From the show Canon, Laena was a political marriage. I read that the book said Daemon married Laena to pursue his ambitions. This is what I've seen that follows the book. Not sure why some are saying the book's different. Rhaenys felt Daemon kept Laena in Pentos because the doctors were not good. Daemon drank all the time, never left the house, didn't sleep, and was always in the library researching the Houses that were loyal to Targaryens. Laena knew he loved Rhaenrya. I suppose some fans are trying to redeem his character. Daemon has shown a caring side only to Rhaenrya and Viserys thus far.
i think he loved her differently than rhaynera but loved her truly. i think he had wild passionete feelings feelings for rhaynera but a contented solid love for laena
Daemon cared for only 3 people other than his 4 kids. Those are - Rhaenrya, Laena and his brother Viserys. Even though Rhaenrya was Daemon's true love but still He loved Laena. Daemon fought a duel to get Laena to marry. They spend 10 years happily. Both Rhaenrya and Laena become very good friends. Daemon, Laena and Rhaenrya often flew with their dragons from Driftmak to Dragonstone together. Daemon's affection towards Laena made Rhaenrya perceive Daemon became a bit softer than He once was. Laena changed Daemon from a cynical bastard to a somewhat decent family man and an average father. When Laena died Daemon was very sad. He carried her to their bed and stayed vigil and mourned for her with his daughters. Then Rhaenrya came and comforted Daemon for his lose.
@@abhishekdas2352 Nettles and the others were part of the war so she should be included. Plus she' an interesting character, hbo could make use of her in the future.
Daemon loved Laena. Very much. You can love more than one person at a time, and you can love them just as much, but for different reasons. Leana is a catch, so he didn't settle in for anything. Like Viserys said of Aemma, Laena made a man out of Daemon. He was only a sullen, violent self-absorbed brat before her. But, he became thoughtful, learned, and a father with her. He accepted her council and actually closed the deal at least twice. At one time, they couldn't keep him out of Westerosi mess, hell, he caused the mess. With Laena, he doesn't want to get back into the BS. That's growth for him. He misses his family, but not the drama. People are complex and we need different people to help us discover buried parts of ourselves. I love Daemon's character because he is very complex and nuanced. So it's not a matter of Rhaenyra vs Laena, it's more Laena before Rhaenyra. Now he will be able to be a better man with Rhaenyra and not as selfish and destructive. Eta: for some reason, the show runners didn't show Daemon mourning his wife and comforting his kids. But, there are photos of that scene. He ignores his daughter because her dragon egg didn't hatch. In the show, it's not favorable for the child (Aemon). But, if you notice, he was teaching his other daughter high Valeryian. In the book, after she died he carried Laena back to their bed and sat vigil with her body...that's love. Love for different reasons.
Leana* not Leanor lol. But in the books he did card for her... unfortunately the show did not capture their relationship as accurately as the book did. She was just a Rhaenyra substitute for a while before he eventually ended up with his niece as he wanted in the 1st place.
I didn’t read the books, so I have to go by the actor’s portrayal and the scenes that the editors choose to give us… he loved her from what I could see, but I do wish there had been ONE MORE episode to flesh out the relationships of Daemon & Laena and also Rhaenyra & Harwin
People act like you only supposed to romantically love one person in your life time. They were two people lived, loved, seemed to have genuine respect and affection for each other. So why couldn’t that be true love. Just because you know Daemons future and he is supposed to end up with Rhyneara ( who also seems to have genuine love for Harwin) doesn’t mean they’re weren’t genuinely happy with the other ppl. Sure Rhyneara and Daemon have chemistry passion but old proverbs say that your soulmate will make you feel calm and secure. It’s not always about butterflies in your stomach.
Agree! They definitely seem to have some kind of affection for each other. Neither one seemed unhappy with each other. And Laena seemed to be a strong enough character to match Daemon’s personality
If we are keeping an accounting…Daemon never cheated on Laena. He had numerous lovers after he married Rhaenyra. Perhaps, he tried to get out of the game and just live the simple life with Laena. But when that didn’t work out, he went back to the game. Under that light, it would seem his love for Laena was actually more genuine than his love for Rhaenyra.
I believe you can love someone but still not be content with life. I think Daemon did have love for Laena, but wasn’t truly happy - even Laena was talking about how he wasn’t the same anymore, seemed to have lost his spark etc. Edit: alright to think Rhaenyra would directly ask Daemon on ep 7 if he loved Laena 😱😱😱🤯
I think you're right. And I think she understood that he flourished, that fire in the blood blazed, best when he was in the midst of challenge. And there's no challenge in complacency.
Yes, Rhae did ask Daemon if he loved Laena. He said, "We were happy enough." And, when Rhae said her life had become "doll tragedy" after accusing Daemon of abandoning her, he grabs her arm swinging her around, "And, what do you think my life was like in comparison?" At this moment, they are admitting to each other that there have been things missing in their lives after their separation. They gave into their feelings and had sex. I did not read the book but the show revealed that Daemon made a political arranged marriage with Laena. This was even discussed after Laena died, when Rhaenys told Coryls that Daemon only thinks about himself and implied Daemon was complicit in her death by not bringing her back to Westeros for better doctors. THAT is the key to what their marriage was about. This goes back to Daemon and Rhaenyra discussing marriage and women dying in childbirth like her mother. Daemon killing his first wife and wanting her lands, etc. But he was denied due to having no children. With Laena having her children meant dragon riders, the biggest wealth, and the biggest fleet of ships to help Rhaenyra defeat Otto and his family. That's what it's been for all along. Unlike Rhea, Daemon had to be more careful with Laena due to his relationship with Coryls and Rhaenys. Daemon could not use the divorce rock but could keep her from better doctors with less suspicion. When Daemon and Rhaenyra married, I do not think the writers intended for it to be a insult to Laena. I saw it as what should have always been and Viserys stopped it and basically created the mess that we are seeing now. Laena knew that Daemon was in love with Rhae but she "made peace" with it. This is not love, but politics.
