard is to show how Westeros society treats bastards kids badly. Remove Jon from being a bastard, name one bastard that actually good except for Tommen and Marcella? Joffrey, Ramsey, Daemon Blackfyre, Three Eyed Crow, Aegor Bittersteel etc are all brought bad to Westeros. Jon being NOT bastard shows maybe Westeros is right about bastard being bad.
2) Lyanna becomes an idiot. She hates Robert for being womanizer and has many bastards but chooses a married man? Goes willingly than being kidnapped basically make her responsible for her father and brother death. This is why I believe the theory she been used for blood ritual. Ser Arthur Dayne was at Tower of Joy, not to protect her but to keep her as a prisoner.
3) I am more willing to accept Rhaegar is evil and stupid because who thought Rhaegar pitches idea that if Lyanna married him to make prophecy baby make sense? Melisandre believes in prophecy too but at least she has strategy. The act of crowning Lyanna Stark, betrothed to Robert Baratheon, sister to Ned Stark infront of Elia Martell singlehandedly embarrassed four houses including House Targaryen.
❛ 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖉𝖆𝖞 𝖘𝖍𝖊 𝖜𝖊𝖉 𝖗𝖔𝖇𝖊𝖗𝖙 𝖇𝖆𝖗𝖆𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖔𝖓, 𝖙𝖍𝖔𝖚𝖘𝖆𝖓𝖉𝖘 𝖍𝖆𝖉 𝖙𝖚𝖗𝖓𝖊𝖉 𝖔𝖚𝖙 𝖙𝖔 𝖈𝖍𝖊𝖊𝖗 𝖋𝖔𝖗 𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖒. 𝖆𝖑𝖑 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖜𝖔𝖒𝖊𝖓 𝖜𝖔𝖗𝖊 𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖎𝖗 𝖇𝖊𝖘𝖙, 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖍𝖆𝖑𝖋 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖒𝖊𝖓 𝖍𝖆𝖉 𝖈𝖍𝖎𝖑𝖉𝖗𝖊𝖓 𝖔𝖓 𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖎𝖗 𝖘𝖍𝖔𝖚𝖑𝖉𝖊𝖗𝖘. 𝖜𝖍𝖊𝖓 𝖘𝖍𝖊 𝖍𝖆𝖉 𝖊𝖒𝖊𝖗𝖌𝖊𝖉 𝖋𝖗𝖔𝖒 𝖎𝖓𝖘𝖎𝖉𝖊 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖘𝖊𝖕𝖙, 𝖍𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖎𝖓 𝖍𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖜𝖎𝖙𝖍 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖞𝖔𝖚𝖓𝖌 𝖐𝖎𝖓𝖌, 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖈𝖗𝖔𝖜𝖉 𝖘𝖊𝖓𝖙 𝖚𝖕 𝖆 𝖗𝖔𝖆𝖗 𝖘𝖔 𝖑𝖔𝖚𝖉 𝖎𝖙 𝖈𝖔𝖚𝖑𝖉 𝖇𝖊 𝖍𝖊𝖆𝖗𝖉 𝖎𝖓 𝖑𝖆𝖓𝖓𝖎𝖘𝖕𝖔𝖗𝖙. ❜
KING'S LANDING, 284 AC.
* ᵃ ˢᵗᵃᵍ ᵏᶦⁿᵍ ᵃⁿᵈ ᵗʰᵉ ᵠᵘᵉᵉⁿ ᵒᶠ ˡᶦᵒⁿˢ. 𓄂 + 𓄃 .〃
robert and cersei both have a god complex, and i refuse to believe that their wedding was normal, so here they are, with lion + stag pelts instead of the normal wedding gowns.
