Arthur and Rhaegar, the Tourney at Harrenhal

In the previous parts I argued that Rhaegar planned for all those terrible things that happened to people around him:

Allowing Connington to become the Hand; Rhaegar could have prevented it, and had somebody more experienced. But he didn't. In my view the main reason for including Connington's remeniscences on how he failed Rhaegar is for a reader to ask this simple question: why somebody more experienced or ruthless wasn't in this position? Suppose Tywin Lannister was out of favor with the King. But there were certainly better candidates than Jon Connigton. Connington failed as the Hand, because Rhaegar was counting that he would.
And why Tywin Lannister not available? There are not too many hints that Rhaegar behind the scenes was working on dimissing Tywin as the Hand. Except one major: Rhaegar refused to marry Cersei.
Leaving Jaime with his father. Jaime didn't want to stay, but Rhaegar insisted.
Constant references to friendship between Arthur and Rhaegar are strange - what is the significance of them? That's something I discuss below.
Sending best Kingsguards away from him. Three best White Cloaks didn't and couldn't possibly make a difference at the Tower of Joy. But they would definitely have made difference on the Trident, with many hints on exactly that (woe to the Usurper if we had been).

Rhaegar planned all of it. 'Planned' may be not the best word. Counting on that to happen. Or knew through a vision. Murders of his wife and children, assassination of his father, death of Lyanna, his own death, victory for rebellion - all of it.

Why so many memories of Arthur?

There are very few Barristan's PoV's. Yet the precious pages allocated for his memories often return to tournaments where Arthur and Rhaegar participated. Why GRRM 'wastes' this precious 'memory time' on that? My simple explanation, as discussed previously, is perhaps Arthur's dishonesty in refusing to truly compete against Rhaegar at the Tourney at Harrenhall. Fixing the match, so to speak.

But why frequent mentions that Arthur and Rhaeger were friends? Simply to hint that Rhaegar could ask Arthur a favor? Something that wouldn't be quite honorable or chivalrous? Arthur naively believing that Rhaegar suddenly fell in love with Lyanna and letting him win the tourney, even without Rhaegar's prompt? Is there something else, something darker?