Daemon's second marriage is likewise to a lady of a noble house, though it causes a scandal because it takes place without the consent of his brother, King Viserys. This time, he marries Laena Velaryon, the daughter of his old ally Corlys Velaryon and the sister of his niece Rhaenyra's husband, Laenor. In the book, the couple flees to Essos and the Free Cities after their marriage, and Laena gives birth to twin daughters, Baela and Rhaena.
The marriage appears happy enough, and when they finally return to Westeros, Laena befriends Rhaenyra, and they even agree to betroth Laena's daughters to Rhaenyra's sons. However, just a few years later, Laena dies in childbirth, and Daemon is widowed with two young children.
Did Daemon Love Laena?
In the series, Daemon and Laena's relationship is portrayed somewhat differently in episode six. The pair do flee Westeros after their marriage, but they never return as they did in the book, nor is their marriage an entirely happy one. While Daemon is seemingly content to stay in self-inflicted exile in the Free Cities, Laena longs to return to Westeros to raise their twin daughters (and third unborn child) at Driftmark where she was raised.
When the pair discusses this desire, Laena implies Daemon is in love with someone else, saying, "Perhaps I too am not the wife you would have wished for yourself." When Daemon tries to protest (albeit weakly), she stops him, saying, "It does not pain me. I've made my peace." This interaction suggests Daemon still holds a flame for Rhaenyra all these years later.
While Daemon may not love Laena romantically, it is clear he holds her in high regard and has a tenderness for her. He kisses her pregnant belly at one point in the episode, and later, when she realizes she's not going to survive the birth of their third child, he unsuccessfully attempts to stop her when she goes outside to die by Vhagar's fire. Later, in episode seven, Daemon tells Rhaenyra that he and Laena were "happy enough" in their marriage. In that regard, there was far more love between Daemon and Laena than there ever was between him and Rhea, even if it wasn't entirely romantic.