Laena loves Daemon and accept him as he is. on the eps 5 dialogue she ask him 'is there something she can do to change him?' he said 'perhaps'. it's not a solid answer of yes/no. she did her best to keep him and he managed to stay for 10 years. he tried to make it work. but she knows exactly whom he wanted to be his wife since she laid her eyes on him at the dinning table. she surely loves him but he can't do better than admire her as his children baby mama, the blood of Old Valyria and the most important ally of his House. but that doesn't mean he didn't try to love her. it's been 10 years ffs. but the heart wants what it wants. there are few reason this will be political too: 1. Laena is the daughter of Corlys Velaryon. the richest man in Westeros. daughter of the supposedly Queen of Westeros. that'd make her (originally) the heir of Iron Throne. 2. she has the blood of Old Valyria as much as him. she's bold, smart, and absolutely gorgeous. a dragon rider who rode Vhagar the legendary dragon. 3. he knew Laenor is gay so, House Velaryon allegiance still can be questioned. to provide an eternal loyalty for the possibility of war his brother's started from putting Rhaenyra will demand allegiance from the richest House. so it's better to secure it with children. he also needs an army of dragon rider if there will be war. we heard him said '..dragons makes us Kings" 4. he care about Laena as much as Rhaenyra care about Harwin as her baby daddy but not enough to love her more than Rhaenyra. but the reason he chose to stay is to avoid news from King's Landing. Laena said he had no interest for lurking at the city and chose to stay at the Library. that's definitely not Daemon. Lord of Flea Bottom for no reason? because there's no strong wine to make him forget about the news just like he did when he's out with Rhaenyra that night. so he chose to stay (probably) as his defense mechanism.
The more I read about Baela and Rhaena, the more I like them. They're more like their mother, they're not troublemakers. I especially like Baela's story on Moondancer.
Daemon deeply cared about her yes but he always loved Rhaenyra more and always would in the show and in the books. In the books, he literally dies for Rhaenyra and their children and ofc dies like a badass
This isnt the book this is the show and in the show they definitely built more of a connection between daemon and leana rather than rhaenyra they also had more chemistry. Not to mention leana brought the best out of daemon and he was happier and even resorted to his old self when he got together with rhaenyra
*Targaryen* *Madness* "Half the Targaryens went mad, didn't they?... What's the saying? 'Every time a Targaryen is born the gods flip a coin." - Cersei Lannister House Targaryen carries the trait for insanity in its bloodline. Over three hundred years of heavy inbreeding, marrying brother to sister whenever possible to "keep the bloodline pure," resulted in many of the medical problems seen with incest, particularly mental instability. The most prominent example of the Targaryen madness was the last Targaryen king, Aerys II, who subsequently became known as "the Mad King". In his youth, Aerys was initially perceived as charming and ambitious, but as he grew older, Aerys suffered from some sort of paranoid schizophrenia. He heard voices in his head that weren't real and these voices told him to burn people alive because they were all plotting against him. Other Targaryens displayed highly bizarre personalities, though they were not strictly speaking "insane". They didn't experience hallucinations or hear voices, but some had aggressive, sociopathic personalities. Aerion Brightflame (despite not being a product of incest), the older brother of Maester Aemon and King Aegon V, eventually succumbed to the delusional belief that if he drank wildfire it would transform him into a dragon but instead, it killed him. The effects worsened with each generation of compounded inbreeding. By the later centuries of their rule, it was joked that when a new Targaryen was born the gods would flip a coin to decide if they would be a brilliant statesman or insane. This saying is somewhat apt, with Daenerys Targaryen's oldest brother Rhaegar having been considered a great man by all who knew him, and Maester Aemon having become a wise and revered advisor to the Night's Watch for many decades, both clearly demonstrating that not all Targaryens were doomed to madness. Generally, if a Targaryen had multiple sons and one of them was clearly mentally unstable, they would try to skip over him in the line of succession in favor of a more stable younger son. Therefore, fewer of the early Targaryen kings had mental problems, because if a king did have a mentally unstable son he wouldn't be allowed to succeed his father. However, during the last century of their rule the Targaryen madness became increasingly common, making it more and more difficult to avoid having a mentally unstable son inherit the throne. Although not a Targaryen himself, Joffrey Baratheon's incestuous bloodline is speculated to have produced similarly severe defects in his sanity. Joffrey is the child of twin lovers, Jaime and Cersei Lannister, and did not have a drop of Baratheon blood in his veins. While he didn't suffer from hallucinations, Joffrey was a sadistic, megalomaniacal sociopath, with delusions of grandeur. However, his brother and sister - also the children of Jaime and Cersei - did not appear to suffer the same defects. *Known* *Mad* *Targaryens* Baelor the Blessed Rhaegel Aerion Brightflame Aerys II Viserys (Daenerys' brother) Daenerys Rhaegar didn't go mad but he was a homewrecker. Then we have Daemon who can be unpredictable. A wife-killer and kinslayer. We have Aegon II and Aemond who aren't mad but can act like c-nts themselves. Were also kinslayers. We have Rhaenyra, known as King Maegor with teats, who abuses her power and insults her elders. We have Maegor and Aegon IV. Aegon the Conqueror was selfish enough to have two wives, both being his sisters. What a wonderful family! My favorite. Love their sigil. Love how crazy they can get. Love these crazy inbred bastards! One of the nicest Targaryens ever is really Viserys I. But he makes a mistake by remarrying that basically destroys his House for decades. Aerys II and Rhaegar eloping with Lyanna Stark got Targs overthrown. Daenerys was the final nail in the coffin. She didn't break the wheel. She broke her House. So many Dany fans never saw that she was the villain all along. Not worse than say Maegor and her father. She did help save the world. But Dany already showed her madness from the very first time she said, "Dracarys". From S2 and up, she only got WORSE once her dragons (her nukes) started growing. She became like her father and brother, Viserys, becoming delusional with a narrow POV. Daenerys committed more war crimes than Cersei before we reached Season 8. Also, Jon Snow never really had claim to the throne. To accomplish it, he would need to take KL by sheer force. That wasn't his army. That was Dany's. He did have greater claim to Dany since he was a son to Rhaegar. But he didn't have any birthright to it if Targaryens already got overthrown by the Baratheons. Targaryens are the best and worst House in all of ASOIAF lore. The wildest but also the most entertaining.
