Daemyra

Daemyra is the het/family ship between Daemon Targaryen and Rhaenyra Targaryen from the Game of Thrones fandom.

"The Heirs of the Dragon"
In the first episode, Rhaenyra and her uncle Daemon greets each other in the Red Keep's throne room while he is sitting on the Iron Throne. They flirt. Daemon presents her with a necklace made of Valyrian steel and fastens it upon her. With Daemon wielding the Valyrian steel sword Dark Sister, he claims that they now both own a small piece of their heritage. During the Heir's Tournament, Rhaenyra witnesses Daemon competes to represent House Targaryen, where he quickly proves his worth as a skilled fighter by defeating Gwayne Hightower. She congratulates him after that. Several days later, the royal court gathers outside the city walls of King's Landing for the funeral of Rhaenyra's mother, Aemma, and her infant brother, Prince Baelon. Rhaenyra bitterly ponders to her uncle, whether her father finally found happiness in the few hours that Baelon lived, and laments that she will never make her father truly happy, as she is not a son, but Daemon responds that her father needs her. After Viserys, the king, disinherits Daemon, Rhaenyra is named the new heir to the Iron Throne and Princess of Dragonstone.

"The Rogue Prince"
Six months after his event, Daemon takes control of Dragonstone, with the City Watch as his personal army. It is also revealed that he has stolen a dragon egg from the Dragonpit. On the bridge of Dragonstone, Daemon is personally confronted by Rhaenyra, who has defied her father's orders to stay and ridden Syrax to Dragonstone. Knowing he is angry at being denied his place as Viserys' heir, she goads him into killing her in order to get what he desires. Unwilling to harm his niece, Daemon relinquishes the dragon egg to her and walks back to the castle.

"King of the Narrow Sea"
Four years later approximately, Daemon flies back to King's Landing on his dragon Caraxes, inadvertently rocking a ship Rhaenyra is aboard, returning from Storm's End. At a celebration in honor of his return, Rhaenyra approaches her uncle and congratulates him on his victory on the Stepstones. At the end of the celebration, Daemon meets with Rhaenyra, who asks him the real reason he has returned. Daemon answers that he had returned for the comforts of home, though she remains unsure if he truly finds comfort in King's Landing. Their conversation's attention turns to Rhaenyra's growing ire at her father for trying to force her into marriage. In High Valyrian, they talk about marriage being nothing but a political arrangement, though Rhaenyra notes it is also a death sentence for women, revealing her worry that she will end up like her mother. Daemon states Aemma's death was simply a tragedy, and in a tragic world, Rhaenyra cannot allow fear to control her life. In the evening, Daemon has an outfit and the plan of a secret passage in his niece's apartments deposited. She joins him dressed as a page and they walk around town. They attend a theatrical performance mocking the royal family during which he watches his niece's reaction. After that, he takes her to a brothel to show her the pleasures of the flesh. Tension builds between them and they end up kissing. It was Rhaenyra's first kiss. Daemon begins to undress her and Rhaenyra urges him to go further, but Daemon grows increasingly reluctant and stops, abandoning his niece. The next morning, Daemon stumbles through the gates of the Red Keep, three knights of Viserys's Kingsguard intercept and drag a protesting Daemon to the throne room, leaving him on the floor. A furious Viserys enters and demands Daemon say if he defiled his daughter. Daemon doesn't deny the accusation. Daemon asks Viserys to wed Rhaenyra to him, and reminds him that Viserys promised him everything he wanted after his return. Viserys retorts that he is already married. Daemon argues that he can do what their ancestor Aegon the Conqueror did and have two wives. Viserys flatly refuses, believing that his brother desires his throne. Viserys orders him to return to in the Vale and never to appear before him again.

"We Light the Way"
Daemon shows up at Rhaenyra's wedding with Ser Laenor Velaryon, and claims a seat at the royal table. During a dance, Rhaenyra is approached by Daemon, and they speak in High Valyrian to keep their conversation private from those around them. Daemon tries to convince her not to marry Laenor, as he believes she would be bored senseless. Rhaenyra challenged him to take her to Dragonstone and marry her. Their tense conversation comes to a head when they almost kiss. But before he can intervene, the ceremony is interrupted by Criston Cole's assault and murder of Laenor's lover, Joffrey Lonmouth. Daemon is not in attendance when Rhaenyra and Laenor get married in a grim ceremony hours after the incident.

