dye

[isthisart]

The next time Linya and Ekaterin meet up (for impromptu bonsai skellytum pruning lessons, lunch, and an attempt to teach Ekaterin the simplest version of a complicated haut card game) Linya says, while shuffling for a second example round:

"Miles and I are planning to get married again, Barrayaran ceremony groats and all, and I wondered if you'd be my Second."

Comments

[thisvorlunatic]

He smiles. "All right. Thanks, Ivan."

[middlingalong]

"You're welcome."

[isthisart]

About a week later, after an economics lesson with Tsipis (he has recently invited her to call him Gavril if she'd care to, and she reciprocated) Linya reflects that it's fairly awkward for her and Count Vorkisigan to call each other, respectively, that, and "Lady Vorkosigan". So when he and she are the first to arrive at the dinner table, she says:

"You could call me Linyabel if you'd like."

[on_my_word]

"...Ah - I will," he says. "And you can call me Aral."

[isthisart]

"Thank you. It seems less stilted that way, doesn't it?"

[on_my_word]

"Yes."

[isthisart]

Time elapses. The day arrives.

Linya, having consulted with Alys, gets beautifully dressed up in silver with little black and gold accents, and wears her hair down and brushed out in a lustrous sheet (it's more practical braided, but at its most striking on its own merits when loose).

On a brick circle at Vorkosigan Surleau, with the House crest picked out in another color of brick, groats in pretty colors are strewn in a small circle, which is circumscribed in a star and then a greater circle.

Linya is, in traditional Vor style, fetched on a horse, which is named Fat Ninny. (The name of the horse is not traditional.) It has been pointed out to Miles that she already lives in his home and the fetching is a bit silly even above and beyond the beast's name, but he wanted to do it and Linya doesn't mind. Her hair swooshes behind them as they approach.

And then they dismount from the horse, and clasp hands, and walk together into the interior circle.

Ivan and Ekaterin are both supplied with little bags of still more groats. And Alys cues Miles, ready to feed him his lines if he does not produce them because he's too busy admiring his wife's glowing smile or her shiny hair or her pretty outfit.

[thisvorlunatic]

Her smile is very glowing and her hair is very shiny and her outfit is very pretty, but Miles has operated under conditions more distracting than this.

"I, Miles Naismith Vorkosigan, do take thee, Linyabel Miriat, to be my spouse and helpmeet, forsaking all others. I swear to stand with you, united in love; to give aid where needed, and accept it where given; to guard your honour as you guard mine, our lives intertwined, for as long as we both shall live."

[isthisart]

And when Alys looks at Linya:

"I, Linyabel Miriat, do take thee, Miles Naismith Vorkosigan, to be my spouse and helpmeet, forsaking all others. I swear to stand with you, united in love; to give aid where needed, and accept it where given; to guard your honor as you guard mine, our lives intertwined, for as long as we both shall live."

And then she makes a graceful little curtsy so she can kiss him without picking him up off the bricks.

[thisvorlunatic]

Kiss! Excessively married kiss!

(That is a lie. They are just the right amount of married.)

[middlingalong]

And when Linya stands up again, Ivan sweeps a gap in the circle of groats, makes eye contact with the bride, and -

loses his nerve at the last minute and kisses her just on the cheek. And promptly stands beside Ekaterin to collect her arm and walk her out of the groat arrangement.

Armsmen, off where they are lined up, perform their Shout.

[thisvorlunatic]

Well, now Miles is giggling.

[first_loyalty]

(Ekaterin is too polite to giggle.)

[isthisart]

There is dinner, and dancing, and small talk, and much gooey gazing between bride and groom.

[first_loyalty]

The gooey gazing is rather adorable.

[isthisart]

And after the guests have been cleared away and Linya has valiantly refrained from carrying her husband up to their nuptial bed -

- the positive energy of the wedding seeps away bit by bit and leaves her pensive.

[thisvorlunatic]

Miles cuddles up.

"Something wrong?"

[isthisart]

"Not exactly. I don't think I was supposed to overhear - and in fact didn't hear clearly enough to identify the speaker, though I'm not sure what could be done with the information - but I heard someone muttering about what I'm assuming was a nasty name for future children of ours."

[thisvorlunatic]

"...Um? What did they say...?"

[isthisart]

"Are you sure you want to hear it?"

[thisvorlunatic]

He sighs. "Yes. I've probably heard worse."

[isthisart]

"Quote, 'the next generation of Vorkosigans will be little twice-mutie monsters'."

[thisvorlunatic]

"Yes, that's a nasty name, and yes, sadly, I've heard worse." He locates one of her hands and kisses it. "Did it bother you?"

[isthisart]

"Not by itself. It is sort of alarming in the sense that - all my instincts are to retort that I know what I'm doing, I have more than enough knowhow, I passed my classes with excellent marks, hell, I could afford all the equipment I need out of pocket now that I've sold enough pens - I am competent - and I don't know if any of that is going to matter, because we haven't talked about it. Maybe it doesn't matter that I know what I'm doing. They'd still be mistaken, but it's because you're not in fact genetically damaged and because a woman I met once was under constraint to ensure that random-assembly would work and knew what she was doing. I feel very removed from the hypothetical process."

[thisvorlunatic]

"I'm... not sure I understand what you mean," he says slowly. "I mean - it certainly wouldn't matter to a Barrayaran who'd call our children twice-muties in the first place, whether or not you are competent to... design... them."