Foi a opinião mais estúpida que eu já vi na vida , sobre a Daenerys, sobre os targaryens, sobre tudo 😑, esse negócio de ficar colocando que os targaryens são loucos, eu acho uma bobeira, fora que essa fala da Cersei só existe na série, e para mim não tem nada a ver
I feel like daemon love laena but , he loved rhaenyra more you could see in his face after her death, the sading in his face. I wish they showed more of scene between them it sad because I could feel daemon pain, and emotion from his reaction 🥺❤
I think they were into each other. I mean they both have dragons and they seemed to be having a good time in their first scene last episode. But Daemon’s def trying to escape his problems. This relationship only works if they’re not in Westeros.
Daemon loved her if he didn’t he would have left her I know they had children but nothing would stop Daemon from leaving if he truely didn’t love someone he was with plus when she died he looked devastated especially with the little clip we saw of him with his children at the end.
He did love her but both of them have conflicting interest and for the most part he doesn't know how to convey his feelings properly and actually confronting leana, since he cuts her off whenever she tries to and the scenes when they are together you can see that he wants to say something but he just stays silent and as for his relationship with rhaeyna he doesn't know how to properly approach her
I think he cared for Leanna a lot and loved her as much as he could. It’s kind of the difference between love and being “in love.” What I think is very clear is that he respected her. I think he loved Leanna as much as possible but I do wonder what would have happened if it had been Leanor who died. I think they would have immediately moved back. He may have pushed to marry them both and it’s possible Leanna would have agreed as this was common in Valyria. In the book it’s strongly suggested that the relationship between Leanna and Rhaenyra was friendly and romantic but it seems that side of Rhaenyra was cut from the show considering how she described her opinion of goose to Leanor. So, yes he loved her but if Leanor died instead of Leanna, I would be concerned for her life if he couldn’t marry Rhaenyra with Leanna alive.
To me, the moment with Vhaegar and Caraxes shows that he did care for her. Caraxes is an extension of Daemon. To see the dragons playing shows a flirtation, a care, even more than the depth of his loss.
The reason for Pentos is cause its not only protection for the leana and children but in westeros Daemon did make a lot of enemies who would gladly put his offspring or Leana to the sword or worse
@@kathrynorozco5416 the show version it has always been Rhaenyra that he loved and wanted to be with because even Laena said something kinda like that when talking to him but in the books it was put as he loved Laena but married Rhaenyra for political reasons.
He definitely loved n cared for her but there will be no one like rhaenyra to him she is his true love the only woman who can bring him to his knees to do anything for her
i don't think laena is even his second love. daemon probably doesn't have a "second love" after rhaenyra. daemon and laena just happen to have enough things in common that daemon can sympathize with laena and grow to be fond of her. they're both dragonriders. both understand what it's like being a valyrian in westeros and what it's like not being the main child in their immediate families. however, daemon could only be fond of her, be respectful of her and certainly kind to her, but he couldn't quite truly fall in love with her. daemon is the passionate type. either it's a fiery love or it bores him, which is exactly what happened in their marriage. though he was still fond of her, he grew bored to the point of escapism through targaryen history books and high valyrian lessons with the dragonrider daughter. laena on the other hand, probably understood what she was getting into when she started approaching daemon with the prospect of marriage. she's content enough with the understanding they have, but since she's probably bored herself, wants to go back to driftmark and at least settle for her childhood home.
I think Daemon was playing the game and married Laena as a political arrangement he chose due to her wealth and dragons (Vhagar in particular) to fight Otto in the future. Daemon has always known that Otto was playing the game and has made this clear to Viserys. Daemon had lost his inheritance from Rhea due to having no heirs. This time he made sure he had children. Also, Myseria and Rhaenyra both told Daemon they did not want to die in childbirth. Laena died in childbirth which was common during that time period -Daemon was aware of the risks as well. The doctor said that Laena was going to die regardless of the choice. Laena decided to remove Daemon's choice and die the way she wanted. Daemon showed no emotions and he did not shed one tear. Had he loved Laena he would have shown some kind of emotion. However, he did say, "My brave girl" which showed admiration -he is capable of that. We have been shown that Rhae is the only one who can redeem his character. When Laena told Daemon that Rhaenyra had another son he showed jealousy. He was also very short and moody with her. This is when she said she made peace that she was not the one he would have chosen. This tells us that she knows that Daemon still loves Rhae. Laena added that he was drinking, not sleeping, moody, etc. With Rhaenyra still married and having children with Strong, Daemon does not want to return being around her. At the same time, Daemon is aware that Otto is still plotting against Rhaenyra and there will problems due to her bastard sons. Laena's death solved part of his problem. Daemon will hear that Strong and his father were killed in a fire - thus, Alicent bringing Otto back in as Hand. This will make Daemon more worried about Rhaeyra's safety and claim to the throne. There is only one person who is between Daemon and what he wants - Laenor. IF Daemon has anything to do with Laenor's death, then I am correct that Daemon has been playing the game. What is very important is what Daemon said to Rhaenyra during her wedding party that we were not allowed to hear. I am assuming that Daemon promised her that one day he would return, take her to dragonstone, and make her his wife. Then, he kissed her. Even more proof he played the game with Laena.
I will always believe he did. I will never believe that he and Rhaenyra had true love. I never felt that reading F&B, that relationship felt as being more beneficial than an actual romantic love. Now, I think he had love for Rhaenyra, but that's it. For and in are two different things.
Same I believe daemon was in love with laena and just only had love for rhaenyra more so in a political sense because she was heir to the throne. Plus with laena he watched her try to give birth to his child and called her his “ brave girl” while as for rhaenyra who screamed for daemon while she was giving birth to his child he didn’t come to her. From that point that tells me everything about daemon and laena love.
I mean there’s a third option here that no one wants to touch on: there is a possibility that Daemon truly loves no woman in particular. All of his choices point to the fact that he is loyal to his family (cousins and all) but that his primary drive is to stay as close to the throne as possible. He too grew up imagining that he had the strongest claim to the throne. Both Laena and Rhaenyra are very strategic choices…and they are also both very pleasant to look at so bonus! Lol. I know no one wants to mention this alternative but given the history this is based on, this is the most likely scenario. Love was not a driving force in marriages in the past. 🤷♀️
I would say that is anything he loved Laena more likely than Rhaenyra. His nice could give him the throne, Laena couldn't and he changed a lot for her.