"Driftmark"
Ten years later, Rhaenyra and her family (two sons by Ser Harwin, Jacaerys and Lucerys), alongside the royal court and Daemon's family (his two daughter, Baela and Rhaena), attend the funeral of Laena Velaryon at High Tide on Driftmark. Laena was Daemon's second wife. Vaemond Velaryon, Corlys's brother, is in charge of the funeral speech, making pointed remarks about true Velaryon blood, and that it must not thin, causing Daemon to laugh incredulously at Vaemond's decision to attack Rhaenyra during the eulogy. During the gathering that follows, Daemon stays away from the others, but exchanges glances with Rhaenyra. These two smiles to each other, happy to see each other after all those years. On the night of Laena's funeral, Rhaenyra and Daemon take a moonlit walk along the beach talking about their recent mutual losses, and their unresolved tension after being apart for over a decade. Rhaenyra reveals to Daemon that she and Laenor had tried to conceive children several times, but to no avail, and all of her children are Harwin's. Rhaenyra then moves on to accuse Daemon of abandoning her for ten years, leaving just when she needed him, and contemplates her life turning into a droll tragedy. Daemon retorts that he spared her because she was just a child. She questions him about his relationship with Laena. Daemon tells her they were "happy enough" and Rhaenyra offers her condolences, to which Daemon tells her not to be sorry, as she cannot publicly mourn Harwin. Rhaenyra kisses him, telling him that she is no longer a child. The two go to take refuge in an abandoned wooden wreck on the beach. Consoling each other in their shared grief, Rhaenyra and Daemon proceed to take shelter in a nearby wrecked boat, and disrobe each other and then tenderly make love for the first time. Afterwards, Afterwards they observe suspiciously as Aemond flies Vhagar for the first time. Rhaenyra and Daemon later enter the Hall of Nine after an altercation between Rhaenyra's, Daemon's, and Alicent's children, during which Aemond lost his left eye. When Alicent attempts to attack Luke and his mother protects him, Daemon stops Criston Cole who is heading towards the queen. After Alicent wounds Rhaenyra with the king's Valyrian steel dagger, Daemon closes in on Rhaenyra and faces Alicent. The day after, Daemon reunites with Rhaenyra. She proposes marriage to Daemon, in the tradition of Old Valyria, in order to consolidate her place as heir to the throne, which is under threat by the Greens, but Daemon states that they could not marry unless Laenor were dead. Daemon tells Rhaenyra that if she wishes to rule the Seven Kingdoms, she must inspire fear throughout the land, as well as cultivating love and respect, and that she must "set Laenor free" if she truly loves him. Daemon conspires with Ser Qarl Correy to remove Laenor from the equation, killing a servant at High Tide, while Qarl and Laenor pretend to duel in the Hall of Nine until a witness leaves them, and throw the deceased servant's body on the fire and escape. Daemon and Rhaenyra surmise that the plan is necessary, as the realm will fear what else they might be capable of. After the plot, Daemon and Rhaenyra marry at Dragonstone in front of their children and Maester Gerardys according to Targaryen customs.

