Why Did Daemon Laugh at His Wife's Funeral in House of the Dragon?

But one of the small scenes that went largely unnoticed was Daemon's laughter at his wife's funeral.

The funeral of Laena Velaryon brought together the houses of Targaryen and Velaryon in Driftmark. After struggling to give birth while in Pentos with Daemon and their two daughters, the high risk of dying in childbirth leads her to run to the sands and command her dragon, Vhagar, to burn her to death with its fire.

While this death is a way for Laena to leave on her own terms, it was still a traumatic and painfully tragic moment. When Daemon returns to Westeros, bringing Laena's body back and their daughters Baela and Rhaena, the families gather to bury Laena.

Corlys, Rhaenys Targaryen, and Vaemond Velaryon are there in Driftmark. Rhaenyra and Laenor arrive with their children Jacaerys "Jace" Velaryon and Lucaerys "Luke" Velaryon.

King Viserys I also attends the location, bringing not only Alicent, but also his brother-in-law and Hand of the King once again, Otto Hightower, along with his three children Aegon, Aemond, and Helaena.

And for some unspecified reason, Larys Strong is also there. This is a big family affair that brought together all the major players in the series, and with all these people together the tension became incredibly high.

Why Is Daemon Laughing During Laena's Funeral?

So, why, with all this tension, in front of his family and his wife's family, does Daemon laugh in the middle of Laena's funeral? Well, the issue, surprisingly, is actually not Daemon's doing.

During his speech, Vaemond, Corlys' younger brother, speaks to those gathered in High Valyrian – a language that most people there understand.

He speaks about returning Laena to the sea and uses flowery language to basically say that he hopes her life after death will be peaceful. The problem arises when he mentions her daughters.

Vaemond says: "Lady Laena leaves two true daughters on the sand. Though the mother no longer returns from her voyage, all shall remain united by blood. Salt runs through the blood of Velaryon. Ours runs thick. Ours runs true. And ours must never be thinned." It's at this point that Daemon starts to laugh.

Vaemond's words are an open condemnation of Rhaenyra's children and are in line with what Rhaenys says to her husband later in the episode.

They obviously also know that Laenor's children are not actually Laenor's children, and Rhaenys wants Driftmark to pass to Baela instead of a bastard.

While the Queen Who Never Was discusses this privately with Corlys, Vaemond chooses to openly shame Rhaenyra. When he says that Velaryon blood runs thick and true, he looks directly at Rhaenyra and her children, and Viserys notices this too.

We saw in episode 6, when Laena and Daemon were discussing the paternity of the new baby Joffrey, that she put aside the thought of questions about paternity, even knowing the truth.

It became clear that Laena and Laenor had a close relationship, and she probably wouldn't want her uncle to choose this moment to make a statement while her brother is grieving.

So Daemon laughs because Vaemond is choosing this moment of mourning to blame Rhaenyra for having children with Harwin Strong.

Why Does Vaemond Do This, According to the Book?

In a way, it's fair for Vaemond to speak about this, but this was not the place or time.

The topic of who will inherit Driftmark was a more muted plot, but it will grow now that Laenor is presumed dead. While Rhaenys would like Driftmark to pass to Baela and not to Luke, Aemond's intention is less clear.

George R. R. Martin's novel Fire & Blood, which the House of the Dragon series is based on, allows us to predict in parts what the future of the series will be.

In the book it's clear what Vaemond's intention is with his words – it's his self-interest.

When Corlys dies, Vaemond steps in to insist that he is Corlys' rightful heir. He denounces Rhaenyra's children, saying they are bastards, and then he pushes aside Baela and Rhaena's claim to Driftmark because they are women, and he demands to take his rightful place.

It's curious why Vaemond would think that Rhaenys and Corlys wouldn't be fine with a daughter inheriting Driftmark, seeing as Corlys spent so many years defending his wife and her near ascension to the Iron Throne.

Of course, by this point, Daemon and Rhaenyra are married and Vaemond directly challenges the position of both their children.

The histories say that Daemon seized Vaemond at Rhaenyra's command, and she cut off his head and gave his body to Syrax – and then King Viserys cut out the tongues of Vaemond's five younger cousins for perpetuating the rumor.

We saw Viserys threaten to do this in this 7th episode, so it's very possible we'll see a scene like that later.

Readers of the Fire & Blood book discovered in that last episode that what is written on the pages of the novel won't always be the same as what happens in House of the Dragon. For Laenor, who was supposed to be dead after the assassination plot, was actually part of the scheme and managed to escape with his beloved Qarl.

But even though the series can be different in some ways, Vaemond's intention remains clear. He believes that when Corlys dies, he deserves to sit on the throne of Driftmark.