His visions of Laena are the only bit of Harrenhal I can tolerate now. I hope he gets more memories of Laena awakening his conscience. This was the wife that he found, whom he genuinely loved.
Daemon and Laena - she was his true love, he became more stable, level headed and mature...you can see it...he chose her, and he mourned her...Rhaenyra was more of a strategical choise (although with some passion too), Laena was from love....
Truly! Laena was his happiness. It is how it happens in real life. Daemon always wanted a Valyrian bride, Targaryen exceptionalism. he started going rogue when he was wed to non Valyrian Rhae. Around the same time Rhaenyra is born. So in his mind, Rhaenyra was always supposed to be his bride (Targaryens are insane that way). But in reality he found actual happiness with the only other Valyrian dragon rider Laena Velaryon. He found Laena at a time when he was just lost - fighting hard in the Stepstones for Corlys, despairing of his brother ruining his beloved House, almost all his family that he grew up knowing dead, having given up on marrying Rhaenyra. He was disinherited and without a home. She gave him happiness, home, love and family. He became noble for her. Ran away from politics for her. She wanted to travel so he took her all around the known world, with Caraxes and Vhagar entertaining crowds all over Essos. And he was completely broken when both she and their son died. She was indeed his true love. Showing that doesn't take anything away from Daemon - Rhaenyra relationship. The latter marriage was more political and motivated by the threat of the Greens. Daemon and Rhaenyra by that time had lived different lives, were different people, and had their kids to think of. He was probably broken, furious at Vhagar being taken away by Aemond, but couldn't loose himself because he had daughters to care for. She needed him to defend her claim and her kids from the increasing power of the Greens.