"The Lord of the Tides"
Six years later, Daemon ans Rhaenyra live happily in Dragonstone. Daemon retrieves three of Syrax's eggs (Rhaenyra's dragon) from the Dragonmont, delivering them to the Dragonkeepers, who in turn deliver a message from his daughter, Baela. She informs her father that Corlys Velaryon has been wounded in battle, and that Vaemond, his brother, will question the legitimacy of Lucerys, and that she and Rhaenys are heading to King's Landing for the petitions for the succession of Driftmark. Daemon transmits these news to Rhaenyra, and argues that Rhaenys is not going to support Vaemond. Rhaenyra is not convinced due to the rumors surrounding her sons' legitimacy and Laenor's death, and worries about the power of the Hightowers ever since her father's health went into decline. Daemon caresse Rhaenyra's belly, showing that she is pregnant. They decide to go to King's Landing with Rhaenyra's three sons (Jacaerys, Lucerys and Joffrey) and Daemon's younger daughter, Rhaena. Daemon and Rhaenyra go to Viserys's bedchambers; they discover that the king's apartments are poorly maintained and that Viserys is bedridden and weak. Daemon tells his brother that Corlys has been injured in the Stepstones and that they are in King's Landing because of a meeting to appoint Driftmark's heir. Daemon confides in his brother that he must impose Lucerys as heir, but Viserys is too delirious and pained to understand. Rhaenyra introduces their sons, Aegon and Viserys. Later, Alicent confronts Daemon and Rhaenyra. Daemon is sarcastic over the absence of a welcome party and Rhaenyra calls him "my love". The next day, Otto Hightower, seated on the Iron Throne, presides over the succession of Driftmark in the event of Lord Corlys's death. Vaemond speaks first, claiming that Driftmark should pass to him as Lord Corlys's closest kin. Rhaenyra says that true Velaryon blood is also present in Luke, the son of Laenor Velaryon, and that Vaemond's claim is nothing but an act on his own vaulting ambition. Viserys surprisely enters the throne room, determined to support Rhaenyra one last time. Viserys displaces Otto and decides to preside over the proceedings himself. When Viserys struggles to climb the steps of the Iron Throne, Daemon helps him to sit down on the throne and puts his crown back on his head. After Luke is confirmed as the heir to Driftmark, Vaemond gets angry at the king's judgment and furiously rants about him being the true heir to Driftmark. Vaemond calls Rhaenyra a whore. Viserys declares that he will have his tongue for that, but Daemon promptly beheads Vaemond, quipping that "he can keep his tongue." In the evening, Daemon and Rhaenyra's family dines with Viserys and Alicent's family, celebrating the betrothals of Rhaenyra's sons Jace and Luke to Daemon's daughters Baela and Rhaena. During the supper, the Targaryen family finds itself in a state of happiness and serenity for the first time in twenty years. Daemon laughs with his wife and serves her. After the king leaves, a fight breaks out between his nephews and stepsons. Daemon steps in and eyes Aemond, while his children leave the room before following them. Rhaenyra and Daemon returns to Dragonstone after this incident.

"The Black Queen"
In Dragonstone, Rhaenys, Corlys's wife, meets with Daemon and Rhaenyra, informing them of Viserys's passing and the Greens' usurpation of the Iron Throne. Daemon inquires how Viserys died, to which Rhaenys replies that she does not know. Daemon speculates that Viserys was murdered by Alicent and Otto. Rhaenyra is in pain, reaching beneath her dress. Her fingers come away bloody, and she realized that the shock of the news has sent her into premature labor. Daemon convenes a war council, during which Rhaenyra painfully calls for Daemon's assistance. Rhaenyra gives birth to a deformed, stillborn daughter (that she planned to name Visenya), just before Daemon's arrival to her bedchambers. Daemon proceeds to the beaches of Dragonstone to grieve the loss of his daughter, and Rhaenyra prepares the child for burial under the watchful eye of the Silent Sisters. A funeral is held the next day for Visenya, with Daemon and Rhaenyra standing in front of the burning corpse. The funeral is interrupted by the arrival of Ser Erryk Cargyll who swears allegiance to Rhaenyra as his queen, and offers the crown of Viserys, stolen from the Red Keep. Daemon places the crown on Rhaenyra's head, kneeling before her as his queen. The Black Council is convened for the first time after the coronation, and Daemon formally introduces Rhaenyra as "Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen, First of Her Name, Queen of the Andals and the Rhoynar and the First Men, Lady of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm." Later, Daemon and Rhaenyra confronts the negotiation party as it arrives on the bridge leading to Dragonstone headed by Ser Otto Hightower, with Otto stating that the terms will only be delivered to Rhaenyra. Otto greets Rhaenyra as "Princess," but Rhaenyra icily retorts that she is Queen Rhaenyra now, labeling Otto and his companions as traitors to the realm. Otto presents Aegon II's peace terms to Daemon and Rhaenyra in return for their allegiance and acknowledgement of Aegon being king. Rhaenyra and Daemon immediately rejects the offer. Otto gives Rhaenyra a sheaf of parchment, which is revealed to be a page torn from Ten Thousand Ships, a book she and Alicent read when they were teenagers, and beseeches Rhaenyra to accept the terms. Daemon, enraged at Otto's attempts to manipulate his wife, calls to end this farce. He is stopped by Rhaenyra, who declares that King's Landing shall have her answer to their terms on the morrow, to Daemon's chagrin. Daemon rebukes Rhaenyra's desire not to go to war against the Greens, stating that the Greens have already declared war and raises his voice at Rhaenyra's inaction. Rhaenyra and Daemon talk privately, with Daemon insisting that she cannot submit to the Hightowers, who have stolen her birthright, and that it is her duty as queen to crush rebellion. The next day, Rhaenyra decides that his eldest son, Jace, will go the Eyrie and then to Winterfell to win the support of Lady Jeyne Arryn and Lord Cregan Stark, while her second son Luke will travel south to Storm's End to ensure the support of Lord Borros Baratheon. Some time after the dragons' departure, Rhaenyra holds another council with her lords on Dragonstone. Daemon approaches Rhaenyra, take gently her hand and they walk toward the fire chimney on the room and he whispers in her ear the news of Luke's death at the hands of Aemond and Vhagar at Storm's End. Rhaenyra briefly staggers from grief before turning to face her council with an expression of vengeful fury.

