NINADOR

Ohhh this is actually an interesting question anon. Rhaenyra just called Daemon "my love" and said "I want you uncle" and then "I need you" and it's true, nobody said I love you.

So big disclaimer. When you follow a story and a particular fictional romantic couple you always need to pay attention to the context. Context is everything. You can also call it interior logic of the story. Every story has one, and you need to keep that in mind if you want to decide how to feel about certain things.

So the context of that particular story is that you have a little girl, raised in an incestuous family and in an era where girls got married very very young, so they started looking for spouses even younger. This girl has a very cool oncle that gives her a lot of attention and also has all the qualities she admires in a partner, but she can't have for herself because she is a girl. He also happens to be hot. So girl falls for said uncle very very early on. That's canon, no doubt about that, it's obvious even in the show that she is smitten as a teenager.

Then you have a man who has been raised in an incestuous family, who is very loyal to said family and has this burden of not being recognised enough as a second son. This man has a niece that he loves and probably very early on considered that she could be a great partner when she grew older, a partner worthy of him, but unfortunately he got married to someone he didn't choose because politics. Then that niece begins to actually resemble him, in all the ways that matter, and he admires her indépendance and firey personality, he understands that they actually have so much in common and that she sees him, truly. She is also hot. So he's like, wait, not only this girl could be a great partner on paper, I actually want her to be my partner in life. We are meant to be.

And they are. Rhaenyra wants a strong Targaryen by her side, a male warrior and Dragonrider like herself, that is absolutely loyal to her. Daemon wants a strong Targaryen by his side, a powerful Queen and Dragonrider like himself, who is not afraid of him but instead embraces him completely and gives him the family acceptance he craved for. Being Targaryens, they are fucked up in the head, obviously (context) and they are also rulers, so there will be fights and competition and ugliness and spite and maybe cheating but in the context they are meant to be. He dies for her and his family.

So love? What does "I love you" mean after this? I believe it could sound a little corny to say that in their context. I believe that they absolutely love each other but it's better to show it by actions and in the narrative, and not by words. Then we also have this kind of shit

So why do we need an "I love you"?

But to answer your question specifically, I believe that Rhaenyra was smitten with him first, then he was smitten with her when he saw her in 1x04 (before he was just entertaining the idea but not in a serious way) then they made out and both realised that they are actually in love, then shit got real very quickly and after many many years they were finally be able to become one. That's it. This blog does not accept any pedo grooming shit, nor Daemon is only after the throne shit. This is crackhead territory and I won't even bother explaining why. Just look at them and watch the show (this is not at all addressed to you anon, it's a general advice).