I think he did love her. But theres a big difference of love and being in love. I want to say hes always been in love with Rhaenyra but shes also heir and he wants the throne...with Laeyna, at least in the show, he loved her but there wasnt enough screen time between the two to see passion and chemistry. I haven't read the book yet but ive heard theres more dept in there between them.
Yeah - as he mentioned in episode 7 he was 'happy enough' so I think he cared for her and was prepared to spend his life for her. But his devoting love was to Rhaenyra
It seems Daemon did love Laena. She was his companion and mother of his children. Unfortunately, there was no real passion there. Marriage couldn't change that Rhaenrya was always going to be his true love. Rhaenrya claimed to love Laener too. They both settled and would have been happier together.
Some people elevator just doesn’t go all the way up when it comes to their ability to love at that level. I’m going to wait until I see him with Rhaenyra before I full commit to this assessment. I do believe he cares about Laena on a level far higher than almost anyone else gets.
Oh I so disagree with this comment because there is an illusion of thinking that there is only one true love in one's lifetime. That is false. At different stages in our life we can fall for different people for different reasons. Rhey is married, is producing children, and not with her betrothed. He wants to move on, and peacefully. The previous episodes wasn't about Damon being power hungry but rather him being disgusted by the lack of fight and determinant decisions by his brother who is the king; a weak King. He absolutely loved her within this time frame and context. He was able to be intimate with her and procreate. Not having the stability that she brought into his life will unravel him and force him to seek fortitude now that Rhey's lover is dead.
Daemon definitely loved laena but was NOT ‘in love’ with her. His love for laena was more of friendship and respect but he was actually dying on the inside because he was trying to suppress his true nature trying to convince himself that he was happy when in reality he was just settling for his wife and kids knowing he was not truly living! Even laena picked up on his restlessness and accepted the fact that she was not the woman he truly loved but because she loved him she would do anything for him and chose to stay by his side. Rhaenyra was his true love because of their Targaryen blood bond they’ve always been drawn to each other with an undeniable attraction. Both rhaenyra and daemon tried to adjust to life without the other but they could never forget the emptiness they felt not having each other in their lives.
I think he was content with his life at that point. No it wasn’t Ray but he carried deeply for his wife. I think that at that point he was happy and would have been ok with the life he had had she lived. The Gods can truly be cruel
I think Daemon is the type of character that either loves people or sees them as dirt, there is no middle ground Although he eventually loved Laena for being his family, mother of his legacy and a great dragon rider that he respected, I think he resented her. And he only ever still sticks around people he resents when he loves them, that’s a trait of his we keep seeing. He did it with Viserys and is doing it now with Rhaenyra in season 2. I think Daemon loves Laena, because if he didn’t, she’d be dead or he would’ve found a way to get rid of her or not be in her presence anymore, cause that’s how he does things. I don’t know if he was ever in love with her, but I do think he felt guilty and that’s why she shows up in his hallucination in Harrenhall in s02ep04.
It's killing me... I love Laena, she's incredible. But Rhaenyra... People are arguing whether Daemon really loved Rhaenyra, and it seems to me that he only really loved Laena. He is more gentle with her, calmer, he called her his brave girl... When Rhaenyra was suffering from childbirth, he just left.
Thanks for this...beautiful. I believe he eventually fell hard for Laena...he loved her. He was sweet n gentle with her. In the end...he cheats on Nyra with Nettles...so clearly I feel like Nyra was not all he had imagined. I think Daemon was in love with the thrill of the chase and challenge and keeping the blood royal with Nyra...but he really already had achieved true love and royal blood children with Laena
Isso com a Nettles é uma das versões, nada confirmado, outra versão que para mim é bem mais confiável, diz que ele gostava dela como uma filha, mas nada é confirmado sobre ela ser amante, temos que lembrar que o livro é sobre relatos
I don't believe so. I think he settled. I say that because of how emotionless he was when he say her, burning. Maybe it was bad acting but I didn't feel it. He cares for her. that's it.
How would you of liked him to act? He has never been shown to be an overly emotional character. Not everyone becomes emotional wrecks when bad things happen to them.
@@hhhggbg3000 How would I like him to act? Like " Oh, my God. Oh, dear God, no. Put his hands over his mouth in shock. Fall to his knees. He didn't have to become an emotional wreck, but a show of sorrow would be common.
Him calling her his brave girl while she was struggling to give birth and seeing the agonized horror and shock on his face when Vhagar burned her is proof that he must have felt something for her. I think he did love her in his own way.
Daemon ignores Rhaena because at this point in the story she is yet to become a dragon rider, and naturally he values that hugely. Baela on the other hand has storm cloud
Do you think Daemon truly cared for Laena Velaryon? Comment your thoughts below!
Yes daemon love laena truly but he has strong love rhaenyra because she is true love ❤
From the show Canon, Laena was a political marriage. I read that the book said Daemon married Laena to pursue his ambitions. This is what I've seen that follows the book. Not sure why some are saying the book's different. Rhaenys felt Daemon kept Laena in Pentos because the doctors were not good. Daemon drank all the time, never left the house, didn't sleep, and was always in the library researching the Houses that were loyal to Targaryens. Laena knew he loved Rhaenrya. I suppose some fans are trying to redeem his character. Daemon has shown a caring side only to Rhaenrya and Viserys thus far.
i think he loved her differently than rhaynera but loved her truly. i think he had wild passionete feelings feelings for rhaynera but a contented solid love for laena
Daemon cared for only 3 people other than his 4 kids. Those are - Rhaenrya, Laena and his brother Viserys. Even though Rhaenrya was Daemon's true love but still He loved Laena. Daemon fought a duel to get Laena to marry. They spend 10 years happily. Both Rhaenrya and Laena become very good friends. Daemon, Laena and Rhaenrya often flew with their dragons from Driftmak to Dragonstone together. Daemon's affection towards Laena made Rhaenrya perceive Daemon became a bit softer than He once was. Laena changed Daemon from a cynical bastard to a somewhat decent family man and an average father. When Laena died Daemon was very sad. He carried her to their bed and stayed vigil and mourned for her with his daughters. Then Rhaenrya came and comforted Daemon for his lose.