Fire and Blood (book)
Daemon and Rhaenyra's relationship is very similar in the book. It it say that Daemon spent long hours in Rhaenyra's company, enthralling her with tales of her journeys and battles. He gave her pearls and silks and books and a jade tiara said once to have belonged to the Empress of Leng. Daemon praised her beauty, declared her the "fairest maiden" of the realm, and they mocked Alicent and her greens in the courtyard. Daemon and Rhaenyra often flew to Dragonstone on their dragons, Caraxes and Syrax. Septon Eustace alleged that Daemon had seduced Rhaenyra, taking her maidenhood prior to her sixteenth name day, and that the two had been found by Ser Arryk Cargyll of the Kingsguard. Eustace's tale has Rhaenyra expressing her love for Daemon and wanted to marry him, while in the show, it's Daemon who wanted to marry Rhaenyra. The notorious Mushroom instead claimed that Daemon had been providing explicit lessons to the girl. Daemon and Rhaenyra had a great relationship with Laena Velaryon, Daemon's second wife. While Rhaenyra disliked her stepmother, Queen Alicent Hightower, she became fond and more than fond of Laena, and the two often flew together on their dragons. With the blessing of King Viserys, Rhaenyra betrothed her two eldest sons, Jacaerys and Lucerys Velaryon, to Baela and Rhaena, Laena's daughter.

In 120 AC, Daemon and Rhaenyra finally married. She was twenty-three-year-old, while he was thirty-nine. This marriage was performed suddenly without the knowledge of the King, and was scandalous since neither Laena nor Laenor Velaryon, Rhaenyra's previous husband, had been dead for six months.

Daemon and Rhaenyra had two sons together, Prince Aegon the Younger, born in 120 AC, and Prince Viserys, born in 122 AC.

Moments

 * Daemon gives Rhaenyra a necklace in episode 1, where we can already see the sexual tension between them.
 * Rhaenyra smiles when she see Daemon during the tourney in episode 1.
 * Rhaenyra smiles when she see Daemon returning from the Steepstones in episode 4.
 * Everytime they speak in High Valyrian to each other, their "secret and love language".
 * Rhaenyra's first kiss with Daemon in episode 4.
 * The sexual tension between them during Rhaenyra's wedding with Ser Laenor in episode 5.
 * Their sex scene in episode 7.
 * Their wedding in episode 7.
 * The presentation of their two sons, Aegon and Viserys, to the king in episode 8.

Quotes

 * "I'm right here, uncle. The object of your ire. The reason that you were disinherited. If you wish to be restored as heir, you'll need to kill me. So, do it. And be done with all this bother."

- Rhaenyra to Daemon in episode 2

"Wed her to me. When I offered up my crown, you said I could have anything. I want Rhaenyra. I'll take her as she is and wed her in the tradition of our house."

- Daemon to his brother Viserys in episode 4

"You cannot live your life in fear, or you will forsake the best parts of it."

- Daemon to Rhaenyra in episode 4 (in High Valyrian) "Take me to Dragonstone and make me your wife."

- Rhaenyra to Daemon in episode 5 (in High Valyrian)

"I’m no longer a child. I want you."

- Rhaenyra to Daemon in episode 7

"If you are to be a strong queen, you must cultivate love and respect, yes, but your subjects must fear you."