❛ 𝖔𝖍, 𝖆𝖞𝖊. 𝖘𝖎𝖝-𝖆𝖓𝖉-𝖙𝖊𝖓 𝖋𝖔𝖗 𝖍𝖎𝖒, 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖙𝖍𝖗𝖊𝖊 𝖋𝖔𝖗 𝖞𝖔𝖚. ❜
super funny that basically the only two characters in the whole series who defend jaime against his bad reputation are brienne… and robert baratheon
brienne viii AFFC
brienne viii AFFC
eddard ii AGOT
eddard ii AGOT
Like father Like daughter (Robert Baratheon and Mya’s broken hearts)
They dreamed to marry;
“Robert had loved her even more. She was to have been his bride.” -AGOT Eddard I
"Mychel's my love," Mya explained. "Mychel Redfort. He's squire to Ser Lyn Corbray. We're to wed as soon as he becomes a knight, next year or the year after." -AGOT Catelyn VI
They failed(or refused);
“I killed him, Ned, I drove the spike right through that black armor into his black heart, and he died at my feet. They made up songs about it. Yet somehow he still won. He has Lyanna now." -AGOT Eddard X
“Mychel was the best young swordsman in the Vale, and gallant . . . or so poor Mya thought, till he wed one of Bronze Yohn's daughters. Lord Horton gave him no choice in the matter, I am sure, but it was still a cruel thing to do to Mya." -AFFC Alayne II
Then they refused any love;
“I had no wish to marry after Lyanna was taken from me.” -AGOT Eddard VII
“My father's tried to make a match for Mya, but she'll have none of them.” -AFFC Alayne II
But the saddest thing in all of those Robert left Mya for take back Lyanna and he lost both of them in the end;
“I knew that he would always be there to catch me." She pushed her hair back. "Then one day he wasn't. Men come and go. They lie, or die, or leave you.” -AFFC Alayne II
So we all know GRRM, like all authors, took a lot of inspo from real life fairy tales, religion, and mythology. There are a ton of parallels but I picked out a few to put in this poll
Propaganda: Before anyone says anything, I know a lot of these are dark spins on the original. I’m not trying to say Littlefinger is a handsome prince or whatever. Also note that some of this is based on either things that haven’t happened yet but are highly likely to happen in Winds/Dream up to and including being confirmed by GRRM.
Arya and Jaqen as Hades and Persephone-the young maiden of spring is found by the lord of the underworld, who gives her an object (in this case a coin) to trick her into being trapped in the world of the dead. When she leaves home, winter comes, but when she returns, so does spring.
Sansa as Rapunzel-a princess locked in a tower by an evil sorceress (or just queen) who is spirited away by a man who wants to marry her. Strong focus on her hair as a symbol of her identity.
The Brotherhood Without Banners as Robin Hood and his Merry Men-a band of outlaws who defend the common people against corrupt authority figures. This one is really self explanatory.
Cersei as the evil queen and Margaery/Sansa/eventually Dany as Snow White-a vain, cruel women terrified of her beauty fading and being replaced by a younger woman who outshines her, so she tries to destroy her perceived rival, ultimately leading to her own downfall. The girls in Snow Whites slot are the popular choices for the identity of the YMBQ and the one Cersei is currently convinced it is.
Jaime and Brienne as Beauty and the Beast-a double subversion. Jaime is handsome and Brienne is ugly, but when they meet she’s brave and kind while he’s selfish and cruel, so it’s the beast who helps the beauty be better.
Lyanna, Rhaegar, and Robert as Helen of Troy, Paris, and Menelaus-a beautiful woman fiercely desired by two powerful men, she either runs off with or is kidnapped by a prince, leading to her (soon to be) husband retaliating by starting a tragic war.
Stannis and Shireen as Agammemon and Iphegenia-a king and commander sacrifices his daughter to the gods to win a war. Bonus if this ends up causing Stannis’ downfall.
Lady Stoneheart as Demeter-a mother wanders the land bringing destruction and misery as she searches for her daughter(s.) When her daughters return to her, spring comes.
Cersei and Jaimes children as the emperor wearing no clothes-the emperor walks around naked insisting that he’s a wearing magic invisible outfit, but everyone is afraid to tell him the truth until finally a child points out that he’s wearing nothing at all. See: everyone pretending not to notice that Cerseis children are the result of incest with her brother, and Ned finally realizing the truth when his 11 year old daughter points out that Joffrey is nothing like Robert.
Bran as the Fisher King-the Fisher King is a character from Arthurian myth. He is the guardian of the magical holy grail, protecting it so it (and power) does not fall into the hands of the unworthy. Notably, he also has a deliberating injury to his legs or groin (depending on the version.) Of course the endgame Bran of the show is a blatant rip-off of Leto II from Children of Dune, but I think the Fisher King sounds more like GRRM would do.
Dany as Moses-a leader who has prophetic visions, who after performing a miracle, frees her people from slavery and leads them on a harsh journey to a new land. Notably regarded as a critically important figure by a monotheistic religion.
robert’s rebellion series but in keeping with GRRM’s “no king pov policy” we watch robert’s rise through jon arryn’s eyes a parallel to catelyn’s horror in watching her son’s royal rise and fall but this time robert rises and rises while jon gradually realizes they picked the wrong man for the crown
no rhaegar or lyanna pov either. we’re stuck between whatever they see fit to tell elia, arthur and benjen. all contrasting in what they think they know or how much they believe what they were told. the readers are as confused as the realm.
The big Robert Baratheon thoughts
There are several characters within the ASOIAF universe who could comfortably be the protagonist of their own book/series, and GRRM has spoken about how, when writing a character, he tries to see all the major events through their eyes and how it would have affected their lives. Dany and Oberyn are good examples of this, and a shorter book/series could comfortably have either one of them as the main character. If a fic writer is looking for any inspiration, I think a lot could be drawn from Dany in Vaes Toloro.