He also cared for another one. It's a spoiler so I'll just say, that person was saved by Daemon from execution.
@@wilcals5294I have doubt HBO will include Nettles at all.
@@abhishekdas2352 Nettles and the others were part of the war so she should be included. Plus she' an interesting character, hbo could make use of her in the future.
@@wilcals5294 we will see.
Baela and Rhaena? His own daughters? Does he not love them?
Daemon loved Laena. Very much. You can love more than one person at a time, and you can love them just as much, but for different reasons. Leana is a catch, so he didn't settle in for anything. Like Viserys said of Aemma, Laena made a man out of Daemon. He was only a sullen, violent self-absorbed brat before her. But, he became thoughtful, learned, and a father with her. He accepted her council and actually closed the deal at least twice. At one time, they couldn't keep him out of Westerosi mess, hell, he caused the mess. With Laena, he doesn't want to get back into the BS. That's growth for him. He misses his family, but not the drama.
People are complex and we need different people to help us discover buried parts of ourselves. I love Daemon's character because he is very complex and nuanced. So it's not a matter of Rhaenyra vs Laena, it's more Laena before Rhaenyra. Now he will be able to be a better man with Rhaenyra and not as selfish and destructive.
Eta: for some reason, the show runners didn't show Daemon mourning his wife and comforting his kids. But, there are photos of that scene. He ignores his daughter because her dragon egg didn't hatch. In the show, it's not favorable for the child (Aemon). But, if you notice, he was teaching his other daughter high Valeryian.
In the book, after she died he carried Laena back to their bed and sat vigil with her body...that's love.
Love for different reasons.
Leana* not Leanor lol. But in the books he did card for her... unfortunately the show did not capture their relationship as accurately as the book did. She was just a Rhaenyra substitute for a while before he eventually ended up with his niece as he wanted in the 1st place.
I didn’t read the books, so I have to go by the actor’s portrayal and the scenes that the editors choose to give us… he loved her from what I could see, but I do wish there had been ONE MORE episode to flesh out the relationships of Daemon & Laena and also Rhaenyra & Harwin
People act like you only supposed to romantically love one person in your life time. They were two people lived, loved, seemed to have genuine respect and affection for each other. So why couldn’t that be true love. Just because you know Daemons future and he is supposed to end up with Rhyneara ( who also seems to have genuine love for Harwin) doesn’t mean they’re weren’t genuinely happy with the other ppl. Sure Rhyneara and Daemon have chemistry passion but old proverbs say that your soulmate will make you feel calm and secure. It’s not always about butterflies in your stomach.
Agree! They definitely seem to have some kind of affection for each other. Neither one seemed unhappy with each other. And Laena seemed to be a strong enough character to match Daemon’s personality
If we are keeping an accounting…Daemon never cheated on Laena. He had numerous lovers after he married Rhaenyra. Perhaps, he tried to get out of the game and just live the simple life with Laena. But when that didn’t work out, he went back to the game. Under that light, it would seem his love for Laena was actually more genuine than his love for Rhaenyra.
Agreed
His true love is rhaenyra but I do think he loved laena as well tho.
I believe you can love someone but still not be content with life. I think Daemon did have love for Laena, but wasn’t truly happy - even Laena was talking about how he wasn’t the same anymore, seemed to have lost his spark etc.
Edit: alright to think Rhaenyra would directly ask Daemon on ep 7 if he loved Laena 😱😱😱🤯
Totally fair point!
Complacency is a byproduct of happiness/love.
I think you're right. And I think she understood that he flourished, that fire in the blood blazed, best when he was in the midst of challenge. And there's no challenge in complacency.
Yes, Rhae did ask Daemon if he loved Laena. He said, "We were happy enough." And, when Rhae said her life had become "doll tragedy" after accusing Daemon of abandoning her, he grabs her arm swinging her around, "And, what do you think my life was like in comparison?" At this moment, they are admitting to each other that there have been things missing in their lives after their separation. They gave into their feelings and had sex.
I did not read the book but the show revealed that Daemon made a political arranged marriage with Laena. This was even discussed after Laena died, when Rhaenys told Coryls that Daemon only thinks about himself and implied Daemon was complicit in her death by not bringing her back to Westeros for better doctors. THAT is the key to what their marriage was about. This goes back to Daemon and Rhaenyra discussing marriage and women dying in childbirth like her mother. Daemon killing his first wife and wanting her lands, etc. But he was denied due to having no children. With Laena having her children meant dragon riders, the biggest wealth, and the biggest fleet of ships to help Rhaenyra defeat Otto and his family. That's what it's been for all along. Unlike Rhea, Daemon had to be more careful with Laena due to his relationship with Coryls and Rhaenys. Daemon could not use the divorce rock but could keep her from better doctors with less suspicion. When Daemon and Rhaenyra married, I do not think the writers intended for it to be a insult to Laena. I saw it as what should have always been and Viserys stopped it and basically created the mess that we are seeing now. Laena knew that Daemon was in love with Rhae but she "made peace" with it. This is not love, but politics.
Laena loves Daemon and accept him as he is. on the eps 5 dialogue she ask him 'is there something she can do to change him?' he said 'perhaps'. it's not a solid answer of yes/no. she did her best to keep him and he managed to stay for 10 years. he tried to make it work. but she knows exactly whom he wanted to be his wife since she laid her eyes on him at the dinning table. she surely loves him but he can't do better than admire her as his children baby mama, the blood of Old Valyria and the most important ally of his House. but that doesn't mean he didn't try to love her. it's been 10 years ffs. but the heart wants what it wants.
there are few reason this will be political too:
1. Laena is the daughter of Corlys Velaryon. the richest man in Westeros. daughter of the supposedly Queen of Westeros. that'd make her (originally) the heir of Iron Throne.
2. she has the blood of Old Valyria as much as him. she's bold, smart, and absolutely gorgeous. a dragon rider who rode Vhagar the legendary dragon.