- Daemon to Rhaenyra in episode 7

"I need you uncle. I cannot face greens alone. Let us bind our blood, just as Aegon the Conqueror did with his sisters. With you as my husband and prince consort, my claim wouldn’t be so easily challenged. The Velaryons are of the sea. But you and I are made of fire. We have always been meant to burn together."

- Rhaenyra to Daemon in episode 7 (in High Valyrian)

Fanons
Daemyra became popular as soon as The House of the dragon was released, despite fans knowing it's an incestuous relationship.

Going by AO3 statistics, Daemyra is the most written and the popular ship in the House of the Dragon tag. Daemyra has gained over more than 3,500 fanfics in less in a year, and is the most written ship for both Daemon and Rhaenyra. Daemyra is also the fifth most popular ship in the A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms in AO3, surpassing SanSan in October 2023, one year after the end of season 1.

Daemyra is also very popular on Tumblr; on October 10, 2022, after the broadcast on television of episodes 7 and 8 of season 1 of House of the Dragon, Daemyra came in 1st position of the most popular and mentioned ships, indicated on the Fandom Tumblr page. Daemyra also made it into Tumblr's list of Top 100 ships for 2022, ranking in 21th place (on December 1, 2022, when the hashtag "#year of review" is announced by the Fandom Tumblr page). This is the only ship from the House of The Dragon show to have reached this Top 100 (for now).

On Twitter, Daemyra is also very know and used by the fans. During a poll created by @SeriesBrasil, Daemyra came in 9th place among the best couples of the year 2022; Rhaenyra Targaryen's character comes in 3rd place for the best characters of the year, while Daemon comes in 20th place.

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Trivia

 * Emma D’Arcy on Daemon and Rhaenyra's relationship: “They’re [Daemon and Rhaenyra] like conjoined twins who were separated at birth and, ten years later, find each other and want to be as close as possible… They also are both sort of the same person.”
 * Matt Smith on Daemon and Rhaenyra's relationship: “There's a sense that his brother and Rhaenyra particularly, are the two people he would go to war for."
 * Milly Alcock on Daemon and Rhaenyra's relationship: "Rhaenyra is at an age where she can’t tell the difference between platonic love, romantic love, and lust because she hasn’t lived long enough and gone through those experiences. I think that she understands that there’s a feeling here [with Daemon], but she’s not quite sure where it lands, and how to behave with it and navigate it. I think it’s complicated, I think Daemon is good for her… but whether or not he’s the right thing for her, time will tell."
 * Geeta Patel (one of House of the Dragon director) on Daemon and Rhaenyra’s relationship in episode 8: “When two people have fought so long to be together, there is a sensuality, there is a honeymoon period. It’s almost sexier than sex, to just love each other so much and to be so excited to be near each other.”
 * Sara Hess (one of House of the Dragon writer) on Daemon and Rhaenyra’s relationship: "Saying they "love" each other seems almost too simple, it's more than they have a profound, primal connection that nobody else understands."
 * Charmaine Nicole deGraté (one of the House of the Dragon co-executive producer and member of the writing staff) about Daemon Targaryen: "I found Daemon Targaryen very intriguing. You just never know what he's going to do. He's unpredictable and primal, but deeply loyal to thoses he loves."
 * Daemon is George R.R. Martin's favorite targaryen: “I'm notorious for my love of grey characters, and one of the greyest characters in the entire history of Westeros is Daemon Targaryen, the Rogue Prince... he's a very colorful and unpredictable character and I think he has to rank up as my favorite."
 * Sara Hess (one of the House of the Dragon writers) disliked Daemon very much.
 * Evan Mitchell (Aemond's actor) say that Daemon is his favorite character after Aemond.
 * Harry Collett (Jacaerys's actor) say online that Daemon is his favorite character twice.
 * Daemyra was House of the Dragon number 1 ship that made it into AO3's list of Top 100 ships for 2023, ranking in 17th place.
 * The term "Daemyra" is widely used on social networks, particularly on Twitter. This term was used by the Twitter page Max (@StreamOnMax), which is a streaming platform. The HBO Max Nordic Twitter and Instagram accounts regularly promote the ship by broadcasting never-before-seen stills of the couple.
 * The top three highest-rated episodes of House of the Dragon's first season on IMDB are Episode 7, Episode 8, and Episode 10. Each of these episodes prominently showcases the central storyline of Daemon and Rhaenyra's relationship.