Another of them is a character who almost seems like a false protagonist in GOT: King Robert Baratheon. The people who don't know him think he's amazing, the people who do know him despise him. He has a fleshed-out backstory, character and the power to influence the plot in many different ways. Yet he's killed off quickly, and I think the fan community often overlooks him as a simple drunken idiot. So I'd like to dig a little deeper.
Robert's life can easily be sectioned into three parts: pre-rebellion era, the rebellion era and the post-rebellion era. Most of what we see comes from Ned Stark, and later we have flashbacks from Cersei which show a much darker and thoroughly rotten man.
To start: Robert is the first born son of House Baratheon, a clan with significant power and influence. He's exactly the kind of young man the Westerosi patriarchal "might makes right" system rewards -- the sort of son Randyl Tarly would love to have. He's an excellent fighter, charming, good looking ("muscled like a maiden's fantasy", oh Ned). There's also a kindness there. When he's fostered at the Eeire he sends for a gift of oranges for Jon Arryn, and although the fruit goes bad, he's not upset and instead plays with the other teenagers. It's silly and funny and the most childish we ever see him.
He isn't always lovely, of course. In Stannis' memory, Robert is unpleasant. He mocks Stannis' falcon and, therefore, Stannis himself. However, Stannis is a miserable shit, and this comment comes after they've spent years disliking each other, so there's obvious bias. Robert seemed to be happy to be away from his family, and so some alienation from his brothers does make sense. Robert and Stannis go through the ordeal of watching their parents die, and it's understandable that this would cause issues in their relationship. Perhaps that's why they pushed each other away. Having a walking, whining reminder of that trauma can't have been pleasant, and the desire to pretend that everything is ok and ignore problems gets more persistent as the years go on.
The third thing we hear about from Robert's pre-rebellion era is his relationship with Mya Stone. I'm not totally clear on the timeline, so I don't know if it's 1. parents' death > 2. Mya's birth > 3. the rebellion or if 1 and 2 are the other way around. Either way, Robert seems to adore his daughter. Ned thinks about how frequently they visited her, and how much Robert enjoyed spending time with her. In a kinder story, Robert would have always been close to Mya. Then the rebellion starts.
There are, of course, lots of things which lead to the rebellion. I don't think Tywin was going to put up with the Mad King for much longer, and Rhaegar felt the same way. Then you have the coalition between the Starks, Baratheons, Tullys and Arryns, and at some point Varys and "Young Griff" would have popped up. For Robert, though, things were straightforward: he wanted Lyanna, and Rhaegar took her away. He remarks to Ned that "Seven Kingdoms couldn't fill the whole she left". It's clear that he didn't actually know Lyanna that well, and it could easily be argued that the reason he worshipped her memory was a mix of affection for Ned and a desire to return to a time where he wasn't traumatised.
Obviously, war is traumatic. That's kind of the point of the series. Everyone who fought in Robert's Rebellion is changed in some way and the scars, literal and metaphorical, run deep. Stannis broods over his "rewards". Ned misses his sister, brother and father. Catelyn is aware of the loss of her betrothed, and Lady Dustin crystalises her rage. Jamie is ostracised and bitter. Jon Connington promises more violence. The list goes on. The things Robert sees during the campaign clearly change him, and this brings us back to Mya.
One of the key themes of the series, most prominently in the first book, is the idea that the innocent should not be sacrificed. That's why Ned works so hard to protect Jon and why he resigns his handship when Robert wants to kill Dany. Something happened to Robert during the rebellion, where his hatred of the Targaryens solidifies so much that it becomes the only thing he really wants. Other things, like his love of his daughter or the belief that children should be protected, all go and he's left with Tywin Lannister and the corpses of Rhaenys and Aegon.
Robert doesn't have to make peace with the Lannisters. In fact, lots of people (the Starks, the Dornish and the people of King's Landing) would be much happier if he didn't. Tywin ordered a horrific thing, and Robert rewarded him. For me, this is where Robert becomes the man we meet in Game of Thrones. He's so broken inside that he does nothing, and tries to pretend that he's still the person he was as a teenager.
After the rebellion, Robert goes on to have plenty more children. If he loved Mya and wanted to see her all the time, after the rebellion he forgets her. And she's the lucky one! Robert must know that Cersei has his twins drowned, he ignores Barra and Gendry, and he only acknowledges Edric Storm because he has to. Then there are the kids who are legally "his", even if biologically they're not. I don't think we ever see him interact with Tommen or Myrecella, and his relationship with Joffrey isn't good. Sure, Joffrey is a little shit, but you could argue that it's partially because of Robert's treatment. Stannis thinks, at one point, that Robert might have killed Joffrey because he hit him so hard.