3. he knew Laenor is gay so, House Velaryon allegiance still can be questioned. to provide an eternal loyalty for the possibility of war his brother's started from putting Rhaenyra will demand allegiance from the richest House. so it's better to secure it with children. he also needs an army of dragon rider if there will be war. we heard him said '..dragons makes us Kings"
4. he care about Laena as much as Rhaenyra care about Harwin as her baby daddy but not enough to love her more than Rhaenyra. but the reason he chose to stay is to avoid news from King's Landing. Laena said he had no interest for lurking at the city and chose to stay at the Library. that's definitely not Daemon. Lord of Flea Bottom for no reason? because there's no strong wine to make him forget about the news just like he did when he's out with Rhaenyra that night. so he chose to stay (probably) as his defense mechanism.
The more I read about Baela and Rhaena, the more I like them. They're more like their mother, they're not troublemakers. I especially like Baela's story on Moondancer.
Daemon deeply cared about her yes but he always loved Rhaenyra more and always would in the show and in the books. In the books, he literally dies for Rhaenyra and their children and ofc dies like a badass
This isnt the book this is the show and in the show they definitely built more of a connection between daemon and leana rather than rhaenyra they also had more chemistry. Not to mention leana brought the best out of daemon and he was happier and even resorted to his old self when he got together with rhaenyra
Through Laena, Daemon found peace and then learned to love her deeply
There was also a picture of a deleted scene where he embraces his daughters on the roof after she dies.
He loved her, that’s why he stayed away from Westeros. He knew he’d get drawn back in. On the other hand, he did miss his family.
Yeah I feel he was torn between the two!
*Targaryen* *Madness*
"Half the Targaryens went mad, didn't they?... What's the saying? 'Every time a Targaryen is born the gods flip a coin." - Cersei Lannister
House Targaryen carries the trait for insanity in its bloodline. Over three hundred years of heavy inbreeding, marrying brother to sister whenever possible to "keep the bloodline pure," resulted in many of the medical problems seen with incest, particularly mental instability.
The most prominent example of the Targaryen madness was the last Targaryen king, Aerys II, who subsequently became known as "the Mad King". In his youth, Aerys was initially perceived as charming and ambitious, but as he grew older, Aerys suffered from some sort of paranoid schizophrenia. He heard voices in his head that weren't real and these voices told him to burn people alive because they were all plotting against him.
Other Targaryens displayed highly bizarre personalities, though they were not strictly speaking "insane". They didn't experience hallucinations or hear voices, but some had aggressive, sociopathic personalities. Aerion Brightflame (despite not being a product of incest), the older brother of Maester Aemon and King Aegon V, eventually succumbed to the delusional belief that if he drank wildfire it would transform him into a dragon but instead, it killed him.
The effects worsened with each generation of compounded inbreeding. By the later centuries of their rule, it was joked that when a new Targaryen was born the gods would flip a coin to decide if they would be a brilliant statesman or insane. This saying is somewhat apt, with Daenerys Targaryen's oldest brother Rhaegar having been considered a great man by all who knew him, and Maester Aemon having become a wise and revered advisor to the Night's Watch for many decades, both clearly demonstrating that not all Targaryens were doomed to madness.
Generally, if a Targaryen had multiple sons and one of them was clearly mentally unstable, they would try to skip over him in the line of succession in favor of a more stable younger son. Therefore, fewer of the early Targaryen kings had mental problems, because if a king did have a mentally unstable son he wouldn't be allowed to succeed his father. However, during the last century of their rule the Targaryen madness became increasingly common, making it more and more difficult to avoid having a mentally unstable son inherit the throne.
Although not a Targaryen himself, Joffrey Baratheon's incestuous bloodline is speculated to have produced similarly severe defects in his sanity. Joffrey is the child of twin lovers, Jaime and Cersei Lannister, and did not have a drop of Baratheon blood in his veins. While he didn't suffer from hallucinations, Joffrey was a sadistic, megalomaniacal sociopath, with delusions of grandeur. However, his brother and sister - also the children of Jaime and Cersei - did not appear to suffer the same defects.
*Known* *Mad* *Targaryens*
Baelor the Blessed
Rhaegel
Aerion Brightflame
Aerys II
Viserys (Daenerys' brother)
Daenerys
Rhaegar didn't go mad but he was a homewrecker. Then we have Daemon who can be unpredictable. A wife-killer and kinslayer. We have Aegon II and Aemond who aren't mad but can act like c-nts themselves. Were also kinslayers. We have Rhaenyra, known as King Maegor with teats, who abuses her power and insults her elders. We have Maegor and Aegon IV. Aegon the Conqueror was selfish enough to have two wives, both being his sisters.
What a wonderful family! My favorite. Love their sigil. Love how crazy they can get. Love these crazy inbred bastards! One of the nicest Targaryens ever is really Viserys I. But he makes a mistake by remarrying that basically destroys his House for decades. Aerys II and Rhaegar eloping with Lyanna Stark got Targs overthrown. Daenerys was the final nail in the coffin. She didn't break the wheel. She broke her House.
So many Dany fans never saw that she was the villain all along. Not worse than say Maegor and her father. She did help save the world. But Dany already showed her madness from the very first time she said, "Dracarys". From S2 and up, she only got WORSE once her dragons (her nukes) started growing. She became like her father and brother, Viserys, becoming delusional with a narrow POV. Daenerys committed more war crimes than Cersei before we reached Season 8.
Also, Jon Snow never really had claim to the throne. To accomplish it, he would need to take KL by sheer force. That wasn't his army. That was Dany's. He did have greater claim to Dany since he was a son to Rhaegar. But he didn't have any birthright to it if Targaryens already got overthrown by the Baratheons. Targaryens are the best and worst House in all of ASOIAF lore. The wildest but also the most entertaining.
Foi a opinião mais estúpida que eu já vi na vida , sobre a Daenerys, sobre os targaryens, sobre tudo 😑, esse negócio de ficar colocando que os targaryens são loucos, eu acho uma bobeira, fora que essa fala da Cersei só existe na série, e para mim não tem nada a ver
Her dragon hesitating to kill her made me so sad :(
He loves her but the showruner not allowed us to see it
I feel like daemon love laena but , he loved rhaenyra more you could see in his face after her death, the sading in his face. I wish they showed more of scene between them it sad because I could feel daemon pain, and emotion from his reaction 🥺❤
Looks like he’s now going to go back to Rhaenyra!
