While Daemon and Rhaenyra have been circling each other for quite some time, the finale revealed a darker and more toxic aspect of their relationship when, arguing over how to proceed against Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney), Daemon chokes Rhaenyra in order to get his point across.
He chokes Rhaenyra after she starts telling him The Song of Ice and Fire prophecy and learning that Viserys kept secrets from him. Perhaps Daemon's attack was motivated by this perceived betrayal? Part of it also may be related to his dislike of Viserys weakness.
In one of the scenes, Daemon is shown choking his wife, also the protagonist, Rhaenyra. Talking about the scene, Emma D'Arcy, who plays Rhaenyra, attributed Daemon's violence to grief over Viserys' death. Emma D'Arcy stated that they knew that the scene would mark a significant shift in their relationship.
Daemon Targaryen stays loyal to Rhaenyra and does not betray her, or at least he doesn't betray her claim to the Iron Throne.
Yet, it is not until Rhaenyra begins to speak of the prophecies of Aegon the Conquerer, the Song of Ice and Fire and the Prince That Was Promised, that Daemon strikes out and begins to violently choke her, causing his wife to gasp for breath.
Soon after being widowed, Daemon and Rhaenyra marry each other in secret when he is 39 years old, and she is 23. Their marriage causes a huge scandal at court and another rift between Daemon and Viserys, but it is eventually accepted. The couple has two sons together, Aegon and Viserys.
Daemon chokes Rhaenyra because he's angry, because he feels she's making the wrong decision, and probably even because she reminds him of his late brother.
The moment happens in season 3, episode 4, “And Now His Watch Is Ended,” when Joffrey Lannister is chilling with Margaery Tyrell and giddily explains, “Rhaenyra Targaryen was murdered by her brother, or rather, his dragon. It ate her while her son watched.
The answer is, unfortunately (due to incest), yes. ???? And since then, the vibes between them have ebbed and flowed, but there's definitely always been chemistry. They both married other people, popped out a few kids, but their story is far from over.
Daemon strangled Rhaenyra because he felt betrayed by Viserys. “It's a moment that I think is surprising and shocking for Daemon as a character, but I also think it's one of those things that's been set up over the course of the entire season.
As such, Rhaenyra orders Nettles' death. Worse than that, she orders Manfryd Mooton to break the guest right and kill her in his own castle. In Westeros, such an act goes beyond murder and is widely considered one of the worst crimes a person can commit.
Bro, Daemon has greyscale.
Rhaenyra and Daemon's Marriage Has Been Foreshadowed
When Viserys confronts Daemon the next morning, after learning from Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans) that the two had sex in a brothel, Daemon doesn't correct his brother, but he asks for Rhaenyra's hand in marriage.
Daemon Led Rhaenyra Out Of The Castle To A Brothel
Instead, after learning Rhaenyra's feelings about marriage, he more or less took her out for some fun on the town… before going to the brothel, which was to teach her that women can have sex for pleasure as well as men.
Ser Criston Cole, we have to understand, was never a good guy. He wasn't an honorable knight who went over to the dark side. He merely wore a chivalrous façade. He didn't want Rhaenyra to run away with him because he loved her despite his claims to marry “for love.” Nor was he heartbroken over her refusal.
As Joffrey tells us, eventually, Rhaenyra's half-brother Aegon Targaryen will feed her to his dragon Sunfyre. She dies as her son, Aegon III, watches. That's the bullet point version.
During their walk, Joffrey stops at one point to show her the final resting place of Rhaenyra Targaryen, who's now long dead. "Rhaenyra Targaryen was murdered by her brother, or rather his dragon," says Joffrey. "It ate her while her son watched. What's left of her is buried in the crypts right down there."
Though Rhaenyra has sympathetic motives, having been declared her father's heir, her treatment of the dragonseeds and Velaryons, along with her tyranny means she is regarded as a villain.
Turns out, Rhaenyra and Daemon are endgame, meaning they have a sexually tense relationship, eventually hook up, and get married—which is pretty significant from a power play perspective considering (1) they both want the throne and (2) their Targaryen union is almost sure to guarantee that happens—even though Alicent ...
Sure he had a duty to his wife and children, but having an affair with Nettles while they were on the campaign isn't really neglecting that duty. Actually, it is. Rhaenyra had the right to take Daemon's head for this.
After the beginning of Daemon and Rhaenyra's marriage played offscreen, viewers were able to return to the story to see the pair after they'd established their life together. It's obvious that in that time, the two gained an awareness of both themselves and each other.
She says this to him because she believes that Viserys told Daemon about Aegon's dream, like he told Rhaenyra about it after he made her heir. Not understanding this, Daemon grabs her by the neck and tells her that Viserys was a man who was a slave to his prophecies.
Rhaenyra's new actor Emma, who has taken over the role following the 10-year time jump, has insisted that Daemon and Rhaenyra's relationship is a 'grooming scenario'. 'The idea that a teenage girl is in any way able to consent to that sexual interaction is a mess,' Emma told The Independent.