Why does Robert detach? Well, there's the trauma, the general depression, the loneliness, the disconnect between *conceiving* children and *the actual children*. I think, as well, there's the knowledge that, by allowing Tywin to get away with the murder of the Targaryen children, he's set a precedent whereby the same thing could easily happen to his own kids. If someone needed to get rid of Robert -- and there are people who would like him gone -- they would come after Joffrey, Tommen and Myrecella, and perhaps his bastards, too. He can't protect them, and it shames his chivalric ideals, so he disconnects, doesn't care, and drinks excessively. It might be a way of dealing with guilt, or a way he protects himself from losing anyone else. Ultimately, Joffrey, Tommen and Myrecella are doomed; Edric only escaped sacrifice because of Pylos and Davos, and might well get mixed up in a Varys/"Young Griff" scheme; all of the bastards in King's Landing are killed; and if Gendry survives, it's because of plot armour. Nobody cares about Mya, really.
There's plenty to say about the Robert/Cersei match. Firstly, I'd like to mention how much I enjoy the show-only scene where the two discuss their marriage. It's heartbreaking, well written and beautifully acted, and gives some depth which makes the experience richer.
None of the Lannisters like Robert, with the exception of Tyrion. Tyrion likes Robert because Cersei doesn't, but their creepy and destructive bond is a whole other issue. Ned thinks that Robert was a man with "big appetites", and a clear desire to be loved. It probably means he wasn't ever going to be a good husband, which Lyanna points out (in a line which I cannot imagine a 14-year old ever saying, but I digress). Robert loved the thrill of the chase and the first few weeks of a relationship, but wasn't willing to really emotionally attach to anyone. Perhaps it's because, like with his children, he had to keep people away in case he lost them, like Lyanna.
Cersei is her own woman and, to be honest, not a very good wife. Robert thinks he would have been happy with Lyanna, Cersei thinks she would have been happy with Rhaegar: both are wrong. She starts her wedding day by having sex with her brother; she regularly cuckolds her husband, and then she finishes off by murdering her husband. You could argue that her behaviour is driven by Robert's physical and sexual abuse, and his emotional distance and obvious disdain. I don't think that's incorrect, per se, I just think there's a nasty mix with the two of them. They're bad alone and worse together. They're a toxic, unhappy, traumatised mix, and a solid argument for Westerosi divorce.
Finally, there's Robert's alcoholism and his love of food. There are a number of reasons for this -- the genre's enthusiasm for descriptions of feasts; parallels with Henry VIII of England; possibly GRRM simply likes adding his favourite meals, similar to how he created House Estermont so there could be turtles, because he had pet turtles. Obesity is the sort of thing that's pretty common in middle age men who used to be very physically active, because they had to eat lots to make up their calorie deficit, and when the exercise stopped, the food continued. As for alcohol, it gives Robert an opportunity to forget his (admittedly plentiful) responsibilities and woes, makes him feel like a hero, and gives him an excuse for his abuse of Cersei. He rapes her, and when she brings it up, he says "it was not me, but the wine", then REACHES FOR A BEER. I'm certainly not qualified to talk about addiction and trauma, so if anyone has thoughts on this, please add a comment.
In Shakespeare's Macbeth, the eponymous character snatches the crown at his wife's goading, and then finds that things disintegrate around him. There's a scene in the play where two servants talk about what's going on in Scotland, and one says that two horses fought, and one ate the other. When a monarch is usurped, in literature, nature goes against itself. In real life, revolutions are messy and complicated and difficult. Robert Baratheon fought a rebellion to get his fiance back, whilst others used him and worked alongside him for their own reasons. He was left holding a rotten crown. Abused and abuser, surrounded by toxicity and exuding his own hatred, one could easily create a novel about his disillusionment.
exceptionally rare robert smart political decision joff sansa marriage (definitely not made for the right reasons but i do like to think someone on the small council was like ‘ohh a stark match might honour lyanna your grace’ to prod him there) being undermined and overturned by cersei such a fun immediate indictment of lannister pride fucking their best interests. sansa is the best political match in westeros shes going to be sister to the warden of the north cousin to the lord of the vale niece to the lord of riverrun etc and incredibly manipulable because shes a little girl there is a lot to be done politically w sansa + people like petyr realise this. she’s scum to be disposed of to cersei who literally already has her bc she isn’t lannister her boy’s lannister and everyone else is beneath him unworthy of him. endpoint of this mindset is agot lannistwins there isnt anyone else bc theyre the only real people its incest as vanity