I think they were into each other. I mean they both have dragons and they seemed to be having a good time in their first scene last episode.
But Daemon’s def trying to escape his problems.
This relationship only works if they’re not in Westeros.
Daemon loved her if he didn’t he would have left her I know they had children but nothing would stop Daemon from leaving if he truely didn’t love someone he was with plus when she died he looked devastated especially with the little clip we saw of him with his children at the end.
He did love her but both of them have conflicting interest and for the most part he doesn't know how to convey his feelings properly and actually confronting leana, since he cuts her off whenever she tries to and the scenes when they are together you can see that he wants to say something but he just stays silent and as for his relationship with rhaeyna he doesn't know how to properly approach her
I think he cared for Leanna a lot and loved her as much as he could. It’s kind of the difference between love and being “in love.” What I think is very clear is that he respected her.
I think he loved Leanna as much as possible but I do wonder what would have happened if it had been Leanor who died. I think they would have immediately moved back. He may have pushed to marry them both and it’s possible Leanna would have agreed as this was common in Valyria. In the book it’s strongly suggested that the relationship between Leanna and Rhaenyra was friendly and romantic but it seems that side of Rhaenyra was cut from the show considering how she described her opinion of goose to Leanor.
So, yes he loved her but if Leanor died instead of Leanna, I would be concerned for her life if he couldn’t marry Rhaenyra with Leanna alive.
To me, the moment with Vhaegar and Caraxes shows that he did care for her. Caraxes is an extension of Daemon. To see the dragons playing shows a flirtation, a care, even more than the depth of his loss.
The reason for Pentos is cause its not only protection for the leana and children but in westeros Daemon did make a lot of enemies who would gladly put his offspring or Leana to the sword or worse
He did love her but the show seems to be saying he is truly in love with Rhaenyra and wants to be with her.
In the books, he always loved Rhaenyra more.
@@kathrynorozco5416 the show version it has always been Rhaenyra that he loved and wanted to be with because even Laena said something kinda like that when talking to him but in the books it was put as he loved Laena but married Rhaenyra for political reasons.
He definitely loved n cared for her but there will be no one like rhaenyra to him she is his true love the only woman who can bring him to his knees to do anything for her
i don't think laena is even his second love. daemon probably doesn't have a "second love" after rhaenyra. daemon and laena just happen to have enough things in common that daemon can sympathize with laena and grow to be fond of her. they're both dragonriders. both understand what it's like being a valyrian in westeros and what it's like not being the main child in their immediate families. however, daemon could only be fond of her, be respectful of her and certainly kind to her, but he couldn't quite truly fall in love with her. daemon is the passionate type. either it's a fiery love or it bores him, which is exactly what happened in their marriage. though he was still fond of her, he grew bored to the point of escapism through targaryen history books and high valyrian lessons with the dragonrider daughter. laena on the other hand, probably understood what she was getting into when she started approaching daemon with the prospect of marriage. she's content enough with the understanding they have, but since she's probably bored herself, wants to go back to driftmark and at least settle for her childhood home.
Like laena said to her daughter he doing he's best
I think Daemon was playing the game and married Laena as a political arrangement he chose due to her wealth and dragons (Vhagar in particular) to fight Otto in the future. Daemon has always known that Otto was playing the game and has made this clear to Viserys.
Daemon had lost his inheritance from Rhea due to having no heirs. This time he made sure he had children. Also, Myseria and Rhaenyra both told Daemon they did not want to die in childbirth. Laena died in childbirth which was common during that time period -Daemon was aware of the risks as well. The doctor said that Laena was going to die regardless of the choice. Laena decided to remove Daemon's choice and die the way she wanted. Daemon showed no emotions and he did not shed one tear. Had he loved Laena he would have shown some kind of emotion. However, he did say, "My brave girl" which showed admiration -he is capable of that. We have been shown that Rhae is the only one who can redeem his character.
When Laena told Daemon that Rhaenyra had another son he showed jealousy. He was also very short and moody with her. This is when she said she made peace that she was not the one he would have chosen. This tells us that she knows that Daemon still loves Rhae. Laena added that he was drinking, not sleeping, moody, etc. With Rhaenyra still married and having children with Strong, Daemon does not want to return being around her. At the same time, Daemon is aware that Otto is still plotting against Rhaenyra and there will problems due to her bastard sons. Laena's death solved part of his problem.
Daemon will hear that Strong and his father were killed in a fire - thus, Alicent bringing Otto back in as Hand. This will make Daemon more worried about Rhaeyra's safety and claim to the throne.
There is only one person who is between Daemon and what he wants - Laenor. IF Daemon has anything to do with Laenor's death, then I am correct that Daemon has been playing the game.
What is very important is what Daemon said to Rhaenyra during her wedding party that we were not allowed to hear. I am assuming that Daemon promised her that one day he would return, take her to dragonstone, and make her his wife. Then, he kissed her. Even more proof he played the game with Laena.
Book Daemon is so different.
I will always believe he did. I will never believe that he and Rhaenyra had true love. I never felt that reading F&B, that relationship felt as being more beneficial than an actual romantic love. Now, I think he had love for Rhaenyra, but that's it. For and in are two different things.
Same I believe daemon was in love with laena and just only had love for rhaenyra more so in a political sense because she was heir to the throne. Plus with laena he watched her try to give birth to his child and called her his “ brave girl” while as for rhaenyra who screamed for daemon while she was giving birth to his child he didn’t come to her. From that point that tells me everything about daemon and laena love.
I mean there’s a third option here that no one wants to touch on: there is a possibility that Daemon truly loves no woman in particular. All of his choices point to the fact that he is loyal to his family (cousins and all) but that his primary drive is to stay as close to the throne as possible. He too grew up imagining that he had the strongest claim to the throne. Both Laena and Rhaenyra are very strategic choices…and they are also both very pleasant to look at so bonus! Lol. I know no one wants to mention this alternative but given the history this is based on, this is the most likely scenario. Love was not a driving force in marriages in the past. 🤷♀️
Exactly, even after he married "his true love", he cheats on her with a few women, so maybe he's not the best husband ever.
I would say that is anything he loved Laena more likely than Rhaenyra. His nice could give him the throne, Laena couldn't and he changed a lot for her.
I think he did love her. But theres a big difference of love and being in love. I want to say hes always been in love with Rhaenyra but shes also heir and he wants the throne...with Laeyna, at least in the show, he loved her but there wasnt enough screen time between the two to see passion and chemistry. I haven't read the book yet but ive heard theres more dept in there between them.
Yeah - as he mentioned in episode 7 he was 'happy enough' so I think he cared for her and was prepared to spend his life for her. But his devoting love was to Rhaenyra
I believe that he loved laena, thank you for this 😊
Glad you enjoyed!
It seems Daemon did love Laena. She was his companion and mother of his children. Unfortunately, there was no real passion there. Marriage couldn't change that Rhaenrya was always going to be his true love. Rhaenrya claimed to love Laener too. They both settled and would have been happier together.
Ironically daemon and laena were the best couple. She was his rock.
Matt Smith did such an amazing job showing that he truly did care for her.
Some people elevator just doesn’t go all the way up when it comes to their ability to love at that level. I’m going to wait until I see him with Rhaenyra before I full commit to this assessment. I do believe he cares about Laena on a level far higher than almost anyone else gets.
Oh I so disagree with this comment because there is an illusion of thinking that there is only one true love in one's lifetime. That is false. At different stages in our life we can fall for different people for different reasons. Rhey is married, is producing children, and not with her betrothed. He wants to move on, and peacefully. The previous episodes wasn't about Damon being power hungry but rather him being disgusted by the lack of fight and determinant decisions by his brother who is the king; a weak King. He absolutely loved her within this time frame and context. He was able to be intimate with her and procreate. Not having the stability that she brought into his life will unravel him and force him to seek fortitude now that Rhey's lover is dead.
Daemon definitely loved laena but was NOT ‘in love’ with her. His love for laena was more of friendship and respect but he was actually dying on the inside because he was trying to suppress his true nature trying to convince himself that he was happy when in reality he was just settling for his wife and kids knowing he was not truly living! Even laena picked up on his restlessness and accepted the fact that she was not the woman he truly loved but because she loved him she would do anything for him and chose to stay by his side. Rhaenyra was his true love because of their Targaryen blood bond they’ve always been drawn to each other with an undeniable attraction. Both rhaenyra and daemon tried to adjust to life without the other but they could never forget the emptiness they felt not having each other in their lives.
I think they were in love.
Think again
I think he was content with his life at that point. No it wasn’t Ray but he carried deeply for his wife.
I think that at that point he was happy and would have been ok with the life he had had she lived.
The Gods can truly be cruel
I think Daemon is the type of character that either loves people or sees them as dirt, there is no middle ground
Although he eventually loved Laena for being his family, mother of his legacy and a great dragon rider that he respected, I think he resented her. And he only ever still sticks around people he resents when he loves them, that’s a trait of his we keep seeing. He did it with Viserys and is doing it now with Rhaenyra in season 2.
I think Daemon loves Laena, because if he didn’t, she’d be dead or he would’ve found a way to get rid of her or not be in her presence anymore, cause that’s how he does things.
I don’t know if he was ever in love with her, but I do think he felt guilty and that’s why she shows up in his hallucination in Harrenhall in s02ep04.
It's killing me... I love Laena, she's incredible. But Rhaenyra... People are arguing whether Daemon really loved Rhaenyra, and it seems to me that he only really loved Laena.
He is more gentle with her, calmer, he called her his brave girl... When Rhaenyra was suffering from childbirth, he just left.
Damon is the Bolton guy from the original game of thrones. Same voice and mannerisms.
Thanks for this...beautiful. I believe he eventually fell hard for Laena...he loved her. He was sweet n gentle with her. In the end...he cheats on Nyra with Nettles...so clearly I feel like Nyra was not all he had imagined. I think Daemon was in love with the thrill of the chase and challenge and keeping the blood royal with Nyra...but he really already had achieved true love and royal blood children with Laena
Isso com a Nettles é uma das versões, nada confirmado, outra versão que para mim é bem mais confiável, diz que ele gostava dela como uma filha, mas nada é confirmado sobre ela ser amante, temos que lembrar que o livro é sobre relatos
I don't believe so. I think he settled. I say that because of how emotionless he was when he say her, burning. Maybe it was bad acting but I didn't feel it. He cares for her. that's it.
How would you of liked him to act? He has never been shown to be an overly emotional character. Not everyone becomes emotional wrecks when bad things happen to them.
@@hhhggbg3000 How would I like him to act? Like " Oh, my God. Oh, dear God, no. Put his hands over his mouth in shock. Fall to his knees. He didn't have to become an emotional wreck, but a show of sorrow would be common.
@@Maria-sg4zy Who are you to determine what sorrow looks like?
Him calling her his brave girl while she was struggling to give birth and seeing the agonized horror and shock on his face when Vhagar burned her is proof that he must have felt something for her. I think he did love her in his own way.
I don't think he loved any of them. Just loved the position that marriage and the children gave him
Daemon only loved one person undoubtedly, and that was his older brother Viserys.
We will never know due to the big ass time jump
No. I think he settled for her and was torn by the difficult child birth.
I don’t think he was ever in love with her, but I do think he loved her very much based on the treatment of his first wife
Daemon ignores Rhaena because at this point in the story she is yet to become a dragon rider, and naturally he values that hugely. Baela on the other hand has storm cloud
He was in love with her, just not more than he was with being ruler of the seven Kingdoms
I think you are wrong. She was his only love. Besides the Throne. She couldn’t get him the throne. His niece is just a way to the Throne
He never Expressed grief properly =/
The show did not give us enough to go on.
He definitely prefers Valyrian woman not the ugly Andals
How did she burn to death when she was a Targaryen?
Aren't they unburnt?
Deanarys’ brother Viserys burned and Jon was not immune to fire either. I think the immunity is specific to Daenerys
They rushed it too much. Should at least show their relationship dynamics in another episode before killing her off
he loves otto
🤨
I think he lusts for Rhaenrya and actually loves Laena. Nice try though at your analysis attempt.
Everyone loves bbq
😂
Nah Laena was plan b if he couldn't have rhaenyra